Ministerial Responsibility
H. W. Beecher. Colossians 1:7 As you also learned of Epaphras our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; I am angry when I hear people talk about the "awful responsibility" of being a minister. People sometimes say to me, "I should think you would shudder when you stand up before your congregation." I shudder? what should I shudder for? Do you shudder when you stand up before a garden of flowers? Do you shudder when you go into an orchard of fruit in October? Do you shudder when you stand up in the midst of all the richness and grandeur of nature? I shudder in your midst? "But the responsibility!" I have no responsibility. I am willing to do my duty; and what more is there than that? I will not stand for the consequences. I will do the best I can. I will say the best things I can every Sunday; I will bring the truth home to you, and I will do it in the spirit of love. Even when I say the severest things, it is because I am faithful to love. "But your care!" I have not a bit of care. I forget the sermon a great deal quicker than you do. "Your burden!" I have no burden. I take up the battle, and I lay the battle aside again as soon as it is over. And I shall sleep to night as sweetly as any man that is here. And every man that is in the ministry, and is willing to love men, and to be faithful to them, will find joy in it from day to day. (H. W. Beecher.) Parallel Verses KJV: As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; WEB: even as you learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,