I saw a ‘mid-Acts’ website that said the only offices today were “missionaries (which were evangelists), and pastors/bishops, and deacons.” When I researched the Greek words, I wondered why he didn’t use “ministers/deacons” since the Greek word is used of ‘deacon’ twice, but of ‘minister’ 22 times. The Greek for ‘bishop’ is never translated ‘pastor.’ The Greek word for ‘pastor’ is used of ‘shepherd’ 17 times, and ‘pastors’ once (Eph 4:11).
The KJV Bible only shows 2 offices: bishop and deacon:
1 Tim 3:1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
1 Tim 3:10, 13 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Years ago when I brought up the subject of the correct ‘Pauline’ word for the regular preacher in a church assembly today, being a ‘bishop’ instead of a pastor .... I was shocked by the stiff-necked resistance among the ‘pastors’ of ‘Pauline’ grace churches. Initially, I believed it to be an innocent oversight, or possibly the fault of following ‘tradition’ of Protestant denominations, in their effort to be called by a different name than the ‘bishops’ of Catholics and Mormons. But the more I talked about it, the more stubborn the ‘pastors’ became. Several of them went so far as to make mockery of some who admitted their error and amended it, by asking questions like, “When will you get your hat and collar?” Two prominent ‘co-pastors’ even changed their titles from ‘pastor’ .... not to ‘bishop’ (still refusing to submit to their supposedly cherished ‘Pauline’ authority) .... but to ‘elder’ on their weekly church bulletin. An admission of guilt, to be sure, but only half-hearted and partial. Trying to make a switch without being noticed or calling attention to it? If you have egg on your face, it is best to admit it, wipe it off, and get on with your ministry. The more you resist, the more hypocritical you appear. Saying one thing like, “We believe the KJV Bible is the very words of God in the English language for all matters of faith and practice. We believe Paul is our apostle,”) .... and doing another by denying to accept the ‘name’ of the ‘office’ you fill? That was not the case for the word ‘dispensation,’ was it? The verse is straight-forward, standing alone (1 Tim 3:1), and other verses even support it as well (1 Tim 3:2, Titus 1:7, Phil 1:1). But ‘mid-Acts-ers’ ran to Acts where they tell others is ‘forbidden ground for doctrine’ (chapter 20) to grab the mention of a flock (not even the word ‘pastor’) applied to the Ephesians, which they never touched with a 10-foot pole during my nearly 30 years of association with them. They apply a double standard, and it makes them look foolish.
This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"
