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Originally Posted by jaamez
Agreed. That is why I was careful to note that WE DO NEED PASTORS. I love mine. I love the leadership that God has placed in His church. I think I may have been in error to not head-on address the comment about "independence." We're not islands and I don't believe we'll make it if we keep our "independence" to the point where we are not in fellowship with the body.
I'm not diminishing their role - at least not the role that Scripture gives them. But a pastor's role is NOT as a mediator between God and me. That's an abominable theology/tradition that is inherited from Roman Catholicism, and they inherited it from the OT. You simply do not find that example in the New Testament. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" 1 Timothy 2.5. ANYONE, regardless of how well-intentioned he or she may be, who assays to step into that role is in error. A pastor should offer direction and correction with love from the Word of God, but so far as "hearing from God" on someone's behalf... well, that's just not scriptural. That makes for weak and lazy saints, and promotes the whole separation of classes within the church (ministry/laity).
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I think I agree with you here. I do not think they have the role of shepard - that role belongs to Christ. The role of the Pastor is to feed the sheep - teach them the word and it is up the the individual to apply it - not have it shoved down their throats. It isn't the pastor's role to get enmeshed/triangulated into family matters either. JMHO,
Rhoni