Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 6:4 –

“A century ago, pastors usually put the initials V. D. M. After their name. This is not an abbreviation of an academic degree but a description of their task. The initials are Latin for Verbi Domini Minister, that is, minister of the Word of the Lord. A pastor, strictly speaking, is not the minister of the church, even if he is ordained by that body. He is not a minister of a local congregation, even though a church council or board supervises his work and pays his salary. A pastor is first and foremost a minister of Christ’s gospel, for Jesus sends him forth to teach and preach the Good News (Matt. 28:19-20). The pastor, then, is a servant of God’s Word. As Paul puts it, ‘How can the people hear unless someone preaches [the Word]?’ (Rom. 10:14). But if the pastor is a servant of the Word, then he ought to devote himself fully to the task of proclaiming the glad gospel tidings. He ought to guard against attractions that take him away from his task. Genuine devotion to prayer and preaching will crown his work with untold blessings” – Simon J. Kistemaker, Acts, 223.