What to Look For in a Pastor

1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. 5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Introduction

Peter is writing from a position of authority and experience. His authority comes from his particular calling; his apostleship. His experience comes from his witnessing the sufferings of Christ. Those two things are unique to a small handful of men in the First Century AD. There is one part of verse one that Peter shares in common with all believers. All who are in Christ are partakers of the glory that is to be revealed. Peter has, however, gotten a glimpse of this glory. First, on the Mount of Transfiguration. Secondly in witnessing the resurrected Lord. Thirdly, in witnessing His ascension on the Mount of Olives.

Addressing Elders

In Chapter 5, Peter is addressing the elders. What is an elder? An elder is a spiritual leader of varying sorts in a local New Testament church. An elder has five general duties or obligations.

1. Elders are to settle disputes in the church according to Acts 15:1-2

Acts 15:1–2 KJV 1900

1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

2. Elders are to pray for the sick according to James 5:14

James 5:14 KJV 1900

14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

3. Elders are to care for the church in humility. 1 Peter 5:1-4

1 Peter 5:1–4 KJV 1900

4. They are to care for the spiritual needs of the flock. Hebrews 13:17

Hebrews 13:17 KJV 1900

17 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.

5. They are to spend their time in prayer and teaching the word. Acts 6:2-4

Acts 6:2–4 KJV 1900

2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

A Plurality of Elders

Peter is addressing a plurality of elders.

There is not only one.

Acts 14:21–23 KJV 1900

21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, 22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

1 Timothy 5:17 KJV 1900

17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

Titus 1:5 KJV 1900

5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

Acts 20:17 KJV 1900

17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.

Having a plurality of elders will prevent pastoral abuse or abuse of the pastor. Elders are not deacons. Many Baptist churches use deacons as a sort of elder board, but biblically, they are two different roles.

Types of elders

There are three words that refer to the same office. The words “elder” (presbuteros), “overseer” (episkopos), and “pastor” (poim¯en) (or shepherd) all refer to the same office.

In other words, overseers and pastors are not distinct from elders; the terms are simply different ways of identifying the same people. Look at the command Paul gave the elders at Ephesus in Acts 20:28.

Acts 20:28 KJV 1900

28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Peter brings all three terms together in 1 Peter 5:1-2

1 Peter 5:1–2 KJV 1900

We see elders [presbuteros], shepherd [poimaino¯] (in feeding the flock of God), and oversight [episkope¯o].

Ephesians 4:11–12 KJV 1900

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

The Role of Pastor-Teacher

1 Peter 5:2 KJV 1900

2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

He is to feed the flock

Pastors feed the flock through preaching and teaching the word of God.

2 Timothy 4:1–2 KJV 1900

1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

The only way to do that is to hold to sound doctrine.

Titus 1:9 KJV 1900

9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

In order to do that, the pastor-teacher must be a faithful student of the word.

2 Timothy 2:15 LSB

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

We need pastor-theologians. We need pastors that know the word better than they know anything else. Many today think theology is the professor’s realm and preaching is the pastor’s realm. But, that is false. The pastor cannot feed the flock from the word of God if he does not know it.

Make every effort to find a pastor who knows the word of God. Shallow preaching makes shallow Christians. Do not get a pastor that preaches the same message every service. Do not get a pastor who preaches nothing but salvation. The church is primarily for believers. Yes, the gospel is to be preached from the pulpit. But, it must not come at the expense of feeding believers and making disciples. If the attention is always on the unbeliever, the believer will be malnourished at best and starve to death spiritually at worst.

He is to defend the flock

1 Peter 5:8–9 KJV 1900

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

The primary way of defending the flock is by arming them with the word of God.

2 Timothy 4:2 KJV 1900

2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Find a pastor who will reprove (reprimand or censure).

Find a pastor who will rebuke (express sharp disapproval or criticism).

Find a pastor who will exhort (strongly encourage or urge someone to do something).

But all this must be done while knowing that the pastor has no authority in and of himself.

1 Peter 5:3 KJV 1900

3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

The word of God is the only thing that has power over you. The man does not. He is not a dictator, a despot, a tribal warlord, your boss, your daddy, or anything else. He is not God. He is not a pope. He is to be a humble slave to Christ (doulos).

The Pastor Teacher should be seen as the first among equals.

The qualifications of elders

1 Peter 5:2 KJV 1900

2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

There are further qualifications of elders given by Paul to Timothy and Titus:

1 Timothy 3:2–7 KJV 1900

2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Titus 1:6–8 KJV 1900

6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; 8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

Conclusion

Because of its heritage of democratic values and its long history of congregational church government, modern American evangelicalism, and the Baptist churches especially, often views the concept of elder rule with suspicion.

The clear teaching of Scripture, however, demonstrates that the biblical norm for church leadership is a plurality of God-ordained elders, and only by following this biblical pattern will the church maximize its fruitfulness to the glory of God.

I do not know who wrote this powerful statement, but you need to hear it.

Make him a minister of the Word! Fling him into his office, tear the office sign from the door and nail on the sign: Study. Take him off the mailing list, lock him up with his books and his typewriter and his Bible. Slam him down on his knees before texts, broken hearts, the flippant lives of a superficial flock, and the Holy God. Force him to be the one man in our surfeited communities who knows about God. Throw him into the ring to box with God until he learns how short his arms are. Let him come out only when he is bruised and beaten into being a blessing. Set a time clock on him that will imprison him with thought and writing about God for 40 hours a week. Shut his garrulous mouth forever spouting "remarks" and stop his tongue always tripping lightly over everything nonessential. Require him to have something to say before he dare break silence. Bend his knees in the lonesome valley, fire him from the PTA and cancel his country club membership; burn his eyes with weary study, wreck his emotional poise with worry for God, and make him exchange his pious stance for a humble walk before God and man. Make him spend and be spent for the glory of God. Rip out his telephone, burn up his ecclesiastical success sheets, refuse his glad hand, and put water in the gas tank of his community buggy. Give him a Bible and tie him in his pulpit and make him preach the Word of the living God. Test him, quiz him and examine him; humiliate him for his ignorance of things divine, and shame him for his glib comprehension of finances, batting averages, and political in-fighting. Laugh at his frustrated effort to play psychiatrist, scorn his insipid morality, refuse his supine intelligence, and compel him to be a minister of the Word. If he dotes on being pleasing, demand that he please God and not man. Form a choir and raise a chant and haunt him with it night and day: "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." When at long last, he dares assay the pulpit, ask him if he has a Word from God; if he does not, then dismiss him and tell him you can read the morning paper, digest the television commentaries, think through the day’s superficial problems, manage the community’s myriad drives, and bless assorted baked potatoes and green beans ad infinitum better than he can. Command him not to come back until he has read and re-read, written and re-written, until he can stand up, worn and forlorn, and say, "Thus saith the Lord." And when he is burned out by the flaming Word that coursed through him, when he is consumed at last by the fiery Grace blazing through him, and when he who was privileged to translate the truth of God to man is finally translated from earth to heaven, then bear him away gently, blow a muted trumpet and lay him down softly, place a two-edged sword on his coffin and raise a tune triumphant, for he was a brave soldier of the Word and e’er he died he had become a spokesman for his God.

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