The Earnest Contender

Sunday, March 12, 2006

The Fuctions of the Pastor

Pastor… this is one office with three titles. The words bishop, elder, and yes, pastor, are used interchangably in the Bible (cf. Acts 20:17-38; Titus 1:5,7a; 1Pet.5:2; 1Tim.5:17). For a review of this biblical expose’ see this post. We have also made lengthy exposition about the character of the pastor here and here if one should wish to read more.

The very words employed by the Holy Spirit are suggestive of the various functions of a pastor. One of the pastor’s primary concerns is to care for the sheep. He is to feed the sheep. He is to protect the sheep. He is to lead the sheep. This involves planing and executing Spirit controlled direction. This must be done with patience and determination. Being a pastor is not for the weak.

One of the pastor’s primary concerns is to care for the sheep. It is the view of this Baptist, that a pastor should be free from the cares of this world as much as posible. This is one reason the apostle Paul wrote, 1Co 9:9 and 1Ti 5:17-18 Let me reiterate… one of the pastor’s primary concerns is to care for the sheep! This means he is not to be out looking for work ... not under sinks, fixing cars, selling “stuff”, walking a beat, delivering a route, flying a plane, building bridges, designing “things”, paving roads, or repairing military jets. A pastor should not have to be a tent maker! If those in Corinth were really spiritual they would not have to be told “…who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?” (v.7) He writes as though this was something that should have been plain to them. Paul gave no less than nine (9) examples of how this should work out. When a church is obedient to her Lord they will have a mutually symbiotic relationship with the pastor that God ordains to lead them.

The pastor, being free from the cares of this world, will be able to view the sheep as one of his primary concerns.

He is to feed the sheep. That is, provide spiritual nourishment. This involves timing, training, and teaching.

He is to protect the sheep. That is, be on the look out, ready to defend from the wolves and bears of ungodly fads, false teaching, and worldly practices.

He is to lead the sheep. That is to set a course and follow it through. A pastor is to be a leader not a pusher. He must go out ahead of the flock and take them were he already is, not tell them were to go. A flock of sheep cannot, and will not, be able to follow one who is standing still. Sheep will wander.

One of the pastor’s primary concerns is to care for the sheep. Feeding, protecting, and leading involves planning and implementing Spirit-controlled direction. This must all be done with patience and fortitude. A favorite book of mine that details the function of the pastor is A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, by phillip Keller.

One of the pastor’s primary concerns is to care for the sheep. Feeding, protecting, and leading involves planing and executing Spirit controlled direction. This must all be done with patience and fortitude. One may ask, “How is this to be done?” We may draw several principals from the Word of God on how this is to be done. The sheepfold of a local church is ONE of the pastor’s primary concerns There are at least two other responsabilities that should take top priority in the man of God’s choosing even abbove his calling as a pastor. These two functions are…

Next post: The Top Two Priorities of a Pastor

21 Comments:

John,you say: "The very words employed by the Holy Spirit are suggestive of the various functions of a pastor. One of the pastor’s primary concerns is to care for the sheep. He is to feed the sheep. He is to protect the sheep. He is to lead the sheep."

Well said!

Mark

By mark pierson, at 14/3/06 9:23 AM
Hi Mark,

Thanks for the comment.

You bless me (us;~)
brother John

By J. Wendell, at 15/3/06 4:48 AM
Thank for your wisdom John

Feed the Sheep ..Feed the Lambs

Doug

By forgiven, at 15/3/06 12:23 PM
Hi brother Doug,

I believe that your words "Feed the sheep... Feed the lambs" may be applied to everyone who is a believer. We are all to participate in the ministry.

Thanks again for your encouragement,
brother John

By J. Wendell, at 16/3/06 6:04 AM
Hi again, John.
You keep saying "Pastor" and "he".
Which is singular.

But all of your own scriptural foundations for the role of the elder/overseer/pastor is to be part of a group. That is, "elderS, overseerS, and pastorS". When I pressed you on this once before, you showed me to the site where six men all have "pastor" in front of their name. Fine.

So why do you keep writing about one man acting alone? It seems like you must be speaking about your "senior pastor". But there's no scriptural grounds for having one of those men be the head of the others. Is there?

Every scripture you've quoted to defend "pastors" has a plural reference to it.

So why do you write of a "pastor" (singular) at all?

By Bill Heroman, at 16/3/06 12:50 PM
HHi Bill,

This is NOT a fundamental truth, and since you seem to be straining at nats... and at this point I do not find that any mutual benefit in continuing in this vane. Please do not be, nor have a pastor, that is you choice. I have presented the biblical evidence and NO ONE has shown me a single Scripture that says not to have or not to be a pastor.

If your community has a unit called a Police Force, one may describe the various functions of a police officer in a singular form for the purpose of informing the many officers or community at large) what is expected of them:

The police officer must be...

BTW, Paul did this when he described the qualities of a bishop even though it can be applied to more than one right? You know this Bill you did not just fall off the tulip truck, so I am beginning to wonder where this is going.

Are you upset that we differ? That's not a bad thing you know, in fact it can be healthy.

By J. Wendell, at 17/3/06 6:31 AM
I'm not upset. Sorry if I was typing abruptly.

I took your post to be about the "Senior Pastor" of your group, but by your comment I understand you meant all six men, each as individuals. Is that right? Your police metaphor makes sense. So maybe I misunderstood your post - which would explain why you thought I was straining out gnats.

I still want to know where you find a "senior pastor" in the scripture. (I think the Ephesians 6 reference is a huge stretch.)

By the way, I'm not trying to find a scripture to tell you what NOT to do. But the only example I see in the NT of putting one man in charge is a Synagogue Ruler.

And where do you find an example of the same man (or 2 or 3 men) preaching every week, in the NT?

If we get to repeating ourselves, then I'll agree it's time to quit. I think I understand what you're quoting, and I see how you think it fits - but I don't agree THAT it fits. From here, it seems like your group works the same as any other Baptist or Independent Bible church I've ever met. I see your vision, but I see the job duties listed under those six names on your website, and I don't see such a thing in 1 Tim or Titus or Peter. (And I definitely don't see a "head elder" in there, either.)

For example: the "overseer" on a construction site usualy does LESS work than everyone else, but it seems like your six men do MOST of the work. (Is that so?) "Supervisor" is another good exact translation of "overseer"... for which most employees can make the same observation. A "supervisor" watches over. A "shepherd" watches over. A "shepherd" waits a long time before leading the sheep anywhere... but it seems like most american "elders" do lots of leading all the time!

It says "able to teach"... not "teach every week".

By the way, have you ever met anyone with views like mine?

But I'll give you this - you've thought and worked through this a whole lot more than anyone else I've ever heard from about it. Most people have one or two verses plus many assumptions; you actually put together a view of the NT elders which you feel is the same as what y'all do.

Though I still don't think it's the same, I get how you see it, and I appreciate being able to understand your view.

There's a couple of questions I think I've asked that I don't think you've addressed yet - 1) the lack of a "senior" elder in scripture and 2) the fact that Romans 12 was addressed to ALL the brethren... but if you're ready to quit, that's fine.

Thanks for the dialog, and I sincerely appreciate the exchanges.

Sorry again if I seemed upset.
I wasn't. Thanks again.

By Bill Heroman, at 19/3/06 1:40 PM
Hey again. Just to clarify...

You wrote: "When a church is obedient to her Lord they will have a mutually symbiotic relationship with the pastor that God ordains to lead them."

"...with the pastor..."

You sure you didn't mean the "senior pastor"? (You sure you really meant that sentence to be about all six men?)

But I'm asking, so I'll take you at your word. I hope this at least helps show where I got that idea. It sounds to me like you meant the head man.

Thanks again and again for the gracious discussion.

By Bill Heroman, at 19/3/06 1:46 PM
Interesting points, Bill.

By Matthew Celestine, at 19/3/06 4:10 PM
Ten thousand congregations should be forced by threat of bringing the old pastor back to read these posts!

Good work, John!

By Joe, at 20/3/06 6:24 AM
BTW: The overwhelming majority of churches have only one pastor.

They are too small to afford multiple staff members.

The average "Southern Baptist" church, for instance, has fewer than 300 total membership (far fewer in attendance).

By Joe, at 20/3/06 6:26 AM
But is their a necessary co-relation between the pastors that they have and the people that they actually employ?

Is it being employed as a pastor that makes one pastor?

Every Blessing in Christ

Matthew

By Matthew Celestine, at 20/3/06 8:30 AM
I don't think it is necessary to assume that all pastors/elders must be fulltime, or even paid for that matter.
The bottom line is this, Pastors/Elders/Bishops are gifts that God has given the church. The church has the responsibility to care for them in whatever way they can.
If they can't, then the Pastor/Elder/Bishop(s) needs to get a job. The congregation will have to understand that he/they will not be available 24/7, but that he will focus on his main jobs, preaching and prayer.
Then the deacons will have to fall in line and actually do their jobs, caring for the sick, widows, and orphans.

By Jeremy Weaver, at 21/3/06 9:44 PM
Doxo...: Deacons actually DO their jobs. I thought they were supposed to control everything and everybody. Isn't that what the Bible says in II Hezekiah 4:12?

By Joe, at 23/3/06 6:34 AM
I think it was IV McAffee's 8:11, Joe.

No, waitaminit. That was about firewall protection!

I'm so confused! ;)

By Bill Heroman, at 24/3/06 12:36 AM
Good discussion everyone.

Hi HB...
You said,

For example: the "overseer" on a construction site [usually] does, but it seems like your six men do MOST of the work. (Is that so?) "Supervisor" is another good exact translation of "overseer"... for which most employees can make the same observation. A "supervisor" watches over.

Up to this point I can sort of agree. On the job site it may seem that the supervisor does less work; however, he is usually responsible for making sure:

That he has the right man/or woman for the right job,

That the right men/women have the right or proper training,

That the right men/women have the right tools for the job,

That the right men/women have the right materials,

And that the job is done right.

Even a supervisor of a construction site does not do LESS work than everyone else. It is not a “do the less” job at all regardless of what it seems like. It is not more or less just different. To this point I can agree somewhat, but when you say,

A "shepherd" watches over. A "shepherd" waits a long time before leading the sheep anywhere... but it seems like most [American] "elders" do lots of leading all the time!

Here we part ways, that is, I could not disagree with you more...

I can guess you do not know any shepherds from the Orient or Eastern parts of the Earth and perhaps you are not that familiar with American shepherds. The labor is daily; sheep need constant care, even in a green pasture there are dangers both within and without. There are seasons of differing intensities and difficulties. There are weather conditions to be mindful of. There is much more to being a good shepherd than buying a flock and just watching to see what will happen. Sheep need food and water every day not just once a week. They need to feed themselves, but they will eat what the shepherd provides and sometimes they will eat things that are poision. The shepherd must take the precautions and give the treatment. In fact a cruel shepherd will not prosper much from a neglected, sick, malnourished flock no matter what the size. I recommended the book, "A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23", by Phillip Keller. This is an excellent glimpse into what shepherds face. It is not long and it is also a good read. I also heard a new book called "A Good Shepherd Smells Like the Sheep" or something like that.

If I missed a question chances are that I will be posting on it in the future, or that I don't have the answer, or that I am blowing it off.

Just kidding... the reason we Baptist refer to a senior pastor, or a main pastor, or in most cases the pastor (in the singular sense)is because we recognize that God has called a man to lead, this should be apparent from the illustration you used of a construction supervisor. Does the Bible ever speak of a flock of shepherds? The idea of a single pastor/bishop/elder can be found in 1 Timmothy3:1-2, Titus 1:7 and esp. 1Petter 2:25 I hope the model of a pastor satisfies you, but I have a hunch that it won’t. Acts is also a good source on this, there are examples in Revelation too, the seven churches had seven angles, or sent ones, and many believe these sent ones are pastors/overseers. Paul, Peter, and others disputed a matter with Pastor James of a church in Jerusalem (Acts 15). No, this was not the apostle James the brother of John, that James was martyred in Acts 12. It may be of interest to you, that the whole church was pleased, not just the multitude of the church(I think this may have come out in a vote). Here's harmony...

BTW being a pastor does not mean you do all the preaching or all the teaching, we have a host of gifted men and women at Emmanuel Baptist Church who are faithful to their functions as well (cf. Rom 12 and 1 Cor.12).

Note HB- Romans 12 and 1Cor.12 are about differences in the body, but all the same body. I think I have touched on all your questions. Let me know, and if you please, do not say that being a pastor or having a pastor is not biblical just because the history is chekered, and your experience of some churches differ. Everything I have presented is squarly founded on the Bible alone. Thaks for the discussion.

brother John

By J. Wendell, at 24/3/06 12:56 PM
Hi Jeremy,
Thanks for comming over.

You have said in a few words what has taken me days to say.

Good comments,
brother John

By J. Wendell, at 24/3/06 1:00 PM
Hi Joe,

Ten thousand congregations should be forced by threat of bringing the old pastor back to read these posts!

Thanks!

brother John

By J. Wendell, at 24/3/06 1:02 PM
Thanks for the answers, John. We're just gonna disagree on that view of "supervisors". Your own description of actual shepherds still doesn't sound like a whole lot of activity is required from them on a constant or a regular basis at all.

Next. You asked if there is a reference to a flock of shepherds?

Every reference to shepherds or pastors in scripture is a plural reference. Every. Single. One. And every time we see a "shepherd" he's among other, fellow "shepherds".

Paul, Timothy, Titus and Peter don't count. They were non-local, travelling men. Sure, Paul used the same metaphor, but it was a one time use, and a different context. Those men travelled constantly. They never lived in one place for more than 4 years.

Does your head pastor travel?

If not, fine. But don't say he's biblical! :)

Oh, and if you want James in Jerusalem to be your model, you can have him. Of course, then you've got to also take the law of moses and avoid strangled animals and so forth. Oh, and attend the synagogue. (James 2 doesn't say "assembly" in the greek. The translators ALL cheat.) ...okay, you don't "got to", unless you want to model yourself after James' era of the church in Jerusalem.

Finally: you say everything you've "presented is squarely founded on the Bible alone".

Sorry, but no. That is not in it's full context.

Can you tell me the order of Paul's epistles? Can you tell me what town he was in when he wrote each one? Can you tell me how many months or years he lived in each town he raised up? Can you tell me what age each church was that received elders, when it received them? Or which churches have no evidence of ever having elders at all?

Do you know that context?
(I do.)

Now, back to real life, today.

If you guys really have a "host of gifted men and women" who function in significant ways - then that's great. If that's true, then you're far better off than most places I've been. Of course, though, if you're not referring to the main meeting of the church, then you don't sound any different to me.

Sorry, but you don't have "biblical".

You've got disconnected "verses".

Relax and enjoy it - who said we had to work so hard to be "biblical"?

But if you're going to try for "biblical", then you ought to reconstruct the entire context of the whole NT. Not just put a sentence from Ephesians together with a sentence from First Timothy to get a "head" pastor.

Hey, bro... I love ya man! And I really appreciate your graciousness.

I'm sure I won't be here bugging you forever... :)

By Bill Heroman, at 26/3/06 9:28 PM
Hi HB,

Your plethora of questions, along with your perceived assumptions, and you offensive comments about not being biblical, truly make answering any of your honest questions difficult to discern. Not that I am not up to the task, but the time it takes to try to figure out what is important to you as a Christian and what is not is a bit boggling for this ordinary guy.

God does give pastors, and deacons, teachers, and servants, organizers, helpers, givers, comforters, etc. as He will. These are men and women with the gift of the Holy Spirit who also have gifts differing from the same Holy Spirit (there is only one H.S.). I have said this before; the office of bishop and the office of deacon are not the same as the gift of deacon and the gift of pastor. I will be posting on Spiritual gifts in the future and I think it may clear up any confusion you have about what biblical Baptists hold to. BTW perhaps this will help you understand the intentions of these posts.

OK you disagree, you think I am not biblical, you think pastors should be the way you think they ought to be, because of course you know the Bible so well and no one else does... how good for you. Relax; enjoy your knowledge and all that God has done for you. Your point has been made, noted, debated, and has not been dismissed. At least that is the my perceived impression of your point, am I wrong? I’ll give you the last word.

HB said…
Finally: you say everything you've "presented is squarely founded on the Bible alone".

Sorry, but no. That is not in [its] full context.

Can you tell me the order of Paul's epistles? Can you tell me what town he was in when he wrote each one? Can you tell me how many months or years he lived in each town he raised up? Can you tell me what age each church was that received elders, when it received them? Or which churches have no evidence of ever having elders at all?

Do you know that context?
(I do.)

Now, back to real life, today.

By J. Wendell, at 27/3/06 6:26 AM
I didn't realize I had offended you, John. Sorry for that.

The only thing I have to add is that I never once said "should". I never said that you guys need to change what you're doing.

I'm really not interested in trying to change your group or anyone else. And I don't assume that agreeing with me would require you to change. (Who ever said you HAD to follow the Bible?) :)

My goal on my NoPastor site is to try and get people to see that what goes on today is vastly different from what went on in the N.T. days. But so many men I've met, like you, seem to feel the need to prove that "we follow the bible".

By the way, I also never stated whether I feel our group here in Texas is "following the bible". I would never for one second try to claim that we are. In fact, we're not. I don't think there's a group on earth today that's doing precisely and exactly what those people did back then. And this is very freeing to me...

Maybe I just think differently...(?)

But my hope is that Protestants (including Baptists) will begin to give up this need to "prove" a basis for what they do. Why not just say "We follow the Lord according to our Baptist teachings and traditions"?

As long as you were game for the discussion, I appreciated the opportunity to discuss these things with you. You've been much more than gracious!!!

I'm sorry if you felt I was trying to change your own practices - that was never my intention.

I hope you understand.

See you around...

By Bill Heroman, at 28/3/06 4:09 PM