"For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth." (1 Tim. 2:7)
For this, the fact that that there is only one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all...for this, Paul says is why he was selected for ministry. Paul states that he has been appointed to be three things:
1) A Preacher - literally a herald proclaiming the good news.
2) An Apostle - This term is debated in Christian circles as to if this position is still active today. In the Greek, apostolos literally means, "one sent forth." Some conclude that an apostle is one who starts new churches and oversees their progression. Paul definitely matched this definition. Clearly, Paul was sent forth to spread the Gospel to the nations and did so.
3) A Teacher - a teacher of the Truth that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Whether or not you agree that the biblical position of apostle is still active today, it would do a pastor well to heed to all three of these offices. To proclaim the Gospel as a preacher is a given. As far as being one who starts new churches, I've always been of the idea that once a church reaches a substantial amount of members (600-1000), 200 or so should break off and plant in a different part of town. We can reach more people for Christ by multiplying rather then just getting bigger. Finally, a pastor should also be a teacher who teaches the truth and instructs in sound doctrine. From my experience in ministry, teaching seems to be a major area of failure in churches. Hopefully, this trend is reversing.
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