Featured No pastors in the Bible

That is an incorrect assertion. Several have noted that elders/bishops/pastors are three names for the same people.

It has been plainly noted that a pastor is an elder or overseer [bishop].

 

Then you have not been actually reading the responses.

 

Do you have alzheimers? I have been saying this very same thing, and you have been arguing with me.

For the millionth time,

Eph_4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

It is also foretold of the New Covenant, in the book of Jeremiah...

Jer_3:15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

I call myself "elder" all the time. Why wouldn't I call myself a pastor? The Bible calls us pastors, elders, and overseers. Why do you HATE a Biblical name for elder?

Nowhere in the Bible is multiple elder-ship commanded. One or more pastors/elders is biblically acceptable.

That is a stupid point, since it is unbiblical. Elders are not just called "elders." They are also called "pastors" and overseers. Its like you getting mad cause some people refer to the president as the "Chief Executive" or refer to a car as a "automobile." It is stupid, ridiculous, and a waste of time.

If an elder/pastor does not have an internal call, he is not a pastor/elder. God DOES call men to be pastors/elders. He speaks to them, by giving them the desire to be such. This is then confirmed by an external call.


Jer_3:15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.


Why do you HATE being under authority? Is it your pride? YOU want to be in charge, right? You don''t like that God called "other" people to do a job, and not you? Such thinking does not come from the Bible, my friend. It comes from your sinful nature. God DOES call men to special places, not because he cannot do it without them, but because he sovereignly chooses to do so. God called David, God called Abraham....and God calls pastors.

 

Let's take a look at Scripture:

Acts 20:17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.
--At Miletus Paul calls for the spiritual leaders of the Ephesian church. They are called "elders." They are the pastors of the church. Timothy was the pastor that Paul had left in charge. They had one senior pastor, but a plurality of pastors.
--The Greek word here for elder is "presbuteros."
It was customary on Paul's missionary journeys for him to make sure that there was a pastor left in charge of the church before he left that church.

Acts 14:23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
--Here he is speaking to the same men, which he has already called elders.
He calls them "overseers" (episkopos). It is the same word used in 1Tim.3:1,2 translated as "bishop."
Now we see that the pastor is the elder, the bishop, the overseer of the church.

What was their work? It was "to feed the church (Ephesian church)"..."the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers."
--This describes the work of a Shepherd, the word used for "pastor."

In fact Peter knew well what it meant to feed the flock, the sheep and lambs which Christ had entrusted to him.

1 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

Then, he says:
1 Peter 5:3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
--The teaching here is that we, as pastors, are His under-shepherds.
He is the chief Shepherd.

As pastors we have a great responsibility and our responsibility is to Christ the Chief Shepherd who is coming again.
Every pastor should be looking for that coming and be fully anticipating it.

In Acts 20:17,28, therefore we see all of the different offices given to one person: the pastor of the church.

 

DHK,

At this point this man is doing nothing but copying and pasting over and over again. he has refused to engage with people who have CLEARLY refuted him...

I guess my question is, at what point do you shut him down? Isn't trolling a violation of the rules?

 

Again, why do reject the Biblical term pastor?

As a pastor or elder or overseer...yes. Same thing.

My business card says "Brother" actually. (As in "Brother Damon")

However, my people call me Pastor, because that is what they know. I am fine with that, because that is a title given by the Bible.

I think it is unwise of you to take scissors to the Book of Ephesians, and Jeremiah, which clearly call us PASTORS....

 

A Pastor (shepherd...same thing) is a person who pastors (shepherds). If you are commanded to pastor, then you ARE a pastor. You are making a ridiculous argument, and ignoring Ephesians, where we are explicitly CALLED Pastors (not just "commanded" to pastor).

What a ridiculous argument.

 

There's many terms we use nowadays that aren't found in the Bible.

If a pastor is acting in accordance with the scriptures, and is acting as an elder, I don't really care what term is used to describe them.

The problems result when it becomes a one-man show. When all your other leadership in the church become "yes men" to one person, then it doesn't really matter what you call yourself.

If you call it a college of elders, and one man takes precedence and everyone coddles to him, it doesn't make any difference.

 

And disobedient to scripture, no less.

1Co_9:14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

You know, you are an extremely offensive and hateful person. Your sitting here talking about us Elders/pastors as if we are raking in money. I left a 6 figure income job, to make about the same thing I would make at McDonalds, only I work 90+ hours a week....

HOW DARE YOU attack men of God like this. I do not know a single pastor or elder who is in this for the money. If they are they are a MORON, because we barely scrape by. You are a disgusting person, and I consider this a personal attack.

 

That is right, he has just called them elders. He called the elders together. That is what he referred to them as--elders.

Yes. So the elder and the overseer or bishop are the same person.

Because, as just shown, they are all names for the same office.

And that is the work of these same men, no matter what name you give them. Elder, overseer, bishop, etc. The had the work of shepherding the flock. They were the same men that Paul was addressing. He at no time changed his audience. He was still addressing the same men that he previously addressed elders in verse 17.

 

An elder IS a shepherd/pastor. Same thing. Since I am an elder, called by God, and confirmed by other elders/pastors, I do not believe I answer to you.

Why do you DESPISE the Scripture?