Accurate Speech

     Those of us who have reverence for God and respect for the sacred writings, should
diligently try to speak accurately regarding the book of God. When we read from the
pens of denominational writers, we must be careful not to be influenced by the errors they
promote. We must not swallow everything everybody says in religion. "If the blind guide
the blind, both will fall into a pit." (Matthew 15:14) We should think through the text.
Luke tells us the Bereans "examined the scriptures to see whether the things were so."
(Acts 17:11) Their example is worthy of imitation.

     It is quite common to hear denominational theologians speak of the books of Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John as "gospels." Unfortunately some of the Lord's own people use the
same terminology in their preaching and writing. The fact is, there is only one body of
literature known as the gospel. (Galatians 1:6-9)  Accurately  speaking, Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John are "books" that constitute biographies of the life of Jesus the Messiah.
They  detail  his  life, teaching,  miracles,  claims,  death,  burial,  resurrection, and his
uniqueness as the Son of the living God. In the minds of those writers Jesus was the one
about whom the law and the prophets spoke, he was God in  the  flesh,  the  world's
redeemer, and  the  hope  of  the human race. Their writings, along with the other writings
of the new covenant, form the composite picture of what is known as the gospel. 

     Another example of inaccurate speech is referring to the letters of Paul to Timothy and
Titus as "pastorals" or "pastoral epistles." It is widely believed that Timothy and Titus were
"pastors" and that Paul wrote to  instruct  them  about  how  they  were to superintend or
"feed" the congregations under their oversight and care.  First, the word "pastor" is a term
that describes the work of shepherds within local congregations. They were also known
as elders-presbyters (Acts 20:17), overseers-bishops (Acts 20:28), and shepherds-pastors
(1 Peter 5:1-2). No  one  was  a  pastor  just  because  he  was  a  preacher.  God  gave
qualifications    that    had    to    be    possessed    before   one   could   be   a   "pastor."
(1 Timothy 3; Titus 1) They  had  to  be  married,  have  children,  and  be  older  men of
experience. A   man   may   preach   even  if  he  possesses  none  of  those qualifications.
(2 Timothy 4:1-5)    Second,  the   letters   of    Paul   to  Timothy   and   Titus   are   not
"pastoral epistles," that  is, letters  to  young  "pastors."  They  are  letters  to  preachers,
explaining how to live, what to teach, how to deal with those who teach  error within the
congregations of Christ, and how to  organize  the  local  congregations for efficient service
and work. (1 Timothy 1:3; 4:16; 2 Timothy 3:1-10; Titus 1:10-13; 2:11-12; 3:9-11)

     The  way  to  ensure  that we use accurate speech in teaching God's word is to think
through the text, and  to  refuse  to  accept  any  doctrine  or  practice on the basis that
someone alleges the things are true. "If  anyone  speaks,  they  should  do so as one who
speaks the very words of God." (1 Peter 4:11)

                                                                                                                        R. Daly
Copyright 2013