The definition of the pastoral office in our western society is - TopicsExpress



          

The definition of the pastoral office in our western society is not a Biblical concept, but a man-made one that is a distortion of a gifting. The Early Ekklesia were led solely by the headship of Jesus Christ where His body was recognized by men who were of all equal standing. People were recognized by their spiritual maturity, not by their hierarchical elitism. The apostles did not reside as permanent fixtures, but were temporal as “church planters” who moved where God called them to oversee for a time. The deviation from the biblical pastoral office can be traced to Ignatius of Antioch (AD 35-107) and the role of the bishop. The bishop was given complete authority and required absolute obedience in the church system. In the third century, Cyprian of Carthage made more distinct classifications of Christians with the terms clergy and laity. He was a pagan orator who became a “Christian” who did not abandon the pagan traditions, but incorporated them. The position of bishop eventually evolved to the head of the church and the delegated responsibilities went to the presbyter.The presbyter evolved into the Catholic priest as the hierarchical structure of the church broadened. By the fourth century, deacons took a role under the presbyters, and under them were the laymen. By the time of the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century, the Catholic Church practices were questioned; the bishop’s office and the priesthood was reduced to the presbyter. What the Protestants did not do was question the status classifications between clergy and laity, but kept them with their own classification system. There are those who are “special”,“called”, and who must be “ordained” into a “ministry.” In fact there is really no distinction between the duties of the Catholic priest and a Protestant pastor except for slightly reformed office.. planksandnails.hubpages/hub/The-Pastoral-Office-is-not-Biblical
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 07:07:24 +0000

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