From Generation to Generation

From Generation to Generation: "

One generation of believers transferring the truth of God to the next generation is a theme that can be found throughout Scripture. Take just a handful of biblical passages and the lessons we can learn from them:

• The older generation is called to proclaim to a younger generation the glorious deeds of God: his deliverance, faithfulness, and righteousness (Psalms 71:18, 78:4, 145:4)
• To some degree the faithfulness of one generation can be traced back to the faithfulness of a previous generation (Psalm 78:5–8)
• In contrast, the faithlessness of a generation can often be traced to a generational distance from faithful believers (Judges 2:10–11)
• Believers in an older generation can hope for long life in order to carry out this stewardship (Psalm 71:18)
• This heritage is often passed on in the home, from parents to children (Deuteronomy 6:6–9)
• A vision for this heritage extends to a generation that is yet unborn (Psalms 22:30, 78:6, 102:18)
• Fundamentally, this heritage is rooted in the unchanging faithfulness of God to every generation (Genesis 9:12–13, 17:9, Deuteronomy 7:9, Psalms 33:11, 89:1)

This succession from one generation to another is also reflected in New Testament pastoral ministry. Pastors are called to identify and train their successors, following Paul’s model: he trained Timothy and expected him to train a generation of teachers that Paul himself could not see (2 Timothy 1:13–14, 2:2).

This stewardship of the gospel requires that churches and pastors think seriously about transitions. This heritage is a priority in Sovereign Grace, and a topic that recently caught the attention of journalist Collin Hansen in his article "Gospel Integrity and Pastoral Succession." In the end, Colin writes, “Succession isn’t simple. It isn’t smooth. It’s not often successful. Yet it’s a matter of gospel integrity.” You can read Collin’s full article here.

Posted by Tony Reinke

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