Replacement

We've replaced obedience with "special calling."

Instead of "obeying everything Jesus has commanded" we "wait on God" for Him to reveal a "special calling." But why would He reveal anything "special" to us if we won't even obey the commands He has clearly laid out in scripture? They are things all of His children are supposed to do!

We've replaced teaching and discipling with preaching and performance.

Nowhere in scripture are God's children preached to. The gospel was preached to the lost but the saved were taught and discipled! Teaching that resulted in obedience not telling that resulted in information held as trivial.

We've replaced people with a place.

God's ekklesia, His assembly, are His people not a place, not a church building. In the New Testament there is no such thing as a place, an institution, an organization that God's people attend as spectators!

We've replaced servants with leaders.

The Greek word translated minister means servant not leader!

We've replaced Jesus with men.

There is no hired professional man of God in the New Testament. "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5). All of His children are to be His obedient servants and disciples. There are no titles, special names, given to set someone apart from the rest regardless of if they obey God or actually lead anyone. No one was called Pastor Paul, Reverend Peter, Minister John, or Priest James.

What did the writers of the New Testament call themselves if they did not use the titles we have today?

• Paul, a bond-slave of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle (delegate) (Romans 1:1)
• James, a bond-slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ (James 1:1)
• Simon Peter, a bond-slave and apostle of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1)
• Jude, a bond-slave of Jesus Christ (Jude 1:1)
• The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-slaves, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-slave John (Revelation 1:1)

Jesus said to the Pharisees "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men. You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition." (Mark 7:8-9)

Job was "blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil" (Job 1:1) but God still said to Him later on "Would you declare me guilty so that you might be right?" (Job 40:8)

Search the scriptures and lexicons and find the truth. Once you find it what will you do with it?