Sylvester Hassell

The Gospel Messenger–May 1926

The work of the gospel ministry is to teach all their hearers the momentous and eternal truths of the scriptures, without adding to or taking from those divine truths, and to baptize in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, those who receive those truths in their hearts and practice them in their lives; {Mt 28:18-20} feed and comfort their believing hearers; {Isa 40:1-2; Joh 21:15-17; Ac 20:28} to give themselves to reading (the Scriptures), to exhortation, and to doctrines; {1Ti 4; 6:21} to study to show themselves approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth; {2Ti 2:15} to show themselves in all things a pattern of good work, in doctrine, uncorruptness, gravity, and sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that he who is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil to say of them; {Tit 2:7-8} to take the oversight of the flock, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, nor as being lords over God’s heritage, but as ensamples to the flock; {1Pe 5:2-3} to reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all long-suffering, and doctrine, to preach the word, and be instant in season and out of season; {2Ti 4:2-3} to cry aloud, spare not, to lift up their voice like a trumpet, and show God’s people their transgressions, and the house of Israel their sins; {Isa 58:1} to determine not to know anything save Jesus Christ and Him crucified, as the way, the truth, and the life, as the power of God, and the wisdom of God; {1Co 2:2; Joh 14:6; 1Co 1:24} to covet no man’s silver or gold, or apparel, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive;” {Ac 20:33,35} to labor with their own hands to support the weak; {Ac 20:34-35} to be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach, not given to wine, not greedy of filthy lucre, but patient, not a brawler, not covetous, ruling well his own house, having his children in subjection, with all gravity, not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil, moreover having a good report of those who are without, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil; {1Ti 3:1-7} not self-willed, not soon angry, no striker, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate, holding fast the faithful word that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers; {Tit 1:6-9} not to handle the word deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth to commend themselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God, preaching not themselves, but themselves as servants of the Church for Jesus’ sake; {2Co 4:2-5} to beseech the members of the Church to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called, with all lowliness and meekness, and long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, as there is one body, and one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all. {Eph 4:1-6} And God gave some apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ in love. {Eph 4:11-16} Therefore the professed ministers of Christ who, for man-made phrases and inventions, who divide the Church, the body of Christ, are an abomination to the Lord; {Pr 6:16-19} they are doing the work of the devil; and God will surely bring them unto judgment. {2Co 5:10} It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. {Heb 10:30-31} Christ prayed (and His prayer will be fulfilled), that all who believe in Him should be one as He and the Father are one. {Joh 17:20-21}