The apostle Paul directed members of the Corinth church to "imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." A lot of pastors today imitate other pastors. Imitating Paul might cost a mainline pastor his job, credentials and reputation.
Paul shouldn't be a polarizing figure. He wrote two-thirds of the New Testament, the blueprint for Christian living. Yet pastors won't follow his example. Paul kept the Biblical feasts of the Old Testament because they pointed to Christ. God's appointed times are eternal and never were meant to be abandoned or replaced. Paul rejected all expressions of idolatry, including the Roman festival of Saturnalia, which was celebrated in his boyhood home of Tarsus. It was held in late December to honor the harvest god Saturn. Today it's called Christmas. In the fourth century Roman emperor Constantine severed the church from its Hebraic roots and Christianized two pagan holidays, Saturnalia and Easter. The church regards these days as sacred. God calls them abominations.
If pastors imitated Paul they would not accept or ask for tithes. Christ became our High Priest, abolishing the Levitical priesthood and tithes that supported it. New Testament giving is led by God's Spirit. Paul also welcomed women in church leadership, which is forbidden or discouraged in some denominations. In Romans 16:1 Paul acknowledges a female leader named Phoebe, "who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea." The Greek word for servant, diakonos, translates as deacon, teacher or minister.
Christ asks us to count the cost before becoming a disciple. If you're a pastor, imitating Paul might kill your career as a "professional" minister. But that doesn't mean God has terminated your calling as a teacher or shepherd. Perhaps He is positioning you for something new.
Posted by Jeff King at November 1, 2011 01:06 PM