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Those who become upset with people who devote their lives to religious work sometimes call them some very unflattering names. However, that’s a subject for another time. Rather, let’s consider—in light of Bible teaching—a commonly used title applied to those in “full- time church work.”
Pastor may be the word most frequently used to describe a preacher’s work (e.g., “John Smith is the pastor of the ___________ church”). This term is also used as a title of address (e.g., “Pastor John Smith will now speak”). Roman Catholics and Protestants alike thus employ the word. Does the Bible sanction this usage?
Pastor is a Biblical term, but the New Testament never applies it to those who work as preachers or evangelists (and certainly not in reference to “priests,” a special class of which is unknown in Jesus’ church; every member of the church is a “priest” with direct access to the Father through the one Mediator, His Son [1 Tim. 2:5; 1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:6]).
The Bible distinguishes “pastors” from evangelists/preachers, apostles, prophets, and teachers (Eph. 4:11). Pastor simply means “shepherd.” Pastors/shepherds are identified with men also known as “elders” (Acts 20:17; Phi. 1:1; Tit. 1:5; 1 Pet. 5:1; et al.), “bishops” or “overseers” (Acts 20: 28; 1 Tim. 3:1; et al.), and “the presbytery” (1 Tim. 4:14). Both Paul and Peter use the verb form of pastor to describe the work of elders/bishops/presbyters in a church (i.e., feeding/tending; Acts 20:28–29; 1 Pet. 5:1–2). Thus the Bible uses pastors, elders, bishops, and presbytery (but not preacher) interchangeably.
New Testament congregations never had and still do not have only one el- der/bishop/pastor (Acts 11:30; 14:23; 20:17, 28; Phi. 1:1; et al.). Thus there is no Biblical authority to call a man “the bishop,” “the elder,” or “the pastor” of a church merely because he is “the preacher.” (John twice identified himself as “the elder,” but he did so in reference to age rather than congregational office [2 John 1; 3 John 1]). Specific qualifications are required of pastors/elders/bishops (1 Tim. 3:1–8; Tit. 1:5–11). Among them, he “must be the husband of one wife” and have “believing children” (1 Tim. 3:2; Tit. 1:6). Other factors aside, no Roman Catholic priest can ever Scripturally qualify as a “pastor” and be true to his celibacy vow. Further, most so-called Protestant “pastors” have likely not met these qualifications.
“The One-man Pastor System” is foreign to the church the Lord built through His apostles. The plurality of elders/pastors/bishops in a congregation have authority over that entire church—including the preacher (Acts 20:28)—not vice versa.
[Note: I wrote this article for and it was published in the Denton Record-Chronicle, Denton, TX, August 14, 2015.]
Attribution: From thescripturecache.com; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.
