# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1959_S42
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

42 DOCTRINAL ESSAY

unfailing in patience and in teaching” (2 Tim. 4:2). That teaching
was actually done in the apostolic churches we gather from Acts
13:1, where Luke lists as members of the church in Antioch both
prophets and “teachers,” and from Paul’s directive to Timothy:
“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double
honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.”
(1 Tim. 5:17)

Paul was concerned also that bishops, the chief leaders in the
congregations, “be apt to teach,” that is, be competent to teach,
for twice he singles out this qualification in his Epistles to Timothy.
Paul was equally concerned about what was to be taught. “A bishop

- must hold firm to the sure Word as taught, so that he may
be able to give instruction in sound doctrine” (Titus 1:9). “If any-
one teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words
of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching which accords with
godliness, he is puffed up with conceit, he knows nothing” (1 Tim.
6:3,4). “Charge certain persons not to teach any different doc-
trine ... than the divine training that is in faith” (1 Tim. 1:3, 4).
Why was Paul so concerned that “teachers” teach “sound” doc-
trine? We discover two reasons. On the one hand, so he writes,
“The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching,
but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teach-
ers to suit their own likings and will turn away from listening to
the truth and wander into myths” (2 Tim. 4:3,4). On the other
hand, Paul believed it his duty to do all he could that “sound
doctrine” would be transmitted to coming generations. Therefore
he writes: “What you have heard from me before many witnesses
entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
(2 Tim. 2:2)

What we have just said ought to assure us that the apostles
were most eager to carry out the command of the Savior: “Teach
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you”
(Matt. 28:19). Under the guidance of the Spirit they sought to
proclaim and teach all that Christ had commanded them, and to
proclaim and teach it in that sense in which Jesus Himself had
proclaimed and taught it. Their further concern was that, since
all peoples of the world were to be made disciples, it was their
sacred obligation to see to it that individuals were especially pre-
pared and educated to continue the preaching and teaching min-
istry of Jesus after the passing of the apostles. To this end there
needed to be already in the apostolic church pastors and teachers.

When we seek to determine the content, the substance of “doc-
trine” which was taught in the early apostolic church, we find
some clues especially in the Epistle to the Hebrews. The writer
of this epistle speaks of the “first principles of God’s Word” (Hebr.