Monica Hill continues her study on the Ministry Gifts of Ephesians 4.

This article is part of a series. Click here to read other instalments.

“It was Christ who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13, emphasis added)

The gift of ‘pastoring’ is one with which we are all familiar – it is the backbone of the Church in this country and has been for many centuries. In many ways, it is often the only role recognised as carrying any form of leadership responsibility.

Even though the wording of Ephesians 4 seems to link it with ‘teaching’, the two roles are quite different - as we will see over the next two weeks. They can often be combined – for instance, the pastor often also carries the role of teacher – but this is not always the case. Therefore, we will look at them separately.

A common definition of a pastor is “one who is usually an ordained leader of a Christian congregation…A pastor also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation.”¹ The ministry gift of pastoring was given to ensure that named individuals took long-term responsibility for the spiritual well-being of the group of believers in their care.

But Ephesians 4 is the only mention of the role of ‘pastor’ in the Bible - the word more often used is ‘shepherd’. In fact, the Greek noun used for ‘pastor’ in Ephesians 4 is poimēn (‘shepherd’), linked to the verb poimaino (‘to shepherd’) and the Latin word pascere meaning ‘fed or grazed’. The links with feeding sheep are plain to see. This is carried through visually in Western Christianity in the formal crosiers often carried by bishops, shaped as stylised shepherd’s crooks, symbolising their pastoral/shepherding functions.

The Good Shepherd

The Old Testament’s teaching on pastoring is summed up in the well-loved Psalm 23, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’. This is followed by Jesus and his teaching in John 10 that he is the Good Shepherd, which gives us a great model of the kind of pastoring that we need to seek and practise.

Ephesians 4 is the only mention of the role of ‘pastor’ in the Bible - the word more often used is ‘shepherd’.

It was in one of Jesus’s appearances on the seashore to his disciples after his resurrection that Jesus asked Peter “Do you really love me?” three times, which in effect brought about his full forgiveness and restitution following his three denials just before the crucifixion. Each time Peter was commissioned to “Feed my sheep” or “Feed my lambs” (John 3:17); Jesus indicated that the way for Peter to love his Lord was to shepherd his sheep.

The Call to be a Shepherd

Shepherding is more than just caring for the spiritual needs of those given into your care (the responsibility of agricultural shepherds is to care for many different aspects of their flock) – it should also mean building people up so that they mature and reach their full potential.

This is the end goal towards which those who are called to pastor (or shepherd) others today should be aiming. They not only need to be able to feed and care for the flock in their charge, they also need to have the gift of being able to draw out all the gifts in others, so that the Body of Christ grows up, and the flock are fully equipped and supported to be on the front line.²

Paul was much more an evangelist than a pastor, but he saw the need for continuing care when he moved on – not only in teaching but in broader support of the newly formed group or congregation. He reminded the Ephesians to care for the flock in the brief meeting he had with the elders on his way to Jerusalem (Acts 20:28-29).

Shepherding – Biblical vs Western

The picture given of shepherding in biblical times, which Jesus often used as an example, is very different from the ways in which we farm and care for sheep today in the West – both physically and spiritually. We must be careful to compare the two, so we can be clear on what the Lord is recommending! Read John 10 and make your own comparisons to add to those below.

• The biblical shepherd goes ahead of the sheep, leading by example; Western shepherds drive from the back and follow behind the sheep – and often use a dog to help keep control.
  
• The biblical shepherd watches over his sheep at all times; the Western shepherd takes them to a field and leaves them there.
  
• The biblical shepherd is always seeking new pastures to provide good food for his sheep; Western shepherds use planned fields with boundaries.
  
• In biblical times many of the flocks were kept safely together with others at night; in Western nations we have isolated ourselves away from each other, with pastors only called upon when needed.
  
• The biblical shepherd shares the night-time watch with others; the Western shepherd can be very parochial and denominational.
  
• The biblical shepherd knows his sheep by name and goes searching for the one who has strayed away; the Western shepherd has a long list of email addresses but may not enjoy close relationship with the flock.
  
• The biblical shepherd teaches the sheep to discern the good shepherd from the bad – to know the voice of the Good Shepherd, so they are not deceived by other voices calling them away; the Western shepherd often does the discernment for the flock – or not at all.
  

In the closing exhortations in the letter to the Hebrews, Jesus is recognised as “that great Shepherd of the Sheep” (Heb 13:20). Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) who will go to any lengths to save one lost lamb – even being willing to give his life.

Shepherding is more than just caring for the spiritual needs of those given into your care – it should also mean building people up so that they mature and reach their full potential.

Giving further instructions in his model in John 10, Jesus says:

• “I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them” (vv7-8). We are not to follow or listen to those who have the wrong motive.
  
• “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved…I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full” (vv9-10). Through Jesus the sheep will find all they need - including eternal life.
  
• “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand…abandons the sheep and runs away…[he] cares nothing for the sheep” (vv11-13). We are to avoid those do not care enough. Under-shepherds should have the same kind of commitment as Jesus – they should not act like hired hands.
  
• “I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father” (vv14-15).
  
• “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also” (v16). Jesus is the shepherd for others who have no shepherd and is concerned to bring them into the fold too.
  

Continuing Care

Peter urges his fellow elders in 1 Peter 5:1-4: “to be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away”.

References

1 Wikipedia, Pastor.

2 Heavy shepherding was a feature in the early days of the charismatic movement in the 1980s and is still followed by some today. It can be counter-productive as it does not lead to building up the body to maturity but rather to increased dependence on humans rather than the Lord.