“Just call me pastor, son”.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by votivesoul

Isn't it strange how the word "pastor" more so than "shepherd" has become the norm?

Or bishop instead of overseer?

Deacon instead of servant?

Baptize instead of dunk?

Church instead of congregation or assembly?

Sin instead of crime?

Iniquity instead of lawlessness?

Angel instead of messenger?

Sanctified instead of separated?

Doctrine instead of teaching?

Apostle instead of missionary?

[coksiw]

Originally Posted by Jito463

Another interesting thing I've heard in the past couple years, was the pastors being referred to as angels. Specifically, it was referencing the passages from Revelations, where John wrote:


They were saying angel in this case actually means the pastor. I don't recall any more of it beyond what I wrote, so I'm not sure what the justification was for that.

In a camp somewhere some speaker began to say "you are about to see an angel, close your eyes, start praying". So people did, and got all excited. Then, he brought the church pastor to the front, and said: " open your eyes, here is your angel".


Beside the fact that it is false doctrine, me being raised in a communist country where cult to personality is a thing which I equated to idolatry, and got me in trouble with the gov and superiors; this continuous exaltation of personalities above measure is double disgusting to me. It is way too close to what I saw in my country for my comfort level. It is almost like a deification of a man.

[Nicodemus1968]

Originally Posted by Tithesmeister

All of those apostles just needed Brother Nicodemus to show them a more perfect way.

What perfect way?

A lot of this back and forth is boiled down to childish back and forth banter. One man says never to use titles or positions when mentioning another bro. or sis. because it shows too much adoration to a man/women. Another man says I prefer to a call a pastor that name because that's what he is to me. I said Ill use those positions out of respect for the office, and immediately, Im not humble, Im lifting man up.

If you use the word pastor, elder, bishop, overseer, prophet, evangelist, apostle, teacher do you feel like you are lost? Do you feel like you're causing another brother to be lost? If you desire just to call everyone bro. or sis. go ahead, if you feel better using the positions that is in the Bible do that then.

Every position has a place in God, there is a reason why God spoke them in the word, every office is important in the word of God. I would be concerned with an individual that decides which office is more worthy than another. Every minister is a servant, and that individual will operate where God has called him, some are apostles, some are prophets, some are pastors, some are evangelists, and some are teachers. Each special in this kingdom. Don't belittle the office, God set this in motion.

[Nicodemus1968]

Originally Posted by coksiw

In a camp somewhere some speaker began to say "you are about to see an angel, close your eyes, start praying". So people did, and got all excited. Then, he brought the church pastor to the front, and said: " open your eyes, here is your angel".


Beside the fact that it is false doctrine, me being raised in a communist country where cult to personality is a thing which I equated to idolatry, and got me in trouble with the gov and superiors; this continuous exaltation of personalities above measure is double disgusting to me. It is way too close to what I saw in my country for my comfort level. It is almost like a deification of a man.

There is a minister that wrote a letter to a pastor down in Alexandria, LA and told him the entire conversation he had with another minister. Now understand the minister that wrote the letter is a thousand miles away, he gave them the answer they needed. Im thankful I have men of God like that in my life. Thank God we have men that can still hear the voice of God.

[Nicodemus1968]

There was a sister that was very timid, she was easily intimidated. One day she was walking across from a house where she felt she needed to invite that person to church. She walked up to the door in fear for not saying something right, she knocked and waited for a couple minutes for someone to answer. A man came to the door, and she told him Jesus loves you, the man began crying right there at the entrance of his home. He told the women I was just about to pull the trigger to end my life, when I heard the doorbell ring. He received the Holy Ghost, from my understanding still alive today.

Im glad that sister didn't allow fear to intimidate her. Praise God

[Nicodemus1968]

There was a man who pastored in Texas. After his wife died, he gave everything away, he gave everything he had to the church. Lived in the little parsonage behind the church. The church got together and bought him a car, he sold it and gave the money to the church. He could've died a very wealthy man, but decided to give all back to the church.

Thank God we have a pastor that showed what a true servant is.

[diakonos]

Originally Posted by Hoovie

I’m not big on titles….

Often they seem to be used to show approval or disapproval of a particular individual.

But generally speaking I can take it or leave it. The reason why a young minister might say, “as the brother has stated…” even if it’s his own Father, is to show the brotherhood in the body of Christ. I suppose the same could be said about “pastor”. He is pastor to the whole church including his family. Of course that particular title isn’t used much in scripture, but that’s another thread.

Welcome to AFF!

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Tithesmeister

#6 Report Post
Old 06-06-2019, 02:00 PM
TK Burk's Avatar
TK Burk TK Burk is offline
Lamb Saved & Shepherd Led



Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 3,729
Re: When your own wife and kids call you, Pastor
I had one pastor tell me he'd rather have his kids think of him as their pastor than their dad. I was shocked.

I have never enjoyed being called "pastor." I much prefer "Brother" being used before my name. I see it this way:

I introduce my self by the name "Tom Burk" because that's who I am.

My parents called me "son" because that's who I am.

My wife introduces me as "Husband" because that's who I am.

My kids call me "Dad" because that's who I am.

But "Pastor" is not who I am--it's what I do.

So, to me, calling a person "pastor" is like calling others in the church names like "housewife." "Fireman," "waitress," store clerk," retiree," or whatever else they do. Such names are titles or descriptions of what they do, not names of who they are.
__________________
The Bible is open to those that want Truth, and if they want Truth, they find Truth. They watch individuals squabble over Bible symbolism on the Internet, and leave the Message boards to enter into the real world where live people dwell, and they find Truth. The World Wide Web is full of Internet Ayatollahs who speak their mind. There is only one Truth, and it is not hidden. No matter what anyone says, Truth still converts the sincere.
 -DD

I really miss him.

[Tithesmeister]

Originally Posted by coksiw

In a camp somewhere some speaker began to say "you are about to see an angel, close your eyes, start praying". So people did, and got all excited. Then, he brought the church pastor to the front, and said: " open your eyes, here is your angel".


Beside the fact that it is false doctrine, me being raised in a communist country where cult to personality is a thing which I equated to idolatry, and got me in trouble with the gov and superiors; this continuous exaltation of personalities above measure is double disgusting to me. It is way too close to what I saw in my country for my comfort level. It is almost like a deification of a man.

Brother Nicodemus?

Is the church pastor the angel of the Revelation?

Who is next to Jesus in command? (According to Paul).

I think it’s great that you have admitted that others (besides the pastor) can hear from God. I agree.

How many Spiritual gifts are there?

Is it possible that a layperson can be a man of God? Or is that term reserved only for preachers and pastors?

Is it really just back and forth banter?

Or is it important?

[votivesoul]

Originally Posted by votivesoul

Isn't it strange how the word "pastor" more so than "shepherd" has become the norm?

Or bishop instead of overseer?

Deacon instead of servant?

Originally Posted by Tithesmeister

VS?

Could you hazard a guess as to why that happens?

Any ideas that we could chew on?

Well, initial impressions would be from the Holy Scriptures themselves, as translated into English, but of special note, the massive, cannot be over-stated influence of the King James Version of the Bible upon the entirety of Western Civilization and English speakers everywhere, as Professor Robert Alter wrote in Pen of Iron: American Prose and the King James Bible, that the KJV helped to "determine the foundational language and symbolic imagery of a whole culture".

A more considered response, however, would require an explanation of that effect, and whether or not it was or is sufficiently warranted, to allow one translation, no matter how dominant, to effectively create for generations to come, a specialized ecclesiastical vernacular and idiom.

And from there, one might wonder whether or not the original authors of our Scriptures intended for the terms they chose as part of their inspiration, to be used as a dogmatically technical in-church language, or rather, if they were simply making use of the common words and ideas of the time, intending not to give any single term any sense of heightened importance.

Other than that, people are creatures of habit and are fundamentally locked into their paradigms; that is, they speak how they think, and how they think is created, then perpetuated by their worldview and the media through which that worldview is received and integrated.

So, if a church group or culture employs a consistent vernacular or even jargon through which they continually communicate all the variegated ideas and concepts of their group and culture, to one another, and to the world, it is no wonder how strongly reinforced that vernacular will be, from generation to generation.

Finally, any lasting determination must include a case by case analysis. Here, in this very thread, we have a member indicating that he uses certain words as titles to indicate a level of respect, perhaps even admiration, if not for the person, at the very least, for what he perceives to be the "office" such and such a person may, to him, hold.

Then, taking all these factors together, one might determine whether such a case was warranted, and whether or not doing so, or as the case may be, not doing so, is well-pleasing to God.