A Lesson to my younger self: learn Romans, THEN be ordained.

For several months now I have been preaching through the book of Romans.  This Sunday we will be looking at Romans 3:21-26.  At the present moment I'm thinking we will be spending the next 4 weeks on these verses alone.  Now I don't write this to show how slowly we are going through Romans.  I write this to say that I have been in ministry in one form or another for nearly 20 years.  I have preached well over a 1000 sermons and this is my first time thoroughly preaching through what has to be one of the greatest letters ever written. What I find to be even more remarkable is that even through years of education in Biblical studies this is the first time I have thoroughly studied this book.  In my study of Romans I can easily see how it has had such a profound impact on such men such as Augustine and Luther. 

I write this now to make this proposal:  That no person should be allowed to be ordained to the Gospel ministry without a thorough knowledge of this book. 

I, of course, make this recommendation in hindsight to my own ordination.  As I look back now I realize it was probably given in haste and it was certainly something that I was woefully unprepared for.  Sure, when I was ordained I had gone to college and had recieved a degree in religion.  This essentially meant that I was able to articulate myself well enough that I could feasible write a decent enough paper that the professors would take great mercy on me.  Also, at the time of my ordination I was interning for a pastor at a substantially large church.  This meant I knew how to stage a large scale contemporary worship service and was listening to a lot of John Maxwell leadership tapes.  Of course, I was also going to seminary.  This meant that I was learning how to, among other things, make a church budget, have proper table manners (something I have yet to perfect), and how to counsel people with marriage issues.  All such things that I was told my church would expect me to know as a minister.  However, if I honestly look back and ask that young man if he could explain the doctrine of justification by faith, I doubt he could give a clear answer. 

Perhaps, I am saying all of this to say that if I could go back to my earlier years of ministry I would want someone to say to me: "Son, the most important thing you need to know about ministry is not table manners, church growth, church budgets, or even evangelism techniques.  The most important thing you need to know and do right now is to study the Word and stay in the Word.  Learn the Scriptures. Learn the Gospels and learn the book of Romans.  Know the Scriptures and know that they are the authoritative Word of God that are 'profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work (II Timothy 3:16-17).'"