[Jassy]

Originally Posted by Steve Schwenke

FWIW, I think you are reading too much into this definition. It is the pastor's function to teach the Christian what to believe and how to live.

I Tim. 3:1 ¶ This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

All of the other major portions of Scripture dealing with the Pastor reflect the same thought. Eph. 4:11-15, Acts 20, I Pet. 5. That is part of the function of the office.

I've got to disagree with something you said. You stated:

"It is the pastor's function to teach the Christian what to believe and how to live."

First of all, "apt to teach" WHAT? It is the pastor's function to teach the TRUTH and that means showing what the BIBLE says. Never should a pastor interpret Scripture privately and teach what he thinks a Christian ought to know, or teach the way that he thinks a Christian ought to live.

Let the Bible tell the Christian directly.

Therefore, a pastor should be encouraging the Believer to pray and to go to the Word of God for wisdom and understanding. A pastor should trust the Holy Spirit to guide Christians in their daily Christian walk.

I'm adding something that follows the thread. Of course, the Bible should be the source of all truth. Yet I see nothing wrong with going to Webster's 1828 Dictionary to clarify unfamiliar terminology. We don't go to Webster for doctrine or for other biblical purposes. We go directly to the Bible for that. However, using Webster's 1828 Dictionary is certainly not anti-Christian!

Jassy