The Church Is Not Pastor-Based
The Church that Jesus Christ promised to build is not pastor-based. The church that man is building is. Jesus' Church is made of living stones (1 Pet 2:5) that “...are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;” (Eph 2:20).
This does not mean that we are required to yield control of a Christian gathering to every person that shows up claiming to have the same authority as the original twelve apostles. The job of foundation has already been filled.
There are men today called to be in an apostle-type, global focus responsibility but they are not in the same class as the original apostles.
The original apostles (12 – Judas + ?) have a unique honor that no one else has.
And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matt 19:28)
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (Rev 21:14)
During the Church Age, the Twelve are understood to be foundational as to the Church that Jesus is building. The Twelve Apostles are promised a special place of honor in Christ's Millennium kingdom. After that, in the new heaven and new earth, their names are inscribed forever in the foundation of the New Jerusalem.
Paul was not one of the original twelve apostles. He was called the Apostle of the Gentiles (Rom 11:13). Was he considered to be the 12th apostle to replace Judas? Some think he was. If he does not have a throne in the Millennium or his name is not inscribed on the New Jerusalem, he certainly must have a place of honor among the Church ruling from heavenly places (Eph 1:3, 20, 2:6, 3:10).
A career pastor would have a difficult time today trying to rule his personal kingdom since everyone has their own copy of the apostolic documents (Bible). The office of apostle is first in order of time, not of importance.
Is the idea of pastors evil? Of course not. This office is a function of Christ. The shepherds are a gift from God to the Church (Eph 4:8).
The apostle John wanted to tell something by letter to a certain church but a local leader named Diotrephes (3 John 9) didn't accept what John had to say. John was the Lord's closest friend. Not only that, but he was a personal emissary of the Lord. He was not allowed in Man's church.
What we need desperately today is a severe submission to the Scriptures. Instead, we have individual leaders refusing the clear teaching of the Bible. There is room for some honest difference of interpretation but what we have is individual preference and denominational doctrine at the expense of Jesus' words. Jesus gets less than honorable mention in places. Someone is going to have to give place and it's not going to be God, The Unchangeable One.
I guess in Man's church you can do and teach anything you want but in the Church that Jesus is building we must stay with the Apostolic teachings recorded in the Bible.
Dec. 28, 2025