One of the most damaging false doctrines in the modern church is the human tradition of a one-man hireling, someone paid to be over the others.
This has caused the men in the gatherings to become lazy, allowing the one man to do all the preaching, teaching and even taking a godly status over everyone.
"Pastor" is not a position or a title", we need to stop saying "pastor so and so" as though they are a pope or a king. We don't say, "giver so and so" but the giver is one of the gifts. We do not title people according to their gits.
Calling a man "Pastor so and so" is elevating that man who is supposed to serve above all the other men and women of the church as more special and anointed than the others. This is the nature of the Catholic church and many pagan cults.
Because of this false teaching of a "one man paid pastor" the congregations depend on this hireling far more than they depend on Christ. They rush to ask the pastor for guidance when they should be going to the Holy Spirit. Many pastors these days are steeped in psychology and bring horrendously bad counsel to those who are not adept in the Word of God. Then the pastors often intimidate the other believers in the group if they do not want to follow their particular counsel because it doesn't sound right.
Our counsel must come from the Holy Spirit. When a leader in the church declares something to be true then we are to take it to God to see if its true and even confront the leader if they are in error.
The hirelings have duped many Christians today into believing they have the ultimate and final authority and the "pew sitter" knows nothing.
People have a tendency to follow those who believe they are superior, it makes them feel safe and they don't have to do any thinking for themselves. This is spiritual laziness and condemned by God.
John 16:13-14 "13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.…"
This passage is referring to every single born again believer.
1 John 2:26-28 "26 I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His TRUE and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught. 28 And now, little children, remain in Christ, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming."
Those who place themselves in a superior position to Lord it over the people are not only in error but they are sinning.
Matthew 20:23-28 "23 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”
24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.
25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave
— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”"
Our modern culture of one man pastorship fosters pride, arrogance, rude and unloving pressure for the "underlings" to worship that man in the pulpit because it is unbiblical.
Most church attendees today cannot wrap their minds around the Biblical standard ordained by God because they have been deeply steeped and trained in a false way for many generations. Anyone who comes along attempting to bring the Bible to bear on the nature of the first-century church gathering is mocked and then ignored. The very churches that say they are bible believing practice cultic Catholic governance and think they are Biblical.
Brothers and sisters do not be intimidated by those who would pressure you to be in one of these gatherings as though it is mandated by God. Many of these hirelings will intimidate others with the scriptures that they snatch from context to shame those who do not attend a formal gathering.
If you have fellowship with others during the week, if you share in conversation with other believers, even if only two or three you have fulfilled the scripture that says "not to forsake the gather together of the believers.
Matthew 18:20 "20 For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”"
Remember, paid hirelings have a vested interest in shaming people who do not come to their gathering for the sake of gathering their "tithes", another false doctrine, that pays their salary.
When you question all things, seeking the Holy Spirit and reading the Bible you will find much of what the modern church groups are doing is false. Little snippets of a sentence are snatched out of context as they develop an entire doctrinal rule around it. If the context is understood often the meaning God gave is not at all what the hirelings have devised.
Bottom Line: Seek Christ, remove all that is modern thinking including psychology and do what God tells you. Let no one intimidate you into following their way. If its not God's way discard and disregard it.
