Pastor-Teacher Series: Acts 6:1-5-Praying for the Congregation is the One of the Responsibilities of the Pastor-Teacher

The Scriptures teach that the pastor-teacher, i.e. the overseer has four responsibilities that are the means by which he tends and shepherds the flock of God: (1) Study (2 Tim. 2:15) (2) Teach (1 Tim. 4:13) (3) Pray (Acts 6:1-4). (4) Exemplify the Christian way of life (1 Timothy 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:10).

Acts 6:1 Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. 2 So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. (NASB95)

In this passage, Peter is saying here that the number one priority and responsibility of the apostles is to pray and serve spiritual food to the souls of the flock of God, namely the Word of God instead of serving food for their bodies.

The deacons were to serve food for the body to members of the congregation while the apostles were to serve the Word of God, which is food for their souls.

Peter is teaching that the pastor must intercede in prayer for his congregation.

There are several objectives of prayer, which the child of God must be aware of.

First, the Christian is taught to pray for the deliverance from his or her enemies (Ps. 54:1-3; 55:1-3; 88:1-3; 102:1-2; 109:1-5; Acts 12:5; Philippians 1:19).

This particular objective entails that God protect us from our enemies, but also that we pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44-45; Luke 6:28).

The Lord Jesus Christ issued a command to His disciples to love their enemies, which shocked those who heard Him but this was the manner in which the Father and He loved the entire human race (Matthew 5:43-48).

The Lord Jesus Christ explains in Matthew 5:44-48 that there is no virtue in loving those who love you but rather His disciples were to imitate God who loves His enemies, those who are obnoxious sinners to Him.

The pastor is to pray for the spiritual and temporal needs of members of the royal family of God (Ephesians 6:18; Col 1:9-10; 1 Thessalonians 5:25; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; James 5:16; 3 John 2; 2 Co 13:9; Romans 15:30-31).

They are to pray for the spiritual growth of members of the body of Christ (Colossians 4:12; Ephesians 1:15-19; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-10; Philippians 1:9; Colossians 1:9; 2 Corinthians 13:9).

The New Testament Scriptures teach the importance of the believer growing up spiritually.

It is absolutely essential for the believer to grow up spiritually if he is to glorify God, and to glorify God means to manifest His character in your life, which as we will note is called the “fruit of the Spirit.”

Ephesians 4:11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature, which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. (NASB95)

1 Peter 2:1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation. (NASB95)

2 Peter 3:18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (NASB95)

Hebrews 5:12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. 6:1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. (NASB95)

The amount of time a person is a Christian is “not” the determining factor that he is spiritually mature but rather, it is how much Christ-like character the Holy Spirit has developed in the believer. Character involves 3 things: (1) Thoughts (2) Words (3) Actions.

Therefore, spiritual maturity is the maximum production of Christ-like character in the believer.

The Father’s eternal will, purpose and plan for the believer is that he is conformed to the image of Christ.

The Father desires that the believer’s “thoughts, words and action” be in conformity to His Son’s.

Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. (NASB95)

The believer is conformed to the image of Christ by obeying the Lord Jesus Christ’s command of John 13:34 to love one another as He has loved.

John 13:34 “A new commandment in character and quality I give to all of you, that all of you divinely love one another, even as I have divinely loved all of you, that all of you also divinely love one another. (Author’s translation)

Obedience to the command to love one another as Christ loved is the pathway to manifesting the character of Christ who is God and God as to His nature, is love.

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (NASB95)

Christ-like character is described in Scripture as the “fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of the Light, the fruit of righteousness.”

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (NASB95)

Ephesians 5:9 (for the fruit of the Light {consists} in all goodness and righteousness and truth) (NASB95)

Philippians 1:9 Now, this I make it a habit to pray that your divine-love might continue to flourish yet more and more by means of a total discerning experiential knowledge 10 so that all of you might continue to choose the essentials in order that all of you might be sincere and without offense for the day of Christ 11 by all of you being filled with the fruit produced by righteousness, which is by means of the nature of Jesus who is the Christ for the ultimate purpose of glorifying and praising God. (Author’s translation)

Colossians 1:10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please {Him} in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (NASB95)

Hebrews 12:11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. (NASB95)

James 3:18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (NASB95)

The Father’s number one priority for the believer is that they bear fruit, which is a figure for Christ-like character.

The Lord Jesus Christ taught His disciples this doctrine in His Vine and the Branches metaphor, which appears in John 15.

John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. (NASB95)

The production of Christ-like character in the believer and the conforming of the believer into the image of Christ is described by apostle Paul in Philippians 1:6 the “good work.”

Philippians 1:6 I am confident of this very same thing, namely that, the One (God the Holy Spirit) who began in all of you a good work that is divine in character, will bring it to completion up to the day of Christ who is Jesus. (Lecturer’s translation)

The “good work” in Philippians 1:6 refers to conforming the believer into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ, which began the moment the believer expressed faith alone in Christ alone and continues after justification in the believer who obeys the Father’s will, which is revealed by the Holy Spirit through the communication of the Word of God and which work will be completed at the resurrection of the church.

The pastor is to also pray for the sick in the royal family of God (Jam 5:14-15a). They are taught to pray for those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

They are to pray for the proliferation of the Word of God in one’s community, country, and world (2 Thessalonians 3:1).

Another objective that the pastor must pray for in regard to his congregation is that the Father would protect them and other believers from getting involved in evil.

They should also pray that believers apply the Word of God, so that God may be glorified and divine-good may increase (2 Corinthians 13:7).