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I could almost have recited every verse in the NT with the word shepherd in it from memory, but didn’t want to go into that detail. You are correct that the original word is shepherd - of course I knew that. It’s a good thing all Latin-based languages such as Spanish and Portuguese (which I speak) only have the word shepherd as it should be and is in the Greek.

Now, my dear Catholic brother (BTW, I love Catholics and have nothing against them), I suggest you read every one of these verses and you will find by context that exactly what I said is true.

I had no intention of being snarky, but only of wanting to point out the truth.

I have been a serious student and teacher of scripture for almost 50 years - no I am not perfect and still see “through a glass darkly”, meaning there are surely areas where I am off, of which I am seeing every year as I age. I will not attain perfection in knowledge or doctrine in this life...only in the next.

The only church I am a part of is the one true church which includes all true believers in Jesus Christ and Him crucified, be they Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, whatever. Only God knows who is in it and who is not. No man does, no group does. You can’t join it. You are either born into it from above when you are saved, or you are not in it regardless of what religious group you are a part of.

Now, my dear Catholic brother (BTW, I love Catholics and have nothing against them), I suggest you read every one of these verses and you will find by context that exactly what I said is true. I had no intention of being snarky, but only of wanting to point out the truth....

....The only church I am a part of is the one true church which includes all true believers in Jesus Christ and Him crucified, be they Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, whatever. Only God knows who is in it and who is not. No man does, no group does. You can’t join it. You are either born into it from above when you are saved, or you are not in it regardless of what religious group you are a part of.

What happened to "Almost all Protestants practice a papacy that’s as bad or worse than Rome"? Suddenly we're your buddies again?

Well then I surely misread the intent of your post and I do apologize. I also am a member of the one true church that has no earthly name other then being called the ekklesia, those who have been called out by God to be His.

Whether paster or shepard is immaterial as far as the intent goes. Both feed and care for a flock. Christ called Himself a shepard and told the apostles to feed His sheep. I don't suppose He meant we were mutton either did He. :-)