Oh goodie lets be bewildered.
Question was: Is preacher or pastor same thing?
Well theres priests after the tribe of Levi, pastors as in shepherds which implies the idea of friend and leader where prophets are, well, prophets but were also preachers and sometimes pastors.
Pastor is referenced in Jeremiah and Ephesians.
Preacher on the other hand is more a public speaker, a proclaimer by definition.
From I Timothy 2:7 we get:
Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not; ) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.
So in general a preacher is thought of biblically as an ordained minister.
So the term varies considerable from group to group and thus a varied meaning to different people.
But from a biblical standpoint, my blithering rhetoric stands.
As for the second part:
The posts seem to take on a different perspective of elders, elder pastors, multiple pastors where I find little scripture concerning their specific duties.
There are undershephards but they are not the shepherd. New Testament church structure points to a single shepherd of the local church with Christ as the head of His church.
Deacon or diakonos actually means waiter but in 1 Timothy is held to almost the same level as a bishop which is normally thought of as the pastor.
As a representative of the church deacons should be grounded in the faith. Perhaps the meaning pertains to "a servant of the church" as an establishment.
And then John1999 throws in the homosexual discussion again. Whats with that? Then, "woman preachers is OK but pastors is maybe a bit pushing it" idea kinda stuck. My thoughts; is this another "Billy Graham thinks its OK" ploy?
You see where I'm going yet?
The post raised the idea about the role of woman in church (Gina). To such I'd say, throughout the Bible woman have played significant roles for the Lord.
Anna departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And Woman are also given charge to teach the younger.
But clearly, 1Corinthians 14:35 "And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." And thats just to ask a simple question.
While you all take sides, I'd like to say hi to "I Am Blessed 20". Do you give diplomacy lessons? I need help there.
And then idea elders are pastors. It would seem that a devout 25 year old man saved for 15 years would be an elder over a 40 year old man saved for 5. This doesn't hold in most modern church environments.
By definition elder, means old or elderly thus the word. Amazing.
I do admit my frame of mind on
Some of these posts seem to be
was more general overall that just this thread specifically, because of the drifting views. I see a bit more of an interdenominational atmosphere than a baptist one by some posters. And eventually, Christian forums will see those looking for roads to entrapment. It is the future.
So assuming Peter, Jim and gospelgeek are buds and from most of Jim's posts I would have thought him to be a Catholic, naturally I jabbed with an 2Corinthians 11:14 probe to see what would leak out.
I've spent most of my life questioning and searching out scripture for traditions in churches and most are sound. But most Christians really can't show where the scriptures support those traditions. And with that you get diversity of opinions leading to divisions and denominations.
Hmm I think I see that fish on his way now!
