The Religious Word "Pastor" Does Not Belong in our English Bibles

Описание: Does the religious title “pastor” belong in the English Bible?
In this episode of Reclaiming First Century Christianity, Larry G. Overton examines the historical, linguistic, and theological origins of the word “pastor” and explains why it does not belong in English translations of Scripture.

This teaching traces the term’s Latin and Roman Catholic origins, shows that pastor existed in English centuries before any English Bible translation, and demonstrates how it entered Scripture not as a translation of meaning, but as a borrowed religious title. Using the Hebrew and Greek biblical texts, Larry explains why shepherd—not pastor—is the accurate translation.

You’ll learn:
• When and how the word pastor entered the English language
• Why William Tyndale consistently translated the term as shepherd
• How the Geneva Bible (1560) introduced pastor into English Scripture
• Why Ephesians 4:11 is the key passage where meaning was replaced by title
• How the New Testament presents shepherds, elders, and overseers as the same role, not a hierarchy
• Why modern church usage of “pastor” does not reflect the biblical model

This episode challenges institutional tradition and calls believers back to restoration rather than reformation, aligning language and practice with the New Testament pattern.

📌 Future episodes will examine the terms “elder,” “overseer,” and “bishop,” and how Scripture equates them.

⏱️ CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Opening statement: Why “pastor” does not belong in English Bibles
00:31 – Introduction & clarification of the claim
00:46 – Latin vs. English: why this matters in translation
01:59 – Historical origin of “pastor” in English (14th century)
02:46 – Timeline comparison: printing press, Tyndale, and Bible translation
03:52 – “Pastor” as a Roman Catholic religious title
04:22 – Hebrew & Greek words for shepherd explained
05:06 – William Tyndale and faithful translation of meaning
05:36 – The Geneva Bible introduces “pastor”
06:15 – Old Testament uses of “pastor” in the Geneva Bible
07:36 – New Testament occurrences of “shepherd”
08:46 – Verb forms: shepherd, tend, feed—what’s accurate?
10:50 – Ephesians 4:11 and the Latin substitution
11:45 – Geneva Bible, King James Version, and lasting precedent
13:22 – Reformation vs. restoration
13:54 – Jesus on titles (Matthew 23:7–12)
14:22 – Common objections answered
16:01 – Modern misuse of “pastor” explained
17:06 – Shepherd, elder, overseer: one role, not hierarchy
18:22 – “First among equals” and Roman influence
19:06 – Preview of upcoming episodes & closing thoughts

📜 TRANSLATION INFORMATION & LICENSE
Mostly Literal Translation © 2025 by Larry G. Overton
Licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
To view a copy of this license, visit:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...

🔔 CONNECT WITH US
YouTube: @Recaim1stCenturyChristianity
Facebook: @21stCenturyEkklesia
  / 21ekklesia  
Email: RFCC@LarryOverton (dot) com

#Pastor #Shepherd #BibleTranslation #Ephesians411 #ReclaimingFirstCenturyChristianity #BiblicalGreek #BiblicalHebrew #ChurchHistory #ChristianTeaching #BiblicalRestoration #Tyndale #GenevaBible #KingJamesBible #ChristianDoctrine #Ecclesiology