If that statement is true, then all those titles, positions, and structures named above would be found in the scriptures. Instead, we find many warnings to us in the scriptures to beware of them!
The problem most of us have is that we LIKE wolves and false teachers. They are usually very nice, pleasant, intelligent, may be handsome or pretty, well spoken, and outwardly attractive. And they tell us we are wonderful Christians as long as we agree with them.
This article is the tear-down phase of the facade known as "church" and in other articles we will take the building blocks of scripture to build God's House the way he showed us in scripture.
The number of artificial titles, positions, and perverted creations of men in regard to church government are too numerous to further list. The challenge for us is to "overcome" the Nicolaitane error, which in the most simple terms is: a pastor or clergy in sole authority over a local assembly. In other words, the false church government is the most common form of church government.
The Nicolaitane error is mentioned in Rev. 2:6 and 15.
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The kicker is, even if they are a wolf or wolf-ette, we are to love them, not count them as an enemy, pray for them, and not retaliate against them when their ravenous deeds are exposed.
Their outward characteristics are very appealing to our flesh, and the Lord may even speak to us through them. However, given the many, many warnings of scripture, listening to God is more important than what our eyes and ears may take in.
In our day, we have made idols out of the "Big Names", celebrities of Christianity, and in many churches the pastor himself is the idol people serve.
We make idols of the local priest or pastor in accepting whatever they speak and teach, even when the scripture never said what they say, or even when they do what the scriptures tells us NOT to do. (see the "Not In Scripture List" on our homepage).
The church/ pastor/ priest/ board/ elders/ bishop/ district/ denomination is NOT right, even when wrong, but if you have One Man, one family, or a Church board or Council "running the local church", the door to error, sin, abuse, manipulation, and plundering of the sheep is wide open.
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Here is an interesting list of scriptures. I happened to do a word search for "lucre" and it yielded these 6 verses, each and every one relating to the leadership of God's people.
1 1 Samuel 8:3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
2 1 Timothy 3:3 (a church overseer) Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
3 1 Timothy 3:8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
4 Titus 1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
5 Titus 1:11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
6 1 Peter 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
If you look carefully at the scriptural qualifications for church overseers (pastors, teachers, evangelists, prophets, elders, deacons, etc) you will be amazed to find most of them around us are unqualified.
-Yet they have been certified, ordained, and hired by manmade organizations and put in positions to exercise carnal authority over God's people. In other words, they organize and set up along manmade lines, a false organization. (The Nicolaitane church government). Neither does being a pastors son or son-in-law does not make a church their inheritable asset.
EVERY unscriptural church organization structure is sustained by the financial contributions of the fundraisers, offering plate, and sometimes from an organization/ denomination. Under the mask of "ministry", most of the funding only goes to support what goes on under their own roof.
