It is not uncommon for preachers answering the telephone to hear those famous words, “Are you the pastor?” After replying in the negative, and perhaps adding, “I am a preacher,” callers usually respond by saying, “What’s the difference?” or “Same difference.”
Those in the second category are obviously salesmen–and obtuse ones at that, or they would feign interest in the distinction. Those who do ask expect an answer in ten words or less; so they often lose interest about three sentences into the explanation, and if they ever call back, will ask for “the pastor” again.
For most preachers, this conversation occurs dozens of times a year either on the telephone or in person. The reason is that the “pastor” concept which has developed over the years has become so accepted into society that when the truth is set forth, it sounds strange and peculiar to most people. What does the Bible teach on this subject?
The four passages using “rule” are in Matthew 2:6 and Revelation 2:27; 12:5; 19:15. The other seven times “feed” represents the Greek word; two of those verses we will especially want to consider (later)ÑActs 20:28 and 1 Peter 5:2.
Two other related words should be mentioned. One (pronounced poim’ nay) is translated “flock” (Matt. 26:31; Luke 2:8; 1 Cor. 9:7) and “fold” (John 10:16); the other (pronounced poim nee’ own) is also translated “flock” (Luke 12:32; Acts 20:28-29; 1 Peter 5:2-3).
A pastor, then, is a shepherd. Members of the church are referred to as sheep, who are tended by shepherds. Jesus is THE shepherd (or pastor) over His flock, the church.
“So what’s the problem?” someone asks. “We have always understood that; the pastor takes care of his flock–literally or spiritually. So why don’t you want to be called a pastor?” There is more to discover in this study: God uses some other words which also refer to these same men.
One related word (pronounced eh peace koh pay’) refers to the office of a bishop (Acts 1:20; 1 Tim. 3:1). Someone might wonder, “What do these words have to do with the ‘pastor’ word group?” After one more word is examined, the relationship will be shown.
Acts 20:17. Paul called “the elders of the church.”
1 Timothy 5:17. The elders who ruled well were to be worthy of double honor.
Titus 1:5. Titus was instructed to “ordain elders in every city.”
James 5:14. Those who were sick were to “call for the elders of the church.”
1 Peter 5:14. Peter spoke specifically to the “elders which are among you.”
Elders are older men (and always have been, historically, regardless of the Mormons’ misuse of the term) who shepherd (feed) and oversee the flock. How do we know they refer to the same group of men and not three different classes of men? We know because the three terms are used interchangeably in two passages of Scripture. First, let us study Acts 20.
Paul wanted to talk to the leaders of the church at Ephesus, but he did not want to take the time to travel there because he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem. “From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the ELDERS of the church” (Acts 20:17). They came to him and he told them the things he wanted to say in verses 18-35. In verse 28 he says to take heed “to all the FLOCK, among which the Holy Spirit has made you OVERSEERS, to SHEPHERD the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (NKJ).
Clearly, the elders (v. 17) are also the overseers (v. 28), whose function it is to shepherd the flock (or pastor it). The next verse mentions “savage wolves” who will come in among you, “not sparing the flock.” The pastoral function of elders or overseers can scarcely be overlooked.
Another passage in which these words are used interchangeably is 1 Peter 5:1-4. Peter begins by giving an exhortation to the “ELDERS who are among you” (1). “SHEPHERD the FLOCK of God which is among you, serving as OVERSEERS, not by constraint but willingly, not for dishonest gain” (2). FLOCK is used again in verse 3, and in verse 4 Jesus is termed the CHIEF SHEPHERD. Just as in Acts 20, so here it must be obvious that elders are overseers (bishops) are pastors (shepherds).
Consider also that when Paul reached the farthest point in his first missionary journey, he returned through all the congregations he established and “appointed elders in every church” (Acts 14:23). He left Titus in Crete to do the same thing. But when he sent a letter to the Philippians, he addressed it to the bishops and deacons (1:1). The bishops or elders or pastors are over the church; they serve as shepherds over the flock.
Did Paul call for “the pastor” of Ephesus to come meet with him? Did he appoint “the pastor” in every city or instruct Titus to do so? Is the epistle to the Philippians addressed to “the pastor” and a board of deacons? The Bible always speaks of elders–not the elder, the overseer, the pastor. So even if a preacher is an elder, he is still not “the pastor.”
The denominational world has spawned a great deal of terminology that is not Biblical. Many have “youth pastors.” But the qualifications for elders-pastors-bishops includes being married and having children. “A bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife. . . one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence” (1 Tim. 3:2-4). Paul repeats both of these in Titus 1:6: “the husband of one wife, having faithful children.” Yet how many denominational “pastors” have no children, and how many youth “pastors” have no children? It should be clear to any right-thinking individual that the “pastor” system was one invented by man and not instituted by God. The “pastor” concept, as practiced by most religious groups today, is a departure from the Word of God.
Timothy was instructed to “preach the word” (2 Tim. 4:2) and to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim. 2:5). He was a preacher of the gospel of Christ, an evangelist. Now admittedly some of the work of the preacher overlaps with the work of elders, but each has its own emphasis. Elders primarily oversee the flock, but that does not mean they cannot teach the gospel to those who are lost in sin. Preachers want to preach the gospel to those lost in sin, but that does not mean they cannot teach or speak to the church.
Timothy and Titus were instructed by Paul to do the following things.
1. Put brethren in remembrance of certain things (1 TIm. 4:6). 2. Rebuke them that sin–even elders (1 Tim. 5:20). 3. Hold fast the pattern of sound words (2 Tim. 1:13). 4. Reprove, rebuke, exhort (2 Tim. 4:2; Titus 2:15). 5. Speak things that become sound doctrine (Titus 2:1). 6. Commit the truths they had learned to faithful men who would be able to teach others also (2 Tim. 2:2). 7. Put things in order (ordaining elders) (Titus 1:5).
All of these require dealing with members of congregations; preachers can teach the church. And there is no age requirement to preach, nor are there any family requirements, as there are for pastors. All one needs to do to understand how God organized the church is to read and study the Scriptures, looking for truth,and setting aside society’s cultural influence upon “Christendom.” In two thousand years, many traditions have been begun by men–many practices which are not authorized or taught in the New Testament.
Many traditions, owing their origin to a time and place outside of the New Testament era, have likewise been handed down: sprinkling in place of baptism, instrumental music in addition to singing, Easter and Christmas celebrations, the “pastor system.” None of these is authorized in the New Testament, but people practice them anyway, just as if they were sacred commandments. “And in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:9).
So, while to denominational folk, a pastor may be thought to be the same as a preacher, the New Testament does not teach such an idea. Of course, no one expects this explanation to have any effect on “pastors,” since, if they were concerned about what the Bible teaches, they would recognize that denominationalism itself lacks Scriptural authority. God did not create denominations, and Jesus did not die for them; He died for His body, the church (Acts 20:28). But those who are truly interested in what the Bible teaches will profit from this study.
In Hosea’s today God’s people were destroyed for a lack of knowledge (4:6). In Jesus’ day, people were more enthusiastic in keeping the traditions of men than they were the commandments of God (Matt. 15:1-9). The same is true today. Many are unwilling to let the lack of Biblical authority (Col. 3:17) stand in the way of their love for “pastor” system or the use of instrumental music in worship. “What saith the Scriptures?” has been replaced with “What saith my emotions?” and “How do I feel about that?”
Popularity (what pleases mankind) has taken precedence over pleasing God, as demonstrated by man’s neglect in even caring about correct church organization. Furthermore, many have no respect for true worship (as opposed to vain worship), eschatology, or whether baptism is “in order to obtain forgiveness of” or “because of having obtained forgiveness of” sins. Words have definitions, and the Holy Spirit chose them because of that fact. Oh, that man might be satisfied to follow God’s Word on every subject (Gen. 6:22).