PASTOR: Are you truly gifted as one?

PASTOR: Are you truly gifted as one?

Excepts from Pastor Marvin Sanguinetti on facebook. A MUST READ for the serious bible student..

Most are not aware that the word 'PASTOR' does not exist anywhere in the New Testament at all. The Greek word ποιμήν poimén bears little resemblance to the position oriented desires for its many carnal candidates today. The concept of ποιμήν is one who is a 'shepherd', taking care of, feeding and tending to the flock (a metaphor for the ekklesia), the called out assembly.

A 'pastor' is not an 'office' as a 'bishop' (1 Timothy 3:1ff) but rather a 'gift' (Ephesians 4:11). Yet the false pomposity and self-gratifying egotistic aggrandisement associated with this gift is not reminiscent of its New Testament practice. Further, it is sometimes misleading to use the phrase 'five-fold ministry' because grammatically in Ephesians 4:11 we noticed the Greek word 'kai' (and) connects both 'pastors and teachers'. The case could be made that all pastors (shepherds) who undertake the responsibility of overseeing in some degree have a primary function - that of TEACHING (1 Timothy 3:2). Interestingly, this text is found in a 'Pastoral Epistle'. All pastors (shepherds) are teachers but not all teachers are shepherds. 

.... Pastor is not found anywhere in the Greek NT and hence the reference to poimén...Pastor is a transliteration in English from its latinized rendering.  The Latin tongue says "pastor" (pastorem).

.... How often do you see 'pastors' who love the glitz, glamour, girls, guys and glory but really do not want to mingle with sheep because they smell. If all one does is to have a desire to provide hermeneutical and homiletical sermons on Sunday but never engage hospital visits, never counsel with the bereaved, never engage the challenges of the laity, and always inaccessible - you might not be gifted as a shepherd. If all you're interested in is adjutant (armours bearer) carrying your Bible, flannel and iPad to pulpit with guards on either side of the podium - you might not be gifted as a shepherd though wearing the title of 'pastor'

TO READ THIS ARTICLE IN FULL...Please visit Pastor Marvin on facebook. Tutor in Applied Theology for undergraduate students (CertHE, DipHE) in conjunction with Institute of Theology & Christian Counselling at University of Roehampton... see full bio on facebook.
 Marvin Sanguinetti

These excerpts taken by permission from Marvin Sanguinetti