Old Covenant Mentality Part 3

This segment of the Old Covenant Mentality has to do with the hierarchical leadership structure that most churches employ. Typically there is a Senior Pastor, and if the church is large enough an associate pastor and or a youth pastor. After this comes "lay" elders and then deacons. This creates a professional salaried class with certain academic credentials that are separate and above the rest of the congregation. The belief in the necessity of a seminary degree is actually an extra Biblical requirement nowhere mentioned in New Testament ecclesiology. While the school of Tyrannus in Acts 19 is sometimes cited, this one instance is a very small foundation to build such a large edifice. When we place the emphasis on academic education instead of the godly character qualities shown in 1,Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9 we have inevitable results. No one supposedly knows anything except those specially trained which leads to spiritual pride. If the Bereans in Acts 17:11 are praised for vetting Paul by studying through Scripture to see if what he taught was true then everyone should be vetted The true New Testament pattern is a plurality of co equal elders who meet the 1 Timothy and Titus qualifications. Church elders or overseers are mentioned 18 times in the NT. The only 2 instances in which it is not plural is when Peter or John are referencing themselves as i dividuals. 1 Peter 5 and 2nd and 3rd John.