Towards Understanding of the Practice of Proclamation: The Core Element of Russian Baptist Worship, Timofey Cheprasov, 2015

44). Thus, both types of ministries are important, and both have their strengths and weaknesses, which must be recognised. Neither should be neglected or sacrificed for the sake of the other. 210 Our ability or our failure to read Scripture over-against ourselves can have significant consequences for our day-to-day struggle to live faithfully before God. Nevertheless, no method guarantees that we will read Scripture in that way... First, we must be as willing to be interrogated by Scripture as we are to interrogate Scripture. Of course, since Scripture does not actually talk, Scripture’s interrogatory power will come to any community through the voices of interpreters with well-formed character within the community and concerned outsiders.” This argument of the necessity for Scripture to interrogate its readers underlines the creative, although challenging, task for contemporary Baptist communities. There is a need to develop their ranks of often complacent listeners into the communities of interpreters, whose voices will be able to provide the much needed challenge of the ‘predispositions, ideologies, and theological presumptions’ with which people approach the Bible.”* Some will have to become biblical scholars, which, therefore implies the need for churches to work in close partnership with theological educational institutions. The process of ‘developing people skilled in the application of critical biblical scholarship’ defines the necessity of providing such opportunity for them by relieving these people from other duties. Therefore, this should serve as a reminder for the church communities of the need to take responsibility in identifying, educating, and then using their members for the ministry of biblical interpretation; for ‘would-be scholars’ — of their responsibility to serve their church families with humility and respect, regardless of their superior knowledge in comparison with others, and finally, for theological schools — about the need to cooperate with churches, responding to their needs and listening to their concerns.’” | will consider the role of the theological schools in the development of the practice of preaching later in Chapter 9. Although theological training does play a significant role in stimulating deeper engagement with the Bible in churches, | do not want to create an impression that the sole purpose of this reflection is to raise numbers of theology students in Bible schools 7° Eowl and Jones, “Scripture, Exegesis, and Discernment in Christian Ethics,” p 124. ” Ibid. ” Ibid., pp 125-126. 211 and seminaries across Russia. The Holy Spirit gives churches different gifts, and not everyone is called to full-time ministry in the field of theology or biblical studies. However, this is not an excuse for the majority of churchgoers to pass their responsibility of becoming interpreters of the Word onto their pastors or other trained ministers. Rather, it is an