Bible Study on the biblical concept of Pastor. I look at the concept in the Bible in general terms and make observations.

Bible Study on the biblical concept of Pastor

Bible Study on the biblical concept of Pastor. I look at the concept in the Bible in general terms and make observations.

Bible Study: Pastor

By David Cox

Introduction

The first thing to note about this concept is that there is a lot of polemic around it. To clarify the point, then, the word “pastor” is biblical. It occurs in the Bible.


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Where does “pastor” occur in the Bible

Jeremiah 2:8 The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.
Jeremiah 3:15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Jeremiah 10:21 For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.
Jeremiah 12:10 Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.
Jeremiah 17:16 As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.
Jeremiah 22:22 The wind shall eat up all thy pastors, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness.
Jeremiah 23:1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 23:2 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Let’s make the observation that the concept of a “pastor” is a verb. It means a person who takes spiritual care of people as a shepherd takes physical care of sheep. The word nor concept of “cowboy” ever occurs in the Bible. The difference of concepts is great between the two.

See…

Perhaps if you had a bad experience with a pastor, he was masquerading as a pastor, but he was really a cowboy. Read the above tract and mediate on it. It is not God’s fault that there are false imitations done by Satan of what God wants in our lives. You should not be ignorant of Satan’s ways (2 Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.; 2 Corinthians 11:3). There are also places where the verb form occurs and there are other words used that talk of the same ministry.

There are 74 verses where the word “SHEPHERD” occurs in the Bible

Why is there so much polemic about it?

Firstly, let’s admit that there are “bad pastors” out there. There are bad doctors, dentists, etc. So do we write off ever having to do anything with doctors or dentists because we got hold of a bad one? No. So the same response should be common sense to anybody having a bad experience with their pastor, just go find a different church/pastor. Is that so hard?

Secondly, the concept is biblical, these bad pastors are not biblical. The same Bible that plants the concept of pastor as being God’s will also condemns the bad pastors. So if you have a bad experience with pastors, you probably are lazy and ignorant, because you are not paying attention to what God says. 1) Pastors are good, God’s will, even God is portrayed as being in a “pastoral role” when Jesus says He is the Good Pastor. 2) There are bad pastors out there, and God directs us to discern according to what God lays out as what a bad pastor is like.

Also, this is by not means an extensive list, but these are some articles about discerning a bad pastor.

So to say that “all pastors are bad,” and even the existence of pastors is wrong, is showing that you do not understand the Bible. I can only comment and repeat what Jesus said when he saw the lack of understanding of the Scripture and following God’s commandments in the Bible…

Matthew 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

Likewise this was a problem in the Old Testament

Ezekiel 34:5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.

1 Kings 22:17 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.

Numbers 27:17 Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.

What should be obvious in these few passages is that God wants His people to be organized, doing the work of the Lord, and not to be demoralized, depressed, apathetic, and non-energetic in their activities for God. The people who unilaterally wipe all pastors “off the map,” as being evil, anti-biblical, and really, treat them like antichrists, are just wrong themselves. These are the types of people who also write off churches as being useless, unnecessary, and see them as being more of a hindrance than the blessing that churches are and should be.

But if you want to take the position that pastors are wrong as a general concept, and that you do not need either pastors nor churches, go ahead. But you are neither following the Bible nor obeying God.

But, where is the problem really and truthfully?

If you reject pastors and their concept, then why? Where is your problem, really? I have known some bad pastors and even sat in their churches for a time. But my response is that this guy is not biblical, and I left that church. Why haven’t you done the same? Ignorance can be corrected. Blatant hatred, especially of a biblical concept, and the concept that Jesus cleared identified with as being His office, as the good shepherd, where does that come from? If you just step back for a moment and consider, isn’t this hatred of “pastors” all individual ones and the entire concept of anybody who is a pastor as being bad, isn’t this hatred EXACTLY WHAT SATAN WANTS IN EVERY SINGLE PERSON? Yes it is. It is his trap, and you have fallen into it.

Part of the problem here is that bad pastors are usually great, dynamic public relations people who know how to emotionally work people to get what they want. Excellent pastors follow Jesus and are meek and humble of spirit, so they don’t toot their own horns. So again, you have the problem of not discerning between bad and good pastors.

But there is another problem here also. A pastor is supposed to spiritually guide his flock. This is exactly focused on the pastor discerning the spiritual errors of his flock and preaching from the Bible on these problems, solving them with Scripture so that the flock corrects their lives. He is like a dentist or doctor. The problem is, most overweight people resent going to a doctor, paying them money, and then the doctor tells them everything wrong with them physically and medically goes back to their lifestyle, which absolutely they must change. If your pastor steps on your toes, sort of speaking, praising God for him. Most pastors either are milking their flock for money and advantages, abusing them, or some pastors are not that bad of a person, but they know that the congregation pays their salary, so they will not broach any topic or matter that will “offend their tithers”. Both are against the concept that God has for a pastor.

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