關於你的牧師你應該知道的五件事5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUTYOUR PASTOR
作者:
Nicholas Davis 譯者: Maria Marta
有時我對此大惑不解： 美國人如此迅速地相信一個他們不認識的，卻要負責照顧他們的靈魂的牧師。當我們考慮一個工作機會或為我們的孩子尋找一所學校，在投入之前，通常我們會花些時間了解這間公司或學校。
但很不幸，我認為在宗教問題上很多人採用不同的處理方法。大體上說，大家避開面談程序，讓應（受）聘者直接投入工作。
關於你的牧師，你應該知道以下五件事。(如果你找不到關於你的牧師的個人資料信息，或者你從未見過擔任領導的牧師，那麼也許是時候換間新教會了。)
1. 我的牧師曾在哪所學校受教育？
我明白神學院的教育不會自動培育出一個好（或者甚至相當好）的牧師。 在某些案例中，有些學院的教育甚至可能制造出一個怪物，如果這是你的經歷，我深感抱歉。
在教會歷史上，有些神仆從不需要任何神學訓練，今天仍有一些卓越的神仆可能屬於這一類別。但這些案例只是常規中的例外，而不是一般規則。 不幸的是，在成為牧師之前不進行任何培訓已演變成美國教會的常規------也是今日如此眾多的基督徒不了解基本的基督教信仰的一部分原因。每當我們開車經過突然出現在我們社區的新教堂時，我和妻子都會在網上調查一下，每一次都是牧師「感到上帝的呼召」，於是便開始一間教會。
然而對於大多數人來說，你的牧師上過學堂，或者受過一些既定計劃或課程的裝備訓練，有能力正確解釋聖經，應該是很重要的事。我們接受提供醫療服務機構的治療時，我們總希望得到訓練最有素，最受尊敬的醫生的最佳照顧。 沒有人願意邀請曾有醫療事故記錄的醫生，或要求未經訓練的醫生醫治他們的身體疾病，那麽，為什麽牧養關懷就應當有別於檢查醫治呢？ 我們應該希望我們的靈魂與我們身體獲得同樣的醫治。受委託管理上帝聖言的管家不應該有所不同。
所以提問一些誠實的問題：
我的牧師是否受過足夠的訓練，對教會歷史上一些最重要的異端和爭議有全面的了解？
他掌握註釋聖經的基本原則嗎？ 我相信他能照顧我的靈魂，就像我信任我的醫生醫治我的身體那樣嗎？
2.我牧師的信仰符合聖經嗎？
擁有信經和信仰告白，或信仰聲明至關重要。 對你牧師來說，它們是使他能持守的外來的客觀標準。 所有牧師都需要這種問責（交帳）標準。 不管多麽有智慧和多麽的敬虔，牧師個人都不可能擁有所有的答案。 我們不能把這種負擔加在我們的牧師身上，我們的牧師也不應該把兩千年來的基督徒的智慧的重擔壓在自己肩上。
因此，他們的官方信仰是什麽？他們是否告訴你有某種聲明，概括說來，就是他們做什麽和不相信什麽的聲明，他們承諾持守一個可以被其他人公開訪問的教學體系？假如他不再忠於上帝的話語，他願意服從教會的紀律嗎？
3. 關於教會，我的牧師的信仰是什麽？
基督教有多種傳統。對教會應該強調什麽，有各種不同的觀點，而牧師（和教會）所持的觀點取決於他們源自何種神學背景。然而，在兩件關鍵事情上-------區分基督教與任何其他類型的團契、團體、福音機構，以及坦率地說邪教，應該強烈關注任何基督教傳統的每一位牧師所持的觀點。
我的牧師是否相信教會的中心使命是傳福音、施行聖禮（洗禮和聖餐）、與執行教會紀律？
4. 我的牧師真的關愛人嗎？
我的牧師真的相信他所談的愛，即我們彼此相愛是因著福音的緣故？ 他持有真理的信念，和持有同情心去幫助其他人相信真理嗎？ 抑或他以贏得爭論，並順利應對來界定真理呢？
顯然，人各有異，表達愛的方式各有千秋。由於性格的原因，有些人看起來一點也不熱情，而實際上他們對福音懷有滿腔熱情------只不過不如約翰·派博（John Piper）那麽激情澎湃罷了。
這沒關系，但我的意思是指你的牧師關愛你嗎？你看到他關愛失喪的人嗎？
5.我的牧師是一個敬虔人嗎？
我並非試圖用這問題來擠壓福音裡的其他同工。我同樣也屬於被問的對象，這也是我所聽到的棘手問題。 但使徒保羅為所有福音傳道人樹立了一個可以跟隨的敬虔榜樣，免得我們「被棄絕了」 (林前九27)。他經常提醒所有的基督徒，「該效法我，像我效法基督一樣」 (林前十一1)------保羅期望每一個人都效法他，當然也期望每有一位牧師都這樣做。此外保羅也在其他地方指示我們，「監督」(或牧師、教牧人員、長老、主教、神甫、委員會成員等等) 必須是一個虔誠的人。
這是按立牧師的最低限度的資格條件，所以提問這個關於我們的問題不應讓你難以啟齒。「我的牧師是一個虔誠的人嗎？」「他過一種值得我們效仿的生活，抑或他的生活的目標方向面臨觸礁呢？」如果你是牧師，相信我，我和你和使徒保羅都會異口同聲：
「對於滅亡的人，這是死亡的氣味叫人死；對於得救的人，這卻是生命的香氣使人活。這些事誰夠資格作呢？我們不像那許多的人，為了圖利而謬講 神的道。相反地，我們講話，是出於真誠，出於 神，是在 神面前、在基督裡的。」（林后二16-17；《圣經新譯本》）
牧師職分是一種崇高的呼召，它不適合內膽小懦弱的人。它也不是一盤生意，不幸的是，人們需要學習如何辨別這兩種教會的差別：為了你的錢財的教會，和忠心尋求讓這垂死和饑餓的世界知道福音奧秘的教會。提出問題，了解差別-----在這種情況下，你的身體和靈魂都依賴於它們。
明白以上五個問題，你應該能夠區分忠心仆人和那些試圖通過建造平台成為超級使徒的人。我祈禱這些指導性的問題能幫助你識別基督的仆人，他們行事為人與他們所宣揚的基督的福音相配，盡管我們當中沒有一個人-----包括我！------真正足以應對（問題所涉及的）這些事情。
請為你的牧師禱告。 假如你有一位好牧師，為你的牧師感謝上帝。
5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
YOUR PASTOR
Nicholas
Davis
Sometimes
I’m baffled at how quickly Americans trust a pastor who they don’t know with
care over their souls. When we consider a job opportunity or are looking for a
school for our children, usually we spend a little bit of time getting to know
the company or school before jumping right in.
Unfortunately,
I don’t think many people operate the same way when it comes to religion. In
general, people avoid an interview process and just start attending.
Here
are five things you should know about your pastor. (And if you can’t find any
of this information about your pastor, or you can’t ever meet the head pastor,
then it’s probably time for a new church.)
1.
Where did my pastor go to school?
I
realize that a seminary education doesn’t automatically create a good (or even
decent) pastor. In some cases, it can create a monster, and if that has been
your experience, I am deeply sorry.
There
are some men in church history who never required any theological training, and
there are some remarkable people today who might fall into this category. But
this should be an exception to the rule and is not the norm. Unfortunately, not
pursuing any training before becoming a pastor has become a staple in American
churches—and is part of the reason why so many Christians today are ignorant of
basic Christian beliefs. Whenever we drive by a new church that pops up in our
neighborhood, my wife and I look it up online and every single time the pastor
has "felt called by God" to start the church.
For
most people though, it should matter if your pastor went to school or through
some established program or curriculum that equips him to rightly interpret the
Bible. When we are being treated by our medical provider, we want the best care
possible with the most highly trained and respected doctors. Nobody willingly
invites malpractice or asks for untrained physicians to work on their bodies,
so why should it be any different with pastoral care? We should want the same
treatment for our souls as we do for our bodies. It shouldn't be any different
with stewards entrusted with handling God’s Word.
So
ask some honest questions:
Is my
pastor trained enough to know some of the most significant heresies and
controversies in the history of the church?
Does
he know basic principles of interpreting the Bible? Can I trust him to care for
my soul in the same way I trust a doctor to take care of my body?
2.
What does my pastor believe is “biblical”?
Having
creeds and confessions, or a statement of faith matters. That’s something
external to your pastor that holds him to an objective standard outside of
himself. All pastors need this kind of accountability. No matter how wise and
godly, an individual pastor can’t possibly have all the answers. We can’t put
that burden on our pastors, and our pastors shouldn’t try to bear the weight of
two thousand years of Christian wisdom on their own shoulders either.
So,
what do they officially believe? Do they have a statement of some sort that
tells you, in general, what they do and don’t believe? Have they promised to
remain faithful to a body of teaching that can publicly be accessed by others?
Is he willing to submit to the discipline of the church if he ceases to be
faithful to God's Word?
3.
What does my pastor believe about the church?
Christian
traditions vary, and there are different views on what the church should be
emphasizing depending on what theological backdrop a pastor (and church) is
coming from. However, there should be a strong focus on every pastor in any
given Christian tradition on two vital things that distinguish Christianity
from every other kind of fellowship, group, parachurch organization, and
frankly, cult.
Does
my pastor believe the central mission of the church is to preach the gospel,
administer the sacraments (baptism and the Lord's Supper), and exercise church
discipline?
4.
Does my pastor really love people?
Is my
pastor someone who really believes what he says about the love that we have for
one another because of the gospel? Does he have a conviction for truth and
compassion for others to believe in the truth? Or is he defined by winning
arguments and getting it right?
Obviously,
every person is different and will express love in different ways. Some people
don’t seem to be passionate at all, but for their temperament they are actually
really excited about the gospel—they’re just not as passionate as John Piper.
That’s
okay, but what I mean here is, does your pastor love you? Do you see his love
for the lost?
5. Is
my pastor a godly person?
I’m
not trying to crush fellow co-laborers in the gospel with this one. I equally
fall under this gutting question too and it’s a tough one for me to hear. But
the apostle Paul uses himself as an example of godliness for all ministers of
the gospel to follow after, lest we are "disqualified" (1 Cor 9:27).
And he often makes it a point to remind all Christians to “imitate me as I
follow Christ” (1 Cor 11:1)—if Paul expects that of everybody, he certainly
expects it of every minister. Elsewhere, Paul instructs us that “overseers” (or
pastors, ministers, elders, bishops, priests, board members, etc.) are to be
godly.
This
is a bare minimum qualification for ordained ministry, so you shouldn’t feel
bad about asking this one about us. "Is my pastor godly?" "Does
he live a life that is worthy of imitating or is he headed for shipwreck?"
If you are a pastor, trust me, I cry out with you and the Apostle Paul, saying:
“Who
is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's
word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we
speak in Christ.” (2 Cor 2:16-17)
The
ministry of the word is a high calling, and it’s not for the faint of heart.
It’s also not a business, and unfortunately, people need to learn how to
discern the difference between a church that is out for your money, and a
church that seeks to faithfully make the mysteries of the gospel known to a
dying and starving world. Ask questions and learn the difference—in this case,
both your body and soul depend on it.
With
these five questions, you should be able to separate faithful servants from
those who are just trying to become super-apostles by building a platform. I
pray that these guiding questions will help you identify servants of Christ who
are worthy of the very gospel they are proclaiming, even though none of
us—myself included!—are truly sufficient for these things.
Please
pray for your pastor. And if you have a good pastor, thank God for your pastor.