Lydia

“Paul in writing those letters was addressing a church and a pastor of a church. Both the immediate contexts of the passages refer to the ‘formal’ if i can call it that assembly of believers. Not bible study, not youth, not mission, not bible college, but ‘church’. Simply stated with the exponding of Pauls comments regarding eldership and how i see that role in the bible, i conclude that men should only be in that position teaching in the church.

That said there number 1 priority should be to humble themselves and do everything in their power to make their ‘church’ as much like Christ as possible.”

Hmmm. If the “pastor” is so important, then who was the ‘pastor’ of the Corinthian church? The Phillipian church? And so on. How come ALL the Epistles were not written to the “pastor” or Elders if leadership/authority structures are so very important to the Body?

“Pastor” is a spiritual gift. Not an ‘office’.