In your introduction, do you elevate yourself or Christ?
There is nothing unbiblical about the office of a pastor. There is nothing wrong with describing someone’s ministry as missionary work. My concern is something different: when did the work we do for Christ become a title attached to our names?
“Hi, I’m Pastor…”
“Hi, I’m Missionary…”
Before I have told you who I am, I have already told you my position. I have distinguished myself from you.
And this became very personal to me years ago.
One of the things I set my heart upon when I began serving the Tiale people was to build as many bridges as I could, to relate to them and serve them. Early on, I noticed a strong status bent within the culture: titles, hierarchy, position. Titles could give people authority they did not necessarily deserve, while also subconsciously creating a rift between them and others in the community.
Over 10 years ago, in my personal studies, I discovered this “slave” mentality taught throughout Scripture.
So, over the years, I intentionally divested myself of titles: pastor, missionary, advisor, etc. Instead, I emphasized their kinship terms: brother, son, uncle. Eventually, it settled into their minds: I did not want those other titles among them. I wanted the familial ones.
Years later, after teaching for some time and nearing the end of a four-week course on the Christian life, I explained to the class the biblical concept of being a slave of Christ.
One of the students astutely raised his hand and asked:
“Can we call you slave?”
Knowing that I had stopped them from using other titles in the past, I smirked and replied:
“This one title, you can.”
He nodded, turned toward his fellow classmates, even the Tiale pastors, and began talking with them.
And almost in unison, they got it.
It clicked.
Why mention myself above Christ?
And if you come to Tiale land, you might even hear some of them call me “slave” when we talk.
That word is stronger than our English translations sometimes make it sound.
The Greek δοῦλος (doulos) fundamentally describes a slave, someone belonging to another. Paul repeatedly reached for this language when identifying himself: “a servant [δοῦλος] of Jesus Christ” (Rom. 1:1; Titus 1:1). Paul and Timothy were “servants [δοῦλοι] of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:1). James did the same (Jas. 1:1). So did Peter (2 Pet. 1:1) and Jude (Jude 1).
They certainly possessed offices, gifts, and authority. Paul could even identify himself as an apostle when the context required it.
But there is something profoundly Christian about slave.
“Pastor” can shift attention toward what YOU do for Jesus.
“Slave” demands attention toward what JESUS did for you.
Pastor describes a ministry.
Slave describes ownership.
One tells you something about my work.
The other tells you everything about my Master.
The issue isn’t whether you are a pastor, missionary, teacher, evangelist, or whatever ministry God has allowed you to perform.
The question is why we are so eager to put our ministry in front of our names.
Maybe Christian ministry needs fewer introductions designed to establish our status and more introductions that make people wonder about our Master.
Because Christianity was never supposed to be about making my name larger.
“He must increase, but I must decrease.”
John 3:30
https://youtu.be/2OCzYRda6wQ?feature=shared
Your feet (and slave) to the Tiale people and the country of Vanuatu. Seth, Nicole & Selah Stokes.
