MINISTERIAL ETHICS

1. DEFINITION OF TERMS

1.1. Ethics.
Ethics is a branch of philosophy that encompasses the study of morality,
virtue, duty, happiness, and good living.
Set of moral norms that govern human behavior
Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy
- Ethics in general is the science of conduct. We understand by
conduct is the constant attitude directed towards an end. An ethics becomes
a code of rules or moral principles that govern the conduct of the being
human. Ethics studies human customs, the principles of their
actions, and considers what constitutes good and bad in such
principles and customs (Francisco Lacueva in his book Course of
Evangelical Theological Training, Volume X: Christian Ethics.
1.2. Ministerial.
The word 'ministerial' refers to the exercise of the pastor's work.
(pastoral), therefore, we will define the terms Pastor, Minister and
we will add one that cannot be separated in any way from the two
previous ones, Servant.

Pastor:
The term comes from the Hebrew word Ra'ah, which means: 'One who'
take care, feed, and guide." It refers to the shepherds of sheep in Israel. In
Greek the word pastor comes from Poimen, and means "A shepherd,"
shepherd; one who cares for, directs, guides, attends to, feeds and
protect a flock.” In Spanish, the word pastor means, according to the
Royal Spanish Academy 'A person who watches over, guides and
tends the livestock, especially that of the sheep.
Thus, Ra'ha, Poimen, and Pastor involve three words that
they describe the role of the shepherd: To care, to nourish, to guide. If we had
to use these words to construct a definition that clarifies the
concept of 'evangelical pastor, or Christian pastor', how would it be
that definition? Give the opportunity for two or three to elaborate one.
definition.
A good definition of the Christian Pastor or Evangelical Pastor, in
words of the well-known writer, theology professor, and mentor of pastors
Rogelio Nonini would be: 'Christian pastor, it is a person designated by
God to care for, nurture, and guide the parishioners of a local church,
trying to make his followers and himself disciples of Christ,
people who contribute to the construction of a better present and future of
the society.
Now then, the New Testament uses the term to identify the
minister or pastor of the church, to whose care and leadership the
believers voluntarily (see Ephesians 4:11). The term is applied
metaphorically to Christ (John 10:11; John 10:14; John 10:16; Hebrews
13:20; 1 Peter 2:25).
The term Ra´ah in the Old Testament gradually began to
to refer to Jehovah as the 'Shepherd of Israel'. There are many
the verses that support this but the most emblematic one we find
In Psalms 23:1, 'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want...'
Now then, our Lord Jesus Christ defined Himself as 'the
good shepherd" (John 10:11; 14), why did he choose to take a title - in
appearance-, so simple? Evidently, the profession of a shepherd entails the
service and leadership idea; that is, the shepherd is one who
leads, guides, drives his sheep through the valleys, but also
he cares for them, feeds them, serves them. Hence the Christian pastor is, or
it should be 'a servant leader', at least that was the Master's ideal.
to complete this idea we must study (briefly due to lack of time)
two more terms, both connected with the word pastor.
Minister:
The word comes from the Greek term leitourgos. It is composed of
two terms.
Laos: People, community.
Ergon: Work, service.
Hence, leitourgos means 'working for the people'. Over time
the word meant a public servant, a minister. In fact, in Latin the
the word minister comes from minus, which means 'less, smaller', it gives the idea
of 'one that serves'.
Servant:
The word comes primarily from the Hebrew Ebed and the Greek doulos. In
Hebrew means "slave," while in Greek it refers to "one who
serve others.
The slaves of antiquity, the ebed, were people without rights.
some, their only purpose in life was to serve their masters. Every so often
time the ebed could be released by their Jewish masters (feast of
jubilee), but if they refused to be set free, they could ask their
we hope they will be left as 'voluntary slaves', for this the masters
they pierced the right lobe of their ebed with an awl. This was left
as a sign that the servant had become a slave of his own will,
rejecting the freedom that the boss had offered him.
In the New Testament there was the term doulos, which could be
explain with two metaphors:
Doulos, 'the one who walks through the dust.'
Doulos, 'the one who rows until death.'
Both ebed and doulos can be perfectly summarized in the
Christ's exhortation to His apostles regarding servant leadership
Mark 10:35-45.
1.3. Ministerial Ethics.
It is the behavior (conduct, lifestyle) of the shepherds and
pastors in accordance with the principles of the gospel taught and practiced
by their supreme leader, Jesus Christ.

2. THE ETHICS OF THE KINGDOM or THE ETHICS OF CHRIST

Throughout the history of humanity, there have been several schools,

currents of thought or ethical systems that promote - to their
convenience-, the best way to behave in our world.
Philosophy, sociology, anthropology, and all the sciences that study the
human behavior with their environment agree that
There are seven schools of ethics that are considered historical. These are:

2.1. The ethics of feelings.

The behavior or conduct of the human being is measured through the
feelings. Good deeds or bad deeds will be judged by means of the
feelings with which it was acted upon. Example: "If a woman kills her
husband simply because she didn't want to live with him anymore, immediately the
we judge her and label her as a killer. But if this same woman presents
a moving story of family abuse, physical violence and
psychological for years, most likely to arise in the audience
feelings of empathy towards women." These feelings even
they influence the civil law enforcement agencies.
2.2. The Ethics of Intuition.
It is an ethical system where evaluative judgments are made by intuition, it is
say, instantly, without reasoning, without looking for evidence, without asking, but,
one is judged by what is seen. Example: 'A man is seen dining with'
a beautiful young woman in a city restaurant, the young woman is lovely, refined,
with beautiful hair and much younger than him. Someone who spends the
they are very affectionate, so he goes quickly and tells the man's wife
what happened, tells her that she has seen her husband being unfaithful with a
younger woman. The wife replies, no, she is not his lover, she is his daughter.
first marriage, dinner with her once a month.
2.3. Hedonism.
It is an ancient school of thought that comes from Greece, that
taught that everything that brings pleasure to humans is good,
on the contrary, everything that causes you pain, sacrifice, effort and
work is bad. Example: "The movie 'The Silence of the Lambs' of
Anthony Hopkins perfectly illustrates the case of a person who
he enjoyed, he delighted in eating human flesh. For him, this was
pleasurable and therefore good." Hedonism is closely
related to the light circle, or 'the law of least effort', very
present in today's postmodern society.
2.4. Utilitarianism.
Utilitarianism is the modernization of hedonism. What is it about?
While hedonism seeks happiness, individual pleasure,
utilitarianism seeks the happiness, pleasure of society. When many
Individuals declare an action with facts, then such action must
become a social and community norm. Example: 'Civil marriage'
among same-sex individuals. Decades ago this was unmentionable,
but due to the explosive increase in common-law unions, it is thought that, if
this satisfies a segment of society, so it must be good,
What could damage this type of unions? If they are happy,
let's allow them to be happy (utilitarian social thought).
2.5. Moral positivism.
It is based on a social contract. It is a pact, an alliance, between the
state and society. The population submits to the state and obeys the
laws that he issues in exchange for the security and well-being that the state gives him
provides. The state, through laws, is responsible for defining what is
good or bad for society. A person who does not comply with these
laws are categorized by the state and society itself as bad
influence and therefore should be set aside, either by imprisoning it or
killing her. Example: 'The government establishes traffic laws.'
These laws must be obeyed by society; in exchange, the
people demand safety on the roads, more police monitoring,
roads in good condition, etc.
2.6. The ethics of situations.
This type of ethics teaches that values are relative, there are no
absolutes, the principles are flexible and the individual's behavior adjusts
to the parameters of society; that is to say, what is good or bad will depend on
from the situation, circumstance, and place where the event occurs. Example:
For Westerners, having a wife is something normal and good, for
In certain Eastern countries, our behavior is reprehensible and speaks of
poor economic management, as well as poverty.
postmodernity teaches that everything is relative and everything depends on the lens with
that it is seen.

2.7. The ethics of natural law.

Nature itself points towards the good, towards what is good. Beings
humans tend to do good, whether they are Christians, Jews, Muslims,
etc. There is a universal -natural- consciousness that guides them towards the
building a better world. Opposing this good is 'against-
natural." Example: "Parents care for, protect, and love their children.
When a father sexually abuses a child, he is called a father
anti-natural, because it opposed the natural law of doing good." No
it matters whether that father is Western or Eastern, whether he professes any faith
Religious or not, he knew he should not abuse his son. Who told him that?
Nature itself teaches us innately the good principles.
that will help us coexist and preserve our species.
2.8. The Ethics of Christ.
What is then the best ethical system to teach and practice it?
the seven presented? Does any of them align with our way
of living as a Christian and therefore applicable to our context?
None of the seven ethical systems is wholly consistent with
our Christian principles. In the Scriptures we find several
teachings on how to live life, including those of the apostle Paul,
Pedro, Juan, and Santiago; however, all of them find their origin in the
teachings of the Master, who instituted a new way of living,
establishing an ethical system called "The Kingdom's Ethics" or better
known as 'The Ethics of Christ'.

Let's briefly study the proposals of this Christian ethics.

2.8.1. The Sermon on the Mount: While in all the gospels we find
Jesus teaching, preaching, and healing, we only see in Matthew
reflected the principles of the Kingdom with depth and at the same time simplicity, we
we refer to the Sermon on the Mount, captured in
chapters 5, 6, and 7.
Mateo dedicated himself to compiling all the teachings of the Master throughout
of the three years of his ministry, then he wrote them systematically or
in bulk in the chapters already mentioned. For what purpose? First, to
to be the text for the teachers of the Primitive Church, with the purpose of
to train the new disciples in the Christian faith; second,
to teach the Pharisees and Sadducees the true religion and to the
Christ's disciples to live as God wants.
What teachings does this marvelous sermon contain? What is its
structure?
- An introduction: The beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), which are a
mini-message of motivation to practice a life that pleases God, for
by doing so we will be 'blessed', 'happy', 'prosperous'; that is, things will go well for us
good.
- A double call to influence secular society: (5:13-16).
"We must be salt" (5:13) and "light" (5:14).
- A perfect example of the exercise of God's ethics, Jesus (5:17-
20).
- Five Teachings regarding 'perfect justice': Homicide
(5:21-24; Adultery and divorce (5:27-32); Oaths (5:33-37); The
law of retaliation (5:38-42); Love for your neighbor and your enemy (5:43-48).

- Three Teachings regarding 'the works': Almsgiving or charity (6:2-4);

Prayer in secret (6:5-15); Fasting in secret (6:16-18).
A warning against greed and anxiety (6:19-34).
- Three Warnings to his Disciples with their examples: 'Do not
judge” (7:1-5); “Beware of false prophets” (7:15-20); “Engage in
practice" (7:21-27).
It is worth noting that the end of the Sermon on the Mount is simply brilliant,
"masterpiece of the Master" (Matthew 7:24-27), where Jesus concludes the
speech warning that in its immediate audience –and throughout the
Throughout history, there have been, are, and will be two types of students: Those who
they listen to the teacher's instructions but do not put them into practice, and those who
Yes, they apply them. The results for some and others become evident in the
development of their lives. It is better -obviously- to apply the words of the
Master, then our house, our very life, will stand firm before
the onslaughts of the world.

But... how to interpret this sermon? 'The Sermon on the Mount' is

must read and understand the model of ethics that Jesus proposes to
his disciples. It is a set of rules that the Church must follow.
Work in classes: Take your Bible and read silently and with an attitude
solemn, of contemplation, the three chapters of the Sermon on the Mount,
Then, choose three verses that in your opinion speak directly to your life.
Meditate on them and write in your notebook how and why
Such verses caught his attention.
3. HOLINESS IN THE MIDST OF POSTMODERNITY
Can one be a saint today? It seems to be getting increasingly difficult to stay true.
pure, whole, spotless and apart from sin in a world
turbulent like ours. The values are no longer the same, the
the principles of good and evil have changed, justice becomes unjust and the
morality has lost validity.
We are in the era of postmodernity, a time that carries a
never before seen range of proposals.
3.1. Postmodernity.
Several books, documents, and articles have been written about the
postmodernity, trying to define what it actually is.

Postmodernity is a new era in the history of humanity.

which was born approximately in the mid-20th century as a result of
disenchantment of modern society and reason. Although in the era
modernity emphasized the Cartesian cry 'I think, therefore I am', the era
postmodernism brought a new way of seeing and experiencing the world:
I feel, therefore I exist.
3.1.1. Definition:
On Wikipedia we find the following definition: 'The term
postmodernity generally refers to a broad
number of artistic, cultural, literary, and philosophical movements of the
20th century, defined to varying degrees and in different ways by their opposition or
overcoming the modern. In sociology, however, the terms
postmodern and post-modernization refer to the cultural process
observed in many countries in the last two decades, identified as
principles of the 78, this other meaning of the word is explained under the
post-materialism term. The different currents of the movement
Postmodern appeared during the second half of the century. Although they
applies to very diverse currents, all of them share the idea that the
the modernist project failed in its attempt for a radical renewal of the
traditional forms of art and culture, thought and social life.
3.1.2. Characteristics of Postmodernity:
In contrast to Modernity, Postmodernity is the era of
disenchantment. One renounces utopias and the idea of progress of
set. The bet is on the race for individual progress.
The limits of modern sciences are recognized in terms of the
generation of true, cumulative, and valid knowledge
universal.
A change occurs in the capitalist economic order, moving from
a production economy towards a consumption economy.
The great charismatic figures disappear, and countless emerge.
small idols that last until something newer arises and
attractive.
The revaluation of nature and the defense of the environment is
mixes with the compulsion to consume.
The mass media and the mass consumption industry become
centers of power.
Stop importing the content of the message, to revalue the form in
what is transmitted and the degree of conviction it can produce.
Ideology disappears as a way of choosing leaders.
replaced by the image.
There is an excessive amount of information being emitted (frequently
contradictory), through all means of communication.
Mass media becomes transmitters of truth, which
is expressed in the fact that what does not appear through a means of
mass communication simply does not exist for society.
The receiver distances itself from the received information, stripping it of reality and
relevance, turning it into mere entertainment.
Intimacy is lost and other people's lives become a show.
(susceptible, moreover, of economic valuation).
Desacralization of politics.
Demystification of leaders.
Questioning the major religions. The church, the Bible and the
Christian principles are not important.
Individuals only want to live in the present; the future and the past fade away.
importance.
There is a search for the immediate.
Process of loss of individual personality.
The only revolution that the individual is willing to carry out is the
interior.
Worship is given to the body and personal liberation.
It turns back to the mystical as a justification for events.

There is a constant concern regarding major disasters and to

end of the world.

Loss of faith in reason and science, but in return, one surrenders.

worship of technology.
Man bases his existence on relativism and plurality of
options, just as subjectivism permeates the view of reality.
Loss of faith in public power.
Indifference to injustice.
Disappearance of idealisms.
Loss of personal ambition for self-improvement.
Disappearance of the assessment of effort.
There are various disclosures about the Church and the belief in a God.
Significant changes are emerging regarding various religions.
People are increasingly turning to 'satellite' inspiration.
People learn to share fun via the Internet.
Conspiracy theories are constantly being created to explain the
big economic, political, social, religious problems
environmental.
The concept of sin, evil, immorality, is relative and permissive to
extreme.

Holiness Today.
15 On the contrary, live in a completely holy way, because
God, who called them, is holy; for Scripture says: 'Be you
"Be holy, because I am holy" (1 Peter 1:15-16).
But is it possible to be a saint, to be a saintly person? How is it possible to be perfect?
as the same heavenly Father is perfect? How is it possible to be holy?
as God is holy, if what we often observe is our
own fragility, our weakness in the face of temptation, the falling back once again
and once again in 'the same sins as always' despite our
efforts, the difficulty of overcoming habits that make us prone to
sin, the act of doing wrong that we did not want and ceasing to do good that
we had proposed to do? The Lord has said and in Him we must
to trust: what is impossible for man is possible for God (Read
Luke 18:27). Yes, holiness is above all a work of God in us,
which, at the same time, certainly requires our cooperation. For this reason, it does not
we should not give way to skepticism or despair, nor is there
to pretend to be an "exceptional" person in order to be a saint. No!
We can really become saints, not just by ourselves,
only to the extent that we remain united to the Lord Jesus as the
the vine remains united to the vine (Read John 15:5).
Well, we all know what holiness is, or at least we have an idea.
holiness is one of the characteristics of God (spotless, pure, without
sin, integral, just). If not, let's remember the etymological origin of this
word
- Holiness comes from the Hebrew qadosh, which means 'set apart,'
separated, consecrated for God.
- In Greek, holiness comes from hagios, and means: "Separated,
likeness of God, the intimate nature of God, set apart for God,
reserved for God and His service. A holy God wants a holy people.
Pablo advises us not to live according to today's sinful system.
(a system without God). We will not accept the rules of an era whose
regime is the tolerance of sin, sexual libertinism, the immorality of
mind, social injustice; rather, we will oppose in thought and
action. At least, that is what the apostle suggests to us in his letter to the Romans:
2 And do not live any longer as the world lives. On the contrary, change your ways.
way of being and thinking. This way they will know what God wants,
that is, everything that is good, pleasant, and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

3.3. How to be a Saint?

We have defined the concepts of pastor, minister, servant, ethics; we have
studied the seven ethical systems and we have focused on ethics
of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount; we have also talked about
postmodernity, its definition and characteristics; we saw - although
briefly, the concept of holiness, all of this in order to give a
screenshot of the topic that brings us together today, "ministerial ethics." But... how
to be a saint, in a practical way?

Holiness and its practice is not something purely reflective, but much
more work, to put into practice.
Holiness must be channeled through three pathways, each one connected to the
daily life of the minister.
3.3.1. Your Thoughts:
Philippians 4:8. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, think about these things.
noble, correct, pure, beautiful and admirable. Also think about what
it has some virtue, in what is worthy of recognition. Maintain your
mind occupied with that” (Philippians 4:8).
There is an old saying that goes: 'You are what you think.' How much
Is this true? Human behavior researchers indicate
that an average person holds an internal dialogue with themselves
about 5,000 times a day. And 85% of this dialogue is negative,
I shouldn’t have said this; I believe my lecture is not being well received;
How ugly I am, she will never notice me; this dress makes me look fat; I think
that I am not liked by the group; they will never give me a pay raise;
I will never be able to pay that debt; how foolish I was, etc.

Neuroscience indicates that thoughts have a powerful

effect on us. Both positive thoughts and the
Negatives affect our life, for better or for worse respectively.
James Allen, author of 'As a Man Thinketh', said: 'A man is
literally what one thinks." So then if I decide to think that I am
fool, that I'm useless, that I'm an idiot, that's exactly what will happen
with me. Instead, if I think that I am intelligent, I am capable and that
I can move forward, that is what will happen sooner or later. The
thoughts affect my internal state and will be reflected in my behavior
external. Healthy thoughts, healthy life; holy thoughts, life
Santa.
Some practical examples: Negative thoughts make us
stammer, spill things, sweat more than usual, breathe
anxiously, feeling fear, paralyze us and can even kill us.

Positive thoughts, on the other hand, motivate us, give us strength.

internal and external, they encourage us to move forward, they give us hope,
they push us to survive, etc.
But what does the Bible say about this? While we do not find it in there
modern terms such as leadership, thought management,
emotional intelligence, neuroscience of behavior, etc. In their
we do find advice on what to think in order to live a
healthy and holy life.

Brief explanation of Philippians 4:8.

The apostle Paul teaches us that even our thoughts must be
subjected to the will of God, and that we must try to think about
good, positive, and productive things. Why would I say this? I am
convinced that the Holy Spirit directed the apostle to teach us a
new language. The Spirit wanted His church to learn His language,
the language of the Spirit. And what is this language? "It is to think
positively acknowledging God as who He wants us to be
happy, prosperous, and productive” (Read John 10:10, “I have come that
may all of you have life, and may you live it to the fullest.
If God wants us to be saints, happy, positive, and productive, why
why do we invest so much time in destructive thoughts, of death,
hatred, revenge, sexual pleasure, lies, thefts, greed, etc.? Without a doubt
that idleness leads us to wander with sinful thoughts and
unpleasant to God. Sometimes we are physically present in the
church, but our mind is absent. Sometimes we are like that one
sleepy Eutychus sitting by the window (Acts 20:7-9); with one eye
outside and another inside the church, with one ear in the world and the other in the
preacher or with an unclean thought and another holy; or we are
thinking about God but also about the world; or we think that God us
It can help, but we also think that if we buy the lottery.
we can win a good prize; or we think about how beautiful it is
our wife but we still look at the "little sister" next to us; or well
we think about how much we want to serve God but also
we think it is very late, it is very far, it is cold, it is hot, etc.
Finally, in 1 Kings 18:21 it says: "Elijah said: How long
Will you be indecisive between two thoughts? If the Lord is the
true God, follow Him, and if Baal is, then you should follow him.
In other words, if we know that positive thoughts...
they help build a better life (a holy life) and the negatives it
they destroy, let’s decide today what kind of thoughts will occupy our
mind.
Proverbs 27:19, "As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects man."
the man is reflected.
Proverbs 4:23, "Above all else, guard your thoughts because they
they control your life.

Romans 12:2, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world. Instead, let them"
May God change your life with a new way of thinking. Thus, you will be able to
to understand and accept what God wants for you and also what it is
good, perfect, and pleasing to Him.
Your Words:
How important are our words? Why does the Bible tell us
Why is it recommended to take care of what we say? How much does it affect us?
lives and those around us what we say? Do words really
Can they make us holier people?
Proverbs 4:24. Do not let deceit come out of your mouth or that
your lips tell lies.
Proverbs 6:16-17. The Lord hates six things; in fact, there are seven.
things that He detests: proud eyes, a lying tongue, the
hands that kill innocent people.
Proverbs 10:10-11. He who winks the eye causes trouble; he who speaks
sincerely brings peace. The words of the righteous are a source of life, but
the mouth of the wicked only hides violence.
Proverbs 10:19-21. The one who speaks a lot errs a lot; the wise one learns.
to silence. The tongue of the righteous is like pure silver; the thoughts of the
the wicked are worth nothing. The lips of the righteous help many people; the
Fools die because of their folly.
Proverbs 10:31-32. The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom; the wicked is silenced.
will cut the tongue. The righteous knows how to say what pleases; the wicked only
they talk nonsense.
Proverbs 11:12. The foolish speaks ill of his peers; the wise
knows when to be quiet.

Proverbs 12:6. The words of the wicked are a trap

bloody, but the words of the righteous save them.
Proverbs 12:18. The one who speaks without thinking wounds like a sword, but
What the wise say brings relief.

Proverbs 13:3. Measuring one's words is to protect life, but whoever

talks too much ends up destroying itself.
Proverbs 18:20-21. Your way of speaking will feed you, what you say will
will satisfy. What one speaks determines life and death; let them hold on
to the consequences those who do not measure their words.

Proverbs 20:15. Gold and jewels enrich a person, but they are worth much.
but the one who measures his words

Proverbs 25:11. Saying the right word at the right moment is

like a golden apple served on a silver platter
Thoughts and Words.
The first thing we must say is that thoughts and words are
connected. Let's read what the Bible says about it: "He who is good..."
It is in his heart and speaks what he has there; in the same way, the wicked is.
in his heart and speaks of what he has there; for the words reveal what
what is in the heart” (Luke 6:45). The term heart is due to
to understand here as 'mind, or the place where thoughts reside.'
So then, a good translation would be like this: 'The words that
what comes out of your mouth reveals what is in your thoughts.” Hence the
importance of filling our mind with positive thoughts,
productive and happy (Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, think about everything ...
what is true, noble, right, pure, beautiful, and admirable. Also
think about what has some virtue, about what is worthy of
Recognition. Keep your mind occupied with that.
The Power of the Spoken Word.
Ancient Jewish theology believed that, by speaking, "man changed the
history of oneself and of one’s peers.” What were they referring to with this?
Jews believed that the spoken word had a spiritual power.
capable of transforming the material world, or rather, the place where
people and nature lived.
They conceived this idea when reading the creation stories where it
shows Jehovah creating the heavens and the earth through His word
talked (Read Genesis 1:1-31). This chapter mentions several
sometimes the phrase "And God said...". For the Jews, this was very important.
why God is shown creating something good out of nothing ('And God saw')
everything that had been made, and behold, it was very good
Genesis 1:31a). On the other hand, Psalm 33:6 declares, 'The Lord created the'
heavens with their words. All the stars of the firmament were
created with just one of their sighs.
The Jews believed that this attribute of creation was not exclusive to God;
but of human beings as well. How did they come to this conclusion?
By elemental logic: They thought that being created by God at their
Image and likeness (Genesis 1:26 and 2:7), they also possessed the
attribute of creating through words. In fact, this idea has its
foundation in Genesis 1:1 when it says "In the beginning God created...".
It turns out that in the original language -Aramaic-, the verse says like this: 'In the
without beginning, God began to create..." Note that to create is very
different from created. Created denotes something already finished, completed, but to create
(from the word bará), conveys the idea of continuity; that is, the Jews
they thought that God built a world halfway completed, unfinished, and
imperfect on purpose so that the human being would finish it, fulfill it
and will lead you to excellence. How would they do this? It's the question that the
rabbis were made, and the answer is this: "Through our hands,
intelligence and words." Hence, the ancient Jews have the firm
conviction that "spoken words have a supernatural power that
they can build or destroy the life of a person and their peers, the
nature and the cosmos.
Our Words can lead us to Life or Death, to the
Holiness or Immorality.
In the book of James we read: 'With a small rudder the pilots
they force large ships to go where they want, even in the middle of
strong winds. In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the
body, but boasts of great things" (James 3:4-5a).
The context of this passage is an exhortation from the apostle to take care.
our language. Why would I say this? (Read the whole passage in 3:1-12).
Santiago gives us the key in verse 4: Just like a small rudder
can steer a vessel in the middle of the sea, even crossing
a storm; likewise, our words (the tongue) have power
to direct our life towards life; that is to say success, or death; is
to say the failure. This is what Solomon meant when he said: 'What
One's speech determines life and death…” (Proverbs 18:21).
But how could my words lead me to success or failure, to the
health or illness, holiness or sin? The answer can be found
in neuroscience. This discipline informs that in the brain lies a
part called "the center of speech". In that place, thoughts are
processed by the brain and expressed outwardly through
words. Thoughts and words - experts indicate - are very
related to each other, they are inseparable.
These doctors maintain that thoughts and especially words
spoken words have a tremendous effect on the human body. They
they claim that a person could stay healthy and happy if only
learned to control his words and pronounce those that it
drive towards a state of supreme happiness. Incredible! This
medical science affirms it, but the apostle James already taught us this
thousands of years ago.
Example: if a person is constantly saying that they feel
sick, it is logical, these experts say, that the body
prepares one to get sick. This is very common with colds or flu,
but there have been more serious cases like cancer or some other
deadly disease. Another example can be found in psychiatry.
Some psychiatrists have argued that a person who
constantly talks about negative, destructive, harmful things,
impure, will end up convincing themselves that life is negative, destructive,
harmful and immoral, even leading to living a dirty, morally
speaking.
The Bible is clear. We must learn a new language, a new
way of communicating internally and with others. We must
to learn a holy, clean, uplifting language.
Spoken words have tremendous power over our
organism, about our decisions, about the way we look at the
life. The words we speak are a reflection of our
thoughts; hence it is not enough to speak positive words,
we must first fill our heart and mind with thoughts of
God, thoughts of happiness, optimism, and edification -Philippians 4:8-
"holy" thoughts. Once we do this, let us speak words.
of blessing, of joy, of triumph; let us always declare Victory still
in the midst of tears!, holy words. Let's learn to control our
words, if we do this we can manage and change anything,
even the circumstances that surround us and ourselves.
Don't say bad words, but words that help and encourage.
Besides, so that what they say does good to those who listen to them.
Ephesians 4:29 – PDT Version
3.1.3. Your actions:
Today's society lacks principles and values, or at least these do not
they are the same as yesterday. The world is upside down, what is good is bad and what
bad is good. This has caused, among many things, that the
people of the 21st century... have lost their ability to trust others
people. One no longer believes, for example, -or not as much as before-, in the
testimony of the church and its leaders.
A holy life begins in a person's thoughts, then in
the expression of these through their words and finally in the
execution of its facts. Hence, it is not beneficial to declare ourselves
saints or "ethical" if our actions do not accompany what we say.
The story of Saint Jerome is told, to whom his disciples came...
They approached to ask him what they should say in a nearby town.
where they planned to evangelize. Before this, the saint replied: 'Go and
Preach to them, and if necessary, use words.
If you are going to do something, say yes, and if you are not going to do it, say no.
Everything they say beyond this comes from the devil" (Matthew 5:37).

Thus, by their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:20).

A teacher of the Law approached to see if Jesus could answer
a difficult question, and he said: Teacher, what must I do to have eternal life?
Eternal? 26 Jesus answered him: --Do you know what the books say about the
Law? 27 The teacher of the Law replied: --'Love the Lord your God with
with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength," and "Love your
"Love your neighbor as you love yourself." 28 --Very well! --Jesus replied--.
Do all of this and you will have eternal life" (Luke 10:25-28).

But it is not enough to hear the message; it must be put into practice, for ...
the opposite would be deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22)
You see, then, that God declares a man righteous also for his
"deeds, and not merely by faith" (James 2:24).

Conclusion.
The ministers of the gospel, regardless of race, nation, level
educational or social, each and every one of them is called to live
a lifestyle different from what the world presents to us, a lifestyle
guided and judged by the Holy Scriptures, specifically by the
the ethics of Jesus which is nothing other than ministerial ethics, which must be
to be characterized in individuals by a behavior of holiness in the
everyday life.
Ministerial ethics is far from being a trite, old, or outdated topic.
fashion, today more than ever it is necessary to study topics like this one that
they invite us to reflect and urgently change anti behaviors
ethical principles that have nothing to do with the principles of the Kingdom. It is time to
let's return to the model of exemplary behavior, the one who managed to live
a holy, whole, and just life in a chaotic world, Jesus.