Leadership Titles
No one in the leadership of the early church was called by the title “Pastor.” The word used was poimen, a shepherd or herdsman. Metaphorically it implied a leader who could feed, guard and otherwise tend the flock. The title
For Christians Who Crave Truth Over Church Tradition
No one in the leadership of the early church was called by the title “Pastor.” The word used was poimen, a shepherd or herdsman. Metaphorically it implied a leader who could feed, guard and otherwise tend the flock. The title
Part 8 in the Series: Questioning Church Authority by Don Enevoldsen In the beginning, church titles described function. Human beings quickly subverted them to denote status, particularly “apostle,” “prophet” and “pastor.” When speaking of leadership positions, however, there were three
The status of the twelve disciples in the early church significantly obscured the meaning of the original Greek word for “apostle.” At the time, apostolos meant a delegate, a messenger or one sent forth with orders. That was the sense
Ephesians 4:11-12 was an important passage in my early Christian development. By the time I was out of high school, I knew I was on the road to being a pastor, and I saw Ephesians as a kind of short
second person present imperative passive of pleroo pronounced: play-roos-thay The local pub invariably has different kinds of drinkers. Some sip at one drink all night. Others gulp down two or three drinks, then switch to something non-alcoholic. Some steadily drain
Counter Thought Word Study: Years ago, while sitting at a red light in Astoria, Oregon, I saw a drunk man trying to walk around the end of a concrete parking bumper. He misjudged the distance and instead of going around,
In 1972 I had the opportunity to hear Katherine Kuhlman speak in Portland, Oregon. Near the end of the meeting, she addressed criticism from those who did not believe women should preach. By that time in my life, I had
Part 7 in the Series: Questioning Church Authority by Don Enevoldsen Human institutions naturally tend toward hierarchy. The church might be the body of Christ with far reaching spiritual implications, but as a collection of human beings, it qualifies as
Part 6 of the Series: Questioning Church Authority by Don Enevoldsen “I think I would enjoy church if it weren’t for the human element,” a friend said to me one day. I understand the sentiment. During half a century of
Part 5 of the Series: Questioning Church Authority by Don Enevoldsen As a follow up to last week’s discussion, I recently ran across a description of cell structure in living organisms. Since the church is described in Paul’s writing as