David B. Curtis
David B. Curtis
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Good morning, Bereans. We are continuing our study of 1 Peter this morning and will be beginning chapter 5. As we come into the final chapter of Peter's first letter, we come to a change of focus. Up to now, we have received the instructions from Peter as to how the saints should behave in the world. He has shown us the example of Christ as an illustration of how we are to behave, particularly in the face of persecution. But now Peter changes his focus and addresses the leaders of the these communities in these first 4 verses.
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 1 Peter 5:1-2 ESV
The main intent of this section of Scripture is wrapped up in the first word of verse 2, the word "shepherd." That is the main verb. That is the main thrust. That is the exhortation. Peter says, "So I exhort the elders among you… shepherd the flock of God."
For our time this morning, we are going to consider Peter's exhortation to the elders to shepherd the flock of God. Next week we'll exegete these first four verses.
This passage is unique because it is the only passage in a New Testament letter that singles out elders from the rest of the believers for direct exhortation. The only other example of direct exhortation to elders is found in Paul's message to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20.
Our text tells us that elders are to shepherd the flock of God. "Shepherd the flock of God" is an aorist active imperative. The elders are commanded to shepherd.
Notice what Paul says in Titus 1.
This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—Titus 1:5 ESV
Here we are told that the organization of the Cretan church was unfinished due to the brevity of Paul's visit. Paul left Titus on the island to correct the situation, instructing him to "put what remained into order" by appointing elders in every town. In other words, a church is not in order and not functioning as God intended without an appointed leadership according to the guidelines of Scripture.
So, let's look at what the Scriptures have to say about church leadership. There are four terms used in the New Testament to describe church leaders, and none of them is "reverend." I don't think it is biblical for a minister to use the title "Reverend." The word is found only once in the KJV Bible and is not a reference to a man but to Yahweh.
He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant forever: holy and reverend is his name. Psalms 111:9 KJV
It is only the name Yahweh that is holy and reverend. The Hebrew word for reverend here is "yare." According to Strong's, it means "to fear; morally, to revere; cause to frighten." BDB lexicon defines it as "to fear, revere, be afraid."
Clearly, only Yahweh is to be revered, and in holding the reverence of God, we exercise godly fear. We know who He is and recognize His absolute power over all things. That is certainly not an attribute of an under shepherd who pastors a local congregation of believers. The reverence this word speaks of is reserved for Yahweh alone. I think it is clear that using the term "Reverend" sends the wrong message as to what God's leader in the local church is to be. Only Yahweh is to be revered.
There are four terms used in the New Testament to describe church leaders: bishop, elder, shepherd, and leaders. The most widely used New Testament designation for local church leaders is "elders."
In verse 1 and 2, we see that Peter uses three of these terms for the leaders of the church. He calls them elders in verse 1 (to the elders), but in verse 2, he calls them both shepherds (pastors) and overseers (bishops). In some churches, these are three separate positions (elders, pastors, bishops), but in the Scriptures, they are not. They are used interchangeably for the same office, just as Peter uses them in this passage.
Elders—is the Greek word presbuteros. It is used 72 times in the New Testament. It refers to mature in age. Presbuterosis, used a total of 20 times in Acts and the Epistles, is in reference to leaders in the church.
Bishops—is from the Greek word episkopos. It means "guardian or overseer." It is used 5 times in the New Testament—once of Christ (1 Peter 2:25) and four times of church leaders. It is plural (bishops).
Leaders—is from the Greek word hēgeomai, which according to Thayer, means "to lead, to go before, to be a leader, to rule, command." It is only used of church leaders in Hebrews 13:7.
Shepherd—this is from the Greek word poimainō which means "to tend as a shepherd (or figuratively, supervisor): - feed, rule" according to Strong's.
Now you may be wondering about the word pastor? Well, you won't find the word "pastor" in the ESV. The word "pastor" is found once in the New Testament in the KJV.
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; Ephesians 4:11 KJV
Pastors here is the Greek word poimen. It is translated as pastor in the KJV and NASB. Most modern translations translate it as shepherd. The word pastor is not found in most modern versions. So, where did the word pastor come from. The word "pastor" comes from the Latin word pascere, [Pa-sha-ree] meaning "to lead to pasture" or "to feed." This term was adopted into Church Latin to describe a spiritual leader or shepherd of a congregation, and it is the origin of the word pastor. So, pastor comes from the Latin translation of the Greek word poimen. It was first used in the 1560 Geneva Bible in Ephesians 4:11. Of the 18 uses of poimen, it is only translated as pastor once.
The normal meaning of the word poimen is "shepherd" (to protect, feed, care for, and lead). Shepherds are not distinct from bishops or elders or leaders. The terms are simply different ways of identifying the same people. Textual evidence indicates that all three of these terms refer to the same person.
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 1 Peter 5:1-2 ESV
The word "elders" in verse 1 is presbuteros. The word "shepherd" in verse 2 is poimaino. And the word "oversight" in verse 2 is episkopeo. Peter instructs the elders to be good shepherds as they oversee the flock.
Let's look at the only other text that gives a direct exhortation to elders.
Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. Acts 20:17 ESV
Evidently Paul's ship had a several-day layover in Miletus, or he may have changed ships after spending a few days there. It would have taken at least one day for Paul's message to reach the Ephesian elders and at least one more day for them to make their way to Miletus to join him.
Notice that he called for the "elders" (plural) of the "church" (singular). Now, that is important because it tells us right at the beginning that there was more than one elder in the church at Ephesus. In other words, the churches of apostolic founding were churches that had plural leadership. Every Scripture that mentions elders in connection with local churches indicates that there were plural elders in each church. Philippians 1:1 – The church in Philippi had bishops (plural) and deacons. Acts 15:4, 22 – There were elders (plural) in the church at Jerusalem (compare verses 2, 6, 23; 16:4; 21:17,18). Acts 20:28 states that they were to take heed to themselves (plural) and to the flock (singular) where they had been made overseers (plural).
It's amazing to me how people like to get away from the simple teaching of the Word of God concerning the organization of the Church. Now, I'm sure that there were a number of house churches in the city of Ephesus, and the elders of the church are the elders from each of these house churches. We know that they met in homes. But we also know that they gathered together as the church at Ephesus.
For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 1 Corinthians 11:18 ESV
This church at Ephesus had a plurality of elders. The idea that there was one elder who had the office of pastor is not Apostolic doctrine. The Apostolic doctrine is that the Church is ruled by a body of elders. Notice what Paul writes to the church at Philippi:
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Yeshua, To all the saints in Christ Yeshua who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Philippians 1:1 ESV
This is the earliest Epistle where bishops and deacons are mentioned, and it is the only one where they are separately addressed. I have a question for you, "Where's the pastor?" Is Paul mad at him, so he snubs him? Is Paul being fleshly? No, there was no single pastor. There is not one book in the New Testament that is addressed to one man the pastor of the church. Yeshua the Christ is the Head of the Church, not a man. Elders are under shepherds who care for the flock.
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. Acts 20:28 ESV
Here Paul is addressing the elders from verse 17, and we see the same three Greek words used to describe those who lead the church. Elder emphasizes who the man is; bishop/overseers and shepherd/care speak of what he does.
This message that Paul delivers to the elders of the church at Ephesus is the only one delivered to Christians recorded by Luke in the Book of the Acts. And so, what we have is something rather significant because it is Paul's message to a believing body. Most of the time in Acts, we see Paul the Evangelist, but here in Acts 20, we get a unique picture of Paul as the loving shepherd.
"Pay careful attention to yourselves"—Paul could mean, "Elders, be on guard of each other's needs and weaknesses and faults." Or it could mean, "Elders, each of you be on guard of his own heart and doctrine and behavior." Probably it means both.
Talking to Timothy, who was an elder in Ephesus, Paul writes:
Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy 4:16 ESV
An elder must first and foremost be on guard for his own spiritual life. He cannot shepherd the flock if his life is a mess.
Paul guarded his own life with extreme diligence, as evidence by the following:
So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 ESV
Paul didn't want to be disqualified from the ministry, so he disciplined himself. Paul's life was an example to all, and he told Timothy to also be an example:
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 ESV
Timothy is at Ephesus, and Paul tells him to be an example, which is basically what he is saying to these elders when he wrote: "Pay careful attention to yourselves." I think that every elder should be able to say what Paul said.
What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:9 ESV
Paul is saying, "Do as I do." Elders should be able to say this to the flock: "Follow me." Richard Baxter said, "An unholy pastor is like a stained-glass window, he's just a religious figure that keeps the light out."
In the ministry today, the Biblical qualifications for church leaders are rarely mentioned. Everything is all about performance. Character doesn't count. But it counts to God. Pastors are to be an example of what God wants us all to be. As Christians, we are to live a holy godly life.
Paul tells the Ephesian elders that they are not only to guard themselves but also
"all the flock." Then he tells them to "Care for the church of God." Care is from the Greek word poimainō which means "shepherd."
Notice the "sheep" symbolism that Paul used here. The flock were the "sheep," and the elders were the "shepherds" of the flock who were appointed by the Holy Spirit to protect and to feed the sheep. The danger was to come from the "wolves" who would savagely seek to destroy the flock and to devour some of the sheep. In Jeremiah 13:17 and in Zechariah 10:3, God calls Israel "the Lord's flock."
Paul states that "The Holy Spirit has made you overseers." Notice that they are made overseers and elders not by self-election and not by human ordination but by divine appointment. It was the Holy Spirit who made them overseers.
Now my question is how? How does the Holy Spirit appoint someone as an elder?
Well, I think that when the apostles were around, they appointed elders, and those who were apostolic delegates appointed elders.
This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—Titus 1:5 ESV
Clearly, the apostles and their delegates could appoint elders. Their appointment was the Holy Spirit's appointment. But because the apostles have all died off, how does the Holy Spirit appoint elders? Look at 1 Timothy 3.
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 1 Timothy 3:1-2 ESV
I see from this text two ways that the Holy Spirit appoints elders: First He plants a desire in their heart for the work. The Greek word for "aspires" is oregomai, which means "reach out after (long for), covet after, desire."
And secondly, the man fits the qualifications that are listed here and in Titus 1. So, it's not that elders appoint elders. Elders recognize those whom the Holy Spirit has appointed and who have begun to function as elders.
Paul tells these elders that their task is to "shepherd the church of God." Peter tells the elders the same thing in 1 Peter.
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 1 Peter 5:1-2 ESV
According to the New Testament, the leadership or pastoral oversight of the local church is to be shared by all men in the church who qualify and desire the work. Church leadership is to be a team effort. Every place in the New Testament where the term presbuteros is used, it is plural (except where John and Peter use it to speak of themselves). The norm in the New Testament church was a plurality of elders. There is no reference in all of the New Testament to a one-pastor congregation. Today's tradition of a single pastor leading a church is not the biblical norm but is a violation of the scriptural pattern.
Pride and selfishness plague much of the Lord's work. The world's concepts of power, honor, and authority in leadership permeate our churches. Shared leadership and humble servanthood make up the biblical form of leadership rather than one-man leadership. Eldership enhances brotherly love, humility, mutuality, and loving interdependence.
What are the duties of elders/shepherds? To understand what shepherd means, look at a conversation that Yeshua has with Peter in John 21.
When they had finished breakfast, Yeshua said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Yeshua said to him, "Feed my sheep. John 21:15-17 ESV
Yeshua tells Peter, "Feed my lambs." This is a present active imperative indicating that Peter is to make a habit of feeding Yeshua's lambs. Three times in this text, Yeshua commands Peter to feed his sheep: (1) "Feed my lambs," (2) "tend my sheep," (3) "feed my sheep." One of those times, the middle time, He uses poimino (to shepherd). But the first and third time He uses the word "bosco," instead. The verb bosco is used both literally and figuratively for feeding animals, providing nourishment, while the verb poimino includes shepherding duties toward the flock such as guiding, guarding, and ruling, (literally or figuratively). A quote from the Jewish historian, Philo, employs both verbs, "Those who feed (bosco) supply nourishment…but those who tend (poimino) have the power of rulers and governors."(Philo, Quod Deterius Potiori Insidiari Soleat, viii #25).
The main job of a church leader is to feed God's flock from His Word. Not to entertain them, wow them, make them feel good, fill the church. He is to teach God's Word. Paul stipulates that elders must
hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. Titus 1:9 ESV
The sheep are vulnerable to attacks from false teachers who try to lead them astray from the truth. A pastor who doesn't feed the flock on sound doctrine is not doing his job!
So, from what Yeshua says to Peter, we see that the primary responsibility of the shepherd is to feed the flock by teaching them the Scriptures. Whether they are called elder, overseer, or pastor, the church leaders' primary responsibility is to teach the Word of God. This is what Yeshua called Peter to do. This is what Paul did. And this is what Paul calls the Ephesian elders to do.
In Ezekiel 34 we have a divine rebuke of the "shepherds of Israel" because they had forsaken their task and calling as shepherds and had begun to feed themselves from the flock, rather than feeding the flock.
"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus, says the Lord GOD: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? Ezekiel 34:2 ESV
Their job was to feed the flock, but they were not doing it. Yahweh goes on in this text to rebuke the shepherds of Israel for the fact that His flock had been scattered and the sheep were being devoured.
As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, Ezekiel 34:8 ESV
Then the Lord gives this promise:
"Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. Ezekiel 34:11 ESV
I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. Ezekiel 34:15-16 ESV
So, Yahweh promised Israel that He would "seek the lost" sheep of Israel. He did this in Christ who was the great Shepherd of the sheep. God promises Israel that He will "seek the lost" sheep of Israel. Now notice what Yeshua says:
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." Luke 19:10 ESV
Yeshua, quoting Ezekiel, is saying, "I am God." Yeshua is Yahweh in the flesh who has come to seek and save the lost. He is the Great Shepherd. And in John 10, Yeshua is called "the good shepherd."
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:11 ESV
By saying this, Yeshua was telling those Jews that He was Yahweh. They knew from Psalm 23 that Yahweh was their shepherd. They knew Psalm 80 where Yahweh is referred to as the "Shepherd of Israel."
Therefore, when Yeshua says, "I am the good shepherd," He announced His absolute deity. By using the tetragrammaton (YHWH—the "I am") and by claiming to be the good shepherd, He made a double claim to deity. Both the "I Am" and "shepherd" refer to Yahweh. Yeshua is telling them and us that He is Yahweh in the flesh.
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. Acts 20:28 ESV
This flock that these elders are to feed is "The Church of God." It belongs to the Lord God. And then he says, "Which He obtained with His own blood." The word "obtained" here is not the common word for "to buy" which is used in the sense of buying a slave out of the slave market. This is the Greek word peripoieomaia, which means "to get for one's own." The force of this word is "I have made these things my own."
This flock was purchased "with his own blood." These sheep were so valuable to God that He purchased them with the precious blood of His own Son. Peter wrote the following in 1 Peter 1:
knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 1 Peter 1:18-19 ESV
When we think of the cross as the divine purpose by which the Son of God, the second person of the eternal Trinity, came to earth, took to Himself a human nature, and in that human nature offered the atoning sacrifice to the Lord God for the people of God, then we have the eternal purpose of God. It's God who is active at the crucifixion of the Lord Yeshua the Christ, preeminently, and not man. So, "He has obtained the Church with the blood of His own One." Knowing how valuable the Church is to God, the elders are to do all in their power to shepherd the flock of God.
Paul tells the Corinthians:
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV
Believers, when we get up in the morning we should say, "I am not my own today. I belong to another. I have been bought with a price. In all I do today I am to glorify God."
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. Acts 20:28 ESV
Notice that all three members of the Trinity are mentioned in this verse: The Father, who purchased the flock, the Son, who shed His blood to pay for their sins, and the
Holy Spirit, who appointed elders over the flock.
Let me say, therefore, that I think that shepherding can be boiled down to "feed and lead." Teach the Word of God and live out a godly example. The Puritans sparked renewal in large part through their commitment to regarding preaching as the pastor's primary task. J. I. Packer states: "To the Puritan, faithful preaching was the basic ingredient in faithful pastoring." He then cites from John Owen, who wrote, "The first and principal duty of a pastor is to feed the flock by diligent preaching of the Word. This feeding is of the essence of the office of a pastor." (A Quest for Godliness [Crossway Books], p. 283).
Let me say it again: The main job of a church leader is to feed God's flock from His Word. Not to entertain them, wow them, make them feel good, or fill the church. He is to teach God's Word. Paul stipulates that some elders are to be supported financially so that they can labor hard at preaching and teaching (1 Timothy 5:17). He says that the elders must
hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. Titus 1:9 ESV
The sheep are vulnerable to attacks from false teachers who try to lead them astray from the truth. A pastor who doesn't feed the flock on sound doctrine is not doing his job!
Barrett writes, "This ministry is described in verbs, not nouns: Tend, feed, not Be a pastor, hold the office of pastor. And the sheep are Christ's sheep, not Peter's. Not, Tend your flock, but Tend my sheep" (Barrett," Essays," pp. 165-166).
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