Page 45 - Pastoral Epistles student textbook

Leviticus 19:34. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born.
Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

[7] 1 Timothy 3:2. Able to teach. Titus 1:9. Hold firmly to the trustworthy message. Encourage by
sound doctrine.
This does not mean that every elder has the spiritual gift of teaching. The qualities from Paul are all
qualities that can be developed. Being able to teach means that an elder must know Scripture well
enough to be able to share sound doctrine with his neighbor, co-worker or brother-in-law in a kind
and gentle manner without quarreling.
He may or may not have the desire nor the ability to preach on Sunday morning. He must be a man of
the Word who also understands people so that he can guide people into God’s truth.

James 5:19-20. My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth
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and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner
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from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of
sins.
[8] 1 Timothy 3:3. Not given to drunkenness. Titus 1:7. Not given to drunkenness. 1 Timothy 3:8. Not
indulging in much wine.
Even if we would want the Bible to say … all drinking of every kind and style of alcoholic beverages is
wrong – we must agree that the Bible does not teach that. But what the Bible does teach is that there
are dangers when it comes to drinking alcohol.

Proverbs 20:1. Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is
not wise.

Galatians 5:19-21 tells us that drunkenness is a sin.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery
(unbridled lust); idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord (contention, argumentative),
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jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions (subversion), factions and envy;
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drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like
this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
For me, considering the widespread problem of alcohol abuse, I practice total abstinence and even
though I realize I cannot prove it from the Bible – for me, I challenge the leaders in our church to
practice total abstinence for their family and for the community for as long as they serve in leadership.
If a new Christian or a non-Christian who has had a problem with alcohol sees you as a mature
Christian drinking an alcoholic beverage (no matter what the drink is), and because of your influence in
their life – they then go back to drinking themselves and ultimately they fall and stumble in their walk
with the Lord - you have caused him to stumble. It is better not to drink any alcohol than to lead a
weaker brother into sin.

What about in your church? Is it required that the pastor and all leaders totally abstain from all
alcohol or is it permissible?

Romans 14:21. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will
cause your brother or sister to fall.

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