This issue includes four articles written as part of the annual scholarship contest; two written by aspiring ministers, and two by young people studying to be teachers. The writing prompt that all four authors chose was as follows:
In the New Testament Paul often refers to himself as God’s servant, or slave. What does it mean to you, as a teacher or pastor, to live your life as God’s slave? How would you instruct your students or young people to live as God’s slaves?
This would be a good opportunity to encourage these young people as they pursue the gospel ministry and a career in teaching. But why stop there? Do you know a young man that by his life and walk shows himself as someone that should consider the gospel ministry? Or perhaps you go to church with someone that shows gifts that would make them a good teacher? Encourage them! How powerful it would be if you were to pull that young person aside and tell them that you see gifts in them and ask them what their plans are. Charles Hodge said “preaching the gospel is a privilege superior to any other intrusted to man.” Don’t miss an opportunity because you feel it might be awkward to bring a word of encouragement. It might be the means God uses to raise up a preacher of the word to proclaim the good news of the gospel or to raise up a teacher that will have an incalculable impact on the children and young people in their classroom.
This issue also includes a question to Schuyler. How would you define the unpardonable sin? Is grieving or quenching the Holy Spirit the same as committing the unpardonable sin? Schuyler provides a careful, clear, and grounded answer to this question posed by one of our readers. Schuyler has already tackled and subdued many nettlesome questions on a variety of topics including cremation, how to treat someone who has left the PR church, the death penalty, and tattoos. Have a question that you would like Schuyler to answer? Send it to me at editor@beaconlights.org. Schuyler is a great resource for Beacon Lights readers, and I encourage the interested reader to make use of this rubric.