The Shepherding Role of Elders

A shepherd tending his flock in the Hungarian countryside

So many churches today have unbiblical forms of government that are more like sixteenth century England than the first century.  Many leaders like to take up titles like “senior pastor” or “bishop.” They use these to mean something quite different from what those words originally meant in the Bible. And churches sometimes use English words like “presbyter” or “elder” without a correct understanding of their historical meaning. 

It’s very important that we use biblical terms for functions of church government, and that we understand their meaning, because these are directly connected with our practice.  A wrong understanding of language leads to erroneous practices.  So let’s see what the Bible teaches us about these terms.

Elders
First of all, there is the term “elders.”  In many churches today, this simply refers to the church board, the board of directors, or the board of elders.  In many cases, this is simply a group that provides approval for whatever the so-called “pastor” wants to do.  In other cases, the board members run the church, and if the so-called “pastor” doesn’t do what they want, they fire him or put undo pressure on him.  But we never see this in the Bible, so what does the Scripture teach us?

The elders in Scripture are always a group of men who have “the rule” in the local assembly.  But they do so as humble servants, not as lords.  The term “elder” actually comes from the Greek word presbuteros, where we get the English words “presbyter,” “presbytery,” and “Presbyterian.” 

Aside from the fact that this word literally means “older” or “senior,” we cannot infer too much meaning from the term itself, except for perhaps the historical functions of city elders in biblical times.  The elders would be seated in the city gate and people would bring issues to them for a judgment or decision. 

The apostle Peter considered himself an elder, even though he was one of the original Twelve chosen by Jesus Christ.  He walked with the Lord, served with Him, and even saw Him after His resurrection.  Yet when he wrote to the elders, he simply referred to himself as a “fellow-elder” (Gr., sumpresbuteros).  He wrote: “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed…” (1Pe 5:1). This is an important passage, because Peter did not use the title “Apostle Peter” or consider himself above these men in any way that would imply greater rank or greater importance.

Another important thing to note is that Peter referred to the elders as being “among” (Gr., en) the flock, not over it or above it.  He wrote, “I exhort the elders among you…” And this is consistent with the way the apostle Paul described them.  He wrote to the Thessalonians, "We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves." (1Th 5:12-13).  So Paul also referred to them as “those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord.”  But he didn’t actually say they were “over you.”  In the Greek we see that he said they “have charge over you in the Lord,” which is not a matter of position but of responsibility, accountability, and authority. 

At the end of Paul’s third and final missionary journey, he was heading back to Jerusalem.  Because he was in a rush to get there by the Day of Pentecost, when he passed by Ephesus, he did not travel into the city.  Instead he stopped at Miletus and sent word for the elders to come to meet with him.  “For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.” (Act 20:16-17)

There was one church in Ephesus, as we can see from this passage.  It was referred to as simply “the church.”  Yet there was more than one elder.  The Scripture says, he called to him “the elders of the church.”  This is consistent with the usage of the term “elders” throughout the New Testament.  And there is never any mention in Scripture of a “head elder,” “lead elder,” “key man,” or “first among equals.” These are all modern terms that men have come up with to describe their unbiblical approach to leadership.

Overseers
Now let’s look at the term “overseers.”  Our English word “overseer” comes from the Greek word "episkopos."  This word has two roots – "epi" and "scopos."  “Epi” is a Greek preposition that can mean things like "among," "upon," or "over." This is where we get words like “epicenter” meaning “upon the center” or “above the center”.  The word “scopos” means "to watch, as a sentry or scout."  From this word, we get our English words like “telescope,” “microscope,” and “periscope.”  So when we put “epi” and “scope” together, in its noun form, it means someone who stands watch among the flock to watch over them and guard them. 

The word “bishop” comes from this same Greek word (episkopos), but it's more a product of sixteenth century English language and culture.  There is no sound, biblical reason to translate the Greek word "episkopos" as “bishop” in some places and “overseer” in others.  In the hierarchical church, during the days of King James, certain men carried the title of “bishop.”  And the purview of these men or area that they superintended was called a “bishoprick.”  But those terms evolved long after the New Testament was written. 

According to the biblical usage of the word "episkopos", these are the men who provide oversight in the local assembly. They must meet the qualifications outlined by Paul in the third chapter of the apostle Paul’s first letter to Timothy.  There he stated:

“It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.” (1Ti 3:1-7).

In Paul’s farewell address to the Ephesian elders, he said, “Be on guard for yourselves and for 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.” (Act 20:28).  I want to draw your attention to the fact that he told these elders (Gr., presbuteros) that the Holy Spirit had made them “overseers” (Gr. episcopos).  From Paul’s statement there on the beach, it is obvious that elders are overseers.  These are not two separate role or offices.  An elder is an overseer, which means that when we use terms like elder and presbyter to mean separate things, we are not doing so based on Scripture.

“Shepherding the church”
Perhaps the occupation that best illustrates the role of an overseer is that of a shepherd.  A shepherd of sheep or goats stands among the flock to keep watch over them and guard them.  So it is no wonder that in his historic, final meeting in Miletus with the Ephesian elders, Paul exhorted them to be on guard for all the flock among which they were overseers.  The elders were supposed to protect the flock from dangers that may come from both outside the church and within the church – even dangers from among the group of elders themselves. 

A flock of sheep at pasture in Hungary

In that address, if Paul had not gone on to use the word “shepherd,” we would still have enough information to infer that he was charging these elders/overseers to carry out the function of shepherds.  But in fact, he did explicitly use the term “shepherd.”  He told them “to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”  (Act 20:28).  This is a verb from the Greek word poimaino.  It means "to tend as a shepherd, to feed (cattle), or to rule." 

In Peter’s letter to the disciples scattered “throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1 Pe 1:1), he also appealed to the elders to “shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.” (1Pe 5:2-3).  He did not give them another title, but spoke of their proper function, which was “to shepherd the flock of God among you.”  This is the same verb (Gr., poimaino) that Paul used in addressing the Ephesian elders.  And it’s the same verb that Jesus used, when he reinstated Peter on the beach after his resurrection, saying to Peter, “Shepherd My sheep” (Jn 21:16).

There is another biblical word related to the verb “poimaino,” and it is the noun “poimen,” which means “shepherd” or one who tends a flock or herd.  In the New Testament, this Greek noun poimen is always translated “shepherd,” except for one passage.  In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he wrote: “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;”(Eph 4:11-12).

In most modern English versions of the Bible, this word “poimen” is translated “pastors” only in this passage.  In this passage, the pastor or shepherd is one of five gifts Christ gave to the church, and the pastor cannot function independently from them. As with the other five gifts, the pastor/shepherd is given to equip the saints for works of service.  The idea is that of preparing other people to do the works God created them to do, works that were prepared before the foundation of the world.  The pastor is not given to the church to cast his vision or get people to follow his program.  He is one who -- together with other elders -- has been given oversight among the flock by the Holy Spirit. So my main point here is that a pastor is a shepherd, who – as one of the elders -- should be shepherding or guarding God’s flock. 

Again, note that Peter referred to the flock of God as being positioned “among” the elders, not “under” them.  He said, “shepherd the flock of God among you.”  And he specifically instructs the elders to “exercise oversight” (Gr. episkopeo).  This is another Greek verb (related to the previously mentioned noun episcopos for “overseer”), which means “to oversee;” by implication “to beware:” - look diligently, take the oversight.

Peter specifically instructed these men how to carry out their function as elders, shepherding the flock, and providing oversight.   He said they should do so by proving to be examples to the flock.  They were to lead by their example, not by giving orders from on high, “nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge.” (1Pe 5:3).

Putting it All Together
I realize that certain words have come into use over the past two thousand years, since the New Testament was written, and others have taken on new meanings, such as bishop, presbyter, elder, home group leader, and pastor.  However, we need to be very careful that our word usage reflects the original biblical meaning.  The reason is that the original meaning of these words and the original practices of the first century church are closely tied together.  If we want to function biblically as the early church did, then I think we should stick with using the same terms they did and make sure we do so with the same meaning they did.

While many people make titles out of words like "senior pastor," “bishop,” and “elder,” that practice is unbiblical, since Jesus explicitly said we were not to use titles. These terms were never meant to be titles but names of functions.   There are too many title-holders today without biblical functions. 

Here’s the formula to remember: elder = overseer = shepherding function.  This does not mean that all elders are the gift of “pastor” as mentioned in Ephesians 4.  An elder may be one of the other “five-fold” gifts, such as apostle, prophet, evangelist, or teacher.  But he is still called to guard the flock and tend it.  And an elder according to the will of God is also an overseer. 

Finally, it's important to note that the elders are not a "board" either.  They are a group of men who co-labor together in their oversight role.  This is not something that can be done solely from the safety of a board room or a pulpit. It's a very "hands-on" function that requires being among the flock.  Sometimes it may even "stink".  Remember, if it's not relational, it will fail.

So if we want to be "bless-able," let’s put away the titles and start functioning biblically, using biblical terms with their original meanings for these functions.  I think the fruit of this will bring glory to Christ and be worthy of His holy name.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: For a more thorough and complete study of this topic, please see the article by my friend, Jim Garret, called New Testament Church Leadership in the Local Church.  It's an excellent resource for church leaders to read and put into practice. If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page, such as A Tale of Two Kings, The Servant of the Lord, The Shepherding Role of Elders, Success in God's Eyes, Accountable, correctable, and teachable, A Personality Profile of the Apostle Paul, Persecuted or Popular?, and Having a Servant's Heart. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Clergy-Laity Distinction unbiblical

Even though the Reformation occurred almost 500 years ago, we still see unbiblical divisions in the Church today. One of those is the distinction between clergy and laity.

Clergy comes from a Latin word, meaning clerk. It’s used today to refer to the body of people ordained for religious service. It refers to those who are ordained religious practitioners, such as priests, ministers, pastors, bishops, cardinals, chaplains, or any prelates ruling in the Church.

For those who recognize this as a separate class of Christian people, all those who are not clergy are referred to as laity. The word laity refers to members of a religious community that do not have the priestly responsibilities of ordained clergy.

We don’t find these terms clergy and laity in the Bible, nor do we find the distinction between two such classes.

Overseers and Elders
In God’s Word, we do find that the Lord gave gifts to the Church, for the purpose of building up and equipping the Church. According to the apostle Paul, these are called apostles, teachers, pastors, prophets, and evangelists (Eph 4:20). These people are supposed to be equipping God’s people for works of service, so that they too can serve.

The New Testament Bible also refers to elders or overseers. The apostle Paul said that if any man desires to be an overseer, it is a fine work he desires (1 Tim 3:1). This word overseer comes from the Greek word episkopos, which means one who oversees. Paul described the qualifications for overseers in this same third chapter of his letter to Timothy.

Another term for overseer is an elder. Elder comes from the Greek word presbuteros, which means older, senior, or simply elder. In the context of Paul’s writings, it is clear that elders and overseers are two words for the same function. They simply describe different aspects of the same role. Peter wrote to the elders, referring to himself as a fellow elder (1 Pet 5:1). So he considered himself an elder also, even though he was also an apostle. He states that an elder should “shepherd the flock of God, exercising oversight.” (1 Pet 5:2). Since an elder shepherds the flock and provides oversight, it is obvious that he is an overseer by definition.

So when we read the New Testament in context, we see that elders or overseers are either pastors, teachers, apostles, prophets, or evangelists. The head is our Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Peter wrote to the elders saying, “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” (1Pe 5:4) 

Reasons Why Clergy is an unbiblical term

There are three basic reasons why the concept of clergy must be dismissed as unbiblical.

1. First, all disciples in the kingdom of God are priests. A priest, according to the Word of God, is one who represents men before Almighty God and performs a holy service in God’s house. In John’s Revelation, he wrote: “He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father--to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Rev 1:6).

The apostle Peter agreed with this when he wrote: “You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1Pe 2:5). Peter went on to write: “But you are a chosen race, A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1Pe 2:9-10).

So Scripture teaches that all believers are priests and are part of God’s holy priesthood. The spiritual sacrifice we offer is our own body, and the service we perform is to proclaim the excellencies of Christ. The term priest is not reserved for a select few individuals, but is used for all disciples in the kingdom of God.

2. Secondly, we have only One Leader, and His name is Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself taught us not to use titles like “Father,” “Leader,” or “Rabbi” to distinguish ourselves or set ourselves apart from other believers. He said, "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Mat 23:8-11). So we should not use the titles “Father,” "Teacher," or "Leader," when addressing those who serve in equipping ministries, since we are all brothers. We shouldn’t let anyone address us with titles and we should not address anyone with titles. Rather, we must walk in humility.

You will not find one single instance in the Bible where any of the apostles put the word "apostle" in front of their name as a title. Peter was simply called "Peter" by others, and that is what he called himself. Likewise, Paul was called "Paul" by others, and that is what he called himself. He was "Paul, an apostle", not "Apostle Paul." The same was true of James, John, and all the other apostles. Moreover, there is not one instance in Scripture where someone was called with the title "Pastor" in front of his name. It does not exist. The same is true of other big titles like "Bishop," "Archbishop," "Reverend," "Right Reverend," etc. Therefore, anyone who uses titles like this has no biblical basis for it. In fact, they are disobeying the Lord's command not to use titles.

3. Thirdly, according to the apostle Paul, the Holy Spirit has given gifts to the Church. The apostle Paul wrote, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.” (1Co 12:4-14).

He teaches in this passage that the Body is not made up of just one member who does everything. Yet many churches operate like this where everything depends on the pastor. Paul taught that there are a variety of gifts given for the common good. They are distributed to the various members of the Body as He wills, so they can use them in their priestly service.

Functional differences
Naturally there are functional differences. Not everyone in the Body of Christ is an elder. But all are priests. Not every elder is a pastor either. But some elders are pastors, some are teachers, some are apostles, etc. While there are clearly functional differences, the Lord taught us not to set ourselves apart or distinguish ourselves with titles or class distinctions.

The apostle Paul affirmed this also. He wrote to the Corinthians, “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1Co 1:10).

Yet how many times do you see in a Christian gathering that the clergy get front row seats? Or there is special reserved seating for clergy. Why do men do this?

James taught us not to make distinctions among ourselves when he wrote: “My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ and you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,’ have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?” (Jam 2:1-4). One might consider that if an elder is supposed to be functioning in oversight, he is better positioned to do so while seated among the people, rather than from the front in a seat of honor, as though he were above everyone else.

If a man is serving as an elder in the role of a pastor, teacher, apostle, prophet or evangelist, then others will know it. He does not need to wear a title to let everyone know. The key is that he must be serving. This is what Jesus taught.

Putting it All Together
While many people today still make a distinction among Christians between clergy and laity, it’s unbiblical. If we claim to follow the Word of God as our sole rule of faith, then we should do away with such distinctions. They only serve to create divisions and exalt men above others.

Instead we should exalt our Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the Body, the Chief Shepherd of the flock. Let’s humble ourselves before the mighty hand of God and repent of this practice. Let's restore Jesus Christ to His rightful place in the Church as our One Leader.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading The Priesthood of All Believers and How to Treat Leaders. You may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.