Church Governments

Lesson 8

The Office Of Pastor

Part 3: New Testament Pastors

We have previously ascertained through the scriptures that an executive form of government is the most biblical form of church government. Having established this fact, we continue our study of the New Testament church’s local executive—the pastor.

The Old Testament thoroughly established the office of the pastor, also known as the “principal of the flock” (Jeremiah 25:34). The powers and responsibilities of a pastor, as established in the Old Testament (not old covenant), are only slightly changed as we cross over into the New Testament.

DIFFERENCES

Old Testament pastors often operated as political leaders. This was the case with the judges and the kings. New Testament pastors are not leaders on the political level. Rather, they lead the local flock known in the New Testament as a church.
Old Testament pastors weren’t focused so much on teaching as they were on governing a nation, a region, or a tribe. New Testament pastors teach and only govern a congregation.
Old Testament pastors often led the people in natural battles. New Testament pastors rarely if ever lead natural battles but are constantly engaged in leading the local flock in spiritual battles.

SIMILARITIES

Both Old and New Testament pastors are God-ordained leaders.
Both Old and New Testament pastors are equipped and anointed to accomplish God’s will through leadership.
In both Old and New Testaments, God will speak first and foremost to the pastors concerning the direction for the flock before He will speak to the congregation.
The people voted neither Old nor New Testament pastors into office. As an example,
Paul set both Titus and Timothy in as the pastors over their respective churches.

NEW TESTAMENT JOB DESCRIPTION

Let us look at what a New Testament pastor is called to do:

Feed

Feeding refers to the continual teaching of the Word of God. Pastors keep their flock spiritually healthy by feeding them a steady diet of the Word. Not opinion, not politics, not fashion, not entertainment, but a steady diet of the Word.
Scriptures: John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2

Oversee

Overseeing refers to the responsibility of managing the activities within the local church, including the classes, the departments, the outreaches, etc. Overseeing includes looking out for the spiritual health of the sheep who submit to the headship of the local shepherd. Pastors are not authorized to oversee your private life or your home. They can teach you how to do better in your private life, but ultimately if you fail, it will be your fault. However, if your private life begins to sinfully affect the local fold, the pastor will deal with your private life.
Scriptures: Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2

Protect

Just as a natural shepherd must watch out for wolves, cougars, dogs, and other predators that would threaten his flock, so must a pastor watch out for the spiritual predators that would attack his local church. These would include perverts, deviants, cons, false preachers, Jezebels, insurrectionists, gainsayers, rebels, and Judases. Shepherds must often fight these predators off with the Word. Defending the sheep can get pretty ugly at times.
Scriptures: Acts 20:29-31; Hebrews 13:17

Be a Living Example

New Testament pastors must lead by example. The local pastor should be a holy example set forth before their congregation. Their entire life should be a living epistle worth reading and replicating. They should strive to be examples in their words, their lifestyle, their love, their attitude, their faith, and their purity. A pastor should have a lifestyle that, should someone choose to emulate it, would cause them to glorify Jesus Christ. This only comes by walking with God closer than anyone else in the church.
Scriptures: 1 Peter 5:3; 1 Timothy 4:12; Philippians 3:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:9

Train

Training is different than teaching. Most Christians like teaching. Very few Christians will actually tolerate and submit to training. Training requires correction, rebuking, practice, participation, and discipline. Teaching merely requires an attention span. Pastors are called to train up strong Christians.
Scriptures: 1 Timothy 5:20; 2 Timothy 2:14, 25; 3:14; Titus 1:13; 2:6, 15

Ordain Leaders

According to the New Testament epistles, it is the local pastor who raises up and ordains leaders in the local church. Without a pastor, you will not be able to be an elder, a bishop, or a deacon. You can’t be a bishop, elder, or deacon without a local church. The offices of elder, bishop, and deacon work together to help the local pastor manage and operate the local church.
Scriptures: 1 Timothy 3:1-15; Titus 1:5

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TOWARD YOUR PASTOR

Just as a pastor will be judged for how he cared for the LORD’s sheep, so too will the LORD’s sheep be judged for how they cared for their pastor. Never forget: your pastor has been given to you by the LORD Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:8, 11). Below are seven responsibilities you have toward the pastor the LORD has given you.

And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves. – 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

1. Know them. Not buddy-buddy knowledge but know their heart. Understand their vision, their personality, as well as their likes and dislikes. This can be done without hanging out. It can be done through prayer and by watching and listening.

2. Esteem them highly for their work’s sake. We are not taught to esteem them highly for their doctrine’s sake but for their work’s sake. No minister has perfect doctrine. If you look for holes, you will find some. Esteem and honor them for their labor for God.

3. Be at peace. Don’t be a source of strife or contention toward your leader. Someone will love your pastor more than you. Don’t run their leader down. You may end up with a bloody nose.

Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; the elder women as mothers, the younger as sisters, with all purity. – 1 Timothy 5:1-2

4. Rebuke not. We are commanded to never rebuke leadership but to call them near as we would our own father. Fathers and leaders can and will be wrong but rebuking them is also wrong. There is proper Kingdom decorum when dealing with leadership.

Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward. – 1 Timothy 5:17-18

5. Count them worthy of double honor. This is a reference to financial support. The pastor labors like an ox. Let him be rewarded. This is a proper form of honor.

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. – Hebrews 13:17

6. Obey them. Don’t be rebellious. Obey your godly leadership. Don’t obey sin and don’t obey heresy. If it’s biblical and furthers the Gospel cause, just obey it.

7. Submit yourselves. The entire Kingdom is founded on submission. Rebellion is witchcraft. Submit and help the local pastor fulfill the call on your church!

Pastors are still the “principal of the flock.” They are God-ordained authority in the local church. Love them. Pray for them. Learn to work with them. And enjoy the beauty of helping to build God’s kingdom.

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Church Governments

Lesson 8

The Office Of Pastor

Part 3: New Testament Pastors

We have previously ascertained through the scriptures that an executive form of government is the most biblical form of church government. Having established this fact, we continue our study of the New Testament church’s local executive—the pastor.

The Old Testament thoroughly established the office of the pastor, also known as the “principal of the flock” (Jeremiah 25:34). The powers and responsibilities of a pastor, as established in the Old Testament (not old covenant), are only slightly changed as we cross over into the New Testament.

DIFFERENCES

Old Testament pastors often operated as political leaders. This was the case with the judges and the kings. New Testament pastors are not leaders on the political level. Rather, they lead the local flock known in the New Testament as a church.

Old Testament pastors weren’t focused so much on teaching as they were on governing a nation, a region, or a tribe. New Testament pastors teach and only govern a congregation.

Old Testament pastors often led the people in natural battles. New Testament pastors rarely if ever lead natural battles but are constantly engaged in leading the local flock in spiritual battles.

SIMILARITIES

Both Old and New Testament pastors are God-ordained leaders.

Both Old and New Testament pastors are equipped and anointed to accomplish God’s will through leadership.

In both Old and New Testaments, God will speak first and foremost to the pastors concerning the direction for the flock before He will speak to the congregation.

The people voted neither Old nor New Testament pastors into office. As an example,

Paul set both Titus and Timothy in as the pastors over their respective churches.

NEW TESTAMENT JOB DESCRIPTION

Let us look at what a New Testament pastor is called to do:

Feed

Feeding refers to the continual teaching of the Word of God. Pastors keep their flock spiritually healthy by feeding them a steady diet of the Word. Not opinion, not politics, not fashion, not entertainment, but a steady diet of the Word.

Scriptures: John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2

Oversee

Scriptures: Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2

Protect

Scriptures: Acts 20:29-31; Hebrews 13:17

Be a Living Example

Scriptures: 1 Peter 5:3; 1 Timothy 4:12; Philippians 3:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:9

Train

Scriptures: 1 Timothy 5:20; 2 Timothy 2:14, 25; 3:14; Titus 1:13; 2:6, 15

Ordain Leaders

Scriptures: 1 Timothy 3:1-15; Titus 1:5

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TOWARD YOUR PASTOR

And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves. – 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

1. Know them. Not buddy-buddy knowledge but know their heart. Understand their vision, their personality, as well as their likes and dislikes. This can be done without hanging out. It can be done through prayer and by watching and listening.

2. Esteem them highly for their work’s sake. We are not taught to esteem them highly for their doctrine’s sake but for their work’s sake. No minister has perfect doctrine. If you look for holes, you will find some. Esteem and honor them for their labor for God.

3. Be at peace. Don’t be a source of strife or contention toward your leader. Someone will love your pastor more than you. Don’t run their leader down. You may end up with a bloody nose.

Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; the elder women as mothers, the younger as sisters, with all purity. – 1 Timothy 5:1-2

4. Rebuke not. We are commanded to never rebuke leadership but to call them near as we would our own father. Fathers and leaders can and will be wrong but rebuking them is also wrong. There is proper Kingdom decorum when dealing with leadership.

Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward. – 1 Timothy 5:17-18

5. Count them worthy of double honor. This is a reference to financial support. The pastor labors like an ox. Let him be rewarded. This is a proper form of honor.

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. – Hebrews 13:17

6. Obey them. Don’t be rebellious. Obey your godly leadership. Don’t obey sin and don’t obey heresy. If it’s biblical and furthers the Gospel cause, just obey it.

7. Submit yourselves. The entire Kingdom is founded on submission. Rebellion is witchcraft. Submit and help the local pastor fulfill the call on your church!

Pastors are still the “principal of the flock.” They are God-ordained authority in the local church. Love them. Pray for them. Learn to work with them. And enjoy the beauty of helping to build God’s kingdom.

Listen Along: