What if your "pastor" is not a pastor?

One day in 10th grade English class, the teacher was having us write out definitions of words, or conjugating verbs or some such nonsense. I can't remember exactly what it was. We were all beyond bored with our homework. We were all miserable. We just were not learning a single thing by doing such repetitive stuff. So, we all got together and each one of us did one paragraph, then copied our work....so that there were 10 or so matching papers. We thought it was a brilliant idea.

We all got Fs and our parents were called to school.

I asked the teacher what difference it made? She said there were 2 things. One, I needed to learn to simply follow the rules. And two, I needed to write my own answers because once in awhile it might be different from someone else and everyone might learn something from what I wrote.

I learned a few things that day. Never cheat. It's just not worth it! Write what you think - it really isn't always the best thing to write what you think others want you to write.

She was a teacher. She took the time to answer my questions. Good or bad, right or wrong....she was a teacher.

I usually learned something new just about every day in school. Now remember, I've said that I went to Sunday School, church, evening church, Wednesday prayer meeting, Thursday Bible study, weekend youth group and every evening when there was a revival we were at the church.

Did I learn something new every time? Hardly! Why? Because none of my questions ever got answered? No, because my "pastor" was not a teacher and therefore, not called to the ministry. It was merely an income for him, a "job". Is your pastor a shepherd and teacher? How can you know?

First, the word "pastor" is nowhere in scripture. It is a translation of a word that means "shepherd".

Eph 4:11 says in the consistent translation:

And he himself gave
on-the-one-hand THE apostles,
on-the-other-hand THE prophets,
on-the-other-hand THE bringers-of-good-news,
on-the-other-hand THE shepherds and teachers.

I love the consistent translation because you can SEE what is there and what isn't there. In Greek, the word "the" is "tous". And in the Greek text, the word "tous" is there!

So what is different about each line and each noun above?

There is NO article "THE" before "teachers" in the last line.

This would mean that shepherds and teachers are one in the same. A shepherd has to teach and a teacher has to shepherd. They are one and the same person.

I am not a Jehovah's Witness, but their Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scripture has:

And he gave
the indeed apostles,
the but prophets
the but evangelizers
the but shepherds and teachers

At least they have left the word "the" in the interlinear.

An online Greek interlinear has:

And same gives
the indeed apostles
the yet prophets
the yet well-messengers
the yet shepherds and teachers

The King James translated the word "shepherd" to pastor. While there are 3 interlinears that show the word is shepherd, the KJ changed the word to pastor. And all 3 interlinears show that the article "THE" is missing before the word "teacher".

So in the KJ, it reads:

And he gave
some, apostles:
and some, prophets;
and some, evangelists;
and some, pastors and teachers;

Why did the KJ leave OUT the article? What good is an article? It is a pointer. IF you studied English in high school, you will know that "the" is a definite article that points to the noun that follows it. For example, "let's read the book" means a specific book. "let's read a book" means any book. And what sense does it make to leave it out: "let's read book"?????

I believe that the apostles put every single word into the Greek text by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. What right does a human man have to remove it? How can anyone claim that the King James version of the Bible is the "inspired" or "only" version? (OK, that's a whole new "if-ism"!)

Back to this "if". If a shepherd and teacher are one and the same, then if your pastor (shepherd) is not a teacher, then he was never called to the ministry.

90% of the pastors are NOT teaching today. Thus they were never called to the ministry. What are the chances that you attend a "church" with a pastor who was not called to the ministry? Pretty good I imagine!

Now, you may think your pastor is teaching. But pay attention.

Does he leave the pulpit when a guest pastor is there? (I think he would be wanting to know what someone else is teaching, don't you?) Probably not a teacher.

Does he answer your questions with scripture references.....or with words that will attempt to make you feel good? If he doesn't answer with scripture, he's probably not a teacher.

Do you attend one of those places where the pastor seems to be more interested in numbers - who can get the biggest attendance by getting the people riled up, excited, "all shook up"? If you are just there to get excited, you probably are NOT learning much of anything. He's probably not a teacher.

Ask to attend a staff meeting. Listen to what they are doing to gain attendance. Might change how you think about your "church".

Consider Eph 4:14 where it states in the KJ:

That we, henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.

If you attend one of those places where they work hard to get you all excited, then you are like a child, being led around....and I think it is Satan who is deceiving you. He (Satan) certainly doesn't want you to learn anything about what the Bible really has to say. He'd much rather have you all excited, singing, crying, jumping up and down, waving your hands.....BUT

what did you learn?

Did the shepherd (pastor) TEACH you anything? Anything that is actually in the Bible? Anything other than how to make it through the next week?

Interesting, huh?

Oh, and not just church, you should be learning in Sunday School as well. You should learn every time you step foot into the place.

If your shepherd (pastor) is a teacher, then I would think that he/she would be teaching you scripture. And not a translation of what someone else thought scripture said. I think they would get to the Greek and Hebrew texts and show you the real meaning of each and every word that was in the original text. It is truly an amazing study!

The sad truth is that 90% of the "pastors" were never called to the ministry. They never had a teacher who was a shepherd and they never learned what the scripture really has to say. It is a job to them.

I know a pastor who flys to Las Vegas to drink and gamble but says "don't tell anyone". He has over 15,000 people in his "church".

I know a pastor who says he understands what I am saying with my if-isms, but that the people who listen to him would never believe him, so he won't "teach" it. He maybe has 200 people in his "church".

I know a pastor who is gay and believes he is a "holy" man. Again, a "church" of about 3000.

I know a pastor who can get you so riled up you will be in tears and walk out thinking you just experienced the most moving, fulfilling day of your entire life - but he never said one word about the Bible. His "church" has about 2000.

I know a pastor who will let everyone get up and say anything they want and then he will read for 10 minutes from a daily devotional. He has a "church" of about 50.

I don't attend "church" today because I'm pretty certain none in my area have shepherds (pastors) who are teachers. And I think most are filled with Satan and his deception. (again, another If-ism)

And not a single one of them (pastors) will ever teach you anything that is actually in scritpure.

If your pastor is not a shepherd, if your pastor is not a teacher, if your paster was never called to the ministry, how do you ever expect to learn anything?

I once read a quote that said, "My mind is made up, don't confuse me with the facts!" Is that you? Your mind is made up and you don't really want to know what scripture has to say? You "think" you know all the facts and there is nothing else you need to learn?

So if you know all that, perhaps you can answer my question - why did the translators of almost every Bible out there leave out the article and change the word shepherd to pastor and NOT tell us that a shepherd has to be a teacher and a teacher has to be a shepherd and that if they are not, they were not called to the ministry and if you attend a "church" where you do not learn what scripture really has to say, then you are most likely being deceived as it clearly states in Eph 4:14?

OK, you don't really have to send me an answer. I already know it is Satan's way of deceiving you. Just food for thought with another one of my "ifs".

So, now, IF you know that your "church" or your "pastor" are not teaching you what scripture really states, WHY are you still attending there? For years, I told myself I simply went to church to fulfil a social need, or to sing in the choir, to teach my sons. What a cop-out that was! I went because Satan had me in his lure and I couldn't get out. That "preacher" made me feel good about myself. He made me walk away elated. But I certainly was NOT learning anything about scripture.

13 years later, I am finally on a path where I am actually studying scripture. I am LEARNING what it says. I am sorting out the mistakes, errors and ommissions of the King James and other translations. I am excited and elated and uplifted daily because I am learning something new every single time I study. The "choir" is now my song to Jehovah. My socialization is with others who truly study scripture in it's original format (Greek and Hebrew). My writing here - an effort to leave a legacy to my sons. So that they may come to know Jehovah Jesus Messiah the way I do. Praise Jehovah!