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How Should Ministers and Pastors be Called and
Addressed? |
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continuation...
Peter and the rest of the apostles were addressed as “brethren,” not “Reverend Apostle Peter”! Are there any biblical accounts that mention that the apostles were addressed as “reverend”? There is none! They called each other “brother”. Even if Peter had authority over them, because he was the one teaching them the way to salvation, he was simply called “brother”. That is why, the different forms of address like Apostle, Reverend Pastor, Most Holy Father, Very Reverend Father, etc., are all against what the Bible teaches.
At the moment, I am troubled by so many things, and one of them is, how can I save my fellowmen from the claws of false preachers who are not only misleading but who are also deliberately taking for granted what the Bible teaches. The Bible said, “do not let anybody call you Rabbi” . . . “call no one of earth Father”. But there they are, allowing their members to call them “Father”, but most of the time “Reverend Father.” That is why I couldn’t help but pity these people. They still say “Amen” despite the fact that they are being fooled. During the Spanish colonization, our great grandparents used to address the friars as “Among”, implying that they were their lords, while they were their slaves. But insofar as the Bible is concerned, is it right that the members be regarded as slaves, and the preachers, lords? I Peter 5:1-2 says, “The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint. Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock.”
Nowadays, preachers are being treated as lords. Are you aware that there is one preacher who is being paraded by his members? He is being carried by six men. And as they procession him, hundreds of his guards are saluting him, as though he were a god. Do you know who he is? He is even wearing a crown. As written in the “Pasion”:
“Ang mga pagmimilagro (His miracles)
Tutulungan ng demonyo (will be helped by the devil)
Maghahari itong lilo (This wicked man will rule.)
Itong sukaban at lilo (This vile and wicked man)
Mandarayang walang toto (will deliberately deceive all)
Kalupit-lupit na tao (He is a very cruel man)
Kampon ng mga demonyo (A son of the devil)
Ang pangala’y anti Cristo (Whose name is anti-Christ).”
Even the Catholic “Pasion” speaks of it. And it was not I who wrote the “Pasion”; it was written by Catholic priests. God’s admonition to the preacher is, “Neither as being lords over God’s heritage: but being example to the flock. And when the chief shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”
I do not agree that a preacher should be revered by his members to the point of bathing him. There is one preacher whose bedpan is being held by six maidens whenever he urinates. And whenever he discharges his excrements, these ladies are also the ones who wash his rectum. Actually, this is no longer surprising because there was one leader of religion who had 48 wives. Will you consider a religion to be of God when your minister makes his pretty members his concubines? Do you believe that he could lead you to heaven?
The Bible said, do not be like lords. But despite that, you enjoy being treated like a lord. They kiss your hand; they kneel before you. Sometimes, I am thinking if it were possible that all ministers and preachers be assembled to Luneta Park, and let them speak. And the throat of whoever will be found to be lying will be cut. Then, let him be thrown into the ocean to be devoured by sharks. That way, his deceits will be given an end. I am sure, if I would be given the chance to interrogate each of them, many will be beheaded for telling lies. But if I would not be permitted to question them, they’d definitely be able to brainwash a lot of people. They might succeed in making the people believe that they are telling the truth. But if I would be there, I will unmask them before your eyes.
First of all, I will ask them if they are truly ministers of God. Definitely, they will give me a positive answer. And then, I will ask them, “How do your members address you?” If they say, “Father,” I will ask them, “Isn’t it that the Bible prohibits us from calling any man, “father”? If they reason out and give excuses that they are not the ones who ask their members to address them as such, I will ask them, “Why didn’t you stop them? If you know that what they do is wrong, you have the obligation to correct them. The truth is, you are even flattered to hear them call you “Father”.” Imagine even your elders and parents call you “father”! Normally, a priest gets ordained in his late twenties. But why is it that he becomes a priest, even his grandfather kisses his hand and call him “father”? And why does he allow him to kiss his hand and call him “Father”? Isn’t that very ironic?
Ask your priests and pastors and ministers why are they not abiding by what the Bible is teaching? It’s just unfortunate that many of us are even angry when told of the truth. Sometimes, I am asking myself if it would be better if I’ll just shut my mouth. That way, I will not make enemies anymore. But I’d rather be struck by lightning than keep quiet! I’d rather die that not to fight for the truth! I would not let other people compel me to play deaf and mute to the frauds in religion. I repeat, I’d rather die! Actually, even the many libel cases that my foes in faith have filed against me did not intimidate me from telling the truth. I’d rather die than be prevented from proclaiming the truth. What is the use of living if you would not be able to preach what God wants you to preach? That is not the kind of life that I dream of. I do not mind leading a problem-laden life for the sake of telling the truth. I do not mind being the object of the people’s wrath if that is the price that I have to pay for telling the truth in the Bible. As written in Galatians 4:16, “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?”
Will you get mad at me because I opened your eyes to the truth? It’s up to you. Anyway, I will not be made accountable for it by God. My responsibility is to tell the truth, whether you like it or not. I do not fear the wrath of man. What I fear is the wrath of God, and I do not want to earn God’s wrath. Actually, one of my most fervent prayers is that God won’t get angry with me. There is practically nowhere for me to go and nobody to turn to if it God gets angry with me. All the other pastors are already angry with me, and I would be the most miserable person if God would also be angry with me. Woe unto me, when that happens! I could bear the anger of all, except God’s. That is why whatever God asks me to do I will gladly follow even if it would mean hurting the feelings of other people. God commanded the preachers not to let any man call them Rabbi; He doesn’t want a preacher to be called “Father”; He doesn’t want a preacher to be treated as lords by his members.
Instead of being angry with me, please try to contemplate on the things that I mentioned. They are all true. Your preachers have made you slaves; they have fooled you; they have made money out of you. And when a preacher gets attracted with you, he would even make you his concubine.
There is a preacher who claims that he is a son of God. So, if begets a child by one woman, that child becomes a grandchild of God. Because of that, no woman ever complains if her preacher wants to go to bed with her. As a result, one leader of religion had 36 concubines, while another had 48. This is no gossip. I have documents to prove its veracity. This thing really happens in religion, and it has happened several times already.
That is why it is very important that you know the truth – so that you won’t be cheated. A preacher should not be treated as lord, as though he is the Lord Almighty. Did the apostles Barnabas and Paul do this? Acts 14:11-15 says, “And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lyconia. The gods are come down to us in the likeness of man. And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people crying out, and saying, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you …”
However, today, preachers are even elated if their members offer them flowers, and if they kneel before them. But these things were not done by real apostles of Christ. They were prohibited by the Bible. In fact, they even said, “We also are men of like passions with you …”
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Bible
Apostleship
and the Rightful
