Real Pastors are not called “Pastor”

 

 

Will you take a man more seriously, or listen closer to what he says or teaches, if he calls himself Pastor or Reverend, Prophet or Apostle? If you are such a person you may be blind and lacking spiritual discernment.

 

And would you be able to recognize or receive a man as a pastor/elder if he DOES NOT allow people to call him by a title? It’s a good test of how well you know Jesus. If you only recognize men as Pastors if they go by the title, then it could be a sign you’re spiritually blind and heading for a cliff, for Jesus said don’t call men by titles, and He said that those who don’t do what He says are building their house on the sand.

 

The pastor who obeys Jesus and refuses to allow people to call him “Pastor” (see Matthew 23) is actually demanding other brothers relate to him as an equal, he’s requiring that any relationship he has be grounded in the REALITY of the truth in Jesus. He is requiring that people relate to him in real terms, based on what he actually is, teaches, says and does, and not relate to him on the basis of a title. He is forcing people to face reality, face the truth, and that won’t be popular.

 

The majority, perhaps, will never be able to acknowledge a man as a pastor if he doesn’t allow people to call him “Pastor”. The simple-minded will think, “Hmmm… if he were a real pastor then people would call him Pastor?” not understanding that one of the signs of a REAL pastor/elder/overseer is they don’t allow others to call them “Pastor”.