a discussion question about ministries

[The_Patriot21]

One of those you can get the good with the bad I guess. It's better then what a lot of secular channels broadcast

[ricky]

TBN broadcast Charles Stanley, who is very sound but also show a lot of Name it Claim it type people. 

[Guest shiloh357]

TBN gives the best broadcast hours to the false teachers and they have cut off other teachers that don't fall in line with their theology.   TBN is a petri dish for false teachers

[The_Patriot21]

I suspect tbn doesn't do that to push one teacher over another, it probably plays the teachers that are the most popular during those spots. From a mere business perspective it makes sense.

[Qnts2]

I am going to start very basic.

 

What is a minister? The most general definition I can give would be, to give aid or service to people. From a Christian context, the aid or service would be one motivated or called by Jesus.

 

I will use Eph 4.

 

Eph 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

 

In my view, Apostle, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and teachers all are called to their functions so minister, and have ministries (even if they are not officially registered as ministries, they have ministries. In this verse, their ministry is internal to Christians, to equip the Saints. The equipped saints then go out to do the work of the ministry, and are therefore ministers.

 

So, a ministry could be to the church, and all are to perform some kind of ministry. Not all are called to be evangelists, or missionaries (apostles with a small 'a').  Not all are called to be teachers. Some are called with the gift of helps to help people with their needs.

 

If a minister is more for the body of Jesus, then their primary ministry purpose is to perform something to train or edify Christians. 

 

Ok, so in my view, a ministry is called by God, for a purpose, to minister to people. If the purpose is to assist other Christians, the primary purpose of the ministry is NOT to preach the gospel. However, every Christian is called to be a witness to the world, and is to be ready to give a testimony. So, while doing the ministry a person is called to do, or simply out shopping, or any other place, all Christians are called to be prepared and ready, at any moment to be a witness. Evangelists, or moreso, missionaries go out to intentionally engage people to share the gospel, others without those callings are to be prepared at any time, to be witnesses, but witnessing, sharing the gospel is not something intentioanally planned to make opportunities. A person who is not called is ready when the opportunity arrises, but a missionary intentionally makes the opportunities.

 

Often Christians are told that if they are not making opportunities to witness, to do the work of an evangelist, they have failed. There is a difference between those who are called uniquely into that ministry, and the others who are to be ready to be witnesses.

[Guest shiloh357]

Oh it is all about business.   Their bread and butter are people like Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copeland.    Sound doctrine is the last thing on their list, if it is on their list at all.

 

I remember when Hal Lindsey had a run in with TBN.  He ended getting the 2:00 am slot or something like that.

[The_Patriot21]

But the thing is though like I said it's just a symptom of the problem. America as a whole doesn't want sound doctrine they want their ears tickled. If people were to stop watching crap like Benny hinn and all wanted Charles Stanley I suspect that a large amount of their programming would change.

[Guest shiloh357]

Yes, that's true.     If people cared about doctrine, Osteen and Benny Hinn would be selling used cars.

[The_Patriot21]

Now that would be a job they would uniquely be qualified for lol

[Jmann]

In chat, we had a discussion about name it claim it tbn ministries. 

 

Which sparked a question. What defines a true ministry? 

 

Please dont focus on the name it claim it tbn part of my post. I would like your opinions on what defines a true ministry.

 

Preaching Christ and Him crucified. Jesus didn't come so Christians could be rich. I did live in Tulsa for awhile and having things was one of the major highlights of church teaching. I'm sure Jesus is not concerned about Christians having toys which they preach about.