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Old 07-27-2009, 09:47 PM
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George George is offline
 
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Location: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
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Default Re: "TITLES: "elders"/"bishops"/"pastors""

Quote:
Originally Posted by Biblestudent View Post
In our village (barangay), common people will call anyone who who preaches a "pastor". If they hear a deacon preach, they would call him "pastor". If they hear one of our young men preach, they would call him "pastor". If they see a male church member wearing his shirt tucked in and holding a Bible in his hand, they would call him "pastor". Even when we play basketball, a faithful church member with a head that looks almost bald is called "pastor".

I guess, a "pastor" is someone who preaches and looks like a pastor.
chette777
Quote:
"Sammy is right. they have been calling me pastor since I came to the Philippines."
Aloha brothers Sammy and Chette,

I am not too picky uni or such a "gnatstrainer" that I object to the title "pastor" - my whole point is that some people on the Forum were attempting to ELEVATE an "elder" to the position of "UNDER-SHEPHERD" based on the use of the word "pastors"; and all I am trying to do is point out that they had better be extremely careful in their attempts to glorify men, because the term "pastor" may not be the appropriate Scriptural word to use to describe the Scriptural "position" of an "elder" in the church of God.

I didn't even point out that the only time that the word "pastors" is used, it is used in conjunction with "teachers", so that if someone wants to use "pastor" as THE "TITLE" for an "elder" in the church - the proper Scriptural "Title" would have to be "pastor and teacher", NOT simply "pastor".
Quote:
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
The Holy Scriptures testify that: He gave "some, apostles"; He gave "some, prophets"; He gave "some, evangelists; and He gave "some, pastors and teachers". Please notice that He did NOT just give "pastors" (alone) - He gave "some, pastors and teachers" (combined). If this is the proper Scriptural "Title" for an "elder" in the church of God, then it should be used in conjunction with the word "teachers" - which would make for a strange "TITLE", but if this is a "title" that describes the kind of "work" that an "elder" does in the church of God, then it makes sense.

Just one more reason for Christians not to get "carried away" with only one word, in only one verse, and take it to an extreme and try to "prove" a "private opinion" and twist and wrest the words of God, and try to make them "mean" something other than what they say!

I grow weary of all of the "speculation", "hypothesis", and "guess work" of some of the Christians on the Forum. If they do not know what they are talking about - WHY are they posting their "private opinions" on spiritual matters that are of such great importance?

The ELEVATION of a mere man (a saved sinner) ABOVE the rest of his Christian brethren is a SIN! And the MAGNIFICATION of a mere man's "position" in the church of God to that of an "UNDER-SHEPHERD" is SIN! And if some "Christians" support either one of these pernicious teachings, they are either ignorant (in which case they shouldn't be commenting) or they have a "personal agenda" in trying to make some man (a saved sinner) something more than he really is!

Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

1 Corinthians 4:6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.