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.

How to Treat Leaders

Being a leader can be pretty tough. The leader is the one whom people usually blame if things are not going the way they would like. In fact, leaders in the church usually serve night and day. They don’t have regular office hours where they can leave work at the office when they go home. Often they are taken for granted and the importance of their role is minimized. But what does the Bible say about how we should treat our leaders?

Pray for your Leaders
The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, "First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity." (1Ti 2:1-2)

This is of primary importance. We need to pray for our leaders, not just the leaders of our national government, but also those in authority in the church. If we all spent more time praying for our church leaders, rather than criticizing and blaming them, things would go better for them and their flocks.

Imitate the Faith of Your Leaders
"Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith." (Heb 13:7)

What does it mean to imitate the faith of your leaders? The Greek word used here literally means to mimic. This does not mean to mimic their personality, but rather their faith. In other words, you should reproduce the same faith you see in them. You should follow them.

This is what the apostle Paul meant when he wrote to the Corinthians, "Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ." (1Co 11:1). Notice he said, "as I imitate Christ." To the degree that Christ is central in the lives of the leadership, you can follow them. And to the degree that Christ is not central in their lives, you should address that with them humbly. If they do not receive what you have to say, then that's when you may need to move on to someplace else.

It's difficult for most people to take what they read in Scripture and put it directly into practice in their own lives until they have seen someone else model it for them. This is one reason why godly leaders, who make Christ central, are so important. As you watch them imitate Christ, you will see what it looks like to be a disciple, and then you should imitate them.

Obey Your Leaders and Submit to them
"Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you." (Heb 13:17)

Perhaps it's best to begin this section on obedience with an important caveat. As a friend of mine commented: "I think when you try to define obedience and its requirements, you also have to define and find what the limits of biblical leadership are, something that is usually never done. So in most situations, there has been a lot of abuse, because it has been commonly understood that the leader is beyond questioning. I agree that in some areas, the leader’s authority is full and final, but that the scope where this is true is actually quite limited. So what commonly occurs is you have a leader, who believes his leadership domain is plenary when it is not. Then he gets offended when the 'followers' chafe at something, and they both lose respect for each other, and end up at odds. I think it all stems from misunderstanding of the leader’s real role, and that is to lead, not dictate." I agree with my friend's comments, and I think he adequately sums up the caveat.

With that said, elders in the Body of Christ are supposed to be keeping watch over the souls the Lord has placed under their care. They must give an account to the Lord for those souls. Many times people take this for granted and do not sense any sort of accountability to their elders. Rather they are always in a non-committed state, choosing to remain "a visitor" wherever they go.

While there is no Scripture that says you must have a "home church," it is assumed in Scripture that you will be connected to the Body of Christ in a local assembly, where you are accountable to the elders there. That does not necessarily mean you need to be part of an institutional church, as we normally think of church in the twentieth century. It could be a house church, as well.

It would also seem to go beyond Scripture to suggest that elders are accountable for the souls of every visitor who attends one of their services on occasion. At least, it's not the same level of accountability as that which concerns the people who have made a commitment to be an ongoing part of that local expression of the Body of Christ. Therefore, it's necessary for the elders of a local assembly to know who are the ones whom the Lord has led to commit themselves to serve under their oversight.

If certain people insist on remaining perpetually non-committed, this presents an issue for the leaders. Since the elders are accountable to God and one another, then the people under their care need to make a decision before the Lord where they will be planted and serve. That's why you need to make up your mind where the Lord is leading you to be connected, and then follow through with your commitment.

Respect Your Leaders
Paul 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)

Here we are taught not only to respect our leaders, but to esteem them very highly in love. And it's important to note that he is referring to specific leaders here. First, he means those who labor among you. These are not simply people who carry a leadership title, but do not serve. The text connotes those who diligently labor. In other words, they are toiling and working hard. And they not only do so while positioned separately from you. They are especially working like this "among you," in other words "in your midst." They come up alongside you to help you grow in your walk with the Lord.

Secondly, Paul here refers to the leaders as those who are over you in the Lord. This expression in English comes from the Greek word “proistamenous”, which means to “preside,” “maintain,” “be over,” or “rule”. Not all leaders in the Body of Christ around the world are over you in the Lord, but only those who specifically have charge over you. I realize this is contrary to what many people believe today. Many reject the notion that anyone is in charge of them or over them. But this is not my idea. It's straight from the Word of God. These are the ones we are to esteem very highly in love.

Honor Your Leaders
"The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching." (1Ti 5:17).

So there is a clear instruction to honor our leaders. In fact, those who rule well, those who maintain the flock well, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching, are worthy of twice as much honor as leaders who simply discharge their minimum duties.

There are many ways to honor people. One way is to bless them with gifts. And in the context of this passage, Paul was explaining that we must financially support our leaders. He continued, "The laborer is worthy of his wages." (1Ti 5:18). So financial gifts are one way to honor our leaders, and certain leaders are worthy of double the honor we would normally give. As he taught the Corinthians, the Scripture says, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING." (1 Co 9:9). That's not just referring to animals. “So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.” (1Co 9:14). As he wrote to the Galatians, "The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him." (Gal 6:6). Therefore, look out for your leaders, and be careful not to withhold from them what they deserve.

Avoid Accusations Against Leaders
"Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses." (1Ti 5:19)

So anytime someone speaks to you, making an accusation against an elder, don’t receive it. Unless there are two or three witnesses who can substantiate the accusation, dismiss it.

Avoid Using Titles for Leaders
"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)

Jesus taught that those who serve as overseers of the flock must not be called leaders. True leaders serve, and we all have One Leader, Jesus Christ. In this one blog alone, I have used the word “leader” nearly fifty times! That reflects how ingrained this word has become in our vocabulary. Yet the only time it is used in the New Testament is when Jesus told us not to use this title. Even in the Hebrews passage I have quoted earlier, the original language does not use the term "leaders," but literally says, “Obey those who led you and submit to them…” (Heb 13:7). So when we need to refer to those who lead us, it would be better to choose a term used in God’s word, such as elder or overseer (Tit 1). And when speaking directly to these people, we should avoid titles altogether.

Yet how often do people call leaders, “Father,” “Holy Father,” “Pastor,” “Reverend,” “The Right Reverend,” “Apostle,” “Bishop,” “Archbishop,” “Bishop Doctor,” or “Elder so-and-so”? Some people may even refer to a leader as God's "General." Don’t do this to your leaders! And if you are a leader, don’t let people call you by any of these titles! They should be able to address you by your first name, just as Paul was addressed by his first name and just as the members of the Body of Christ should address one another by their first names. We are family, and brothers and sisters don’t use titles to address each other.

Putting it All Together
So often, we see leaders being falsely accused, blamed for things, and not honored or supported by the people they are presiding over. Yet we are taught in God’s Word to hold our leaders in honor, to pray for them, to support them financially, and to obey them so their work will be a joy rather than a burden. We are not to receive accusations against them that cannot be substantiated by two or three witnesses.

We are also taught to obey our leaders in Christ and submit to them. This requires a commitment on our part to be planted in a local assembly and be accountable to those who have the oversight there.

Even so, in all this, we need to avoid addressing them with titles, since this only puffs them up. We want to help them to walk humbly and not lead them into the sin of pride, which is the human tendency.

If you have not treated your leaders the way you should, there's still a chance to do so. Now is the time of God's favor. Now is the time to ask Him to forgive you and help you to do what His Word commands.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. If you would like to read more on this topic, see my other post in this blog, "The Lord, Our Shepherd." 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.