Copyright © 2007 Ron Schwartz
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"Ye Ought To Be Teachers”

November 25, 2002

From Ron Schwartz  

Hebrews 5:12 KJV

12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

There comes a time when people should grow up.  A cursory survey of Christianity in the West reveals that this is not the case, at least not here.  So why aren’t Christians growing up?

There are solid biblical principles that explain why people who have been “churched” for years remain children or even babies their entire Christian lives.  These principles explain why the contemporary Western Church remains an infant even though it has more ministers, churches, Christian broadcasters, Christian books and Bibles, freedom of religion, and finances for church operations than all other nations combined.

Principle #1: The Tutors and Governors Principle

Galatians 4:1-2 KJV

1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

10 Habits of Highly Successful Counselors teaches this to counselors: “Your task is to essentially work yourself out of a job.”

Professionals teach tutors, “Your real job or goal in tutoring is to work yourself out of a job. By this I mean you will be guiding the tutee's but in a way that makes them independent of you.”

Strategic Studies (2002) delivered this message to parents: “It’s been said that the best parents are the ones who make themselves progressively unnecessary….  The real goal is to help children grow from parental control to self-control…  And don’t forget your goal… it is to work yourself out of a job.”

And John the Baptist taught (around 29 AD) us:

John 3:27-30 KJV,

27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.

29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

“He must increase, but I must decrease” is just another way of saying “I must work myself out of a job.”  John had no misgivings concerning his role.  He understood that the only point to his existence and ministry was to prepare Israel for the Messiah and introduce Him to them.  John metaphorically referred to himself as “the friend of the bridegroom” when explaining his role.  Christian leaders would do well to use him as their role model.  Like John, Christian leaders should not desire to be the focus of attention.   In this hour, Christian leaders should be focusing the attention on the Bride (the Church) and the Bridegroom (Jesus) rather than the greatness of their ministries.  They need simply to recognize that they are not the Bridegroom and the Bride does not belong to them.

There is a wonderful story in the Bible about a bride, bridegroom, and friend of the bridegroom.  It’s the story of Isaac and Rebekah.

Genesis 24:1-67 KJV

1 And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.

2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:

4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

One remarkable factor of this story is that here we find a servant whom Abraham has entrusted with “all that he had,” including the future of his son.  This servant carefully and prayerfully performs his service, sees his prayers answered, yet he is never honored with a name.  What a testimony!   If only this were true of the servants of God today.  John the Baptist demonstrated to us servant-like behavior when he described his ministry as simply “a voice.”  Contrast this to the contemporary Christian leaders.  How many spend as much or more time selling their ministries as they do the Lord?  Or have their names and ministry titles plastered all over everything?

10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

Once again, we find how trusted this servant was.  Abraham entrusted the servant with all his wealth.  The servant could have left with the fortune and never again returned, but he understood something important.  He was only a servant, and the gifts were only in his temporary care.  They gifts belonged to Abraham and were to become the possessions of the bride.

12 And he [the servant] said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.

14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.

15 And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out…,

17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.

18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.

Here we find that the servant allowed God to do the choosing.  I am stunned by how easily people enter into ministry “positions.”  I know of many men who simply obtain a building, call themselves a pastor, and then attempt to fill “their church.”  Rather than allowing God to execute His plan (as the servant did), they essentially manufacture a bride for themselves.  Anyone can do this.  It’s really quite easy.  Once the word “church” is on the outside of a building and someone with the title of “pastor” is controlling it, no one questions the legitimacy of either the church or the minister.   Churches like this become shrines to men. They cease to be about God when the buildings and the titles are what make it legitimate.

26 And the man [the servant] bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD.

27 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren.

The servant’s happiness is not because of what he accomplished, but because God demonstrated His love, blessing, and mercy on his master.  Think of this: the servant was happy because God showed His approval of someone other than himself.

True servants put first those whom they serve.  They esteem those whom they serve.   Most Christian leaders know that the words “minister” and “servant” are synonymous, yet servitude is nevertheless a missing ingredient in their lives.  They lack a servant’s heart.   Rather than treat people as the bride and themselves as the servant, they use people as merely a means to achieve their end.  People (the bride) too often become nameless, voiceless, faceless individuals who exist to support their ministries.

In the Levitical priesthood, priests wore a vest containing twelve stones.  Each stone had the name of one of the twelve tribes engraved upon it.  Every tribe, that is, except their own tribe, the tribe of Levi.  These stones were worn over the hearts of the priests.  Additionally, there was a stone worn on each shoulder.   Each of these stones had the names of six tribes engraved upon it.  Once again, every tribe but their own, the tribe of Levi.  This practice was to demonstrate that we cannot bear the work of the Lord (stones on the shoulders) without first having a heart for the people of God (stones on the heart).  And that, just like the priest’s own tribe being missing from the stones, true service to God is a selfless act.

32 And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men's feet that were with him.

33 And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on.

34 And he said, I am Abraham's servant.

The servant, known only as “the man,” never forgot his role.  He was first and foremost a servant.  Therefore, before he would go into the house he did everything that was typically expected of a servant, like taking care of his master’s camels.  The servant could have acted like the master and hire someone to do it.  After all, he did have a great deal of Abraham’s wealth.  But he did not squander his master’s wealth on himself.  He treated the wealth of his master as though it belong to the master.  He never lost focus on his role.

Many Christian leaders would do well to follow the example of this servant, because many do not act like servants.  Too often, we find Christian leaders putting themselves first or acting as if they are above another.  Usually such behavior is a result of having poor role models.

No other place is the lack of a servant mentality more clear than in the way many handle their finances.   Do they really believe that an offering is “the master’s money?”   A servant does not handle his master’s wealth as though it is discretionary.   A servant does not handle his master’s wealth as though it is his to finance his ministry.  All offerings belong to God and should be treated so.  It is not the tax given to a king to be used on his private army, to build his castle, or to extend his political oversight.  The lack of financial support for ministries by people in the wealthy Western nations is testimony to the fact that people do not believe it is supposed to be that way either.

35 And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.

36 And Sarah my master's wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath.

The servant uses every opportunity to direct attention away from himself and back to his master.  True servants of the Lord never take credit for anything.  They never point to or direct attention toward their ministries or service.  They never brag about their ministries or accomplishments.  And they never accept anything for themselves but that which a servant needs.  Can we say this?

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.

51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the LORD hath spoken.

52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth.

53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.

Once again we find the servant not considering himself but the bride.   The gifts and treasures he had, he gives to the bride.  Contrast this behavior to today.  Many Christian leaders believe that gifts and ministry belong to an elite class, a governing body, rather than to the people who make up the bride, the body of Christ.  Those who do this have essentially taken the gifts that the master gave them for the bride and kept it for themselves rather than giving them to the church.   In some twisted way, they actually believe that the body of Christ is better off with them (the Christian leaders) keeping the gifts.

63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.

The friend of the bridegroom slowly fades into obscurity as the bride approaches the bridegroom.   Isaac recognizes Rebekah because she was wearing his gifts.   The gifts did not adorn the servant but the bride.  She had “made herself ready.”

Christ will not recognize His Church if Christian leaders continue to hold back the gifts from her by insisting that these gifts are only for a few, an elite.  She will never grow up and become “weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts (Isaiah 28:9)” so long as Christian leaders continue to treat their congregations as children.

64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.

66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.

67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

The nameless servant spoke so much of Isaac that Rebekah eagerly anticipated meeting him.  Contrast this to today with contemporary ministries.  How many Christian leaders are building a base of followers?  I know of countless churches where people feel more of a loyalty to their church than they do to the Lord.  They overlook and excuse the bad behavior of their pastors and other leaders because that is where their loyalty lies.  They accept almost any direction the pastor leads because of the subtle teaching to hand over their allegiance to man.  Is this the characteristic of a servant?

Today’s “servants” expect “gifts” to come from the bride in the form of money to finance their ministries.  What gifts are they giving to the bride?  The only gift that most contemporary ministers can claim to give to the church is their “personal revelation.”  However, after generations of “personal revelation,” the Western Church is worse off.  Are they really servants?   Here’ s a test:

Jesus said, “…if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me (John 12:32).”  So, let’s ask the question, “Are all men being drawn unto Christ? To what are men being drawn?”  If people are truly being drawn to Christ, then we should see a steady increase of Christ in their lives.  But we don’t.  In the Western Church, we find just the opposite: an erosion of spiritual maturity.

Can today’s “servants” really say that they are pointing the way to Christ, or are they pointing the way to their ministries?   And will their followers be looking for Christ (like Rebekah was looking for Isaac), or will their followers be so focused on their ministries (the friend of the bridegroom) that bridegroom will come and go while they remain unaware?

Remember this: teams increase in talent and performance the longer they play and work together.  However, audiences stay the same.  If congregations are only allowed to be audiences, they will never mature spiritually.  They will be audiences forever.  Paul wrote concerning the Hebrew that were still spiritual infants when they should be adults, telling them that “strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:14).”   Spiritual maturity comes about through “use” and “exercise.”

Principle #2: The Temporary Structure Principle

Hebrews 5:12-6:3 KJV

12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

3 And this will we do, if God permit.

What we find here is the danger that “structure” can present to maturity.  Structure can come in a variety of forms, and it is not always bad.   In this example, the Hebrew believers were not able to free themselves from the limitations of the law and Old Testament customs, and eventually that inability prevented growth.   That is because structure can NEVER bring about spiritual maturity.  At best, it can channel growth in the proper direction, and if implemented correctly it can actually retard growth.

As a rule of thumb, structure should never be viewed as permanent (even if it ends up being so).  It should be viewed as people working themselves out of a job.  In other words, think to yourself, I will do this until people learn it and grow in it and then I will no longer be necessary.   Therefore, structure is proportional to maturity.

Galatians 4:1-2, 9-11, 5:1-2 KJV

1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.

11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

Throughout the entire history of the early church, the law constantly sought to weave its way into the New Testament and regain control.  But to Paul, life in the Spirit and that law were mutually exclusive.  The law was to fade away like the friend of the bridegroom.

Paul admonished the Galatians that the law served as a schoolmaster to teach us about the Christ and life in the Spirit (the promise of the Father).  He told them that when the Christ came, they should leave the teachers and come to know Him.

Structure restricts freedom.  For instance, there are laws that govern the speed limit.  They are meant to restrict how fast we travel.   We all know that if we didn’t have laws, and there were no restrictions, chaos would soon follow.

1 Timothy 1:7-10 KJV

7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;

9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine

Structure, like the law, must have its place.  Problems occur when two sets of conflicting structure are imposed upon people.  The law was made for the natural man to educate him as to the nature of God.  But once the nature of God comes to people (in the form of the Holy Spirit), the law only gets in the way.  Therefore, laws restricting murder, rape, stealing, etc., are only necessary for those who would commit such crimes.  For people who will not do these things, those laws might as well not even exist.

Structure comes in forms other than the law, especially in Christian churches.  For instance, there are many occasions where the apostles implemented structure to address certain issues among their immature congregations.

1 Corinthians 7:12 KJV

But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

One such immature congregation was the Church at Corinth.  Corinth was not a glowing example of what a New Testament Church should be like.   At one time, Paul wrote to them saying: “For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.  For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken (1 Corinthians 11:18).”  But they also had other problems.  It could be seen as more than just an immature church, for this church appeared to be in chaos.  Consequently, it should be no big surprise that Paul imposed some structure to address the shortfall.  This structure was meant to be temporary shoring to support proper behavior until the people matured to the point that it was no longer necessary.  Paul even imposed structure for the use of spiritual gifts.

But like John the Baptist, structure must be a means to an end and not the end itself.  It must be put in place to channel growth in the proper direction, not a replacement for growth.  When too much structure is in place or when proper structure is in place for too long, the body will cease to grow and will remain forever infantile.  The end goal of any form of structure must be to accomplish what Jesus had in mind for His Church when He said: “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23 -24).”  And, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit (John 3:8).”   If structure will not ultimately produce this, then it is unnecessary.  What better reason could there be for structure than to aid and encourage people to grow under the leadership of the Holy Spirit for themselves?  This is the desire of every true friend of the bridegroom (Christian leader): to work themselves out of a job and get people following the Lord instead.   People who have found the life in the Spirit that Jesus described above need very little structure.

As a rule, try to see “rulership” and “rules” as temporary structure necessary only until maturity develops.  And as maturity develops, structure must gradually diminish proportionate to the degree of maturity.  If structure does not diminish, it will prevent further growth because structure and the operation of the Holy Spirit cannot “occupy the same space at the same time.”  If structure does not diminish proportionately to spiritual growth, then it will gradually kill whatever growth had already occurred.

The following scriptures show that New Testament structure is temporary:

Ephesians 4:11-13 KJV

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ

The gifts of ministry are structures to help bring about maturity, not to replace it.  Structures go away as the body approaches maturity.  Think of it like this: there must come a time when members of a congregation grow spiritually to the point of spiritual equality with their leaders/pastors.  Some should even surpass them (“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father, John 14:12.”).  Is that happening?

1 Corinthians 13:8-10 KJV

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

Here we find that even the gifts of the Spirit are temporary.  They are a means of helping reach perfection, not a perfected state.  Spiritual gifts, like ministry and law, are a type of structure.  They are not perfection.  They are merely a means to nurture maturity, not to replace it.   They are a means to an end, not the end.

Conclusion

As long as there are new converts in the body of Christ, there will be a need for ministry and gifts.  There is no question about this.  The challenge facing Christian leaders is how to release Christians from the structure of their “rules” as well as their “rulership” as those Christians mature in the Lord.   Many Christian leaders simply treat everyone the same.

Think of it this way.  People need pastors until the pastors work themselves out of a job and the people become as pastors.   They need teachers until they become teachers.  This is the realization of Moses’ dream when he said, “[I] would God that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!”

It is important to understand that the Bible does not grant pastors universal power over their churches to the exclusion of other gifts and ministries (i.e., ”And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues” (1 Corinthians 12:28).  Pastors are not first in the Church or even “their” church.   They are a form of “help” and “government.”

Ministers must come to realize that they are not the Bridegroom and the bride does not belong to them.  They are just servants who are sent to help the bride become adorned in the gifts of the Bridegroom and then find Him for themselves.  What greater testimony could any servant of the Lord have than this?

Finally, structure must be used sparingly and only when necessary.  Congregations must be taught that the structure is a poor replacement for God’s Spirit but necessary to help channel growth.  Also, Christian leaders must not be afraid to use structure with only those people who need it (and with the understanding that it is temporary) instead of applying it universally.   I know this will be difficult but with the proper instruction, people will see its value and work together for their own success.

Pastors, it is nothing to brag about in saying that you have congregation of children, unless of course the congregation is comprised entirely of new converts.  If your congregation is generally spiritually immature after spending years in the Lord under your teaching, then the disgrace is yours.  It is your fault for not allowing them to mature.   Remember, teams improve because they have opportunity to practice.  Audiences don’t.  They will remain spiritually immature forever.  Are you fostering a team or an audience?