The call to restore the ‘blacksmiths’

Obituaries
THE teaching ministry is a unique but vital ministry in the body of Christ. Not everyone has the ability to teach the Word of God. Christian history speaks of a great prophet who had a great gift that enabled him to tell people the very secrets of their hearts, but did not have the ability to teach the Word. The Lord, in His wisdom, gave him a great administrator who had a teaching gift and who would teach every time before the prophet ministered. The prophet would manifest great power and unique healings would happen. One could not deny that he was gifted and the Spirit of God was on him because God would confirm his ministry with signs and wonders.

divineinsight:BY HUMPHREY MTANDWA

THE teaching ministry is a unique but vital ministry in the body of Christ. Not everyone has the ability to teach the Word of God. Christian history speaks of a great prophet who had a great gift that enabled him to tell people the very secrets of their hearts, but did not have the ability to teach the Word. The Lord, in His wisdom, gave him a great administrator who had a teaching gift and who would teach every time before the prophet ministered. The prophet would manifest great power and unique healings would happen. One could not deny that he was gifted and the Spirit of God was on him because God would confirm his ministry with signs and wonders.

For many years, this team worked together smoothly until they fell apart, which saw them going separate ways. The prophet began to venture into a new area (of teaching) instead of just ministering through the gifts of the Spirit. He began to also teach the Word to fill in the gap left by his departed administrator.

Yes, he was called and had the ability to hear the voice of God, but he had not been given the ability to interpret the Word of God. Everyone can teach the Word, but not everyone can interpret the scriptures. Not all the doctrine he introduced was wrong. But he had other areas he began to go into the extreme.

Apostle Paul said: “Not all are apostles, are they? Not all are prophets, are they? Not all are teachers, are they? Not all perform miracles, do they?” One can be a prophet and not called to teach. One can even be an apostle and not possess the teaching gift. Why then do we no longer put an emphasis on the teaching ministry? Is it that God no longer calls teachers? The teachers have a unique call to equip the believers to be mature. Like how much value is put on the prophetic ministry, the teaching ministry is twice as important. The prophet gives direction, but the teacher grounds, establishes and equips believers for ministry.

The Bible speaks of a time where in the whole of Israel they were no blacksmiths. The Philistines understood if Israel had no smiths they could not make swords. Just like how in our time there are not many who can stand out and say I am a teacher of the Word. The lack of smiths caused Israel to go to war with only two swords — that of Jonathan and his father the King. This can be compared to the present-day church; it seems only a selected few in the body can now handle the Word of God with mastery (the Word of God is the sword of the spirit). The smiths though they could not fight and many times during wars would stay home and be among women, they had a strength that if harnessed helped win battles.

The teaching ministry like the role of the smiths is important because the teachers forge the doctrine that equips the church in their generation to win wars. When I became a believer I went through six weeks of foundational training. This was a tiresome processes, but it gave me a firm foundation that has carried me through my walk and brought me to where I am today.

The prophet and his administrator are proof and testimony that we need each other’s strengths as a body. How much emphasis is being put in our generation on the prophetic ministry? Let us restore honour and value to the teaching ministry. I pray God will restore the smiths in our generation that will help to ground and equip the church.

God bless you. l Humphrey Mtandwa is an anointed minister of the gospel and teacher of the Word based in South Africa. He has written several books including The Enoch Generation, Truthfulness and Theophany. He blogs at mtandwa.blogspot.com and can be contacted via e-mail or WhatsApp on +27 610286350.