The role of the pastor
Three words are used to refer to the office of the pastor in the New Testament. They are all three used in one passage found in 1 Peter 5:1–3 (NASB)1 THEREFORE, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.
The role of the undershepherd is described with three words:
• Elders (Gk. presbuteros) is a term that suggests the respect and esteem due a pastor by virtue of his divinely appointed office (v. 1);
• Shepherd (Gk. poimainÅ), used as a verb in the text, describes a pastor’s spiritual ministries—to feed, protect, guide, and pray for the flock of God (v. 2);
• Overseers (Gk. episkopos) emphasizes administrative responsibilities (v. 2).
These terms are synonymous; yet each has a distinctive nuance of meaning in describing the pastoral office.
Paul told the elders in Acts 20:28 (NASB)
28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
Speaking to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2 (NASB) he said,
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction.
Explaining the gift of God to the Church at Ephesus Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:11–12 (NASB)
11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
These verses concerning the role of the pastor clearly delineate the responsibility for church leadership does not lie with the office of deacons or with committees, but with the Pastor who has been placed in the local church by the Holy Spirit. The three words used describe the distinctive nuances of the same office—that of a man called by God to equip the saints for the work of ministry.
In response the congregants are to Hebrews 13:17 (NASB)
17 Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.
The shepherd of the sheep is not led by the sheep, but leads the sheep according to the directions of the owner of the sheep. In too many churches today the sheep lead the shepherd and do not allow him to fulfill the calling which God has made on his life.
I realize that this post does not address the issue of a pastor abusing the office and how to deal with that situation. That will be a later post.
