Shepherds of the Church

We are continuing our study in the Makeup of the Church. Last week, we considered the office of deacon, and we saw that they are servants of the church who are to care for physical needs of the membership. This morning we are going to consider the office of the pastor. As we did with the deacons, I want to look at the roles and qualifications of the pastor, and then I want to talk about some myths around this office. Let’s read 1 Pet. 5:1-5. From this passage and 1 Tim. 3, we are going to see the roles and qualifications of the pastor.

First, let’s consider the responsibilities of the pastor, which we have clearly laid out here. One of the easiest ways to understand the office of pastor is by looking at the different Greek words that are used for the office. Now, if you’ve ever paid attention to different denominations, you’ll know that they can have starkly different opinions on the office of the pastor. Some churches have bishops and priests. Others have pastors and elders. Some have bishops, pastors, and elders. That confusion comes from the fact that the Bible uses three different Greek words to refer to leaders in the church. The English word “bishop” comes from the Greek word “episkopos” (as in the Episcopal church). The word “elder” comes from the Greek “presbyteros” (as in the Presbyterian church). And the word “pastor” comes from the Greek “poimen”, which means “shepherd”. As Baptists, we believe that those three words are all vested in a single office. We believe that because of passages like 1 Pet. 5. And, these words help us to understand the responsibilities of that office. From these words, I want you to see that the pastor is responsible for discipline, devotion, and doctrine.

First, the pastor is responsible for discipline. Notice how Peter starts this charge to pastors in verse 1 – “I exhort the elders among you…”. So, here we have the Greek word “presbyteros.” This word has historic significance within the life of Israel. In Exodus 18 we are told that Moses was overwhelmed by the weight of judging all of the issues of the Jewish people. It says that he spent every day, from dawn till dusk, hearing cases and giving judgments based on the law of God. His father-in-law, Jethro, pays him a visit and realizes that he is overwhelmed, so he makes a wise recommendation. He tells him to select wise men by divisions of each tribe who can serve as judges. They can take what Moses had taught about God’s law and apply it to individual cases so that Moses could rest. These judges were later called “elders”. They were tasked with applying God’s law in their cities and clans.

We have that same need and responsibility reflected in the New Testament. In Acts 15, we are told that the elders of the church at Jerusalem gave a judgment over a dispute that had arisen over whether Gentiles should be circumcised. And, every church needs that kind of judgment. So, one responsibility of the pastor is to provide discipline – to apply the Word of God to specific cases that arise within the church. This goes beyond just preaching to you about sin. It goes all the way to calling you out about individual sins. It involves settling disputes, providing biblical counsel, and giving direction to the church as a whole about the will of God.

Second, the pastor is responsible for devotion. In 1 Pet. 5:2, Peter charges elders to “shepherd the flock”. The word “shepherd” is “poimen”. The pastor’s responsibility is to serve as a sort of “undershepherd”. Jesus Christ is the “chief Shepherd” (v. 4) of his people, and pastors are to imitate Christ by caring for and leading the flock. So, think of how Jesus cared for his sheep. He taught them. He led them. He saved them. In a similar way, the pastor is to teach, lead, and always point his people to Jesus, the Lord of Salvation. In Acts 20:28-29, Paul tells the Ephesian elders to “pay attention to the flock” because there will be false teachers who come after he leaves who will try to pull them away. So, the role of the pastor is to act like a shepherd in protecting his sheep from wolves.

Third, the pastor is responsible for doctrine. Again, in 1 Pet. 5:2, Peter tells elders to “exercise oversight.” The Greek word for oversight there is “episkopeo”, meaning “act as an overseer or Bishop”. This primarily means that the pastor should ensure that the church holds to the faith, in our doctrine and practice. The pastor, in his role as a bishop, is to provide continuity, from the apostles all the way to the present day. This is what is so significant about the ordination and laying on of hands. In doing that, other pastors are conferring authority to a new pastor to keep the faith. Now, to be clear, as Baptists, we do not believe that the pastor is some sort of pope who speaks infallibly about the interpretation of Scripture. But, we do believe that he holds authority and that his flock should listen to him. To borrow an analogy from my friend, Rob Fossett of First Presbyterian Church, the pastor is like a referee. In any given sport, the referee knows the rule book. He studies it, goes to classes for it, practices it week in and week out. Does the ref always get the call right? No. How do we know when he gets it wrong? Well, we all know the rule book, too. In a similar way, the pastor is called to study, teach, and apply the Word of God. And just like a ref in a game, you are called to heed his word when he is speaking with the authority of Scripture. That’s exactly what Peter says in verse 5 – “likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders.”

So, now that we’ve seen the responsibilities of the pastor, let’s consider the qualifications from 1 Tim. 3:1-7. For the sake of time, there are three quick points I want to make about these qualifications. First, there are a number of qualifications related to conduct given about the pastor that are the same as the deacon. Just as a deacon is to be wise and well-respected, the pastor is also. But, there are two qualifications that are different. First, in verse 2, notice it says that the pastor should be “able to teach.” A pastor should show an aptitude and ability to teach the Word of God. Second, in verse 6 we are told that he “must not be a recent convert.” Keep in mind, one of the words used to describe a pastor is “elder”. Now, that doesn’t necessarily reflect physical age, but it does mean that the pastor should be mature in his faith.

So, with the roles and qualifications understood, let me turn to some myths about the pastor. Myth #1: The pastor has no real authority in the church other than to preach. There are some who think that the pastor ought to show up on Sunday morning, say a few nice things, and then leave. Some think that the pastor has no business getting into my business. Others think that the pastor preaches, but he has no say over the worship service or direction of the church. But, as I’ve explained, the pastor serves as judge and overseer. I have a responsibility to apply the Word of God to this church as a whole, and to the individual members of it. And, yes, that does mean that if your lifestyle comes into conflict with the Word of God, I have an obligation to confront you with it.

Myth #2: the pastor should be there for me when I’m ailing. Now, I have to be careful here because this is a very common misconception, and I want you to hear me all the way through on this. Let me first state this clearly: there is no biblical basis for the modern expectation that the pastor will make a personal visit when a member is ailing or in the hospital. You might think, “Wait a minute! You just said that the pastor is a shepherd.” But, to say that the word “shepherd” means “be there for my surgery” is to misunderstand what is meant by shepherd. Remember, it means to guard or protect the flock. There is only one passage in Scripture that hints at any sort of responsibility of the pastor for the sick. James 5:14 says, “Is any of you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray for him.” There are a couple of things I want you to notice about this statement. First, notice the phrase, “let him call.” In other words, the person who is sick should ask the elders of the church to pray for him. It doesn’t say, “let the pastor hear about someone’s ailment third-hand and then be judged by the person who is sick because he didn’t come by.”

Second, this appears to be a public, formal act by the elders of the church, either in a worship service or some other gathering. Notice, “elders” is plural, implying that this is not just the pastor making a visit, but a gathering of mature Christians in the church to come together and pray for an ailing member. Also, notice that it says that they should anoint him with oil, which gets at the formality of it. Now, having said that, I want you to understand that I care about your pains and trials. I get up every morning at 5:30, read Scripture, and pray for those in our church who are ailing. And, if I have the chance, I’ll pay you a visit. But, I’m not doing that as a pastoral responsibility – I’m doing that as your brother in Christ.

Lastly, Myth #3: the pastor is the CEO of the church. It has become popular in our time to take the word “overseer” and apply the modern business concept of CEO to it. So, in many churches the pastor is quite literally viewed as the CEO. He is to provide “the vision”, come up with evangelistic plans, and make decisions on every little thing that might come up. This is not what it means to be a biblical overseer. The pastor provides spiritual and doctrinal oversight, but he is not responsible for every decision that is made in the church. As we’ve already seen, deacons handle the physical business of the church. And, as we will see next week, every member is gifted for the good of the church. Not every issue that arises in the church is a gospel or doctrinal issue.

Under the leadership of Jesus Christ, and by the Word of God, the Lord has called me to be a spiritual judge, shepherd, and overseer. And, he has called you, as members of this church, to listen to my discipline, protection, and teaching when it is clearly from the Word of God. When we both follow our callings, God is glorified, people are discipled, and the Gospel goes out into the world.