As I have written these last few weeks, studying Scripture and writing out my thoughts, I have spoken many times against the writings of men. It has occurred to me on more than one occasion that I am sitting here writing while warning people against the writings of fallen people.
Today it's weighing heavily on me so I feel the need to write a bit more. This time though it is my own self I wish to warn you against.
I am but a fallen person. I started this blog several years ago because my husband had a habit of asking me about my Scripture studies and what I was thinking and learning about them. The idea came to me to start a blog so that I could write out my own thoughts. It would, I reasoned to myself, give me a place to pull my thoughts and learnings together and it would let my husband read first hand exactly what I was studying on and learning about.
Time passed and here I am. Still writing for the purpose of sharing with my husband. He tells me often that I am preaching to the choir but he also monitors the stats on this blog, seeing if others have come here to read what I am writing. Sometimes he has me write something because it is on his heart and mind, sometimes he has me write something because he feels the need to dispute what others are saying, usually he just reads my writings. Sometimes we dig deeper, discuss something further because I write on it. Sometimes I write on something because we are already digging deeper.
The thing is...I set out to write this blog for myself and for my husband. I made it public because it makes it much easier for my husband to access it that way and because there is much heresy out there and if I am going to write on Truth why not make it public just in case one person might ever stumble across it and be led to Christ through my words?
So here I am all these years later. Times have changed. I have changed. My understanding of Scripture is still the same but has grown deeper. And I am still writing for myself, it helps me flesh out thoughts and make connections as I write, and for my husband so that he can share in most of my Scripture studies.
Yet here lately I have had the thought of what makes my writings any different than any other persons in history? And the truth is that there is no difference. I am a fallen person. I live in a fallen world. I sin. I fail. I get it wrong. Hopefully I get it right more often than I get it wrong and I pray I never lead anyone astray.
I never want to make a cent from writing of Christ. NEVER.
I put hours and hours into writing these posts. I learn more of my Savior and His ways as I write them. I share them out of a love for Christ and His ways. My own learning is all the pay I ever need. I appreciate hearing my husband say he enjoyed what I wrote or that I said what he was thinking. I appreciate comments of all kinds, both good and bad, from others that happen upon my blog. It's nice to hear from people that drop by just because it's nice knowing who was here. If they can expand upon my thoughts that is wonderful. I learn more of Christ or more of His ways. If they challenge my beliefs, I am challenged to make certain I am telling Truth. Either way, I learn more of Christ and His ways. That is all the pay I ever need or want.
But my words are nothing special. The Lord has gifted me in writing and He has somehow made me where that writing flows easily for me. I appreciate that and I am, hopefully, using that gift for His glory. That does not make my writings anything you can't find within the pages of Scripture.
Please, please, please, never take my writings over Scripture. If you see something on this blog that does not mesh with your understanding of Scripture don't take my word for it. Study harder, dig deeper. Find the answers within the pages of your Bible.
The Bereans did not take Paul's word for anything. They tested what he said against Scripture. We should be no less diligent to make sure everything we allow into our souls is the Lord's Truth whether men (or women) write it or it comes from a Bible. Corruption is not always easy to see and sometimes deception is carefully hidden. No longer can we even assume that a 'Bible' is God's very word because the term 'Bible' has been applied to various versions and perversions.
Test it all.
Test everything.
Test every word I write. Make sure what I say holds up to Scripture. And should I ever be in error please point it out to me.
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Sunday, July 22, 2018
Why the writings of men...part 8, guard your soul from 'preachers'
Yesterday I was thinking on preachers and their roles in 'churches' and I had this less than brilliant idea to do an internet search on 'preachers are unbiblical'. I was pleasantly surprised to discover there are actually a handful of others out there that are speaking against 'preachers' in general.
And the more I think about it the more I think anyone claiming the title of 'preacher' should be suspect. There are just certain people in life that we tend not to trust out of our own experience. If someone walked up to me and informed me they were a serial killer I would be more than a little leery of them. I would not invite a known thief into my home, hand my car keys over to a car thief, nor would I give an embezzler my bank account number.
Those are all earthly things that really do not even matter and we take great care to protect said things from those that are known to take the things in question. In the same manner I think any chosen one of God would be wise to guard their soul from a person claiming to be a 'preacher'.
Not only that but maybe we should be EXTRA careful to guard our soul from 'preachers'.
Last week I reposted several articles I wrote on the topic of preachers. I didn't intend to repost them, I set out to refresh my memory on what I had written a couple of years ago and discovered I still feel the same way today and those writings tie in to what I am studying so deeply right now. I considered reposting them one article per week like I am currently posting new writings but decided against it. That would throw me so far behind in my own writings that I would be looking backwards to keep up with myself. So I went ahead and posted them all in a weeks time so I could stay on my regular schedule of posting one new post per week.
But in rereading those articles I was reminded of just why I wrote them in the first place.
Then I made the discovery that there are actually people out there speaking against preachers in general and some are daring to say that 'preachers' are in objection to the Bible.
I think we would be wise to view all 'preachers' as being unScriptural no matter what doctrines they hold to. If a single person, be they man or woman, has stepped into authority over a group of people than they are in a position to allow and even use their authority to influence and control those they are over.
And that's to say nothing of the fact that Scripture tells us that Christ is the ruling Authority over the body of believers.
Yes, we see in Scripture that there were elders appointed but we should give careful thought to what that was, what it meant, how it was carried out, and even why it was carried out, before we automatically assume that we need those same elders over us today.
When I first met my husband he told me something that has stuck with me ever since. We were talking of Scripture and he told me we must always get the whole context. That was nothing new to me, I had heard the same thing my whole life, but what my husband considered to be context was eye opening. In the 'churches' I had attended I was taught that reading in context meant reading a verse or two before the one you want to read and a verse or two after it.
My husband said reading in context meant reading many verses before, and many after, your chosen verse but it also means understanding who is speaking, who they are speaking to, and what was happening at the time.
When elders were appointed in Scripture they were done so in a time when this new Christianity was nonexistant. There were no examples to look to of what being a chosen one meant. There were no Bible studies to show you what you were missing, there were no written books on the matter, there were no believers to question, there weren't even any Bibles to read.
What was a newly regenerated person to do?
They knew something was different in them. They could feel it. Others could see it. Life as they knew it was gone. Their hearts and minds were no longer taken up with the cares of this world but were being pulled toward something they did not understand.
Who could they turn to?
Where could they go?
They may or may not have heard of 'Jesus' but He was gone. Now what? They probably absorbed every story or smidgeon of a story they heard about Jesus. They may have walked where He walked.
Can you imagine?
Can you really and truly imagine what it would have been like to be a chosen one back then? I can picture it. Life as one knew it, in my case as a wife and mother, is going on as normal. You're tending children, looking after the needs of your husband, doing the laundry and the cooking. Going to market when needed. You may be swapping your skills or extra eggs with neighbors to gain things your family needs. You're gardening and tending to whatever it takes to get your family through a day.
In the midst of all of that you're visiting with other women, probably gossiping about anyone and everyone. You're shunning those that don't meet your standard of lifestyle. You're embracing those that do. You may lust after men that aren't your husband or encourage other women to do so. You probably lied. You might steal or cheat.
You were after all, a fallen woman (or man) in a fallen world. Your heart is overrun with the cares of the earth. You sin daily and see nothing wrong with most of that sinning.
Then without warning your heart is changed. You are now repulsed with lust, repulsed with lying. Your heart is only for your own husband. You help those you once despised. But more than anything your heart cries out for the Lord. You are drawn to Jesus and anything you can learn of Him. You are seared to the very depths of your being at your own guilt, be it active or inactive, in the death of this man you now long to know.
There is a deep yearning within you to know more, to understand, but you don't know where to go or who to ask. You question your husband but he does not know and calls you crazy for thinking like that. You question the religious leaders but they only show you the 'error' of your thoughts and send you home to your husband. You know better than to question very many others because death awaits those that do so.
You slip around trying to find the person, or people, that you have heard are 'Jesus' lovers but they are in hiding or have moved on. You resign yourself to never knowing what your very soul longs to know. You give up on ever finding anyone like yourself and content yourself with hearing the occasional bit of Moses' writings. Your husband talks of Moses and his writings sometimes, holding everyone to unattainable standards and speaking of the 'holy man'. You learn what you can from that and try to ignore the yearning to know more.
Time passes, you care for your family and take solace in the simple things. The blowing of the breeze brings peace as do the clouds floating across the sky. Your children laugh at your silliness and your husband calls it the 'folly of women'. You don't mind. Your soul is at peace when the breeze kisses your face or you stand beneath a tree marveling at the wonders of it.
You are as at peace as your yearning soul can possibly be.
Then you hear of men traveling through cities, talking of Jesus. You beg your husband to take you to see these men but he will not. He says they are trouble makers. He calls them vile names and says he will not have his wife or children anywhere near them.
You long to go see these men, these Apostles and teachers, to hear what they have to say about Jesus, but you don't because your husband will not permit it. You strain your ears to catch stories of these men while you are at the market place. Your neighbors gossiping now holds tales that feed the yearning in your soul. They speak of the 'devils' spreading lies. That yearning in you absorbs as much information from these conversations as you can.
Then one day you hear whispers and talk of a man that has come from far away. He's 'one of them' they say with disdain. There is a great stir in your little village. The marketplace is all abuzz. You did not set out to encounter this man, your husband would not like you being near him, but here you are, standing in the middle of the market square, a baby on one hip, your children hanging off your skirt, as people chatter around you. Then without you quite knowing how it happened a man in a dusty robe climbs atop a rock and begins to speak to the crowd. He tells of Jesus and the miracles He performed. He tells what it means to be chosen and how that choosing came about. He reads a letter written by someone else.
Every word this man speaks shoots straight to your yearning soul. You push closer to the front, keeping hold of your children while straining your ears to hear. You listen to everything this man says, lingering in the crowd until he leaves.
You go home from the marketplace with your heart and mind full. How could that man possibly know so much. He said he saw Christ was appointed to show others the way.
What way?
You had learned so much this day but all you were left with was more questions. At home that night your husband speaks of the crazy man. He talks of the disruption this man has caused to everyone. One of your children speaks up, telling your husband that you were in the marketplace today, that you listened to the crazy man.
Now your husband speaks to you with disdain. He tells you it's all lies and he does not want you listening to any more of that nonsense. He reminds you that your only task is to care for his home and children.
Days pass, you try to obey your husband, but your heart longs to hear more from the man still in your town. You absorb every morsel of gossip about that man that you can. Your children come in from work and play with stories of the crazy man and you soak them up.
Or maybe instead of a woman, a wife and mother, you were a man working in the shops or a shepherd in the fields, doing your best to provide for your family. Or maybe you were a young man or woman, betrothed in marriage or awaiting the day you would be betrothed. Whatever your position in life, your soul condition was the same. Lost until the moment the Lord saved you, drug you out of sin and thrust you into a condition that no one understood.
There was no Bible to pick up, no 'church' to go to, no internet to turn to. Christianity as we understand it today was not even heard of. You're left with a yearning soul and nothing to feed it.
This was the world the Apostles and those under them were teaching. This was the condition of the people they were leading. A handful of men in miles and miles of land. They could not pull into town, give a few speeches, hand out a few Bibles and leave again. All they had were their own words, given out of hearts filled with the Lord and His word.
How long could they give themselves to one town or village when there were hundreds more needing them? How long could they stay in one place, talking with one man, when they were needed desperately somewhere else?
There was nothing to be done but try to find someone, anyone, that appeared to understand what they were teaching, that seemed to have genuine faith, and appoint that man to lead those in this town. These newly appointed leaders probably were not asked if they wanted to lead. Chances are they were the men that were understanding these new teachings the best. They were probably standing at the Apostles elbow as he taught, studying with him over meals, questioning him as they worked. And then one day that Apostle said, 'I must go to the next town, their people need me, I have taught you well, now you teach them."
These newly appointed leaders probably stumbled and stuttered. They may have refused the task. They hopefully said, 'I am not worthy'. But when the apostles left town...they were the elders, not as in old men, but as in most mature in the faith...left to guide these bumbling chosen ones and the host of professing believers in their midst.
These men took on the role of overseer, answering questions, giving guidance, sharing what they knew, because there were no Bibles to lead anyone. They were necessary in a time when things were much different than they are now.
Today we have the Lord's word before us. All we need do is pick up a Bible and we can get all the instruction and guidance we need. We need no one to teach us, although it is edifying to share Scripture with each other, edifying to share our thoughts with each other, and it can be helpful if one uses Scripture to show us something we may be in error on or may need a bit more instruction on.
What we do not need is a 'preacher' complete with training (or not) leading us.
Parents would not hand their children over to just anyone yet they often do just that when the 'anyone' in question is a 'preacher' or Sunday school teacher.
Many a 'Christian' does the very same thing with their own souls. They essentially hand their soul over to someone with the title of 'preacher' assuming that title gives that person some kind of God appointed ability and therefore makes them worthy of being entrusted with their souls, their children, and everything else.
There is an old television program that shows an episode where an outlaw takes on the life of a preacher when he steals a preachers clothing. This outlaw then goes to town and passes himself off as a real preacher. He goes around collecting donations for a town further away that is struggling. The people near him dig deep, giving all they can in both money and provisions. In the end that fake preacher is found out and all is well, the donations are given to the real preacher and everyone goes on about their lives.
I don't mind saying that most 'preachers' are no more real than the 'preacher' in that TV show was. They pass themselves off as something they are not.
Let me just say that I have nothing personal against 'preachers', what I'm opposed to is the erroneous teachings they spread and perpetuate. If they gave Scripture straight from the pages of a trustworthy version of the Bible and they did not use Christ to better themselves financially, if they lived according to Scripture and you could see Scripture being lived out in their lives, then I would have no problems with them holding Bible studies and answering questions or even leading the entertainment venues that our country calls 'church'.
And it is a perpetuated system. In my internet search I came across two articles that sounded promising. One was written by a 'preacher' that had been actively 'preaching' when he decided to teach on the leadership of the 'church'. What he discovered was that a single 'preacher' in leadership was antibiblical. The article fell apart after that because he went on to talk about how employing 'preachers' was fine but that more than one 'preacher' should be leading the 'church'.
Another article seemed to be mostly good. I was even debating on sharing it here on my blog until I got more than halfway through it and discovered this person who was talking so much about how 'preachers' are not biblical went completely off track talking about the role of prophets and apostles in 'churches' today.
There went that.
But it was a reminder to not take the teachings of men or their writings at face value. And it was a reminder to guard my soul from all but the pages of a real version of Scripture.
Hidden away, deep away, far, far away, from the eyes of anyone that should hopefully never stumble across it I own a copy of the Message 'Bible'. I did not buy it and I did not want it but it was a gift to me from my mother in law. I had every intention of tossing it in my fireplace, literally, but when I found out that it had been my mother in laws very own 'bible' I opened it up and discovered her notes and comments within its pages. There at the very front was a note to me and with nearly every page turn I found her notes in the margins. I simply could not burn it.
I also cannot share it with others out of fear they will learn from her comments or the mixed up message in the text. So it stays hidden away. There for what it is. Hidden for what it is. I do not know what will eventually become of that so-called bible. It may stay hidden forever, pulled out occasionally to view my mother in laws handwriting or hear her voice through her comments, or it may eventually meet the fate I intended to give it when it was gifted to me. Only the Lord knows what will become of it.
But that 'bible' is much like the article I read on 'preachers'. It has the appearance of being something it is not. There, written by men's hand, is a message that can easily influence others. The article I read on 'preachers', which I did not finish, an article I looked for only because I was curious if there was anyone else speaking against 'preachers', was deceptive in that the author seemed to know what they were speaking of, citing Scripture, and generally showing Truth. But then...they fell apart. Scripture turned to heresy and Truth got lost somewhere along the way.
'Preachers' are not even usually that hard to figure out. As a rule we need look no further than the verses where Paul says "I worked with my own hands', "I ministered to my needs and the needs of those with me" to see that 'preachers' are in violation of Scripture. If they get paid...they are in error.
Should anyone entrust their very soul to someone that cannot see such a simple Truth?
And the more I think about it the more I think anyone claiming the title of 'preacher' should be suspect. There are just certain people in life that we tend not to trust out of our own experience. If someone walked up to me and informed me they were a serial killer I would be more than a little leery of them. I would not invite a known thief into my home, hand my car keys over to a car thief, nor would I give an embezzler my bank account number.
Those are all earthly things that really do not even matter and we take great care to protect said things from those that are known to take the things in question. In the same manner I think any chosen one of God would be wise to guard their soul from a person claiming to be a 'preacher'.
Not only that but maybe we should be EXTRA careful to guard our soul from 'preachers'.
Last week I reposted several articles I wrote on the topic of preachers. I didn't intend to repost them, I set out to refresh my memory on what I had written a couple of years ago and discovered I still feel the same way today and those writings tie in to what I am studying so deeply right now. I considered reposting them one article per week like I am currently posting new writings but decided against it. That would throw me so far behind in my own writings that I would be looking backwards to keep up with myself. So I went ahead and posted them all in a weeks time so I could stay on my regular schedule of posting one new post per week.
But in rereading those articles I was reminded of just why I wrote them in the first place.
Then I made the discovery that there are actually people out there speaking against preachers in general and some are daring to say that 'preachers' are in objection to the Bible.
I think we would be wise to view all 'preachers' as being unScriptural no matter what doctrines they hold to. If a single person, be they man or woman, has stepped into authority over a group of people than they are in a position to allow and even use their authority to influence and control those they are over.
And that's to say nothing of the fact that Scripture tells us that Christ is the ruling Authority over the body of believers.
Yes, we see in Scripture that there were elders appointed but we should give careful thought to what that was, what it meant, how it was carried out, and even why it was carried out, before we automatically assume that we need those same elders over us today.
When I first met my husband he told me something that has stuck with me ever since. We were talking of Scripture and he told me we must always get the whole context. That was nothing new to me, I had heard the same thing my whole life, but what my husband considered to be context was eye opening. In the 'churches' I had attended I was taught that reading in context meant reading a verse or two before the one you want to read and a verse or two after it.
My husband said reading in context meant reading many verses before, and many after, your chosen verse but it also means understanding who is speaking, who they are speaking to, and what was happening at the time.
When elders were appointed in Scripture they were done so in a time when this new Christianity was nonexistant. There were no examples to look to of what being a chosen one meant. There were no Bible studies to show you what you were missing, there were no written books on the matter, there were no believers to question, there weren't even any Bibles to read.
What was a newly regenerated person to do?
They knew something was different in them. They could feel it. Others could see it. Life as they knew it was gone. Their hearts and minds were no longer taken up with the cares of this world but were being pulled toward something they did not understand.
Who could they turn to?
Where could they go?
They may or may not have heard of 'Jesus' but He was gone. Now what? They probably absorbed every story or smidgeon of a story they heard about Jesus. They may have walked where He walked.
Can you imagine?
Can you really and truly imagine what it would have been like to be a chosen one back then? I can picture it. Life as one knew it, in my case as a wife and mother, is going on as normal. You're tending children, looking after the needs of your husband, doing the laundry and the cooking. Going to market when needed. You may be swapping your skills or extra eggs with neighbors to gain things your family needs. You're gardening and tending to whatever it takes to get your family through a day.
In the midst of all of that you're visiting with other women, probably gossiping about anyone and everyone. You're shunning those that don't meet your standard of lifestyle. You're embracing those that do. You may lust after men that aren't your husband or encourage other women to do so. You probably lied. You might steal or cheat.
You were after all, a fallen woman (or man) in a fallen world. Your heart is overrun with the cares of the earth. You sin daily and see nothing wrong with most of that sinning.
Then without warning your heart is changed. You are now repulsed with lust, repulsed with lying. Your heart is only for your own husband. You help those you once despised. But more than anything your heart cries out for the Lord. You are drawn to Jesus and anything you can learn of Him. You are seared to the very depths of your being at your own guilt, be it active or inactive, in the death of this man you now long to know.
There is a deep yearning within you to know more, to understand, but you don't know where to go or who to ask. You question your husband but he does not know and calls you crazy for thinking like that. You question the religious leaders but they only show you the 'error' of your thoughts and send you home to your husband. You know better than to question very many others because death awaits those that do so.
You slip around trying to find the person, or people, that you have heard are 'Jesus' lovers but they are in hiding or have moved on. You resign yourself to never knowing what your very soul longs to know. You give up on ever finding anyone like yourself and content yourself with hearing the occasional bit of Moses' writings. Your husband talks of Moses and his writings sometimes, holding everyone to unattainable standards and speaking of the 'holy man'. You learn what you can from that and try to ignore the yearning to know more.
Time passes, you care for your family and take solace in the simple things. The blowing of the breeze brings peace as do the clouds floating across the sky. Your children laugh at your silliness and your husband calls it the 'folly of women'. You don't mind. Your soul is at peace when the breeze kisses your face or you stand beneath a tree marveling at the wonders of it.
You are as at peace as your yearning soul can possibly be.
Then you hear of men traveling through cities, talking of Jesus. You beg your husband to take you to see these men but he will not. He says they are trouble makers. He calls them vile names and says he will not have his wife or children anywhere near them.
You long to go see these men, these Apostles and teachers, to hear what they have to say about Jesus, but you don't because your husband will not permit it. You strain your ears to catch stories of these men while you are at the market place. Your neighbors gossiping now holds tales that feed the yearning in your soul. They speak of the 'devils' spreading lies. That yearning in you absorbs as much information from these conversations as you can.
Then one day you hear whispers and talk of a man that has come from far away. He's 'one of them' they say with disdain. There is a great stir in your little village. The marketplace is all abuzz. You did not set out to encounter this man, your husband would not like you being near him, but here you are, standing in the middle of the market square, a baby on one hip, your children hanging off your skirt, as people chatter around you. Then without you quite knowing how it happened a man in a dusty robe climbs atop a rock and begins to speak to the crowd. He tells of Jesus and the miracles He performed. He tells what it means to be chosen and how that choosing came about. He reads a letter written by someone else.
Every word this man speaks shoots straight to your yearning soul. You push closer to the front, keeping hold of your children while straining your ears to hear. You listen to everything this man says, lingering in the crowd until he leaves.
You go home from the marketplace with your heart and mind full. How could that man possibly know so much. He said he saw Christ was appointed to show others the way.
What way?
You had learned so much this day but all you were left with was more questions. At home that night your husband speaks of the crazy man. He talks of the disruption this man has caused to everyone. One of your children speaks up, telling your husband that you were in the marketplace today, that you listened to the crazy man.
Now your husband speaks to you with disdain. He tells you it's all lies and he does not want you listening to any more of that nonsense. He reminds you that your only task is to care for his home and children.
Days pass, you try to obey your husband, but your heart longs to hear more from the man still in your town. You absorb every morsel of gossip about that man that you can. Your children come in from work and play with stories of the crazy man and you soak them up.
Or maybe instead of a woman, a wife and mother, you were a man working in the shops or a shepherd in the fields, doing your best to provide for your family. Or maybe you were a young man or woman, betrothed in marriage or awaiting the day you would be betrothed. Whatever your position in life, your soul condition was the same. Lost until the moment the Lord saved you, drug you out of sin and thrust you into a condition that no one understood.
There was no Bible to pick up, no 'church' to go to, no internet to turn to. Christianity as we understand it today was not even heard of. You're left with a yearning soul and nothing to feed it.
This was the world the Apostles and those under them were teaching. This was the condition of the people they were leading. A handful of men in miles and miles of land. They could not pull into town, give a few speeches, hand out a few Bibles and leave again. All they had were their own words, given out of hearts filled with the Lord and His word.
How long could they give themselves to one town or village when there were hundreds more needing them? How long could they stay in one place, talking with one man, when they were needed desperately somewhere else?
There was nothing to be done but try to find someone, anyone, that appeared to understand what they were teaching, that seemed to have genuine faith, and appoint that man to lead those in this town. These newly appointed leaders probably were not asked if they wanted to lead. Chances are they were the men that were understanding these new teachings the best. They were probably standing at the Apostles elbow as he taught, studying with him over meals, questioning him as they worked. And then one day that Apostle said, 'I must go to the next town, their people need me, I have taught you well, now you teach them."
These newly appointed leaders probably stumbled and stuttered. They may have refused the task. They hopefully said, 'I am not worthy'. But when the apostles left town...they were the elders, not as in old men, but as in most mature in the faith...left to guide these bumbling chosen ones and the host of professing believers in their midst.
These men took on the role of overseer, answering questions, giving guidance, sharing what they knew, because there were no Bibles to lead anyone. They were necessary in a time when things were much different than they are now.
Today we have the Lord's word before us. All we need do is pick up a Bible and we can get all the instruction and guidance we need. We need no one to teach us, although it is edifying to share Scripture with each other, edifying to share our thoughts with each other, and it can be helpful if one uses Scripture to show us something we may be in error on or may need a bit more instruction on.
What we do not need is a 'preacher' complete with training (or not) leading us.
Parents would not hand their children over to just anyone yet they often do just that when the 'anyone' in question is a 'preacher' or Sunday school teacher.
Many a 'Christian' does the very same thing with their own souls. They essentially hand their soul over to someone with the title of 'preacher' assuming that title gives that person some kind of God appointed ability and therefore makes them worthy of being entrusted with their souls, their children, and everything else.
There is an old television program that shows an episode where an outlaw takes on the life of a preacher when he steals a preachers clothing. This outlaw then goes to town and passes himself off as a real preacher. He goes around collecting donations for a town further away that is struggling. The people near him dig deep, giving all they can in both money and provisions. In the end that fake preacher is found out and all is well, the donations are given to the real preacher and everyone goes on about their lives.
I don't mind saying that most 'preachers' are no more real than the 'preacher' in that TV show was. They pass themselves off as something they are not.
Let me just say that I have nothing personal against 'preachers', what I'm opposed to is the erroneous teachings they spread and perpetuate. If they gave Scripture straight from the pages of a trustworthy version of the Bible and they did not use Christ to better themselves financially, if they lived according to Scripture and you could see Scripture being lived out in their lives, then I would have no problems with them holding Bible studies and answering questions or even leading the entertainment venues that our country calls 'church'.
And it is a perpetuated system. In my internet search I came across two articles that sounded promising. One was written by a 'preacher' that had been actively 'preaching' when he decided to teach on the leadership of the 'church'. What he discovered was that a single 'preacher' in leadership was antibiblical. The article fell apart after that because he went on to talk about how employing 'preachers' was fine but that more than one 'preacher' should be leading the 'church'.
Another article seemed to be mostly good. I was even debating on sharing it here on my blog until I got more than halfway through it and discovered this person who was talking so much about how 'preachers' are not biblical went completely off track talking about the role of prophets and apostles in 'churches' today.
There went that.
But it was a reminder to not take the teachings of men or their writings at face value. And it was a reminder to guard my soul from all but the pages of a real version of Scripture.
Hidden away, deep away, far, far away, from the eyes of anyone that should hopefully never stumble across it I own a copy of the Message 'Bible'. I did not buy it and I did not want it but it was a gift to me from my mother in law. I had every intention of tossing it in my fireplace, literally, but when I found out that it had been my mother in laws very own 'bible' I opened it up and discovered her notes and comments within its pages. There at the very front was a note to me and with nearly every page turn I found her notes in the margins. I simply could not burn it.
I also cannot share it with others out of fear they will learn from her comments or the mixed up message in the text. So it stays hidden away. There for what it is. Hidden for what it is. I do not know what will eventually become of that so-called bible. It may stay hidden forever, pulled out occasionally to view my mother in laws handwriting or hear her voice through her comments, or it may eventually meet the fate I intended to give it when it was gifted to me. Only the Lord knows what will become of it.
But that 'bible' is much like the article I read on 'preachers'. It has the appearance of being something it is not. There, written by men's hand, is a message that can easily influence others. The article I read on 'preachers', which I did not finish, an article I looked for only because I was curious if there was anyone else speaking against 'preachers', was deceptive in that the author seemed to know what they were speaking of, citing Scripture, and generally showing Truth. But then...they fell apart. Scripture turned to heresy and Truth got lost somewhere along the way.
'Preachers' are not even usually that hard to figure out. As a rule we need look no further than the verses where Paul says "I worked with my own hands', "I ministered to my needs and the needs of those with me" to see that 'preachers' are in violation of Scripture. If they get paid...they are in error.
Should anyone entrust their very soul to someone that cannot see such a simple Truth?
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
'Church' video
I came across this video a while back, actually my husband did and shared it with me, but then I couldn't find it again. I had wanted to share it here but sadly had to give up on that hope. I recently found it again and feel it worthy of being shared.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=3EiZVY1Cgsk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=3EiZVY1Cgsk
Sunday, July 15, 2018
The writings of men...part 7, preachers
I recently heard that Paul Washer has compromised his allegiance to Christ by joining forces with people that hold to less than Biblical standards. I will admit that I don't know all the details involved and have no idea who the people are that he has aligned himself with.
I hesitate to even name Paul Washer by name here because naming names simply isn't my way. However, I recently had a reader question me on why I don't name the people I am referring to. I am naming Paul Washer only because there may be someone out there that wishes to know exactly who I speak of.
For me it doesn't really matter who the person is because I am less inclined to take up issues with him and what he is doing, although it is good to know to be wary of him, and more inclined to use him as an example of a much bigger issue.
Up until about 13 years ago I could be found in 'church' on a pretty regular basis. I was there because that is what 'Christians' do. Somehow you are less than 'Christian' if you don't go to 'church'. At least that was the understanding I gained growing up. It was a game that was played as part of being a 'Christian' and like so many others I became skilled at playing.
At least I mostly became skilled at it. I do recall being reprimanded once by those in charge at the 'church' I attended because I dared to stay home and play in the pool with my kids rather than go to 'church'. I was informed that 'church' was important and asked what kind of example I was setting for my kids. I also recall telling them I was setting the example that sometimes spending time with family is more important than going to 'church'.
So maybe I never played the game quite the right way but I still played it.
Through a series of events the Lord moved me out of 'church' and He never let me get back into it. Now I feel sorry for relatives that I know still play the game. I watch them 'get dressed up for Jesus' and 'go to God's house'. I hear them speak of 'church' as holy ground and other brainwashing statements that are created for the sole purpose of keeping the 'church' in business.
For a very brief time in my early days of regeneration I listened to 'reformed' preachers. My soul was thirsty for these new truths I was learning and my mind was happily absorbing lessons in all manner of Scriptural things. Online sermons were one of many ways I was learning more and more of the Lord and His word in those days.
Thankfully, the Lord did not leave me learning under those 'preachers' for very long. He let me listen to them for a brief season, whetting my appetite with things they said, soaking me in Scripture, and moving me away from men and deeper into Scripture.
I had not heard of the latest turn of events with Paul Washer as I tend not to follow any big name person in Christianity. Having once listened to some of Paul Washers sermons I would have said he stood for Truth.
Still, this latest turn, while sad, is not the least surprising. I cannot say I am a fan of 'church' in any form. Scripture when studied at it's roots does not bear out the understanding of 'church' as we have been brainwashed into thinking it means.
Even people that have never stepped foot in a 'church' know what one is and they often have a basic understanding of how the game is played.
I have never been to a baseball game. I have only played it to the point I was made to do so in P.E. class during my school years. I have never watched a baseball game on TV. I don't collect baseball cards, read baseball books, or talk of baseball with anyone that enjoys the sport. I do none of those things yet I still have a very basic understanding of how the game is played. I know what a pitcher does, what an umpire is, and where the catcher stands. I know what bases are, what a baseball and bat look like.
I may not play baseball, I have no interest in baseball, but in America I cannot escape absorbing baseball as if breathing it in. It is so much a part of our society that one learns about the game simply by living.
I have even been close to a major league baseball stadium when a game was about to begin. I have seen the crowds lining the streets and pouring into the event venue. There was no mistaking what they were there for. Baseball hats and team shirts adorned the festivity-goers.
'Church' is no less an event, no less a festive occasion. In fact people do much the same thing for 'church' that they do for a baseball game or a rock concert. They put on the right clothes...getting dressed in costume for their chosen event. They wear the right shoes, comb their hair befitting of their chosen entertainment, and they file into the venue where the festivities are being held.
At a concert they are entertained by the singer and band they crowded in to see. At a baseball game they are entertained by the sports team. And at 'church' they are entertained by the 'preacher' and the choir or band.
There are often fog machines and music at all three circus rings...in fact 'church' is just as much of a circus as anything else, complete with tamed lions and dancing bears. Or should I have said wolves dressing up and appearing to be what they are not.
This latest twist in the 'reformed' camp, this 'falling away' of a 'preacher' that was supposedly entrusted with the Lord's Truth and was appearing to share it for the edification of the elect and the glory of the Lord is just another example of a dancing chicken parading around pretending to be something he was not.
I am not saying the man is not regenerate. I'm not hazarding a guess at the eternal condition of his soul. I'm not even all that concerned about 'outing' him for what he is doing now. He is no better or worse than any other 'preacher' out there.
Every preacher that is making his living off the Gospel has an allegiance to their own gain first and foremost. If they know the Truth and preach it to others, seeming to be a called out believer, guiding the Lord's elect, they are still peddling Christ for their own gain.
All preachers making their money off of preaching are failing to follow Scripture. The apostle Paul said:
Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20;31-35
How many preachers today, no matter what gospel they preach, follow that very simple example of what teachers of the gospel should be and do?
How many of them do we see holding jobs that do not pertain to Scripture, in other words, how many of them have jobs beyond their preaching? And how many of them live out 'it's more blessed to give than receive'?
Paul Washer is just one in a line of many, doing what it takes to sell their product and their product is Christ. When their commodity becomes unsalable or their profits decline they scramble to boost sales just as the retail market does.
There is no Black Friday sale on Christ so they must find another way to keep the profits coming in. Some resort to seminaries, others to unfruitful alliances. In the end they all strive to keep their shameful gain rolling in.
Paul Washers true colors will be revealed in the Lord's time. One would think that those that teach such deep Truths would understand all of Scripture and they would not venture away from Christ when times get rough or when there is more money to be made elsewhere. That does not seem to be the case in most of these celebrity preachers or even the 'preacher' on the next corner.
'Church' is a racket, a scam, a business just as much as the circus ring is or the baseball field. It is a business that makes it's money under the guise of religion and even those in the 'reformed' camp must perpetuate their scheme lest they be found out to be false in their claim to being a 'preacher'.
We are led by everyone supporting the 'church' idea of 'Christianity' to believe that 'preachers' are called into their profession and that they are 'called' to 'lead people to Christ' in one form or another. It does not matter if they are Roman Catholic or Reformed. It does not matter if they have a huge 'church' building or a chair under a tree in the local park. If they call themselves a 'preacher' and they are leading a 'church' than they are impostors to what they claim to be.
Scripture gives guidelines for what an elder, or mature believer allowed to lead others can be.
I hesitate to even name Paul Washer by name here because naming names simply isn't my way. However, I recently had a reader question me on why I don't name the people I am referring to. I am naming Paul Washer only because there may be someone out there that wishes to know exactly who I speak of.
For me it doesn't really matter who the person is because I am less inclined to take up issues with him and what he is doing, although it is good to know to be wary of him, and more inclined to use him as an example of a much bigger issue.
Up until about 13 years ago I could be found in 'church' on a pretty regular basis. I was there because that is what 'Christians' do. Somehow you are less than 'Christian' if you don't go to 'church'. At least that was the understanding I gained growing up. It was a game that was played as part of being a 'Christian' and like so many others I became skilled at playing.
At least I mostly became skilled at it. I do recall being reprimanded once by those in charge at the 'church' I attended because I dared to stay home and play in the pool with my kids rather than go to 'church'. I was informed that 'church' was important and asked what kind of example I was setting for my kids. I also recall telling them I was setting the example that sometimes spending time with family is more important than going to 'church'.
So maybe I never played the game quite the right way but I still played it.
Through a series of events the Lord moved me out of 'church' and He never let me get back into it. Now I feel sorry for relatives that I know still play the game. I watch them 'get dressed up for Jesus' and 'go to God's house'. I hear them speak of 'church' as holy ground and other brainwashing statements that are created for the sole purpose of keeping the 'church' in business.
For a very brief time in my early days of regeneration I listened to 'reformed' preachers. My soul was thirsty for these new truths I was learning and my mind was happily absorbing lessons in all manner of Scriptural things. Online sermons were one of many ways I was learning more and more of the Lord and His word in those days.
Thankfully, the Lord did not leave me learning under those 'preachers' for very long. He let me listen to them for a brief season, whetting my appetite with things they said, soaking me in Scripture, and moving me away from men and deeper into Scripture.
I had not heard of the latest turn of events with Paul Washer as I tend not to follow any big name person in Christianity. Having once listened to some of Paul Washers sermons I would have said he stood for Truth.
Still, this latest turn, while sad, is not the least surprising. I cannot say I am a fan of 'church' in any form. Scripture when studied at it's roots does not bear out the understanding of 'church' as we have been brainwashed into thinking it means.
Even people that have never stepped foot in a 'church' know what one is and they often have a basic understanding of how the game is played.
I have never been to a baseball game. I have only played it to the point I was made to do so in P.E. class during my school years. I have never watched a baseball game on TV. I don't collect baseball cards, read baseball books, or talk of baseball with anyone that enjoys the sport. I do none of those things yet I still have a very basic understanding of how the game is played. I know what a pitcher does, what an umpire is, and where the catcher stands. I know what bases are, what a baseball and bat look like.
I may not play baseball, I have no interest in baseball, but in America I cannot escape absorbing baseball as if breathing it in. It is so much a part of our society that one learns about the game simply by living.
I have even been close to a major league baseball stadium when a game was about to begin. I have seen the crowds lining the streets and pouring into the event venue. There was no mistaking what they were there for. Baseball hats and team shirts adorned the festivity-goers.
'Church' is no less an event, no less a festive occasion. In fact people do much the same thing for 'church' that they do for a baseball game or a rock concert. They put on the right clothes...getting dressed in costume for their chosen event. They wear the right shoes, comb their hair befitting of their chosen entertainment, and they file into the venue where the festivities are being held.
At a concert they are entertained by the singer and band they crowded in to see. At a baseball game they are entertained by the sports team. And at 'church' they are entertained by the 'preacher' and the choir or band.
There are often fog machines and music at all three circus rings...in fact 'church' is just as much of a circus as anything else, complete with tamed lions and dancing bears. Or should I have said wolves dressing up and appearing to be what they are not.
This latest twist in the 'reformed' camp, this 'falling away' of a 'preacher' that was supposedly entrusted with the Lord's Truth and was appearing to share it for the edification of the elect and the glory of the Lord is just another example of a dancing chicken parading around pretending to be something he was not.
I am not saying the man is not regenerate. I'm not hazarding a guess at the eternal condition of his soul. I'm not even all that concerned about 'outing' him for what he is doing now. He is no better or worse than any other 'preacher' out there.
Every preacher that is making his living off the Gospel has an allegiance to their own gain first and foremost. If they know the Truth and preach it to others, seeming to be a called out believer, guiding the Lord's elect, they are still peddling Christ for their own gain.
All preachers making their money off of preaching are failing to follow Scripture. The apostle Paul said:
Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20;31-35
How many preachers today, no matter what gospel they preach, follow that very simple example of what teachers of the gospel should be and do?
How many of them do we see holding jobs that do not pertain to Scripture, in other words, how many of them have jobs beyond their preaching? And how many of them live out 'it's more blessed to give than receive'?
Paul Washer is just one in a line of many, doing what it takes to sell their product and their product is Christ. When their commodity becomes unsalable or their profits decline they scramble to boost sales just as the retail market does.
There is no Black Friday sale on Christ so they must find another way to keep the profits coming in. Some resort to seminaries, others to unfruitful alliances. In the end they all strive to keep their shameful gain rolling in.
Paul Washers true colors will be revealed in the Lord's time. One would think that those that teach such deep Truths would understand all of Scripture and they would not venture away from Christ when times get rough or when there is more money to be made elsewhere. That does not seem to be the case in most of these celebrity preachers or even the 'preacher' on the next corner.
'Church' is a racket, a scam, a business just as much as the circus ring is or the baseball field. It is a business that makes it's money under the guise of religion and even those in the 'reformed' camp must perpetuate their scheme lest they be found out to be false in their claim to being a 'preacher'.
We are led by everyone supporting the 'church' idea of 'Christianity' to believe that 'preachers' are called into their profession and that they are 'called' to 'lead people to Christ' in one form or another. It does not matter if they are Roman Catholic or Reformed. It does not matter if they have a huge 'church' building or a chair under a tree in the local park. If they call themselves a 'preacher' and they are leading a 'church' than they are impostors to what they claim to be.
Scripture gives guidelines for what an elder, or mature believer allowed to lead others can be.
This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife,[d] and his children are believers[e] and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer,[f] as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound[g] doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
Titus 1:5-9 esv
How many 'preachers' today can lay claim to that description? How many meet every one of those qualifications?
I don't mind saying I have never met a single one that qualified as elder according to those verses.
The term 'preacher' is a very interesting term. Our modern definition for 'preacher' is: 'a person who preaches, especially a minister of religion'. I, personally, do not find that definition all that helpful. It's a lot like seeing the definition for cook as 'a person that cooks, especially someone that cooks food'.
Okay. So a cook is someone that cooks but we must better understand what cooking is to be able to apply cooking to the word cook and understand what it means. How is it helpful to know that a cook cooks unless we understand what cooking entails? Likewise, how is it helpful to know that a preacher preaches unless we can better understand what exactly preaching is.
Our modern minds have an image in them of preachers and preaching. We have been taught through osmosis that preachers are people, usually men, that stand before crowds of people in 'church' buildings, or occasionally in other places, and 'preach'. We absorb the information that their preaching generally has some connection to the Bible although that can't always be well applied.
This is not a good enough definition for me. The more I am accidentally studying on the writings of men, which is beginning to move from the writings of men to the teachings of men, the more I find I need a deeper understanding of some things.
My American mind has been conditioned to accept certain things in certain ways. 'Church' is one of those things. I grew up going to 'church'. I see 'churches' on just about every street corner in most cities. I find them in the country. I fend off invitations to 'church' social functions on an all too often basis. I get 'church' postcards in my mailbox.
'Church' is a word that I, as an American, have a complete understanding of what it is. I know from experience how the 'church' functions. The trouble was when I got into Scripture and started seeing the world through Scripture rather than seeing Scripture through worldly eyes my understanding of 'church' was shaken.
No longer was I able to read the word 'church' in Scripture and make the quick connection that it was the building on the corner or even the people attending services in that building. My mind was being led by Scripture and that leading made me question what 'church' truly meant.
An in depth study of the word 'church' gave me a new understanding for just what 'church' is and what it isn't. Turns out 'church' is an imposter. It's a word that was placed into Scripture when the original version of the Geneva Bible was written back in the 1500's. Before then 'church' was not in the Bible at all. The word that was there was ekklessia and that word means something totally different than we are taught 'church' means. Ekklessia means the called out ones, or those belonging to Christ. In other words it means...the chosen ones.
Now as I go deeper and deeper into this study on the writings (or teachings) of men I am questioning what a 'preacher' truly is.
My modern American mind has been basically brainwashed into understanding that 'preacher' is a man (or in unbiblical situations, a woman) that leads a group of religious people. But is that what a 'preacher' was in Scriptural times?
Ahh...here I go again. Digging deeper. Studying more.
A general internet search for 'preacher' gets numerous, conflicting, numbers on how many verses there are in the Bible about 'preachers'. I'm going to pull the biggest number and say there's 48 verses about 'preachers' but there were a lot of results that say 12 verses, or even less.
Some of the verses were more about preaching than they were about preachers so I'm not too sure how those verses factor in since there truly is a huge difference in preaching and a preacher since one can preach without actually being a preacher. I have been accused of preaching when I speak of Scripture. My husband says anyone that speaks of Scripture or Christ is preaching.
Let me back up just a bit before I get into verses on preaching and preachers. I would like a better, Biblical definition of what a preacher is in Scripture.
I found this on the av1611 site:
I don't mind saying I have never met a single one that qualified as elder according to those verses.
The term 'preacher' is a very interesting term. Our modern definition for 'preacher' is: 'a person who preaches, especially a minister of religion'. I, personally, do not find that definition all that helpful. It's a lot like seeing the definition for cook as 'a person that cooks, especially someone that cooks food'.
Okay. So a cook is someone that cooks but we must better understand what cooking is to be able to apply cooking to the word cook and understand what it means. How is it helpful to know that a cook cooks unless we understand what cooking entails? Likewise, how is it helpful to know that a preacher preaches unless we can better understand what exactly preaching is.
Our modern minds have an image in them of preachers and preaching. We have been taught through osmosis that preachers are people, usually men, that stand before crowds of people in 'church' buildings, or occasionally in other places, and 'preach'. We absorb the information that their preaching generally has some connection to the Bible although that can't always be well applied.
This is not a good enough definition for me. The more I am accidentally studying on the writings of men, which is beginning to move from the writings of men to the teachings of men, the more I find I need a deeper understanding of some things.
My American mind has been conditioned to accept certain things in certain ways. 'Church' is one of those things. I grew up going to 'church'. I see 'churches' on just about every street corner in most cities. I find them in the country. I fend off invitations to 'church' social functions on an all too often basis. I get 'church' postcards in my mailbox.
'Church' is a word that I, as an American, have a complete understanding of what it is. I know from experience how the 'church' functions. The trouble was when I got into Scripture and started seeing the world through Scripture rather than seeing Scripture through worldly eyes my understanding of 'church' was shaken.
No longer was I able to read the word 'church' in Scripture and make the quick connection that it was the building on the corner or even the people attending services in that building. My mind was being led by Scripture and that leading made me question what 'church' truly meant.
An in depth study of the word 'church' gave me a new understanding for just what 'church' is and what it isn't. Turns out 'church' is an imposter. It's a word that was placed into Scripture when the original version of the Geneva Bible was written back in the 1500's. Before then 'church' was not in the Bible at all. The word that was there was ekklessia and that word means something totally different than we are taught 'church' means. Ekklessia means the called out ones, or those belonging to Christ. In other words it means...the chosen ones.
Now as I go deeper and deeper into this study on the writings (or teachings) of men I am questioning what a 'preacher' truly is.
My modern American mind has been basically brainwashed into understanding that 'preacher' is a man (or in unbiblical situations, a woman) that leads a group of religious people. But is that what a 'preacher' was in Scriptural times?
Ahh...here I go again. Digging deeper. Studying more.
A general internet search for 'preacher' gets numerous, conflicting, numbers on how many verses there are in the Bible about 'preachers'. I'm going to pull the biggest number and say there's 48 verses about 'preachers' but there were a lot of results that say 12 verses, or even less.
Some of the verses were more about preaching than they were about preachers so I'm not too sure how those verses factor in since there truly is a huge difference in preaching and a preacher since one can preach without actually being a preacher. I have been accused of preaching when I speak of Scripture. My husband says anyone that speaks of Scripture or Christ is preaching.
Let me back up just a bit before I get into verses on preaching and preachers. I would like a better, Biblical definition of what a preacher is in Scripture.
I found this on the av1611 site:
preach
PREACH, v.i. L. proeco, a crier; precor.
1. To pronounce a public discourse on a religious subject, or from a subject, or from a text of Scripture. The word is usually applied to such discourses as are formed from a text of Scripture. This is the modern sense of preach.
2. To discourse on the gospel way of salvation and exhort to repentance; to discourse on evangelical truths and exhort to a belief of them and acceptance of the terms of salvation. This was the extemporaneous manner of preaching pursued by Christ and his apostles. Matt.4. 10. Acts 10. 14.
https://av1611.com/kjbp/kjv-dictionary/preach.html
That same site also gives these definitions:
. To inculcate in public discourses.
I have preached righteousness in the great congregations. Ps.40.
He oft to them preach'd
Conversion and repentance.
To preach Christ or Christ crucified, to announce Christ as the only Savior, and his atonement as the only ground of acceptance with God. 1 Cor.1.
Those definitions are a bit better than the dictionary definition but they still kind of leave me with a need for a deeper understanding of what Scripture defines as a preacher. I'm also left wondering if preacher was even the right word for the original Scriptures.
I can't help questioning the use of the word preacher in the Bible in the English translations. We have seen that 'church' was misused to represent and support the organized 'church' system when Scripture was translated into English. Could 'preach' or 'preacher' have been misused the same way? Or at the very least is it possible that 'preach', 'preacher', and 'preaching' meant something different in Biblical times than it does today? Our society conditions us to see things in certain ways that may not always be the way it was.
The best example I have for this is a recent conversation I had with a young relative. This girl was reading a book that was written in the 1950's. It was a fictional story and she was enjoying it greatly. She came to me out of the blue and told me she didn't understand something she had read. She then showed me her book and the two words that had stumped her so greatly.
The words that caused the problem...'gay party'.
I understood immediately what the problem was. Our society has taken a word that once meant high enjoyment, happiness, joy and turned it into something more sinister. Kids of today do not realize or understand that gay once simply meant extreme happiness. It now has a different definition and this poor girl was conjuring up who knows what kind of thoughts in her mind about the words 'gay party'.
An explanation of what the word once meant and a reminder that this book was written many, many years ago when times were very different was all it took to show the girl she was reading about nothing more than a very enjoyable party.
Could it be that 'preacher' is the exact same way for us today? Could it be that a 'preacher' in times past meant something totally different than we understand them to be today?
And so here I find myself, sitting on my porch, laptop at hand, studying deeply a word that I should not need to question. But like so many other things people have jumbled up the word 'preacher' until the true understanding of what a preacher is can no longer be fathomed. We think 'preacher' and our minds jump to the man in the pulpit.
But is that what Scripture meant it to be?
'Church' is an unbiblical word that was injected into Scripture to support the organized religion of old times and it is still used today to perpetuate what may well be one of the worst twisting of written Scripture ever used.
Thanks to the word 'church' being twisted as it is we have had generations of people taught a religious system as opposed to seeing all of 'christianity' through the 'eyes' of Christ, sin, grace, mercy, and God granted salvation.
The word 'church' in Scripture allows all religious institutions to perpetuate their systems which includes the 'preacher' and the need to 'preach'.
But...
Is preaching what we have been conditioned to understand it to be? Is a 'preacher' really a man in a pulpit telling us all about Scripture? Or is there more to it?
Paul said, 'for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher," 2 Timothy 2:11
I looked up the greek word for preacher. That word is, kerusso (key-roos-so) and it means
kērýssō – properly, to herald (proclaim); to preach (announce) a message publicly and with conviction (persuasion).
2784 /kērýssō ("to herald") refers to preaching the Gospel as the authoritative (binding) word of God, bringing eternal accountability to all who hear it.
[2784 (kērýssō) is "preaching by a herald sent from God" (BAGD, "declaration," TDNT, 3:703). To "gospelize" (2097 /euaggelízō) stresses the victory of God's Gospel-message in the totality of His "good news."]
http://biblehub.com/greek/2784.htm
I'm going to step out on a limb a bit here. I can't find a definitive statement for what is going through my mind so I'm going to say it rather than keep searching for proof that what I'm thinking is accurate.
If I'm wrong, please, PLEASE, feel free to leave a comment and correct me.
So here's my thoughts...
Paul said he was a preacher but we only have the English translation to go by here. Even comparing it to the Greek leaves a bit of leeway for the use of 'preacher' as we have been conditioned to see it. So let me just go ahead and jump off this cliff and blurt out my thoughts.
Paul was not an average ordinary man. We see in Acts that a very wicked man named Saul is doing his best to wipe out the Lord's people. And the Lord knocked him off his horse, literally, blinded him, and basically forced him to become His appointed man to give the Gospel.
Acts 9:15 says this of Paul, 'Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.'
So Paul was appointed straight from the hand of God to 'carry my name'. He was divinely appointed to his task of giving the Gospel.
John the Baptist was baptizing people in water and told them, 'I baptize with water but there is one coming whose sandals I am not fit to untie'. He gave the Gospel of the Lord by proclaiming what he was appointed to give.
Preachers today say they are 'called' into preaching. They claim to have some sort of special appointing, if not saying so outrightly, then implying it by claiming to be 'called' as preachers. The very use of a 'preacher' today, no matter what doctrine they hold to, is to imply some sort of god like status, a special place, something unatainable by the average Joe or Josephine because they hold something...well, special.
Scripture does not bear this up.
Whether or not 'preacher' was the word actually used in the original translations of the Scriptures, the word has been perverted today.
'Church' is a system of religion that is perpetuated in all it's forms. Just as the local department store has certain ways they do things to keep their system of retail going, 'church' has certain ways of doing things that perpetuate that 'system'.
The 'church' cannot admit that a 'preacher' is not what they have led everyone to believe he is. They cannot admit that everyone that is mature in the faith should be preaching the gospel.
They cannot tell you that their 'preacher' was not divinely 'called' to be a preacher in the same way Paul and the others in Scripture were. They will not tell you that because to tell you such a thing, no matter what their doctrine is, would be to tell you that they are in defiance of Scripture.
Let's see if I can clarify my thoughts a bit better.
The prophets and apostles were directly appointed by God. Those under them, elders, teachers, even preachers, were appointed to their tasks by men that had divine revelation and were appointed to the spreading of the Gospel by God or Christ Himself.
Everyone is called to whatever they do in life. This is a general calling on ones life and heart. We must 'live the life we are appointed' but we are not divinely told to go and do something. It is a more subtle calling as the Lord controls our hearts and desires.
For a preacher to say they are 'called' to preach they are both telling the truth and lying. They are within the bounds of Scripture and laughing in the face of the Lord at the same time.
They are 'called' in the same way a woman that longs to be a mother is called to motherhood. They are called in the way a little boy longs to be a man when he grows up.
They are not divinely appointed through God's own hand to being a preacher.
So looking at the Greek translation for preacher I get this as a better definition of what a preacher is:
A messenger appointed by God to give the Gospel, that is to preach Christ and give the call to repentance.
That was more in keeping of what it meant to be a preacher in Scripture.
Looking at Scripture I see that the apostles and those appointed with the task of overseeing the Gospel in the first century were going into cities, giving the Gospel to groups of people that had believers, unbelievers, and would-be believers in the midst of crowds.
They could not possibly have known the hearts of every person hearing them speak or hearing the letters they wrote. They were also faced with new believers.
We must keep in mind that not only were these newly regenerated people but these newly converted people had no example for what a chosen one of God was except for the apostles they saw before them.
These new converts most likely had to wonder when they would become like the apostles. 'When can I heal the sick', 'when can I raise the dead', 'when will I get direct revelation from God as you do'? And why wouldn't these new converts expect to have such gifts? The examples before them had these things.
Paul warned them that these gifts would end. He even went so far as to say that apostles would come to an end, and indeed he said he was the last one. He knew that. He was instructing others in a manner that told them to teach others the Gospel but he never implied to them that they would be appointed to that task by God.
He even told Timothy that he was appointed through the laying on of hands by the elders. It was men that appointed Timothy to his place not God.
And what was elders? We are told who can and cannot lead believers.
if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife,[d] and his children are believers[e] and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer,[f] as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound[g] doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
We are told here they are 'overseers'. Overseers of what? They were to oversee the giving of the gospel to the body of Christ.
The message was to be given to all but it was not to be entrusted to those new in the faith or those that could not pass the above test.
Paul shows what a 'preacher' is to do:
I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34You yourselves know that these hands of mine have ministered to my own needs and those ofmy companions. 35In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”…Acts 20:33-35
According to Scripture 'preaching' is not a means of employment. It is not appointed to god like status for men (or women) to rule over anyone, individual or congregation.
Preaching according to Scripture is the heralding of good news. It is the giving of the gospel and the call to repentance.
Paul set an example before us of the greatest preacher that ever lived. He visited groups of people, taught them a little then moved on, leaving them to grow in Christ or not as the Lord led them. He visited them from time to time, lifted them up in their endeavors to follow Christ. He gave them instruction as it was given to Him but He did not lord it over them.
He did not make them dependent on his system of religion so that they were stuck in that system.
Preaching is nothing more than the sharing of gospel. I am preaching as I write this. My husband preaches when he speaks to friends or coworkers. Everyone preaches when they speak of Christ.
"Preaching' as a profession, being a 'preacher' as we are brainwashed into thinking a 'preacher' is...it's nothing more than a modern system of religion that must perpetuate itself or else the house of cards that is 'church' will come tumbling down around their religious ears.
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