BTheol Bachelor of Theology Pastoral Ministry 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: According to 1 Timothy 3, which of the following is a qualification for a church elder/overseer?
- Being above reproach and able to teach (Correct answer)
- Having a seminary degree
- Being at least 40 years old
- Having served as a deacon for five years
Correct answer: Being above reproach and able to teach
1 Timothy 3:1-7 lists qualifications for overseers including being above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, and able to teach.
Question 2: What is the primary distinction between the roles of 'deacon' and 'elder' in many Protestant church traditions?
- Elders provide spiritual leadership and teaching; deacons oversee practical service and ministry (Correct answer)
- Elders handle finances; deacons handle preaching
- Elders are permanent; deacons serve one-year terms only
- Elders are ordained clergy; deacons are always laypeople
Correct answer: Elders provide spiritual leadership and teaching; deacons oversee practical service and ministry
In most Protestant polity, elders (overseers/pastors) carry spiritual authority and teaching responsibility, while deacons serve practical ministry needs, following the Acts 6 pattern.
Question 3: The pastoral practice of 'expository preaching' involves what approach?
- Systematically explaining a biblical passage, drawing the sermon's content from the text itself (Correct answer)
- Choosing a topical theme and finding supporting verses
- Preaching through church history and theology
- Using storytelling to illustrate moral principles
Correct answer: Systematically explaining a biblical passage, drawing the sermon's content from the text itself
Expository preaching takes a specific biblical passage as its foundation, explaining its meaning in context and applying it to the congregation, so the text drives the sermon's content.
Question 4: What is 'pastoral counseling' in the context of BTheol ministry training?
- The use of biblical principles, prayer, and spiritual care to help individuals navigate personal struggles (Correct answer)
- The provision of licensed psychotherapy by ordained ministers
- The administration of church discipline for moral failures
- The financial counseling of church members
Correct answer: The use of biblical principles, prayer, and spiritual care to help individuals navigate personal struggles
Pastoral counseling integrates biblical wisdom, prayer, and compassionate presence to address emotional, relational, and spiritual struggles within a ministry of soul care.
Question 5: What does the term 'homiletics' refer to in pastoral ministry education?
- The art and science of preparing and delivering sermons (Correct answer)
- The study of hymns and worship music in the church
- The administration of church sacraments
- The training of church members for evangelism
Correct answer: The art and science of preparing and delivering sermons
Homiletics is the academic discipline focused on sermon construction and delivery, covering manuscript preparation, structure, illustration, application, and oral communication.
Question 6: In pastoral ministry, what is the significance of 'church discipline' as described in Matthew 18:15-17?
- It provides a restorative process for addressing sin in a congregation, aiming at repentance and reconciliation (Correct answer)
- It authorizes pastors to expel members who disagree with leadership
- It refers to the training programs required for church membership
- It establishes the legal authority of the church over civil matters
Correct answer: It provides a restorative process for addressing sin in a congregation, aiming at repentance and reconciliation
Matthew 18:15-17 outlines a graduated process of confronting sin privately, then with witnesses, then before the church—aimed at restoring the erring member rather than punishment.
