“And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you [with] knowledge and understanding” (Jeremiah 3:15).
“And indeed He gave some [to be] apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers; with a view to the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ, until we all may come to the unity of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God” (Ephesians 4:11-13).
For true Christians without a pastor or a teacher, they see from Scripture that they are yet able to “admonish one another” (Romans 15:14).
“And I say, Jesus Christ has become a minister of circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises of the fathers, and for the nations to glorify God for mercy, even as it has been written, Because of this I will confess to You in the nations, and I will give praise to Your name. And again He says, Rejoice, nations, with His people. And again, Praise the Lord, all the nations, and praise Him all the peoples. And again Isaiah says, The Root of Jesse shall be, and He rising up to rule the nations; on Him nations will hope. And may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, for you to abound in hope, in power of [the] Holy Spirit. But, my brothers, I myself also am persuaded concerning you, that you yourselves also are full of goodness, being filled with all knowledge, being able to admonish one another. But I wrote to you more boldly, brothers, as reminding you in part, because of the grace given to me by God, for me to be a minister of Jesus Christ to the nations, sacredly ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the nations might be acceptable, sanctified by [the] Holy Spirit. Therefore I have boasting in Christ Jesus [as to] the things pertaining to God. For I will not dare to speak of anything which Christ did not work out through me for [the] obedience of the nations in word and work, in power of [miraculous] signs and wonders, in power of [the] Spirit of God, so as [for] me to have fulfilled [the preaching of] the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem and in a circle as far as Illyricum. And so eagerly striving to preach the gospel where Christ was not named, so that I should not build on another’s foundation, but even as it has been written, They shall see, to whom nothing was announced concerning Him; and the ones that have not heard shall understand” (Romans 15:8-21; underlining mine).
Romans 15:14 provides encouragement though there be none to take the lead (Hebrews 13:7, 17). Many times even hypocrites and heretics may (unwittingly) instruct and teach.
“Then Jesus spoke to the crowd and to His disciples, saying, The scribes and the Pharisees have sat down on Moses’ seat. Then all things, whatever they tell you to keep, keep and do. But do not do according to their works, for they say, and do not do” (Matthew 23:1-3).
Of course, true Christians in learning helpful things must discern, identify, and distinguish the orthodox bread from the heterodox leaven.
“And Jesus said to them, Watch and take heed from the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6).
May true Christians
“exhort [ourselves–CD] each day, as long as it is being called today, that not any of [us–CD] be hardened by [the] deceit of sin” (Hebrews 3:13).
“hold fast the confession of the hope unyielding, for He who has promised is faithful. And let us consider one another, to incitement of love and of good works” (Hebrews 10:23-24).
Amen.
Agrammatos 