9He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
The role of a leader in the church, whether elder or overseer, includes encouraging and refuting. Any leader who only does one or the other is not a good leader. There are some very large churches in this country that focus on only the positive aspects of the Gospel. They leave out sin, repentance and discipline. They emphasize God’s love and acceptance without holding to God’s standard. There are also the Hell, fire and brimstone churches as well, who only preach judgment without the possibility of God’s grace. Note that there needs to be both. Encouragement comes, according to Paul, by sound doctrine. The Truth does bring encouragement. Knowing what is solid in a world of Jell-O brings hope and relief. You know where it is safe and where it is dangerous. We all need to know safety in our lives. And when we do, we feel encouraged. We don’t need a new message of hope, we need to understand the message that God has already given us in Jesus. Jesus is the final, complete Word. No more revelations are necessary. We have everything we need in Jesus.
The Arnold Journey 