Author Don Britton says it's very dangerous to elevate men to places that should be reserved only for God. For example, no one should use the terms "father" or "reverend" for a teacher of God's Word, he says.
"God hates these labels that separate and elevate some men above others," Britton says. "And I'll tell you something, it approaches blasphemy for anyone to call a man Father. In the Catholic Church, they do this all the time. These young guys come out of these schools, and they're 24 years old and some 50-year-old calls them 'father.' It's ridiculous, and it's blasphemous, because our Father is God.
"It also approaches blasphemy for anyone to call a man 'reverend,' since only God is our spiritual Father and only God is to be revered. For your information, the word 'reverend' comes from the word 'revere,' which means to be worshipped, revered and feared. It also indicates that one needs to be honored, adored and highly respected as being most holy. Does that sound like something a man should be given?"
Britton began to study the Word of God for himself and realized he was being taught false doctrines concerning salvation, grace, paying tithes and pastors getting paid, he says on The Great Deception podcast on the Charisma Podcast Network.
"The practice of being paid as a pastor, they didn't learn it from the Bible, and they didn't learn it from God," Britton says. "But they did learn it from a broken church system that has handed down traditions from men, that are not from God, to them. If they went to Bible school or seminary anywhere, they were programmed to become a paid pastor, expecting to be taken care of by the people, and to be set above the people as the clergy mentality.
"These good men just didn't know any better than it is they've been taught. Then they struggle with it. I've talked to some that really felt bad about it, didn't know what else to do. Any paid pastor who has the right heart will hear this message, and will quickly reevaluate his life and the method he's used of being paid for preaching. He will look for other men in his own church who are qualified elders and teachers. And for them to share this responsibility of discipling members with him, he will get a job and he will move away from having to have an expensive building."
To listen to the entire podcast titled "False Pastors and Prophets Living Like Kings," click here.
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