A Word to Ministers by Stephen N. Haskell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 30, 1872

A Word to Ministers.

By Stephen N. Haskell

The woe that rests on the Christian minister is not simply a desire to preach, or speak before the people. Preaching is only a means by which the object of the Christian minister is obtained. God has committed to his people a most sacred trust—his truth and grace by which mankind are to be saved. “Ye are the salt of the earth:” “Ye are the light of the world.” “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.” Thus the responsibility of saving mankind rests upon God’s people. The watchmen stand at their head as their representative, as an example to the flock in enduring hardships, and going without the camp bearing the reproach. They therefore should be workmen that need not to be ashamed, but thoroughly understanding the position occupied by the people of God, that with meekness and wisdom they may instruct others, taking them by the hand and bringing them to the fold of Christ.

They should give evidence of their calling by bringing others into the truth. The apostle Paul to the Corinthians writes, “The seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.” He felt that he was under obligation to his fellow-men. “I am a debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.” His hope, joy, and crown were the salvation of others. “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.” Hence, if souls are not saved as the result of his ministry, he did not expect any reward, but it would finally appear that he had run in vain, and labored in vain. He exhorts the Philippians to “do all things without murmurings and disputings,” “Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice,” he says, “in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.”

This was what constituted the woe that Paul felt when he exclaimed, “Woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel.” So deeply did he feel the responsibility of saving others that he deprived himself of many temporal blessings which he might have enjoyed. He “coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel,” but his own hands ministered to his necessities and to them that were with him. Yet God had so ordained “that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” “He made himself servant unto all, that he might gain the more.” “To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak; I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” “And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.”

It is expected that the Christian minister will see the approach of danger and warn the sinner. If he fail in this, the blood of the sinner will be required at his hand. Read the following from Ezekiel:

“Son of Man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.” Eze. 3:17–21.

Therefore the responsibilities of the minister are very great. He is not only responsible for the salvation of men and women around him to a very great extent, but is answerable to God for all the influence his exalted calling gives him; and his reward will be according to his success, which depends upon his faithfulness. “Every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor;” “for we are laborers together with God. Ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”

The Judgment is to decide the amount and the nature of the reward the servant of God will receive. “Every man’s work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.”

No New-Testament writer, perhaps, is better prepared to speak on this matter than Paul; for he laid the foundation of many churches in Asia, he being especially called of God to the Gentiles. He warns others to take heed how they build upon the foundation already laid. Ministers do not all possess the same gift, and therefore all cannot fill the same position, and perform the same work; but they should all feel the same burden of building up the cause of God. The burden is not to preach merely, but they will feel the responsibility of the work that God requires at their hands—the success of his cause.

Those who labor among the churches should be men of judgment. They should show themselves thus by the fruit of their lives in their families. 1. “One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; for if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?” 2. “He must have a good report of them which are without, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.” He “must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves.” 3. His life will manifest a more than willingness to bear burdens, and suffer in other’s stead for Christ’s sake. This is the spirit of Christ, and there is no Christianity without it. “For even hereunto are ye called; because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps; who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; who when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.”

The minister should be an example in this respect, especially to his flock. Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an example unto you to follow us. “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.”

Let any who may feel that they have an especial duty to labor among the people of God examine with care the above scriptures. There are many branches to this work. We have no taxes to impose upon our people, yet God has ordained a system by which the gospel is to be supported, namely, the liberalities of his people, and there is not an S. D. Adventist church in the land, neither do I believe there is a single individual who has any of the Spirit of God in his heart, with any practical knowledge of present truth, who will not, if this matter is properly set before him, be more than willing to donate free-will offerings to the support of the cause of God. It therefore becomes the duty of the minister that labors with the churches to give proper instruction in this respect, and then, by a noble example, lead off in the matter, and when God has laid the woe upon him and he feels the burden of it, it will be the case.

Men that will easily get tired, and seek to get rid of a burden by withdrawing from a church, or neglecting the meetings where the object is to draw nigh to God and obtain strength to overcome the wicked one, or who can labor year after year without the church getting the spirit of enterprise in every department of this work, show that example of precept, or both, have not been properly set before them; and a minister who cannot see and feel the importance of these things should either get converted, or give the position he occupies to those who have the necessity laid upon them, and go into entirely new fields and give proof of his ministry by raising up churches and instructing them upon every branch of the work of God.

This is a liberal, sacrificing people; and, one thing among others, under the blessing of God, that has made them so, is a worthy example set in this respect by those who, in the providence of God, have occupied a leading position from its commencement. They have given evidence that the burden of the cause rested upon them. Commencing in the vigor of life, with a scanty purse, they have sacrificed their health and strength; and when the same sacrificing spirit rests upon all its ministers, and they feel that it is God’s cause and that he is holding them responsible for its success, then will the people feel, and the work will move forward.

May God hasten the time when ministers will not stand in the way of the people of God, but by setting an example worthy to be followed, or by stepping aside, will leave those who have the cause at heart free to move forward.

S. N. HASKELL.