Bible Questions Answered:
“...so who is to be pastor. Who do we
know this to be...”
Bashira/ Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Ar
Riyad)
Bible Answer:
If we are Christian, than the Holy
Bible, must be our source for knowing who or what a pastor is!
And the man who speaks much on who or
what a pastor is, is the man who wrote 14 of the books of our New
Testament of our Holy Bible. That man is the beloved Apostle Paul.
The Apostle Paul's Epistles to Timothy
and Titus are know as Pastoral Epistles, because they are directives
for the pastor of a church.
I Timothy 2:11-14 KJV
11 Let the woman learn in silence
with all subjection.
12 But I suffer (permit) not a woman
to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
(Dear Apostle Paul, why is that?)
Answer: The Apostle's two
reasons.
A)
13 For Adam was first formed,
then Eve.
B)
14 And Adam was not deceived,
but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
What the Bible has told us:
A Pastor must be a....
Man.
I Timothy 3:1-7 KJV
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 behavior, given to hospitality,
apt to teach;
3 Not given
to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre;
but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that
ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with
all gravity;
5 (For if a man
know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the
church of God?)
6 Not a
novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the
condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover he
must have a good report of them which are without; lest he
fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
What the
Bible has told us:
A Pastor should be a....
Man
Blameless
The husband of one wife
Vigilant
Sober
Of good behavior
Given to hospitality
Apt to teach
Not given to wine
No striker
Not greedy of filthy lucre
Patient
Not a brawler
Not covetous
One that ruleth well his own house
Not a novice
Must have a good report of them that are without
Titus 1:1-16 KJV
1 Paul, a
servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the
faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of The Truth which is
after Godliness;
2 In hope of
eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world
began;
3 But hath in
due times manifested His Word through preaching, which is committed
unto me according to the commandment of God our Savior;
4 To Titus,
mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from
God the Father and The Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
5 For this
cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the
things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had
appointed thee:
6 If any be
blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful
children not accused of riot or unruly.
7 For a
bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self
willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no
striker, not given to filthy lucre;
8 But a
lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober,
just, holy, temperate;
9 Holding
fast The Faithful Word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by
sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
10 For there
are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the
circumcision:
11 Whose mouths
must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they
ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
12 One of
themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, the Cretians are alway
liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
13 This witness
is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the
faith;
14 Not
giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from
the truth.
15 Unto the
pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and
unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is
defiled.
16 They profess
that they know God; but in works they deny Him, being abominable, and
disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
What the
Bible has told us:
A Pastor should be a....
Blameless
(A man) The husband of one wife
Having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
Not self willed
Not soon angry
Not given to wine
No striker
Not given to filthy lucre
A lover of hospitality
A lover of good men
Sober
Just
Holy
Temperate
Holding fast The Faithful Word as he hath been taught, that he may be
able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men,
that turn from the truth.
I Peter 5:1-5
NLT
1 And now, a
word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an
elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will
share in His glory when He is revealed to the whole world. As a
fellow elder, I appeal to you:
2 Care for the
flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not
grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are
eager to serve God.
3 Don’t lord
it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own
good example.
4 And when The
Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending
glory and honor.
5 In the same
way, you younger men must accept the authority of the elders. And all
of you, serve each other in humility, for “God opposes the proud
but favors the humble.”
Bishop: Greek-Episkope/ Episkopos (Ep-is-kop-ay):
Superintendence, a superintendent, officer in general charge of a
church; bishop overseer.
Elder: Greek-Presbuteros (Pres-boo-ter-os): Elderly, older; a
senior; a member of the celestial council or “presbyter” elder,
old.
Pastor: Hebrew- Shepherd: Raah (Raw-aw): To tend a flock,
pasture it; to rule; feed, herdman, keep sheep, pastor
Jeremiah 17:16
NLT
Lord, I have
not abandoned my job as a shepherd for your people..."
Titles of Pastor, Bishop, or Elder are interchangeable.
I Thessalonians 2:10,11 NLT (The Apostle Paul to the
Thessalonians.)
10 You
yourselves are our witnesses—and so is God—that we were devout
and honest and faultless toward all of you believers.
11 And you know
that we treated each of you as a father* treats his own
children.
*Father: Greek-Pater (Pat-ayr): A father, parent.
(Are we to call pastors “father?” Never!
Matthew 23:9 KJV (As a spiritual title.)
And call no man
your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which
is in heaven.
Pastors are as
a father in their paternal care and keeping of the flock.
Acts 20:28 KJV
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.
*Overseers: Greek-Episkope/ Episkopos (Ep-is-kop-ay):
Superintendence, a superintendent, officer in general charge of a
church; bishop overseer.
Pastors are
to be “Called Of God.”
The ministry is “not,” a profession, as many have thought, it is
a heavenly calling!
No wonder the turmoil, in the church of Jesus Christ today.
Jeremiah 3:15 KJV (The Lord told His people....)
And I
will give you pastors according to Mine heart, which shall
feed you with knowledge and understanding.
II Corinthians
3:5,6 KJV
5 Not that we
are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but
our sufficiency is of God;
6 Who
also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of
the letter, but of The Spirit: for the letter killeth, but The Spirit
giveth life.
II Corinthians
4:1 RSV
Therefore,
having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose
heart.
II Corinthians
5:18 RSV
All this is
from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave
us the ministry of reconciliation;
Ephesians 3:7
KJV
Whereof I
was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God
given unto me by the effectual working of His power.
Colossians 1:23
NLT
But you must
continue to believe this Truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift
away from the assurance you received when you heard The Good News.
The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul,
have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.
I Timothy 1:12
KJV
And I thank
Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that He
counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
II
Timothy 1:11 KJV (Apostle
Paul)
Whereunto I
am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the
Gentiles.
Much, much more could be and should be said concerning Pastors, but
this at least an introduction. Lord willing more will be said later.
Ephesians
4:11-13 KJV
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:
13 Till we all
come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of The Son Of
God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fulness of Christ:
Be sure to pray for your pastor!
Hebrews 13:7,17
KJV
7 Remember
them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you
The Word Of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their
conversation.
17 Obey them
that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch
for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it
with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
