PASTORS
The pastor is the one who tends the flock of God. He is the shepherd or the
pastor of the church and his most important role is the constant guiding and
feeding of the flock with the Word. Paul, on his way to Jerusalem where he
would be imprisoned, called the elders of the church at Ephesus and told them to
Take heed therefore to yourselves, and all the flock,
over the which the Holy Ghost has made you overse-
ers, to feed the church of God, which he has pur-
chased with His own blood (Acts 20:28).
The pastor is the shepherd, the one who takes care of the church. Peter
called himself a pastor. He was a shepherd. He spoke to the elders and said,
The elders which are among you I exhort, who am
also an elder...Feed the flock of God which is among
you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint,
but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being
ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shep-
herd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory
that fadeth not away
(I Peter 5:1-4).
I believe these admonitions set forth very graphically the ministry of the
pastor. Many elders were pastors who labored in work and doctrine; however,
some elders did not seem to have a preaching ministry (I Tim. 5:17). I will have
more to say about this when I discuss the role of the elder in the church.
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