( 1 Timothy 3:11 , my translation ); “ flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness ” ( 2 Timothy 2:22 , Paul to Timothy ). But that doesn ’ t mean the Lord is looking for faithful men who are incompetent . He is looking for “ faithful men , who will be able to teach others also ” ( 2 Timothy 2:2 ). The Lord is looking for men to serve in pastoral ministry who are both faithful and competent .
Define Competency Biblically
And yet , part of the leadership problem in the church is that we ’ ve allowed business definitions of competency to creep in . We look for pastors and leaders based on “ skill sets ” like administration , decision-making , and financial savvy . Certainly , such skills aid the church , so long as they are applied in God-glorifying ways . But Scripture requires only one main skill of pastors – to be “ able to teach ” ( 1 Timothy 3:2 ;
Titus 2:9 ). The apostle Paul uses “ able to teach ” or some form of that phrase to emphasize the competency required of the pastor ( 2 Timothy 2:2 , 24 ). Throughout Paul ’ s letters , pastoral competency is the ability to rightly interpret God ’ s word in order to “ give instruction in sound doctrine and also rebuke those who contradict it ” ( Titus 1:11 ).
The reason the Lord requires this capability of pastors and church leaders is because there is a mission at stake . Jesus is building his church on the foundation of the message the Father revealed to the apostles ( Matthew 16:17-18 ; Ephesians 2:19-22 ; 1 Peter 2:4-8 ). That message is that Jesus , the Son of the living God , is the Christ . It is good news . It is the gospel . And as the gospel is proclaimed , the Lord is gathering all who repent and believe into his church ( Acts 2:22-41 ). Consequently , when the ministry of the
15