This article challenges the reader to examine the Scripture on the following question: should there be just one pastor preaching every week -or- should preaching come from all men (as the Holy Spirit leads men to speak). Please consider the following Scripture:
It was very clear in the purpose was that the church be edified by each one's individual contribution (1Corinthians 14:5,16). This is again demonstrated in Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus:
God gave different gifts to different people that the church may be edified by the "manifold grace of God" (1 Peter 4:10). One man does not possess all the various gifts of God. Therefore, one man cannot do the entire job of edifying the body of Christ. Paul again belabours the necessity of the body functioning together in 1 Corinthians 12:
Here is one example of one man, Diotrephes, who loved to have the preeminence, or loved to dominate the group. It is dangerous to have one person in charge of the entire church group. It leaves no room for checks and balances. Even the people who wrote the constitution patterned the system after the idea of a presbytary, or a group of men, who would together be in charge of the goverment. Peter's instructions to the elders of the church was to "Feed the flock" (1 Peter 5:2), but "Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3).
We must remember that the reason to come together and meet weekly is to (1) break bread (Acts 2:42), (2) prayer, (3) the apostle's doctrine, (4) encourage and exhort one another unto love and to good works (Hebrews 10:24-25), (5) to teach and admonish one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs:
No. It appears that from time to time, someone would come to the church in a particular region and take the floor. One notable example of this is Paul preaching to the church at Troas. They came together to break break on Sunday and "Paul preached unto them...until midnight" (Acts 20:7).
However, if one person is solely preaching every week, and there is no opportunity to encourage and exhort one another, or to hear from the others, then the body is not being edified in the way God has instructed. And "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (Galatians 6:7). We will reap what we sow. If we do not carefully follow the teachings from God's word, the church will suffer. Successful church growth can only come out of obedience to doing those things in the way which He has ordered (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 37:23, 1 Corinthians 14:40).
Our prayer is that you will consider what has been written, and that you will be a Berean and search the scriptures daily, whether it is so:
