13What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
Surely this has to be the prayer of all preachers - for our hearers - keep what they have heard from us. But with that there is a impetus upon us - to keep our teaching sound - i.e. free from error. There is within this passage a huge responsibility - guard the good deposit that is entrusted to us.
How?
Prayer, trusted friends & colleagues to give us feedback, good reading materials which will keep us in check, and also what it says in the passage ... the help of the Holy Spirit.
speaking personally, I am constantly reminded of the systematic nature of theology, once you pull at one string of doctrine lots of things rest upon it, so keeping our theology in check, of discussing ideas with others really helps cement what "sound teaching" actually entails. Does that make sense ...?
Then if we reverse this statement and become the hearers of the sound teaching there is a lesson to actually keep what we have heard and and guard it. This certainly is a challenge ... I wonder what I have done with the last piece of sound teaching ... have I let it grow or has it fallen on the rocky soil ...mmmm....
This stuff links directly into our ordination vows
Do you believe and accept the Holy Scriptures as revealing all things necessary for eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ?
Do you believe and accept the doctrine of the Christian faith as the Church of Ireland has received it?
In ministry will you expound the Scriptures and teach that Doctrine?
We do need to keep our doctrine sound, we are called to expound the scriptures. It is my prayer for myself and all being ordained that we will hold to sound doctrine so that the truth of the Gospel may be proclaimed.
No comments:
Post a Comment