Richard Aberdeen
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- Joined
- Jun 4, 2026
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In Acts 20:17 The word translated as "apostle" in English, "apostolos", means one who is sent away or "sent one". Thus, it is correct to refer to Paul as "Paul the sent one", rather than as "the apostle Paul", as is the bad habit of modern Bibles. Several people besides the twelve original followers of Jesus, are referred to as "sent ones" in the New Testament, including Paul, Titus and probably Luke, Barnabas and Timothy and most likely others; see 2 Corinthians 8:16-23.
Paul refers to several people from the assembly at Ephesus as elders (Greek "presbyterous"). But he refers to the same people in Acts 20:28 as "episkopous" which means "overseer" in English; "episkopes" is wrongly translated into English as "bishop" in I Timothy 3:1, which again means "overseer" in Greek. It is likely to be qualified as an overseer, one must be an older person and be experienced in both life and in following Jesus, thus the term "elder".
The secular Jesus is cleverly twisted into a religion called "Christianity", by wrongly translated words in modern English bibles. Words such as apostle, Bishop, pastor, epistle, gospel, doctrine and many other religious-sounding translations, twist and badly alter the intentions of Jesus and the biblical authors. Some correct meanings are explained here.
The modern habit of a church (correctly called "assembly") having one Bishop, preacher or pastor is not of biblical origin. The word translated as pastor in most bibles means "shepherd" in Greek. Shepherd is just one of many positions in the real assembly of Jesus; see Ephesians 4:11. The word translated as "deacon" means "servant" in Greek and, all of the various positions of God's assembly found in the New Testament are (apparently unpaid) positions of service, not of power as many elevate themselves today.
The position of "shepherd", wrongly translated as pastor, as the place of prominence so-called "pastors" today grab for themselves, is not a position of particular prominence in the real assembly but rather, it is just one of several, listed last. There is no such position as a "preacher", who shouts, yells and waves his arms while delivering a lengthy boring prepared sermon. It is more than fair to say there is no Christianity as a religion anywhere in the Bible.
Many different people spoke or sang in the real assembly as they were so moved by God's spirit. As Jesus teaches us, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors. But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves" Luke 22:25-26.
There is no such thing as a pope in the real assembly of Jesus, nor is it necessary to attain a religious degree to instruct others. We are all brothers and sisters with one leader and one teacher, Jesus Messiah. Jesus is our only high priest (see Hebrews) and only Jesus can forgive sins. Other than parents when we are children, we are answerable to no one other than God.
Those who confess their sins to a priest should ask Jesus to forgive them, just like all the rest of us should. A priest can neither forgive nor absolve anyone's sins. To preach simply means to proclaim and, anyone on earth can proclaim the good news of Jesus; one does not need to attend a religious university or obtain a divinity degree; such 'degrees' are worthless pieces of paper. We can save our time and money and be taught by Jesus himself.
Based on several letters of Paul, the early assemblies when gathered together as a group, several people spoke as the spirit moved them, perhaps interspersed with singing as likewise, the group was moved to do so. There was no lengthy boring sermon and meetings seem to have been entirely spontaneous and unscripted. Such gatherings apparently also usually included eating and socializing among the group.
Early followers of Jesus gathered in homes and perhaps public spaces and outside, weather permitting. They appear to have sometimes lived in the same larger housing complex. Constructing an expensive building or temple to supposedly honor God seems to have been anathema to both Stephen and Paul in Acts, who both state that God "does not live in temples made with hands." According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, early followers of Jesus considered it paganism to construct any type of temple or so-called "house of worship".
It is important to understand that real assemblies in the New Testament were not religious organizations, temples or other buildings. When Paul travels to various cities in Acts establishing new "assemblies", these are groups of Jesus followers. The real Jesus is not a religion. Rather, he is about grace, mercy, love, peace and growing freedom.
And Jesus is deliberately secular, associating with the average people, poor and oppressed and some of the worst thought of people in his society. Those who present Jesus in some other fashion will more than likely answer to God Almighty for doing so; for God "is no respecter of persons."
In Search of the Real Jesus
www.FreedomTracks.com/revolution.html
Paul refers to several people from the assembly at Ephesus as elders (Greek "presbyterous"). But he refers to the same people in Acts 20:28 as "episkopous" which means "overseer" in English; "episkopes" is wrongly translated into English as "bishop" in I Timothy 3:1, which again means "overseer" in Greek. It is likely to be qualified as an overseer, one must be an older person and be experienced in both life and in following Jesus, thus the term "elder".
The secular Jesus is cleverly twisted into a religion called "Christianity", by wrongly translated words in modern English bibles. Words such as apostle, Bishop, pastor, epistle, gospel, doctrine and many other religious-sounding translations, twist and badly alter the intentions of Jesus and the biblical authors. Some correct meanings are explained here.
The modern habit of a church (correctly called "assembly") having one Bishop, preacher or pastor is not of biblical origin. The word translated as pastor in most bibles means "shepherd" in Greek. Shepherd is just one of many positions in the real assembly of Jesus; see Ephesians 4:11. The word translated as "deacon" means "servant" in Greek and, all of the various positions of God's assembly found in the New Testament are (apparently unpaid) positions of service, not of power as many elevate themselves today.
The position of "shepherd", wrongly translated as pastor, as the place of prominence so-called "pastors" today grab for themselves, is not a position of particular prominence in the real assembly but rather, it is just one of several, listed last. There is no such position as a "preacher", who shouts, yells and waves his arms while delivering a lengthy boring prepared sermon. It is more than fair to say there is no Christianity as a religion anywhere in the Bible.
Many different people spoke or sang in the real assembly as they were so moved by God's spirit. As Jesus teaches us, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors. But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves" Luke 22:25-26.
There is no such thing as a pope in the real assembly of Jesus, nor is it necessary to attain a religious degree to instruct others. We are all brothers and sisters with one leader and one teacher, Jesus Messiah. Jesus is our only high priest (see Hebrews) and only Jesus can forgive sins. Other than parents when we are children, we are answerable to no one other than God.
Those who confess their sins to a priest should ask Jesus to forgive them, just like all the rest of us should. A priest can neither forgive nor absolve anyone's sins. To preach simply means to proclaim and, anyone on earth can proclaim the good news of Jesus; one does not need to attend a religious university or obtain a divinity degree; such 'degrees' are worthless pieces of paper. We can save our time and money and be taught by Jesus himself.
Based on several letters of Paul, the early assemblies when gathered together as a group, several people spoke as the spirit moved them, perhaps interspersed with singing as likewise, the group was moved to do so. There was no lengthy boring sermon and meetings seem to have been entirely spontaneous and unscripted. Such gatherings apparently also usually included eating and socializing among the group.
Early followers of Jesus gathered in homes and perhaps public spaces and outside, weather permitting. They appear to have sometimes lived in the same larger housing complex. Constructing an expensive building or temple to supposedly honor God seems to have been anathema to both Stephen and Paul in Acts, who both state that God "does not live in temples made with hands." According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, early followers of Jesus considered it paganism to construct any type of temple or so-called "house of worship".
It is important to understand that real assemblies in the New Testament were not religious organizations, temples or other buildings. When Paul travels to various cities in Acts establishing new "assemblies", these are groups of Jesus followers. The real Jesus is not a religion. Rather, he is about grace, mercy, love, peace and growing freedom.
And Jesus is deliberately secular, associating with the average people, poor and oppressed and some of the worst thought of people in his society. Those who present Jesus in some other fashion will more than likely answer to God Almighty for doing so; for God "is no respecter of persons."
In Search of the Real Jesus
www.FreedomTracks.com/revolution.html
