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      • Am I Against Pastors and Elders? No! Only False Pastors and Elders!
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Am I Against Pastors and Elders? No! Only False Pastors and Elders!

I am often misread, misinterpreted and misquoted by people who either want to jump the gun and judge me or who simply do not do their homework and fail to read my writings carefully and correctly, without adding in their own assumptions. This is why we see false accusations on the Internet claiming that I am against all pastors. No I am against FALSE pastors. Big difference. So if you read my writings on pastors / elders and authority in the church, please do so keeping this in mind and please do not jump to the conclusion that I am against all pastors and elders. I am not. In fact, I do not in any way deny these very important roles that God has given to the local church. The problem is the widespread lack of genuine shepherds who do not devour the sheep for their own selfish purposes. That is the main issue.

I think it could be argued that few people support the role of the genuine pastor / elder in the local church more than I do. But while I totally uphold this role, I do not support the idea of the “office” of pastor as some kind of commercial career appointment with all kinds of unauthorized controlling authority over the brethren. I have shown many times how the Bible condemns such behavior through my many writings on the subject.

BTW: the word pastor and elder are basically synonymous in the New Testament – so no, it is not true that elders are subservient to pastors, how could they be? Biblically they are basically one and the same. But this does not stop false control-crazy “pastors” from setting up a hierarchy of importance and then using it to lord over unsuspecting elders.

To help prove my point, here is an excerpt from something I wrote on this subject a few years ago, and which is now archived at: http://www.truthguard.com/Articles/imposters-in-the-pulpit-a63.html


Be Careful Not To Throw The Baby Out With The Bathwater

Christians who come out of an abusive church system and join (or start) a smaller home fellowship often throw the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to pastors. They sometimes reject the biblical concept of the pastoral role altogether. This is not surprising because bad pastors make even good pastors look suspect. Nevertheless, the answer to a bad pastor is not no pastor, but a good pastor, unless of course no good pastor is available.

Some home groups cater to the wrong mindset here and not only operate without a pastor, they also take an active militant stand against all pastors in general, be they good and bad. This is a wrong and detrimental view. People like this have typically had bad experiences with one or more authoritarian regimes and are rightfully fed up with all the politics and are tired of all the nonsense. But nevertheless, they have gone too far and have over-corrected all the way into a ditch on the other side of the problem.

It is true that having no pastor is certainly better than having a false pastor, but if a true selfless pastor is available, a pastor who has no agenda and who would be a true friend in Christ, then to reject such a person would be very foolish indeed. If God sends such a man your way, hang on to him like the pure gold that he is.

Above all don't fall into the trap of going on a pilgrimage or quest to find such a man. You will most likely be sadly disappointed and tossed from one bad situation to another and constantly being tempted to join yet anther cult of personality in hopes of finding a spiritual “dad”.

Should the opportunity arise, it is very important to do your due diligence and make sure that anyone claiming to be a pastor is in fact a genuine biblical pastor. The Scriptures command us to test and prove all things (and this include the claims of men):

“Prove [test] all things; hold fast to that which is good.” 1Thess 5:21


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​© 2006-2019 ChristiansFree.com - All Scriptures quoted are from the KJV Bible with Old English words updated to modern English and with word definitions in brackets as needed. These updates do not affect the meaning of the verses, but simply make them easier to read and understand. Old English is not spoken in our modern society and it is shortsighted to believe that God's Word is trapped in any language and therefore cannot be updated or translated into other languages for other cultures. For information on why the King-James-Only position is in error, click here.
  • Home
  • True Salvation
    • What It Means To Really Believe: Faith (Trust) Alone In Christ Alone
    • WHOSOEVER Believes
    • Eternal Life is a FREE Gift
    • But What About....? >
      • What About James Chapter 2, Doesn't It Teach Salvation By Faith + Works? No!
      • What About the Verse That Says “Unless You Believed in Vain” ?
      • What About Repentance? >
        • Introduction: Understanding Repentance
        • Don't Make The Mistake of Repenting of The Wrong Thing
        • Check Your Focus - Are You Asking Yourself Any Of These Questions?
        • A Changed Lifestyle Is Not Proof of Salvation
    • Beware the False "Free Gift" That "Costs You Everything"
    • Is Belief Really Enough? Don't Even The Devils Believe?
    • More ... >
      • Different People Come To Christ Under Different Circumstances
      • Doubting Thomas or Due Diligence?
      • The Anathema Curse Upon Preaching a False Gospel
      • A Curious Encounter With a “Self-Made” Man
  • The Real Christian Life
    • For The New Christian
    • General Articles >
      • You Have A Ministry
      • What A True Church Looks Like
      • Are Churches Supposed To Be Large or Small?
      • The Blindness of the Pampered - Why Churchmen Don't Usually Question The Status Quo
      • Conversations With God?
      • Response To Question - Should I Leave My Church?
      • Forsaking All and Dying To Self Are Spiritual Goals Not Physical Requirements
    • Problems To Avoid >
      • Don't Fall Victim to a Cult-Like Business Disguised as a Church
      • Church Buildings – A Monumental Waste of Money
      • Some Churches Aren't Just a Business, They're a DREAM Business in Disguise
      • Are Christians Supposed To Tithe? No!
      • Nice Guys With Good Intentions?
      • Beware of Ministries Disguised As Churches
      • Is Staying in a Bad Church Ever the Lesser of Two Evils?
      • Beware The "Faithful Givers" Manipulation
      • The King James Only Error
      • Beware of the Spiritual Serial Killers
  • Audio
  • More Information
    • Archive >
      • Is There A Good Church in Your Area?
      • The Error of Spontaneous Pastoral Authority
      • Is Tithing Biblical?
      • Exposing the Tithing Error
      • Answering the Question: Should I Confront My Pastor?
      • But God Is Working Through Our Church
    • About >
      • About This Site
      • Am I Against Pastors and Elders? No! Only False Pastors and Elders!
      • By What Authority Do I Teach?
    • Legal / Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy