If you instruct the brothers of these things, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith, and of the good doctrine which you have followed.
thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ: The word "minister" here is not used in the sense of a deacon, though it is the same word as in 3:8,12. There it is used of a duly qualified and ordained special assistant to the elders. But here the more general designation of a servant is to be understood. The preacher is to recognize himself as a servant of Jesus Christ. A good minister is one who in loving devotion to his task, to his people, and, above all, to his God, is constantly warning against departures from the truth. He warns by teaching not only positively what God demands of his people but also negatively what is a departure from the faith. He demonstrates clearly how the people should deal with false doctrine. In so doing, he distinguishes himself as a devoted servant of the Lord and the Lord’s way.