We return to Titus chapter 1 this morning and our look at verses 5 through 9 - a brief portion of Scripture but one that has been very, very important for us, and as a result we've spent five weeks on it, including this one.   The title for this section is "The Required Character for a Pastor" - that's what it's all about.

今天早上我们回到提多书第1章，看看第5节到第9节——这是圣经的一小部分，但对我们来说却非常非常重要，因此我们花了五个星期的时间研究它，包括这一节。本节的标题是“牧师所需的品格”——这就是它的全部内容。

Now you remember, the apostle Paul is writing to Titus.   Titus is on the island of Crete.   Titus has a task, according to verse 5, of appointing or ordaining elders in every one of the churches in every city.   And the men who are qualified to do that task of pastoring and being elders and overseers are described in verses 6, 7, 8, and 9.   Not just anyone can do that; unique qualifications are necessary.   And we've been looking at those qualifications as we have studied already verses 5 through 8.

现在你还记得，使徒保罗是写给提多的信。提多在克里特岛。根据第 5 节，提多的任务是在每个城市的每个教会中任命或按立长老。有资格担任牧师、长老和监督的职务的人在第6、7、8和9节中有所描述。不是任何人都能做到这一点;独特的资格是必要的。我们一直在研究这些资格，因为我们已经学习了第 5 节到第 8 节。

Now in verse 9 we come to the last section of qualifications, and it introduces to the primary task of the pastor, elder, and overseer - the primary duty - what he is to be doing in the actual ministry that he exercises.   Look with me at verse 9.   "Holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict."

现在，在第9节，我们来到了资格的最后一部分，它介绍了牧师、长老和监督的首要任务——首要职责——他在实际的事工中要做什么。请和我一起看第9节。“持守忠心的话语，符合教训，使他能用纯正的教义劝勉，并驳斥那些与之相矛盾的人。”

What is this noble work, as 1 Timothy 3:1 calls it, to which this man aspires who desires to be a pastor or an elder or an overseer? What is this noble task?   Well, according to verse 9 it is “holding fast the faithful word” with a view to exhorting and refuting.   It is wielding the sword of the Spirit, both edges.   One cuts, as it were, the positive ministry of exhortation.   One cuts, as it were, the negative ministry of refutation.   This is the primary task.   We who are pastors and elders and overseers in the church are called to use the Word of God effectively to strengthen believing people and to defend the church against attacking error.   That's our noble work.

正如提摩太前书 3：1 所说的，这个渴望成为牧师、长老或监督的人所渴望的这项崇高的工作是什么？这崇高的任务是什么？嗯，根据第 9 节，它是“持守忠心的话”，以期劝勉和驳斥。它是挥舞圣灵的剑，两边。一个可以说是砍掉了劝勉的积极事工。可以说，一个剪掉了驳斥的消极职事。这是首要任务。我们这些在教会中担任牧师、长老和监督的人，被呼召有效地使用神的话语来坚固信徒，并保护教会免受错误攻击。这是我们崇高的工作。

When Paul says a man who desires to be an overseer or a bishop in 1 Timothy 3, “desires a noble work,” that is the noble work of which he speaks.   We are teachers.   We are preachers.   We are wielders, as it were, of the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; that is what we do.

当保罗在提摩太前书 3 章中说，一个渴望成为监督或主教的人“渴望高尚的工作”，这就是他所说的崇高的工作。我们是教师。我们是传道人。我们可以说是圣灵的宝剑的持有者，那就是神的话语;这就是我们所做的。

Just to expand on that, go back with me to 1 Timothy; and in these three letters - 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus - called the pastoral epistles, we have repeatedly given for us the emphasis upon ministry as teaching.   For example, in chapter 4 would you notice verse 6, 1 Timothy chapter 4, verse 6, Paul says to Timothy, "You should be a good servant of Christ Jesus."   And he defines that as being “constantly nourished on the words of the faith” - that would be Scripture - and “the sound doctrine” - that would be what Scripture affirms, “which you have been following.”   In other words, you are to be being constantly nourished on the Scripture and the principles or the theology that it affirms.

为了扩展这一点，请和我一起回到提摩太前书;在这三封书信中——提摩太前书和提多后书——被称为教牧书信，我们一再强调事工作为教导。例如，在第四章中，你会注意到提摩太前书第六章第六节，保罗对提摩太说：“你应该作基督耶稣的好仆人。”他将这定义为“常常被信的话语所滋养”——那就是圣经——以及“纯正的教义”——这就是圣经所肯定的，“你们所遵循的”。换句话说，你要不断地被圣经和它所肯定的原则或神学所滋养。

Then in verse 11 he says, having had this foundation of truth in the Scripture and what it affirms, “command and teach these things."   Verse 13 he says, "Give your attention to reading the Scripture, exhorting and teaching."   In verse 14, "Don't neglect the spiritual gift within you."   That was a preaching, a proclaiming, a teaching gift.   In verse 16 he says, "Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching, persevere in these things."

然后在第11节，他说，既然在圣经和圣经所肯定的真理中有了这个真理的根基，“要吩咐，教导这些事”。第13节，他说：“要专心读经，劝勉教导。”在第14节，“不要忽视你里面属灵的恩赐。”那是一种讲道，一种宣扬，一种教导的恩赐。在第16节，他说：“你们要留心自己和你的教训，在这些事上持守。

Now Paul is saying to Timothy “the primary responsibility that you have in ministry is to know the Scripture and to proclaim it.”   That's apparent.   Go over to chapter 5, verse 17, of 1 Timothy and you'll see another reflection on the same thought.   "Let the elders [or pastors] who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”   That is what we do, that's what we're to work hard at.

现在保罗对提摩太说：“你们在事工中的主要责任是认识圣经并传讲圣经。”这是显而易见的。翻到提摩太前书第5章第17节，你会看到对同一思想的另一个反思。“治理得好的长老[或牧师]，尤其是那些努力讲道和教导的人，都值得加倍尊崇。”这就是我们所做的，这就是我们要努力的。

Down in chapter 6 would you notice verse 2?   The end of the verse, "Teach and preach these principles."   Then further, down into verse 17 and 18, he says, "Instruct those who are rich."   In verse 18 he says, "Instruct them to do good."

在第 6 章中，你会注意到第 2 节吗？这节经文的结尾是“教导和传讲这些原则”。然后，在第17节和第18节，他说：“教训富人。在第18节，他说：“教导他们行善。

Now let me just pull all of that together.   From 1 Timothy alone you have commanding verbs, verbs in the imperative, like this: “command, teach, read, explain, apply, don't neglect your gift, pay close attention to your teaching, work hard at preaching and teaching, instruct - instruct.”   That's what we do.   We are given to the church, according to Ephesians 4:11 and 12, “for the perfecting of the saints.”   That's our task.

现在让我把所有这些放在一起。仅从提摩太前书开始，你就有命令动词，祈使句中的动词，比如：“命令、教导、阅读、解释、应用，不要忽视你的恩赐，密切注意你的教导，努力讲道和教导，指导——指导。这就是我们所做的。根据以弗所书 4：11 和 12，我们被交给教会，“为要成全圣徒”。这是我们的任务。

Look at 2 Timothy.   In 2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 11 Paul says, "I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. It's for this reason that I suffer these things."   In other words, “the difficulty in my life comes from what I do, which is preaching and teaching.”   Then in verses 13 and 14 he says to Timothy, "Retain the standard of sound words"; verse 14, "Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure entrusted to you” - hold on to the truth, hold on the sound doctrine, hold on to the Holy Spirit-revealed Scripture, hold on to it.   Then in chapter 2, verse 2, he tells him give it away, as it were, “the things you heard from me in the presence of many witnesses" - that would be the apostles' doctrine, revealed truth - this “entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."   I taught you; you teach some who will teach others also.   Hold on to it, guard it, and at the same time give it away to others.

请看提摩太后书。在提摩太后书第1章和第11节，保罗说：“我被任命为传道人、使徒和教师。正是因为这个原因，我才遭受这些痛苦。换句话说，“我生命中的困难来自于我所做的事情，即讲道和教导。然后在第13节和第14节，他对提摩太说：“你们要保持纯正的话语标准”;第14节，“你们要靠着住在我们里面的圣灵，把交托给你们的宝贝，看守”——要持守真理，持守纯正的教义，持守圣灵启示的圣经，持守。然后在第2章第2节，他告诉他，把“你们在众见证人面前从我那里听见的事”——这就是使徒的教义，启示的真理——这“托付给忠心的人，他们也能教导别人”。我教过你;你教导一些人，他们也会教导其他人。抓住它，守护它，同时把它送给别人。

Down in chapter 3 of 2 Timothy, it is Scripture that “is inspired by God, that is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, training in righteousness; so that the man of God” - that's a technical term for a spiritual leader – “may be adequate, equipped for every good work."   In order to do every good work that our ministry calls for, we use the Scripture and we apply it for teaching, correction, and training, as well as reproof.

在提摩太后书第3章中，圣经“是神所默示的，对教训、责备、纠正、训练义有益;这样，属神的人“——这是属灵领袖的专业术语——”可以充分地装备每一项善工“。为了完成我们事工所要求的每一项善工，我们使用圣经，并应用它来教导、纠正、训练和责备。

Chapter 4 of 2 Timothy again emphasizes the primacy of what we do.   In verse 2, "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine."   Again as in 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy makes it abundantly clear that the role of the pastor and elder is to teach and preach.

提摩太后书第4章再次强调我们所做的事情是首要的。在第 2 节中，“传道;在季节和反季节做好准备;责备、责备、劝勉，要有极大的耐心和教训。因为有一天，他们不能忍受纯正的教义。同样，就像在提摩太前书中一样，提摩太后书非常清楚地表明，牧师和长老的角色是教导和讲道。

Now Titus, look at chapter 2, verse 1 - starting that second chapter - Paul says, "But as for you [Titus], speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine” – “speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.” “That's your task.   You are a speaker.   You are a preacher and a teacher, and you must articulate sound doctrine.”

提多，请看第二章第1节——从第二章开始——保罗说，“但你[提多]，你们要说合得着纯正道理的话”——“说合得着纯正道理的话”。“那是你的任务。你是一个演讲者。你是一名传道人和教师，你必须阐明正确的教义。

Now that takes us really to our text and verse 9.   This is the single qualification that relates to a skill or a function.   We've been running through from verses 5 on, and we've noted there are four categories of qualifications.   The first one was sexual morality: any man who serves as an elder or a pastor must be “above reproach,” first of all defined sexually as “a one-woman man” - that's what “a husband of one wife” is literally in the Greek. He must be “a one-woman man.”   Secondly, family leadership: he must have “children who believe and are not accused of dissipation or rebellion.”   Thirdly, his general character must be unique: he is “not self-willed,” verses 7 and 8, “[not] quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout...self-controlled.”

现在，这真的把我们带到了我们的经文和第 9 节。这是与技能或职能相关的单一资格。我们从第 5 节开始就一直在学习，我们注意到有四类资格。第一个是性道德：任何担任长老或牧师的男人都必须“无可非议”，首先在性方面被定义为“一个女人的男人”——这就是希腊语中“一个妻子的丈夫”的字面意思。他一定是“一个女人的男人”。其次，家庭领导：他必须有“相信并且不被指责为散荡或叛逆的孩子”。第三，他的一般性格必须是独特的：他“不任性”，第 7 节和第 8 节，“[不]脾气暴躁，不嗜酒，不好斗，不喜贪污，但好客，热爱良善，理智，公义，虔诚......自我控制。

Now we've looked at the sexual morality of a pastor, the family leadership of a pastor, the general character.   Now we come, fourthly, to the only specific skill or ability or gift and that is his teaching and preaching ability.   These men are teachers and preachers.   That's what elders do. That's their primary function.

现在我们已经看了牧师的性道德，牧师的家庭领导，一般品格。现在，第四，我们来谈谈唯一的特定技能、能力或恩赐，那就是他的教导和讲道能力。这些人是教师和传道人。这就是长老所做的。这是他们的主要职能。

You say, "Well I thought they were leaders and overseers." That's true. They do that by the proper application of the Scripture.   Our leadership in the church is not based upon human ingenuity. It is not based upon some kind of experience in the leadership environments that are outside the church. It is not based upon common sense. It is not based upon the books that we have read about leadership technique in industry.   Our leadership in the church is the direct application through the will of the Spirit of the truth of Scripture, which has become the fabric of our lives.

你说，“好吧，我以为他们是领袖和监督。”这是真的。他们通过正确应用圣经来做到这一点。我们在教会中的领导不是基于人类的聪明才智。它不是基于在教会之外的领导环境中的某种经验。它不是基于常识。它不是基于我们读过的关于工业领导技巧的书籍。我们在教会中的领导是通过圣灵的旨意直接应用圣经真理，这已经成为我们生活的结构。

To put it in a personal way, if I may be so bold as to do that, I have come to the point in my Christian life and in my involvement as a pastor in the church where I trust my instincts. And what I mean by instinct is just my initial reaction.   If somebody proposes something to me upon which I have to make a decision, it isn't usually necessary for me to make a list of pros and cons and run through some kind of a sequence of things and try to figure out all of the ramifications of this or that and how it will impact this or how it will impact that. Or nor is it necessary for me to run to the Bible and try to check out Bible verses and get a concordance and look this up and look that up. So many years - year after year after year after year, day after day in my life of studying the Word of God - has woven together the fabric of my thinking with the strands of Scripture so that, basically, when anything is brought to my attention, it usually somewhere fits into the grid of Scripture.   And my initial reaction or my instinct about it may be a little bit refined but generally speaking is biblical.   And that's where the leadership comes from.   That's why there's a certain benefit in age because it takes a number of years to accumulate that kind of fabric in your life so that you can react in that way.

用个人的方式来说，如果我可以大胆地这样做，那么我已经到了我的基督徒生活和我作为牧师参与教会的意义，我相信自己的直觉。我所说的直觉只是我最初的反应。如果有人向我提出一些我必须做出决定的事情，我通常没有必要列出利弊清单，并浏览某种一系列事情，并试图弄清楚这个或那个的所有后果，以及它将如何影响这个或如何影响那个。或者我也没有必要跑到圣经前，试图查看圣经经文，找到索引，查找这个和查找那个。这么多年——年复一年，年复一年，日复一日地学习上帝的话语——将我的思维结构与圣经的丝线编织在一起，因此，基本上，当任何事情引起我的注意时，它通常会在圣经的某个地方符合。我最初的反应或直觉可能有点精致，但总的来说，这是合乎圣经的。这就是领导力的来源。这就是为什么年龄有一定的好处，因为在你的生活中积累这种结构需要很多年的时间，这样你才能做出这样的反应。

What I'm trying to say to you is when we talk about pastors being leaders and feeders, elders being leaders and feeders, even their leading is the direct application of doctrinal principle, or Scripture, that they know that is woven into the very fabric of their thinking.   We are, like those early apostles, men who cannot leave the Word of God to serve tables.   We must give ourselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word.   It is the Word that causes people to grow.   It is the Word that causes sin to be exposed.   It is the Word that lays out the will and the purpose of God, and we are to be men of the Word.   So our leadership is not by human skill; it is not by the knowledge of psychology or human behavior or some discovery of motivating human technique, but by the careful understanding, the thoughtful application of the Word of God which reaches a point where it is almost instinctive because there's such a controlling element of biblical truth.

我想对你们说的是，当我们谈论牧师是领袖和喂养者，长老是领袖和喂养者时，甚至他们的领导是直接应用教义原则或圣经，他们知道这已经融入了他们思维的结构中。我们就像那些早期的使徒一样，是不能离开上帝的话语去服务餐桌的人。我们必须不断地将自己奉献给祷告和话语的事工。是话语使人成长。是话语使罪被揭露。是神的旨意和旨意，是神的圣言，我们要成为圣言的人。因此，我们的领导力不是靠人的技能;它不是通过心理学或人类行为的知识，也不是通过对激励人类技术的某种发现，而是通过仔细理解、深思熟虑地应用上帝的话语，这达到了几乎是本能的地步，因为圣经真理有这样的控制因素。

To be able to lead effectively in the church means to understand the Scripture, to understand it fully, to understand thoroughly, to understand it deeply, to have the knowledge of God, the character of God, the knowledge of Christ, the knowledge of the Holy Spirit, to understand the roles they play and the service they render, to understand what their will and desire is.   It is to understand man and what the Bible says about the nature of man - the fallenness of man, the difficulties of man, how he operates, how he functions, about his mind and his will and his emotions.   It is to understand sin - how it functions, how it works; to understand the enemy, the fallen world of darkness occupied by demons that foists itself upon man.   It is to understand the church - the nature of the church, the design of the church, God's will for the church; to understand justification, sanctification, glorification.   All of those things become the resource by which you lead, not just by which you teach or preach, so that your life really is simply the extension of the Word of God which is ingrained within you.   Pastoring is comprehending Scripture as to its meaning, practicing it in your own life, applying it in the life of the church.   And then articulating and teaching it so that not only you have those instinctive, biblical reactions but your people do as well and thus they know when they're being led properly.   The only skill the Bible says a pastor must have is the ability to teach and preach, and obviously to lead from biblical understanding.

能够有效地领导教会意味着理解圣经，完全理解它，彻底理解它，深刻地理解它，拥有对上帝的认识，上帝的品格，对基督的认识，对圣灵的认识，了解他们所扮演的角色和他们所提供的服务， 了解他们的意愿和愿望是什么。这是为了了解人，以及圣经对人的本性所说的——人的堕落、人的困难、他的运作方式、他的运作方式、他的思想、他的意志和他的情绪。这是要了解罪——它如何运作，它是如何运作的;了解敌人，一个被强加给人类的恶魔占领的堕落黑暗世界。就是了解教会——教会的性质，教会的设计，神对教会的旨意;了解称义、成圣、荣耀。所有这些东西都成为你领导的资源，而不仅仅是你教导或讲道的资源，所以你的生命确实只是根深蒂固的上帝话语的延伸。牧养是理解圣经的含义，在自己的生活中实践它，在教会的生活中应用它。然后阐明和教导它，这样不仅你有那些本能的、符合圣经的反应，而且你的会众也会有这样的反应，这样他们就知道他们什么时候被正确地引导了。圣经说牧师必须具备的唯一技能是教导和讲道的能力，显然是根据圣经的理解来领导。

Look back at 1 Timothy chapter 3, that very familiar text where Paul is giving the qualifications for an elder or an overseer - same thing - a pastor.   The office of bishop or overseer is mentioned as that “noble work” in verse 1.   And then he describes the qualifications, very much like what we're learning in Titus; verse 2, "An overseer must be above reproach," there's that “one-woman man,” sexual morality.   Then his general character, "temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable."   And verse 3, "not addicted to wine, pugnacious, gentle, uncontentious, free from the love of money."   His family leadership comes in verses 4 and 5, he has to “manage his household well, keep his children under control and dignity,” otherwise he shows he can't manage the church.

回顾提摩太前书第3章，那段非常熟悉的经文，保罗给出了长老或监督的资格——同样——牧师。主教或监督的职位在第 1 节中被提及为“高尚的工作”。然后他描述了这些资格，非常像我们在提多书中学到的;第2节，“监督者必须无可指责”，有“一个女人的男人”，性道德。然后是他的一般性格，“温和、谨慎、受人尊敬、热情好客”。第3节说，“不嗜酒，好斗，温柔，不争辩，不爱钱财。他的家庭领导出现在第4节和第5节，他必须“管理好他的家庭，让他的孩子受到控制和尊严”，否则他表明他无法管理教会。

But then back at the end of verse 2 is that skill, that preaching skill - he must be “able to teach” - preaching or teaching.   He must be a skilled communicator of God's truth.   That word "able to teach" is used twice: once there and again in 2 Timothy 2:24. The very same word is used, and it says there “the Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, be kind to all” - again skilled in teaching – “able to teach,” “apt to teach.” It means “to be a skilled teacher.”   That's the skill that goes with this task.   We are teachers. That is a spiritual gift - Romans 12:7; 1 Corinthians 12:28. Both of those scriptures indicate that the teaching gift is a gift the Holy Spirit gives.   If you're going to be an elder, you must be gifted with the gift of teaching or the gift or preaching, or as it's called “prophecy,” which means “to stand before and speak.”   We are teachers; we are speakers.   Behind that is the knowledge of the Word of God, and then in front of that is the congregation that receives that teaching and thus becomes built up in that knowledge.

但在第2节的结尾，是那种技巧，那种讲道技巧——他必须“能教导”——讲道或教导。他必须是上帝真理的熟练传播者。“能教导”这个词被使用了两次：一次是在提摩太后书 2：24 中。“用了同样的词，它说”耶和华的奴仆不可争吵，要善待众人“——同样善于教导——”能教导“、”善于教导“。它的意思是“成为一名熟练的教师”。这就是这项任务所伴随的技能。我们是老师。这是属灵的恩赐——罗马书 12：7;哥林多前书12：28。这两节经文都表明，教导的恩赐是圣灵赐予的恩赐。如果你要成为长老，你必须有教导的恩赐、恩赐或讲道的恩赐，或者所谓的“预言”，意思是“站在前面说话”。我们是老师;我们是演讲者。在这背后是对上帝话语的知识，然后在它前面是会众接受这种教导，从而在这种知识中建立起来。

Look at 1 Timothy 5:17 and here, I think, is as good a summation of the role as anywhere in Scripture.   “The elders” are the key to this verse, and that again means “pastors.”   And he defines them in a number of very important ways.   Let “the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”   There is the sine qua non of ministry - preaching and teaching.   The harder you work at it, the greater your honor.   A simple way to understand that verse is to understand, first of all, all elders are worthy of respect.   All elders are worthy of honor.   That's what he says.   That's implied here.   But “the elders who rule well are considered worthy of double honor.”   Plateau number one: elders worthy of honor.   Plateau number two: elders who rule well, worthy of double honor.   The word "well" meaning “with excellence.”   If you want to know what that means, then read the rest of 1 Timothy, particularly chapter 4, and he'll lay out what it means to be an elder who ministers with excellence.   But the emphasis is on that little word "well," or “excellent, diligent, devoted, effective.”   All elders are worthy of honor.   We know that from 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, because that is exactly what the apostle Paul says there – “We request that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, have charge over you in the Lord, give you instruction...esteem them very highly in love because of their work.”   He's talking about their pastors.   Honor them, esteem them, love them.   Hebrews 13 says “submit to them,” follow their faith, do what they tell you for they represent the Lord.   They're to be honored.   Anyone who is a pastor or an elder is worthy of honor, but those who do it with excellence are worthy of double honor.   And by the way, that word "honor" means not only “respect” but “remuneration,” tim - has to do with pay.   And believe me, their compensation was tied to the quality of their effort.

请看提摩太前书 5：17，我认为，这里是圣经中任何地方对这个角色的最好总结。“长老”是这节经文的关键，这又意味着“牧师”。他以许多非常重要的方式定义了它们。“治理得好的长老，尤其是那些努力传道和教导的长老，应该得到双倍的尊荣”。事工的必要条件是——讲道和教导。你越努力，你的荣誉就越大。理解这节经文的一个简单方法是理解，首先，所有的长辈都值得尊重。所有的长老都值得尊敬。他是这么说的。这是这里暗示的。但“治理得好的长老被认为值得双重荣誉”。高原第一：值得尊敬的长辈。高原二：长者治之有方，配得上双重荣誉。“井”这个词的意思是“卓越”。如果你想知道这意味着什么，请阅读提摩太前书的其余部分，特别是第4章，他将阐述成为一位卓越服事的长老意味着什么。但重点是“好”或“优秀、勤奋、奉献、有效”这个小词。所有的长老都值得尊敬。我们从帖撒罗尼迦前书第5章就知道这一点，因为这正是使徒保罗在那里所说的——“我们求你们感谢那些在你们中间勤劳，在主里管管你们，教训你们的......因为他们的工作，在爱中非常尊重他们。他说的是他们的牧师。尊重他们，尊重他们，爱他们。希伯来书 13 章说“顺服他们”，跟随他们的信心，按照他们所吩咐的去做，因为他们代表耶和华。他们应该受到尊重。凡是牧师或长老都值得尊敬，但做得出色的人却值得双倍荣誉。顺便说一句，“荣誉”这个词不仅意味着“尊重”，还意味着“报酬”，蒂姆 - 与薪酬有关。相信我，他们的报酬与他们的努力质量息息相关。

And then he goes even a step further.   "Especially” - or literally “chiefly,” or “particularly”; malista, that little adverb – “those who work hard at preaching and teaching."   And here's a third level: all elders are worthy of honor, some elders who do things excellently are worthy of double honor, and then there's a third level – “who really work hard at preaching and teaching.”   That's the highest level of commendation.   “Working hard” is kopia, “to work to the point of exhaustion, to grow weary, to be tired, to be fatigued because of your effort” - who wear themselves out in their preaching and teaching.   It stresses not so much the content of their work. It stresses not so much the size of their congregation - that's not the issue - or their reputation, or how many books they wrote, or how widespread their preaching goes. No, it's their effort; it's just their effort - not the size of their congregation, but their effort.   And it refers to a person who is worthy of honor because he's an elder, who is “worthy of double honor” because he does it with excellence; and who is worthy, if I may say so, of triple honor because he works so hard at it - excellent service, rendering a maximum self-sacrifice. A man's reward in terms of respect and a man's reward in terms of remuneration is tied to the excellence of his work and the effort of his toil in teaching and preaching.

然后他更进一步。“特别”——或字面意思是“主要”或“特别”;马利斯塔，那个小副词——“那些努力讲道和教导的人”。这是第三个层次：所有的长老都值得尊敬，一些做事出色的长老配得上双倍的荣誉，然后还有第三个层次——“真正努力传道教导的人”。这是最高级别的赞扬。“努力工作”是kopia，“工作到精疲力尽，疲惫不堪，疲惫不堪，因为你的努力而疲惫不堪”——他们在讲道和教导中疲惫不堪。它不太强调他们的工作内容。它强调的不是他们的会众规模——这不是问题——或者他们的声誉，或者他们写了多少本书，或者他们的讲道有多广泛。不，这是他们的努力;这只是他们的努力——不是会众的规模，而是他们的努力。它指的是一个人，因为他是长辈而值得尊敬，他“值得双倍荣誉”，因为他做得非常出色;如果我可以这么说的话，谁配得上三重荣誉，因为他为此付出了如此努力——出色的服务，做出最大的自我牺牲。一个人在尊重方面的回报和一个人在报酬方面的回报与他工作的卓越性以及他在教学和讲道方面的辛勤努力息息相关。

This is a good safeguard, beloved, a very good safeguard.   Because I'll be very honest with you and say that if a man is glib and if a man is gifted, he can perhaps early in his ministry do diligently the preparation for his preaching and then do little or none the rest of his life.   In fact, many men who just travel from church to church through the years take their same bag of sermons wherever they go, and they don't work hard at teaching and preaching.   It's also easy in a large church to preach just once a week, and many churches have come to that point where the pastor does nothing more really than maybe sit around and counsel with people during the week and preach once on Sunday morning.   They have no Sunday night service. They have no Wednesday night service.   That's not working hard at teaching and preaching.   That's, that's not working hard at it at all.   But the person who is the highest on the commendation list is the one who works hard at it.   But obviously the primary function of ministry, as laid out in that verse, is preaching and teaching. That's what we do. That's what elders do.   And we are distinguished by that from the rest of the congregation.   We have unique teaching/preaching gifts.

这是一个很好的保障，亲爱的，一个非常好的保障。因为我会非常诚实地告诉你，如果一个人很油嘴滑舌，如果一个人有恩赐，他也许可以在事工的早期勤奋地为他的讲道做准备，然后在他的余生中很少或什么都不做。事实上，许多这些年来只是从一个教会到另一个教会的男人，无论走到哪里，他们都带着同样的讲道袋，他们并不努力地教导和讲道。在一个大教会里，每周只讲一次道也很容易，许多教会已经到了这样的地步，牧师除了在一周内坐在一起与人商量，并在周日早上讲道一次之外，别无他法。他们没有周日晚上的礼拜。他们没有周三晚上的礼拜。那不是在教学和讲道上努力工作。那就是，这根本不是在努力。但表彰名单上排名靠前的人，才是努力的人。但显然，正如那节经文所阐述的，事工的主要功能是讲道和教导。这就是我们所做的。这就是长辈所做的。我们以此与其他会众不同。我们有独特的教导/讲道恩赐。

How do you distinguish between preaching and teaching?   Not in content so much, but in style.   Preaching is the public proclamation intended to move the will.   Teaching is that more private, smaller kind of intimate setting in which we communicate truth to the mind.   Preaching includes admonition, exhortation.   Teaching is illumination, elucidation.   We might even say teaching approaches the mind alone, whereas preaching attempts to attack the whole man in every aspect of his life, mind, will, and emotions.   Both are crucial.

你如何区分讲道和教导？不是在内容上，而是在风格上。讲道是旨在推动意志的公开宣告。教导是一种更私密、更小的亲密环境，我们在其中将真理传达给头脑。讲道包括劝诫、劝勉。教学是启发、阐明。我们甚至可以说，教导只接近思想，而讲道则试图攻击整个人的生活、思想、意志和情感的方方面面。两者都至关重要。

It's hard sometimes for me to draw clear definition, but I know when I'm teaching and I know when I'm preaching.   If I go in a seminary class and teach, that's one thing.   If I come here and proclaim, that's another thing.   It's just the gift.   And some men have the ability to teach and not to preach, and some can preach and are not as effective in teaching - some have both.   But this is what we do.   We disseminate God's truth. That's our role.

有时我很难得出清晰的定义，但我知道我什么时候在教导，我知道什么时候在讲道。如果我去神学院上课并教书，那是一回事。如果我来这里宣讲，那是另一回事了。这只是礼物。有些人有能力教导而不讲道，有些人可以讲道，但教导效果不佳——有些人两者兼而有之。但这就是我们所做的。我们传播上帝的真理。这就是我们的职责。

Now that takes us back to our text again, Titus chapter 1.   When verse 9 says that the one function these men have to be able to do is to teach, to exhort, and to refute, that sets in place the function.   That puts it right where it belongs.   But before you can do that, before you can effectively teach and preach, there's another starting point, and it comes at the beginning of verse 9.   You have to “hold fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching.”   This is the necessary foundation. Let's call it point one, the necessary foundation.   Paul says to Titus essentially what he said to Timothy, “I want you to give yourself to the preaching and the teaching, and here's the necessary foundation for anyone who does that - they have to hold fast the faithful Word in accordance with the teaching.   If you're not holding on to the faithful Word, then you're in no position to be teaching it.   No one can teach or preach effectively without strong, personal, compassionate commitment to the truth.

现在，这又把我们带回了我们的经文，提多书第1章。当第9节说这些人必须能够做的唯一职能是教导、劝勉和驳斥时，这就确立了职能。这就把它放在了它所属的地方。但在你这样做之前，在你有效地教导和讲道之前，还有另一个起点，它出现在第 9 节的开头。你必须“持守忠心的话语，这话是符合教训的”。这是必要的基础。让我们称之为第一点，必要的基础。保罗对提多说的基本上是他对提摩太说的话，“我要你把自己交给讲道和教训，这是任何这样做的人的必要基础——他们必须按照教训持守忠心的话语。如果你没有抓住忠心的话语，那么你就没有资格教导它。如果没有对真理的坚定、个人和富有同情心的承诺，任何人都无法有效地教导或讲道。

And I really believe this is the real culprit in the church today in terms of weak, shallow, insipid sermonettes for Christianettes that are so much the norm in the common church fare today.   Here's the real villain.   The real villain that has led so many to be converted to what they consider relevance and thus to preach a pampering psychology and turn churches into what John Piper called “the slapstick of evangelical worship.”   I think the culprit of the real villain here is they fail to hold fast to the faithful Word.   It's that simple.   They're not clinging to the Word.   The word "hold fast," antech, means “to cling, to hold tightly.”   It's defined by its opposite in Luke 16:13 where Jesus said, "No man can have two masters, he will cling to the one or despise the other."   So “to cling to” is the opposite of “despising” – “to have a strong affection, to have a strong devotion, to love, to adhere to, to believe in.”   And here is the foundation.   And it's not just a commitment to the inspiration of Scripture, and it's not just a commitment to the inerrancy of Scripture, as important as that is. It's a commitment, it's a commitment to the singularity of Scripture. In other words, it's to hold fast to the faithful Word and nothing else as the source.   There is singularity here.   Like we read earlier, when Paul instructed Timothy and said to him, "Retain the standard of sound words, guard the treasure of Scripture that's been committed to you."   That's the treasure; that's what you hold on to.   Not only are you to love it, be devoted to it, and believe it, but you're to understand that it is singularly the source of your ministry.

我真的相信，这才是当今教会的真正罪魁祸首，因为基督徒的讲道软弱、肤浅、平淡，而这些讲道在当今的普通教会中是常态。这是真正的恶棍。真正的恶棍导致许多人皈依他们认为相关的东西，从而宣扬一种养尊处优的心理，并将教会变成约翰·派博所说的 “福音派敬拜的闹剧”。我认为这里真正的恶棍的罪魁祸首是他们未能紧紧抓住忠心的话语。就这么简单。他们没有紧紧抓住神的话语。“紧紧抓住”这个词，“antech”，意思是 “紧紧抓住，紧紧抓住”。路加福音16章13节的定义是相反的，耶稣说：“人不能有两个主人，他要执着一个，也要藐视另一个。”因此，“执着”与“藐视”相反——“有强烈的感情，有强烈的奉献，爱，坚持，相信”。这就是基础。这不仅仅是对圣经默示的承诺，也不仅仅是对圣经无误性的承诺，这很重要。这是一个承诺，这是对圣经奇异性的承诺。换句话说，它是紧紧抓住忠心的话语，而不是其他任何东西作为源头。这里有奇点。就像我们之前读到的，保罗教导提摩太对他说：“你们要持着纯正的话语标准，守护所托付给你们的圣经宝藏。”这就是宝藏;这就是你所持守的。你不仅要爱它、专心、相信它，而且你要明白它是你事工的唯一源头。

He calls it “the faithful word.” That simply means “the trustworthy Word”; the reliable, dependable, sufficient Word, as opposed to the word of men which is not reliable, not trustworthy, not dependable, and not sufficient.   The Scripture is true to the mind of God, true to the will of God, true to the purpose of God, true to the plan of God. The Scripture says it the way God wants it to be said.   And Scripture is the only source of spiritual nourishment, is it not?

他称之为“忠实的话语”。这只是“值得信赖的道”;可靠、可靠、充分的话语，而不是不可靠、不值得信赖、不可靠、不充分的人的话语。圣经忠于神的心意，忠于神的旨意，忠于神的旨意，忠于神的计划。圣经按照上帝希望的方式说。圣经是属灵滋养的唯一来源，不是吗？

It's the only food.   It's the only green pasture.   It's the only still water.   It's the only word by which you may grow thereby, as Peter put it.   It's the only word, as Paul told the Ephesian elders, that “is able to build you up and give you an inheritance.”   It is the only food.   It is the only thing that can take a person and “make him perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”   As Psalm 19 says, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.”   The law - the statutes of the Lord, the commandments of the Lord, the fear of the Lord - all of those things that describe Scripture there sufficiently provide the resources for the believer; “to make the simple wise,” to lighten the dark things and all of the things he talks about in Psalm 19. We then are committed to Scripture as inspired, inerrant, and singularly the resource.

这是唯一的食物。这是唯一的绿色牧场。这是唯一静水。正如彼得所说，这是你唯一可以因此而成长的词。正如保罗对以弗所长老们说的，这是唯一的一句话，“能建造你们，赐给你们产业”。它是唯一的食物。这是唯一能带一个人“使他完全，完全地供应一切善行”的。正如诗篇 19 篇所说，“耶和华的律法是完全的，使人回转。律法——耶和华的律例、耶和华的诫命、敬畏耶和华——所有这些描述圣经的东西都充分为信徒提供了资源;“使单纯的人有智慧”，照亮黑暗的事物和他在诗篇 19 篇中谈到的所有事情。然后，我们委身于圣经，将其视为受默示的、无误的、独特的资源。

Now notice the phrase that he uses in verse 9, "Holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching." “The teaching” is a reference to the apostolic doctrine that had verbally been passed down, in agreement with apostolic doctrine which Titus had already been taught by Paul.   That apostles' doctrine had become the basic, recognized dogma of the church, the didaskalia, the recognized body of Christian truth taught by the apostles.   Way back in Acts 2 they met together as a church and they studied the apostles' doctrine.   And so what Paul is saying to Titus is, "Look, you hold fast the reliable, trustworthy, dependable, sufficient Word of God, which will be in perfect agreement with what you've learned from the apostles.   It hasn't changed; you don't need a new message.   It doesn't need to be redacted, edited or updated. You must whole-heartedly cling to the revealed truth of God built on and consistent with the apostolic doctrine, the recognized body of Christian truth.”   We are not innovators; we are not creators; we do not come up with new things.   I shudder every time I hear some guy on television say, "I have come with a new teaching."   And we have a little statement, “if it's new, it isn't true.”   We aren't here to give you a new teaching; we are here to give you an old teaching from the Word of God.

现在请注意他在第9节中使用的短语，“紧紧抓住忠心的话，这话是符合教训的。“教导”是指口头传承的使徒教义，与保罗已经教导提多的使徒教义一致。使徒的教义已成为教会的基本、公认的教条，即使徒们所教导的基督教真理的公认机构。早在使徒行传第2章，他们就作为一个教会聚在一起，研究使徒的教义。因此，保罗对提多说的是：“看哪，你持守神所说的、可信的、可信的、足足的，这话与你从使徒那里学到的完全一致。它没有改变;您不需要新消息。它不需要编辑、编辑或更新。你必须全心全意地坚持上帝所启示的真理，该真理建立在使徒教义之上，并与使徒教义相一致，这是基督教真理的公认机构。我们不是创新者;我们不是创造者;我们不会想出新的东西。每次我听到电视上有人说：“我带着新的教义来了”，我都会不寒而栗。我们有一个小声明，“如果它是新的，那就不是真的。我们不是来给你们新的教导;我们在这里给你一个来自上帝话语的古老教导。

"Hold fast" then not only has the sense of loyalty but it has the sense of exclusivity - we are loyal to it and exclusive in terms to our devotion.   We are men of the Word, and that is the necessary foundation, and that's the culprit - that's the villain.   You see what's happening in churches today is all this relevancy and all this psychology and all this entertainment is basically allowed because men are not loyal to nor are they exclusively devoted to the Word of God.   And they're in violation of this very clear standard of what a pastor is to be.

“坚守”不仅有忠诚感，而且有排他性感——我们忠于它，在我们的奉献方面是排他性的。我们是信奉道的人，这是必要的基础，这就是罪魁祸首——这就是恶人。你看，今天教会里发生的事情是所有这些相关性、所有这些心理和所有这些娱乐基本上是允许的，因为人们不忠于神的话语，也不是完全致力于神的话语。他们违反了牧师应该成为的这个非常明确的标准。

Now, beyond the necessary foundation is the necessary duty.   Let's go back to verse 9 and see the second point.   With that foundation in place we can then discharge the necessary duty, which is to “be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.”   Now that's very simple.   Just two simple things: one is positive; one is negative.   Positively, we use the Word of God “to exhort with sound doctrine.”   Negatively, we use the Word of God “to refute those who contradict.”   So there's a positive and a negative side. It's a two-edged sword again - with one side it cuts as it were on the positive level, and the other it cuts on the negative level.   Both are continuing duties that he may be continually able to do both.   We have to be on the positive side, able to strengthen and build up.   On the negative side, we have to be debaters, polemicists - we have to be able to comprehend and understand error and know how to deal with it.   That's part of it.   These are life-long duties; that's the intent of the verb here. They're never set aside; they're never replaced by anything else; they're never modified.

现在，除了必要的基础之外，还有必要的职责。让我们回到第9节，看看第二点。有了这个基础，我们就可以履行必要的职责，即“既能用纯正的教义劝勉，又能驳斥那些反驳的人”。现在这很简单。只有两件简单的事情：一是积极的;一个是负面的。积极地说，我们使用上帝的话语“用纯正的教义劝勉人”。消极地说，我们使用上帝的话语“驳斥那些矛盾的人”。所以有积极的一面，也有消极的一面。这又是一把双刃剑——一侧在正面上切割，另一侧在负面切割。两者都是持续的职责，他可能能够继续兼顾这两点。我们必须站在积极的一面，能够加强和建立。从消极的一面来看，我们必须成为辩论者、辩论者——我们必须能够理解和理解错误，并知道如何处理它。这是其中的一部分。这些都是终生的职责;这就是这里动词的意图。它们永远不会被搁置一旁;它们永远不会被其他任何东西取代;它们永远不会被修改。

Take the first one, "that he may be able to exhort in sound doctrine."   Since he knows the Word and since he is exclusively loyal to it, he will use the Word then “to exhort.”   What is that?   The verb parakale; kale, “to call”; para, “along side.” We use that today with the word paralegal, or whatever it might be; paratrooper, which as a term meant certain soldiers flew out of the sky to come alongside the ones on the ground. Para, para means “alongside.”   And the term “exhort” means “to come alongside somebody and call them, come alongside somebody and strengthen them.” The Holy Spirit is called the parakalet, “the Comforter, the strengthener who comes alongside” with a view to urging people toward virtue, godliness, righteousness, and holiness.   The concept is tender and passionate and powerful pleading for obedience.   That's what we do. We plead with you to be obedient, and we use the Word of God for that pleading.

以第一个为例，“使他能用纯正的教义劝勉人”。既然他知道圣言，而且他完全忠于圣言，所以他会使用圣言来“劝勉”。什么？动词 parakale; 甘蓝“呼唤”;para，“旁边”。我们今天用这个词来形容律师助理，或者任何可能是什么词;伞兵，作为一个术语，这意味着某些士兵从天而降，与地面上的士兵并肩而过。Para，para 的意思是“并肩”。“劝勉”一词的意思是“与某人并肩而行，呼召他们，与某人并肩而行，坚固他们”。圣灵被称为 parakalet，“保惠师，与他并肩而行的力量”，目的是敦促人们走向美德、敬虔、公义和圣洁。这个概念是温柔、热情和有力的恳求顺服。这就是我们所做的。我们恳求你顺服，我们用神的话语来恳求。

I mean, if I get up here and just use clever stories and my own ingenuity and play psychological games and intimidate you, and all of that kind of stuff, and manipulate you to do certain things apart from the Word of God, you may do them in your flesh but they will not be the product of the power of the Spirit of God coming to you through the Word of God.   And so we use the Word of God “to exhort in sound doctrine.”   And there's a little bit of a recognition in the very phrase "sound doctrine" that there was the presence of unsound doctrine.   If you read further in the chapter, as we shall in the weeks to come, starting in verse 10 you can see how beset these churches in Crete were with error - false teaching was all over every place.   And he's saying, “You men who are pastors must teach sound doctrine, come alongside, strengthen believers in the path of righteousness using sound doctrine.”   The word "sound," by the way, hugiain, from which we get the word hygienic, which means “healthy, life-giving, life-preserving.”   Don't give the killing, devastating, murderous error; give the life-giving, healthy, life-preserving, divine truth.   The call is to come alongside the flock, give them spiritual strength by bringing healthy divine teaching to them.

我的意思是，如果我站到这里，只是用聪明的故事和我自己的聪明才智，玩心理游戏，恐吓你，等等，纵你做某些与神的话语不同的事情，你可以在肉身里做这些事情，但它们不会是神的灵通过神的话语临到你的能力的产物。因此，我们使用上帝的话语“用纯正的教义劝勉”。在“纯正的教义”这句话中，有一点认识到存在不纯正的教义。如果你进一步阅读这一章，就像我们在接下来的几周里一样，从第10节开始，你就会看到克里特岛的这些教会是多么被错误所困扰——错误的教导到处都是。他说：“你们这些牧师必须教导纯正的教义，并肩作战，用纯正的教义在公义的道路上坚固信徒。顺便说一句，“声音”这个词是 hugiain，我们从中得到了 hygienic 这个词，意思是“健康的、赋予生命的、保护生命的”。不要犯杀戮、毁灭性、杀人错误;赐予生命、健康、保佑生命、神圣的真理。呼召是与羊群并肩作战，通过向他们带来健康的神圣教导来赋予他们精神力量。

It's a serious thing. And anybody who steps into the pulpit or anybody who steps into ministry as an elder or a pastor and doesn't teach sound doctrine is in some serious trouble.   That's why James said, "Stop being so many teachers, theirs is a greater condemnation" (James 3:1).   You better not teach unless you're willing to make sure you work hard enough to teach sound doctrine because if you take the role of a teacher and you don't teach the truth, you're in deep trouble with God.   Hebrews 13:17 says you're going to give an account to God for some day for what you've taught your people and what you've done as your shepherd.   Very serious.   You go back and read in the prophet Jeremiah and read how God treated those shepherds who didn't speak the truth.   This is a severe rebuke and a fearful judgment.

这是一件严肃的事情。任何走上讲台的人，或者任何以长老或牧师的身份进入事工却不教导纯正教义的人，都会遇到一些严重的麻烦。这就是为什么雅各说，“不要作那么多教师，他们的定罪更大”（雅各书 3：1）。除非你愿意确保你足够努力地教导纯正的教义，否则你最好不要教导，因为如果你扮演教师的角色，却不教导真理，你就会与上帝陷入深深的麻烦。希伯来书 13：17 说，你要在某一天向神交账，因为你教导了你的子民，你作为牧人所做的。非常严重。你回过头来读先知耶利米书，读到上帝如何对待那些不说真理的牧羊人。这是一种严厉的责备，也是一种可怕的审判。

And I'll tell you right now, no reasonable man would choose this task, and I'm a reasonable man.   No reasonable man would choose this task.   And secondly, no reasonable, rational man, having been called to it, would underestimate the seriousness of God about the truth that must be taught and come flippantly to a pulpit to teach whatever whimsically he had decided to say.

我现在就告诉你，没有一个理性的人会选择这个任务，而我是一个理性的人。没有一个理性的人会选择这项任务。其次，没有一个理性、理性的人，在被呼召去教导真理时，会低估上帝对必须教导的真理的严肃性，轻率地走到讲台上教导他决定异想天开地说的任何话。

Here is a call for biblical, theological, God-centered preaching and teaching that exposits the Scripture.   There isn't anything else.   There isn't anything else to do.   And if you believe in an inspired Bible and an inerrant Bible and every word is written by God, then you know exactly what you are to preach and teach - the Word of God.   Ezra had it right.   This isn't anything new. You can go all the way back to Ezra, chapter 7 - listen to this - verse 10.   “Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach it.”   This isn't anything new; he knew what he was supposed to do.   You study the law of the Lord, you practice it in your own life, and then you teach it.   That's not that difficult, is it?   And there isn't any new approach to be quote/unquote "more relevant."   There isn't anything better than Scripture.   There are only things that are woefully inferior to Scripture.   And what was it that so commends to us Apollos, according to Acts 18:24?   “He was mighty in the Scriptures.”   “He was mighty in the Scriptures.”   The ultimate commendation of the preacher, “he was mighty in the Scriptures.”   What else?   What else?

这里呼吁以圣经、神学、以神为中心的讲道和教导，揭露圣经。没有别的了。没有别的事可做。如果你相信一本默示的圣经和一本无误的圣经，并且每一个字都是神写的，那么你就清楚地知道你要传讲和教导什么——神的话语。以斯拉说得对。这并不是什么新鲜事。你可以一直回到以斯拉记第7章 - 听这 - 第10节。“以斯拉定心研读耶和华的律法，实行律法，教导耶和华的律法。”这并不是什么新鲜事;他知道自己应该做什么。你研读主的律法，在自己的生活中实践它，然后教导它。这并不难，不是吗？而且没有任何新方法可以引用/取消引用“更相关”。没有什么比圣经更好的了。只有一些东西比圣经低得可怜。根据使徒行传18：24，我们亚波罗所推荐的是什么呢？“他在圣经上是大能的。”“他在圣经上是大能的。”对传道人的最终赞美，“他在圣经上是大能的”。还有什么？还有什么？

Go back, just look over a page to 2 Timothy 4:2, and let me take you back to that verse, just to remind you of what its importance is.   “Preach the word,” he says.   Now right there you have the subject of the preacher's commission.   “Preach the word.”   I mean, how hard is that?   How difficult is that to figure out?   “Preach the word.”   Preaching God's Word is the mandate.   We are to retain the sound Word; we are to accurately handle the sound Word, rightly dividing it; we are to guard the sound Word; and now we are to proclaim or preach the Word.

回过头来，翻一页提摩太后书 4：2，让我带你回到那节经文，只是为了提醒你它的重要性。“传道，”他说。现在，你有了传道人使命的主题。“传道。”我的意思是，这有多难？这有多难弄清楚？“传道。”传讲上帝的话语是使命。我们要保留纯正的道;我们要准确地处理声音的话语，正确地划分它;我们要守护纯正的道;现在我们要宣讲或传讲圣言。

Colossians 1:25, Paul wrote very simply, "Of this church I was made a minister" - Why? - “according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit.”   I was given a duty from God.   What was it?   “That I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God.”   That's it.

歌罗西书 1：25，保罗写得很简单，“我从这教会中立为传道人”——为什么？- “照着神为你们的益处赐给我的管家职分。”上帝赋予了我一项职责。那是什么？“使我能完全地传讲上帝的话。”就是这样。

People have asked me through the years, "Why is it that you exposit the Bible. That's all you do?"   And my answer is, “Because that's what I've been told to do, to fully preach the Word of God.   What else is there to do?”   And I am also told that I am a minister of the New Covenant, and the New Covenant is the New Testament and that's the emphasis. And that the Old Testament is given to us as examples. And so we preach the New Testament, the New Covenant, using the Old Testament as exemplary material to enrich the New and fulfill the mandate God has given us.   That's why we talk about expository preaching.   That simply means we tell you what the Bible means. That's what God intended.   God wrote the Scripture.   He wrote it because He wanted to communicate His truth.   He put His truth in here exactly the way He wanted it to be communicated.   My job is to communicate it to you the way He intended it to be communicated.   That's my task.   Expository preaching is expressing exactly the will of God as He wanted it said, taking the thoughts of the Holy Spirit and bringing them to you.

多年来，人们一直问我，“你为什么要揭露圣经。这就是你所做的一切？“我的回答是，”因为这就是我被告知要做的，要充分传讲神的话语。还有什么可做的？我还被告知，我是新约的牧师，新约就是新约，这就是重点。旧约是作为榜样给我们的。因此，我们传讲新约，新约，以旧约为典范，丰富新约，完成神赐给我们的使命。这就是我们谈论解经式讲道的原因。这只是意味着我们告诉你圣经的意思。这就是上帝的本意。神写了圣经。他写这封信是因为他想传达他的真理。他把他的真理完全按照他希望的方式放在这里。我的工作是按照他想要传达的方式传达给你。这是我的任务。释经式讲道是准确地表达神的旨意，正如他所希望的那样，将圣灵的思想带到你面前。

The second thing you see here is not only the subject of our preaching, which is the Word, but the scope of it.   "Be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction."   What does that mean?   Well, we're ready to preach it all the time, whether it's seasonable or unseasonable.   That's what that means.   It simply means whether the people want to hear it or don't want to hear it, whether it's popular or not popular.

你在这里看到的第二件事不仅是我们讲道的主题，即话语，而且是它的范围。“在季节和淡季都要做好准备;要责备、责备、劝勉，要极大的耐心和教训。那是什么意思？好吧，我们已经准备好一直宣扬它，无论是季节性的还是不季节性的。这就是这意味着。它只是意味着人们是否想听它，无论它受欢迎还是不受欢迎。

I told you some weeks back, I can remember a few years ago when what we do, Bible exposition, was very, very popular.   Back in the ’70s and even the early ’80s.   I mean, what we were doing was the great new wave in the church; there was a tremendous interest in Bible exposition. And it was, it was running every place and people were saying, "How do you do this?"   And, "We want to learn how to do this."   And it was popular.   And I was popular, sort of carried along in this wave.   And then, all of a sudden, the whole thing changed, and now Bible exposition is not popular, in general. It's not popular; it's not what people want; it's not what's the new thing.

几个星期前我告诉过你，我记得几年前，我们所做的圣经解经非常非常受欢迎。回到 70 年代甚至 80 年代初。我的意思是，我们正在做的是教会中伟大的新浪潮;人们对圣经解经非常感兴趣。确实如此，它运行着每个地方，人们都在说，“你是怎么做到的？“而且，”我们想学习如何做到这一点。而且很受欢迎。我很受欢迎，在这股浪潮中被带走了。然后，突然间，整件事发生了变化，现在圣经解经一般不受欢迎了。它不受欢迎;这不是人们想要的;这不是新事物。

The new thing is to be relevant.   The new thing is to be user friendly.   And the Scripture is not user friendly.   The new thing is to entertain people and make them feel comfortable and don't offend them.   And the new thing is to sort of win people over with your cleverness and make them feel loved and accepted, no matter how they live.   The Bible doesn't do that.

新事物是相关的。新事物是用户友好。而且圣经对用户不友好。新的东西是娱乐人们，让他们感到舒适，不要冒犯他们。新的东西是用你的聪明才智赢得人们的青睐，让他们感到被爱和被接受，无论他们如何生活。圣经没有这样做。

So the Bible as far as Bible exposition goes is not popular.   And with the decline in the popularity of the Scripture has come a decline in my popularity as well.   And that's all right because we do this “in season and out of season.”   The seasons come and the seasons go, and the trends come and the trends go, and the mood of the mob shifts and changes, but what we do is never any different – “in season and out of season.”   We expose sin; we have to.   We have to reprove and rebuke and we do it patiently and with instruction.

因此，就圣经解经而言，圣经并不受欢迎。随着圣经受欢迎程度的下降，我的受欢迎程度也随之下降。这没关系，因为我们“在季节和反季节”这样做。季节来了，季节过去了，趋势来了，趋势也去了，暴民的情绪也在变化，但我们所做的从来都没有任何不同——“当季和反季”。我们揭露罪恶;我们必须这样做。我们必须责备和责备，我们耐心地做，并有教导。

And then he gives in verses 3 and 4 the urgency of all of this.   “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine,” and we're in that time right now.   They just want “their ears tickled.” They want to feel good.   They want to “accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires.” They want to hear what they want to hear.   And they want to “turn their ears away from the truth” and listen to the myths that sound so good.   And the church, instead of recognizing this and staying faithful to the Word, is saying, “If that's what they want, we'll give it to them.”   What a prostitution!   What a compromise!   Of course sinners are intolerant of uncomfortable truth - that's to be expected.   I mean, I suppose it's safe to say that the preacher who brings the message people most need to hear will usually be the preacher they least like to hear.

然后他在第 3 节和第 4 节中给出了这一切的紧迫性。“他们不能忍受纯正教义的时候会到来”，而我们现在正处于那个时代。他们只是想“耳朵挠痒痒”。他们想要感觉良好。他们想“按照自己的愿望为自己积累教师”。他们想听他们想听的。他们想“把耳朵从真相上移开”，听听那些听起来很美妙的神话。而教会没有认识到这一点并忠于神的话语，而是说：“如果这是他们想要的，我们就给他们。真是卖淫！多么妥协啊！当然，罪人不能容忍令人不安的真理——这是可以预料的。我的意思是，我想可以肯定地说，带来人们最需要听到的信息的传道人通常是他们最不喜欢听的传道人。

Psychiatrist and Christian writer John White has penned some compelling words that need to be heard.   He writes, "Until about 15 years ago psychology was seen by most Christians as hostile to the gospel.   Let someone who professes the name of Jesus baptize secular psychology and present it as something compatible with Scripture truth and most Christians are happy to swallow theological hemlock in the form of psychological insights.   Over the past 15 years there has been a tendency for churches to place increasing reliance on trained pastoral counsellors.   To me it seems to suggest weakness or indifference to expository preaching within evangelical churches.   Why do we have to turn to the human sciences at all?   Why?   Because for years we have failed to expound the whole of Scripture, because from our weakened exposition and our superficial topical talks we have produced a generation of Christian sheep having no shepherd.   And now we're damning ourselves more deeply than ever by a recourse to the wisdom of the world.   What I do as a psychiatrist and what my psychologist colleagues do in their research or their counseling is of infinitely less value to distressed Christians then what God says in His Word.   But pastoral shepherds, like the sheep they guide, are following - if I may change my metaphor for a moment - a new Pied Piper of Hamlin who is leading them into the dark caves of humanistic hedonism.   A few of us who are deeply involved in the human sciences feel like voices crying in a godless wilderness of humanism, while the churches turn to humanistic psychology as a substitute for the gospel of God's grace," end quote.

精神病学家和基督教作家约翰·怀特写了一些令人信服的话，需要被听到。他写道，“直到大约 15 年前，大多数基督徒都认为心理学是敌视福音的。让一个自称耶稣之名的人为世俗心理学施洗，并将其呈现为与圣经真理相容的东西，大多数基督徒都乐于以心理学见解的形式吞下神学铁杉。在过去的 15 年里，教会越来越依赖训练有素的教牧辅导员。在我看来，这似乎暗示了福音派教会内部对释经式讲道的软弱或漠不关心。为什么我们必须转向人文科学？为什么？因为多年来，我们未能解释整本圣经，因为我们从弱化的解释和肤浅的主题演讲中，我们产生了一代没有牧人的基督徒羊。现在，我们比以往任何时候都更深地诅咒自己，求助于世界的智慧。我作为一名精神科医生所做的事情，以及我的心理学家同事在他们的研究或咨询中所做的事情，对痛苦的基督徒来说，比起神在祂话语中所说的价值要小得多。但田园牧羊人，就像他们引导的羊一样，正在追随——如果我可以改变一下我的比喻的话——哈姆林的新花衣魔笛手，他正在带领他们进入人文享乐主义的黑暗洞穴。我们中一些深入参与人文科学的人感觉就像在无神的人文主义荒野中哭泣的声音，而教会则转向人文主义心理学来替代上帝恩典的福音，“最后引文。

That's sad.   The failure to preach expositionally – theologically - is either a failure to understand the obvious implications of an inerrant Scripture written by a holy God, or is indifference to those implications.   It is either ignorance or outright rebellion not to preach the Word of God.   And it's hard to imagine that any pastor or elder could claim ignorance.   It must be indifference.   Oh no, it could be something else - pride.   The unacceptable assumption that what I have to say is better suited to men's minds than what God has to say.   God gave His Word to His people; He expected it to be communicated.

这很可悲。未能以释经方式讲道——从神学上讲道——要么是没有理解圣洁的上帝所写的无误圣经的明显含义，要么是对这些含义漠不关心。不传讲上帝的话语要么是无知，要么是彻头彻尾的悖逆。很难想象任何牧师或长老会声称自己无知。一定是冷漠。哦不，这可能是别的东西——骄傲。这种不可接受的假设，即我所说的比上帝所说的更适合人的思想。神将祂的话语赐给祂的子民;他希望它能被传达出来。

So, those who are going to be elders or pastors in the church must champion the faithful Word, they must exhort with it.   John Stott understands the difficulty of that when he writes this: "Expository preaching is a most exacting discipline.   Perhaps that's why it's so rare.   Only those will undertake it who are prepared to follow the example of the Apostles and say it is not right that we should give up preaching the Word of God to serve tables, we will devote ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word.   The systematic preaching of the Word is impossible without the systematic study of it.   It will not be enough to skim through a few verses in daily Bible reading, nor to study a passage only when we have to preach from it.   We must daily soak ourselves in the Scriptures.   We must not just study as through a microscope the linguistic minutiae of a few verses, but take our telescope and scan the whole expanse of God's Word, assimilating its grand theme of divine sovereignty in the redemption of mankind."

因此，那些将要成为教会长老或牧师的人必须拥护忠心的话语，他们必须用它来劝勉。约翰·斯托德（John Stott）在写道时明白了这一点的困难：“释经式讲道是一门最严格的学科。也许这就是为什么它如此罕见的原因。只有那些准备效仿使徒的榜样并说我们放弃传讲上帝的话语来服务餐桌是不对的，我们才会致力于祷告和话语的事工。如果没有对圣言的系统研究，就不可能有系统地传讲圣言。在每天的圣经阅读中，仅仅略读几节经文是不够的，也只是在我们必须从经文中讲道时才学习一段经文是不够的。我们必须每天沉浸在圣经中。我们不仅要像用显微镜一样研究几节经文的语言细节，还要拿起我们的望远镜，扫描上帝话语的整个广阔范围，吸收其在救赎人类中神圣主权的宏伟主题。

"It is blessed," wrote C.H. Spurgeon, "to eat into the very soul of the Bible until at last you come to talk in scriptural language and your spirit is flavored with the words of the Lord." That's what we're talking about.

司布真写道：“能蚕食圣经的灵魂，直到最后你开始用圣经的语言说话，你的灵被主的话语所调味，这是有福的。这就是我们正在谈论的。

So, the positive side, then, according to verse 9, is to “be able to exhort in sound doctrine.”   Then the negative side.   "And," he says, "to refute those who contradict."   Now obviously there are false teachers behind the scenes here.   We see that indicated in chapter 1, verses 10 and following, and over again in chapter 3, as we will note in the future.   There were false teachers there. They were difficult to deal with.   We see them behind the scenes in 1 Timothy.   We see them behind the scenes in 2 Timothy.   So all of these pastoral epistles are set against a back drop of teachers teaching error.   That is still true.   They are always around, and so one of the roles of the shepherd is to defend the sheep against the wolves.   We have to defend the sheep against the false shepherds, those teaching error. That's part of it.

因此，根据第9节，积极的一面是“能用纯正的教义劝勉人”。然后是消极的一面。“而且，”他说，“驳斥那些自相矛盾的人。现在显然这里有假老师在幕后。我们在第1章第10节及以下部分看到这一点，并在第3章中再次指出，我们将在以后会注意到。那里有假教师。他们很难对付。我们在提摩太前书中看到了他们的幕后。我们在提摩太后书中看到了他们的幕后。因此，所有这些教牧书信都是以教师教导错误为背景的。这仍然是正确的。他们总是在身边，所以牧羊人的角色之一就是保护羊免受狼的侵害。我们必须保护羊群免受假牧人，那些教导错误的人。这是其中的一部分。

We are polemicists; we are fighters; we have to be able to see something, analyze it biblically, show the error of it, and lead people to the truth of it.   The term "contradict," a simple little Greek word, antileg. Lego means “to say”; anti is “against, to speak against, to say against.”   The contradictors - the gainsayers, the opposers - they're going to be people who are going to oppose the truth.   They're going to oppose the “sound doctrine.”   Obviously Satan is involved in that enterprise.   The pastor has to be able “to refute” those kinds of people.   “Refute” means literally “to convince them of their error.”   It isn't to humiliate them; it isn't to castigate them; it isn't to brow-beat them; it isn't to speak evil of them, although that is all necessary if they continue in their error. It is to effectively show them their error.   We must use Scripture to reveal error, to reveal Satanic lies and false teaching.   And we must make it known to the church.

我们是辩论者;我们是战士;我们必须能够看到某件事，用圣经来分析它，显示它的错误，并引导人们找到它的真相。“矛盾”一词，一个简单的希腊语小词，antileg。乐高的意思是“说”;anti 是“反对，说反对，说反对”。矛盾者——说利害羞的人、反对者——他们将是反对真相的人。他们将反对“健全的教义”。显然，撒旦参与了这项事业。牧师必须能够“驳斥”这类人。“驳斥”的字面意思是“使他们相信自己的错误”。这不是为了羞辱他们;这不是为了谴责他们;这不是为了殴打他们;这并不是要说他们的坏话，尽管如果他们继续犯错，这都是必要的。这是为了有效地向他们展示他们的错误。我们必须用圣经来揭示错误，揭示撒但的谎言和错误的教导。我们必须让教会知道这一点。

People ask me sometimes, "Why do you write these books that bring up these issues?"   And the answer is, “Because I am commanded to do that.”   It's not something you choose to do because you know the effect of it, but it's something you must do.   Not in a way that simply throws aspersions against people, or the ad hominem argument that attacks their character, but that says, “This is what is said, this is why it is wrong, and here is what is true.”

人们有时会问我，“你为什么要写这些提出这些问题的书？答案是：“因为我奉命这样做。这不是你选择做的事情，因为你知道它的影响，而是你必须做的事情。不是简单地诽谤人们，或者攻击他们品格的人身论点，而是说，“这就是所说的，这就是它错误的原因，这就是事实。

Ministry, then, for the pastor is simple, really, for the elder is simple.   What we do is preach and teach the Word of God to strengthen believers and to bring them to obedience to God and then to convince people of error and show them the path of truth.   Sound doctrine does both.   If a man has the necessary foundation, that is, he holds loyally and exclusively to the Word of God as the source, then he can do the necessary duty with power and blessing.

那么，对牧师来说，事工很简单，对长老来说，真的很简单。我们所做的是传讲和教导神的话语，以坚固信徒，带领他们顺服神，然后说服人们相信错误，并向他们展示真理的道路。纯正的教义可以做到这两点。如果一个人有必要的基础，即他忠诚地、完全地坚持上帝的话语作为源头，那么他就可以用能力和祝福来履行必要的职责。

Now the sum of it is, the ministry is no place for ungifted men.   And it's no place for unbiblical preachers.   And it's no place for weak and lazy students of Scripture.   The standard is high, high enough to make any reasonable man run from it.   And as I said earlier, I am a reasonable man, but I'm here because God has called me. And that call is by His grace, and the preservation of my life that has allowed me to be qualified is of His grace.   And any exercise of my gift is of His grace.   And any accurate teaching of His Word is of His grace.   It's all of His grace.

总而言之，事工不适合没有恩赐的人。也不适合不符合圣经的传道人。也不是软弱和懒惰的圣经学生的地方。标准很高，高到足以让任何理性的人逃避它。正如我之前所说，我是一个理性的人，但我在这里是因为神呼召了我。这个呼召是靠着他的恩典，而保护我的生命，使我有资格，就是靠着他的恩典。任何运用我的恩赐都是出于他的恩典。任何对他话语的准确教导都是出于他的恩典。这都是他的恩典。

If my life is pure, it is by His grace.   If my children believe, it is by His grace.   If there is some virtue in me, some character that is in any sense near the standard that God would have, it is by His grace.   If there is any teaching that comes across and nurtures anyone's heart and defends anyone against error, it is by His grace - and all by His grace.   “It is His power,” as Paul said, “working in me mightily and I am but an instrument and apart from His grace would be utterly useless to Him.”   This is the standard, and we can only pray that God will bring the church back to recognizing this standard.   We're so far away, aren't we?   We have pastors of churches, people in ministry, who are not one-woman men, who are guilty of sexual sins.   We have pastors and elders in ministry whose children do not believe, who are dissipating and rebellious against the gospel.   We have people in ministry who could not be qualified in terms of loving what is good, being sensible, just, devout, self- controlled. And we have people in ministry who do not, one, have the gift to preach and teach; who, two, if they do have the gift to preach and teach are not using the Word of God to do it; who, three, if using the Word of God are not diligently studying it.   And the call is very clear.   Paul says, "Titus, you find these kind of men.   You put these men in leadership." And that's the challenge for the church.

如果我的生命是纯洁的，那是靠他的恩典。如果我的孩子们相信，那是靠他的恩典。如果说我身上有某种美德，某种品格在任何意义上都接近上帝所应拥有的标准，那就是靠他的恩典。如果说有任何教义可以触及并滋养任何人的心，并保护任何人免受错误，那就是靠他的恩典——而且都是靠他的恩典。正如保罗所说，“这是他的大能，在我里面大能动工，我不过是一个工具，没有他的恩典，对他来说是毫无用处的。这是标准，我们只能祈求上帝带领教会重新认识到这个标准。我们离得很远，不是吗？我们有教会的牧师，从事事工的人，他们不是犯性罪的单一女性男性。我们有牧师和长老在事工中，他们的孩子不相信，他们消散并悖逆福音。我们有些事工的人在热爱良善、理智、公正、虔诚、自制方面没有资格。我们有一些从事事工的人，他们没有讲道和教导的恩赐;他们，两个，如果他们确实有讲道和教导的恩赐，他们并没有使用上帝的话语来做这件事;如果使用上帝的话语，他们没有勤奋地学习它。而且这个呼吁非常明确。保罗说：“提多，你找到这样的人。你让这些人担任领导职务。这就是教会面临的挑战。

Father, we thank You that You have again brought us face to face with our own weaknesses, face to face with our own failures, and face to face with Your grace in spite of that.   It's overwhelming, Lord, how good You've been to this church, how many of these kind of godly men we've had here through the years, and all by Your grace.   “We are what we are,” as Paul said, “by the grace of God, and Your grace working in us mightily.”   We thank You, Lord.   And we are humbled by that.

天父，我们感谢你，尽管如此，你再次让我们面对自己的软弱，面对我们自己的失败，并面对你的恩典。主啊，你对这个教会是多么好，这些年来我们在这里有多少这样的敬虔的人，这一切都是靠你的恩典。正如保罗所说，“我们之所以成为现在的样子，是靠着神的恩典，也是靠你的恩典在我们里面大能运行的。主啊，我们感谢你。我们因此而谦卑。

Lord, may we never be proud because we've been blessed, but may we be humbled because we're so unworthy of that blessing.   If there's anything commendable in us, if there's anything virtuous or holy in us, if there's any gift that we have from You, if there's any ministry that has been blessed, may it humble us to know that You have done that in spite of us, not because of us.   And Your grace was abundant.   And may You in the days ahead, Lord, raise up many, many such leaders.

主啊，愿我们永远不会因为我们蒙福而骄傲，但愿我们谦卑，因为我们太不配得到这种祝福了。如果我们有什么值得称赞的地方，如果我们有什么美德或圣洁的东西，如果我们从你那里得到任何礼物，如果有什么事工是蒙福的，愿我们谦卑地知道你不顾我们，而不是因为我们。你的恩典是丰盛的。主啊，愿你在未来的日子里兴起很多很多这样的领袖。

We thank You for the Master's Seminary. We pray, O God, that You will allow us to raise up many of these kind of men for Your church, and that You'll keep us all faithful who have already stepped into this role - keep us faithful.   Elevate faithful men; pull down the unfaithful; return Your church to its standard, and we'll praise You in Christ's name.   Amen.

我们感谢你为大师神学院。神啊，我们祈求祢允许我们为祢的教会兴起许多这样的人，并求祢保守我们所有已经担任这个角色的人——让我们保持忠心。提升忠心的人;拉倒不忠的人;让你的教会恢复到它的标准，我们就会奉基督的名赞美你。阿门。