And He Gave Pastors

Pastoral Theology in Action

Thomas F. Zimmerman

• Publisher: Gospel Publishing House
• Year: 2015
• eBook ISBN: 9781607315872
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Ministry

This comprehensive manual for pastors discusses the pastor and his relationship to his Lord, family, church, and denomination. Also addresses counseling, one's personal life, devotional practices, legal issues, finances, and other topics.

1

The Pastor
and
His Lord

HARDY W. STEINBERG

A minister with many years of experience wisely observed: “A pastor is the servant of the people, but they are not his master. There is only one who is his Master, even the Lord Jesus Christ.”

In the course of a lifetime the pastor feels pressures from many different directions. Members of the congregation will express how they feel things should be done, and this is often complicated by the fact that these views are divergent and at times even contradictory. A pastor should always try to get new ideas, but if he is not careful he can become a victim of the pressures. He may find himself doing things not because he feels they are right but because he is intimidated.

If pastors are to have effective ministries, they must be leaders. They must have an inner conviction that they are doing what Christ would have them do. This entails great responsibility, but there must be a willingness to accept it along with all the consequences, both pleasant and unpleasant.

There is great significance in the fact that Jesus is referred to as the “chief Shepherd” (1 Peter 5:4). The implication is clear. Because He is Chief, pastors are undershepherds. They must get their instructions from Him. They must have His approval on their work, and in the end they will have to give an account to Him for every day of their ministries. To be what He intends them to be means they must work carefully under His direction.

Hardy W. Steinberg, D.D., is national director of the Assemblies of God Division of Christian Education, Springfield, Missouri.

Recognizing Christ as the Chief Shepherd does not mean that pastors will disregard the thinking of others, including those in the congregation. The Bible teaches that in the multitude of counselors there is safety (Proverbs 11:14). Much can be learned from many different sources, and the pastor who capitalizes on the best thinking of others will enhance his ministry. Eventually, however, the pastor has the lonely responsibility of determining the mind of Christ concerning the leadership in the congregation.

The pastor will be effective only as he recognizes that the pastoral office is created by Christ, that the individual call and guidance come from Christ, and that he is ultimately accountable to Christ.

The Office of the Pastor

THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH

The New Testament makes it clear that Jesus is the Head of the Church. Unfortunately, not everyone recognizes this fact. In the earlier years of the church there was a heretical group that wanted the Christians to believe Christ was less than God, that He was a creature rather than the Creator. Paul had a great concern for those who were being subjected to this heretical teaching. In the letter to the Colossians he wrote that the One through whom believers have redemption is “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: … and he is the head of the body, the church” (Colossians 1:15, 18).

In writing to the Ephesians concerning the husband-wife relationship, Paul used the Christ-Church relationship as an illustration. Here he again stated the headship of Christ when he wrote, “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church” (Ephesians 5:23).

In Colossae the attempt to discredit Christ was deliberate. These heretics who were vainly puffed up by the fleshly mind were “not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God” (Colossians 2:19).

Committed pastors today will never deliberately reject the headship of Christ. They must be careful, however, lest an overconcern for public opinion should produce the same effect. The work of the church can be seriously impaired, whatever the reason may be for not recognizing the lordship of Christ. There must be a continuing conscious recognition of the fact that Jesus is Lord, that He is the Head of the Church, and that He is the Master of every undershepherd.

THE GIFT OF PASTORAL LEADERSHIP

Sometimes people think of Christ as no longer being in the world. In a sense this is true, but in another sense it is not. In addition to the fact of His omnipresence, the Church as the body of Christ is very much in the world. It touches people in all nations, and every member has a vital role in this relationship. In Ephesians 4:11, however, Paul recognizes people who have been given to the Church for special leadership roles. He writes, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.”

Ministerial leadership is not an idea of human origin. It is the gift to the Church from the Lord Jesus Christ. Any effort to minimize the importance of these servants of the Lord is an affront to the Son of God. On the other hand, pastors must always deport themselves in such a way as to bring no evil reflection on the ministry.

MINISTERIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The Head of the Church in delegating ministerial leadership has also specified responsibilities. These have been made very clear both through precepts and through the implications of titles given to leaders. Paul wrote that all ministers are placed in the Body “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12). The New International Version gives a helpful translation when it points out that the ministerial gifts are given “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may he built up.”

The word translated “perfecting” in the King James Version has various shades of meaning. It is used of mending or repairing nets (Matthew 4:21), of restoring in a spiritual or disciplinary sense (Galatians 6:1), and of preparing or furnishing a body (Hebrews 10:5). The word translated “perfecting” then has the sense of preparing and equipping believers for ministry in a general sense, with the idea of restoring or mending where needed.

The pastor should clearly understand the nature of his work. He is not to do everything he can without calling on others. His divinely appointed responsibility is to prepare God’s people for service. In some cases this service will be public; in others it may be almost hidden. But until every member of the congregation is ministering in some way, the pastor’s work is incomplete.

The titles given to pastors also give insight into the nature of their responsibility. A comparison of Acts 20:17 with verse 28 indicates that those responsible for congregational leadership were referred to as elders, overseers, and shepherds or pastors.

The title translated “elder” in Acts 20:17 is from the Greek word presbuteros. It was used in reference to mature men who were known for their experience and wisdom, From this Greek word we get our English word presbyter. As can be seen, the emphasis of this title is on the kind of person the pastor should be.

The title translated “overseers” in Acts 20:28 is from the Greek word episkopas. It referred to one who supervised and directed workmen in the performance of their duties. The emphasis of this title is on the nature of the pastor’s work. It indicates his administrative function. From this we get our English word bishop.

The injunction “to feed the church of God” (Acts 20:28) would more accurately be translated “to shepherd the church.” The word shepherd is from the Greek word poimainein, and is the same word (in the noun form) translated “pastors” in Ephesians 4:11. The root from which this word comes means “to protect.” There are many implications in the use of this term, but one emphasis would certainly be on the spirit in which the pastor performs his work. It is not a mechanical ministry, but one of faithful, loving concern.

Donald Gee in writing concerning the pastoral ministry states:

It is easy to grasp the nature of the type of ministers called “pastors” in Ephesians 4:11. They were the recognized shepherds of the flock; and no company of believers can be gathered together for long without feeling the need of such a ministry. There is always the need of wise and competent oversight of the meetings of the assembly, so that all things are done “decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40); so that the doctrine is kept sound and convincing (Titus 1:9); and so that the flock be preserved from wolves in the shape of false teachers (Titus 1:11; 2 Peter 2:1). There will also be the need of personal ministration to the members in times of special individual need (James 5:14) and of a loving care over all the souls for which those spiritual rulers in the Master’s household (Matthew 24:45) will have to give an account (Hebrews 13:17). Above all else will be the positive work of feeding the flock (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2), because a flock well fed is least likely to become unhealthy spiritually or to give any trouble.¹

According to Acts 20:17, 28, then, a pastor is a shepherd or protector of and provider for the church. He is an overseer or bishop who supervises the ministry of the members of the church. And he is an elder to be recognized for his wisdom and standing in the community.

PASTORAL GOALS

The pastor need not be uncertain concerning the duration or goal of his ministry. His work is to continue “till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).

Three key expressions in this passage are important: “unity of the faith,” “knowledge of the Son of God,” and “perfect man.” The work of pastors will not be complete until these objectives have been reached, and it is evident this will not happen until the Church is translated.

As believers increase in the unity of the faith and the full knowledge of Christ, they come closer to perfection or maturity. The word translated “perfect” has an interesting meaning. Its use in Ephesians 4:13–14 shows that it refers to adulthood as contrasted with infancy. Then, lest believers should adopt their own concept of adulthood, Paul points out the extent of the maturation. It is to be “unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

It can be seen from Scripture that the office of the pastor is a demanding one. It is also obvious that as long as the Church is in the world the pastor is indispensable. As demanding as this ministry is, and as tremendous as the goals are, there will always be those who respond to this call of God. They will respond because they know whom God calls He also enables.

The Call of the Pastor

What Scripture says of the priestly ministry can also be said of the pastoral ministry: “And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron” (Hebrews 5:4). While some refer to the ministry as a profession, it is more accurately a divine calling. And no one should attempt to serve as a pastor who is not convinced that he is called of God.

Dr. J. H. Jowett in his Yale Lectures wrote:

Now I hold with profound conviction that before a man selects the Christian ministry as his vocation he must have the assurance that the selection has been imperatively constrained by the eternal God. The call of the Eternal must ring through the rooms of his soul as clearly as the sound of the morningbell rings through the valleys of Switzerland, calling the peasants to early prayer and praise. The candidate for the ministry must move like a man in secret bonds. “Necessity is laid” upon him. His choice is not a preference among alternatives. Ultimately he has no alternative: all other possibilities become dumb: there is only one clear call sounding forth as the imperative summons of the eternal God.²

Because it is imperative that pastors have a sense of call, it will be helpful to understand some of the many implications of the pastor’s vocation.

THE MEANING OF A CALL

The idea of the call of God occurs throughout the Bible. The significance in each instance must be determined by the context in which it appears. It is obvious there is a distinction between the general call to salvation, the general call to service, and the specific call to leadership.

General Call to Salvation. The call to salvation is extended to all. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). This call is from darkness to light (1 Peter 2:9). It is a call to eternal life (1 Timothy 6:12). Those who accept the call of salvation can rejoice in the assurance that they are accepted in Christ Jesus on the basis of the atonement.

General Call to Service. Once the call to salvation has been accepted, the believer immediately receives a call to service. There should be no period in the believer’s life when he is exempt from ministry of some kind. He is saved to serve. Jesus recognized this truth when during His wilderness temptation He said to Satan, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Matthew 4:10).

When the believers were scattered abroad as the result of the great persecution which resulted in Stephen’s death, “they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). It should be noticed that these witnesses who went abroad were not the apostles, but all the believers. At this time the apostles stayed in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1). Again Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). This general call to service is as applicable today as when Christ spoke the words. James reinforced the importance of service when he wrote, “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (James 2:24).

Specific Call to Leadership. In addition to the general call to service, there is also the specific call to ministerial leadership. God has set some in the Church (1 Corinthians 12:28) to serve as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). These people have not placed themselves in positions of leadership. They have simply responded to Christ’s plan for their lives.

Although Paul had to exercise his apostolic authority at times and even defend his apostleship, he did not choose this ministry. He made this clear when he wrote, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry” (1 Timothy 1:12). When the Lord gave Ananias instructions concerning his ministry to Saul He said, “Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me; to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: for I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake” (Acts 9:15–16).

Thus, while every believer has a ministry to perform, there are special calls to church leadership which believers need to recognize. Those in leadership positions are assigned the task of enlisting, coordinating, and overseeing the total work of the congregation.

R. M. Riggs, late general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, illustrated this when he wrote:

A large firm places a sign in the window that help is wanted. In response to this, say one hundred people apply at the office to seek employment in this firm. They are employed and told to report to work the following morning. Upon their arrival in working clothes they present themselves to the foreman to be told just where to work and what to do. They had all been “called” the previous day, but now each must be particularly and especially assigned to his individual task. When a gang of men is hired to erect a building, each must be assigned his specific job by the contractor and his foremen. Different types of workers are needed, from the architect and his draftsman to the contractor, the masons, the carpenters, the plumbers, the electricians, the plasterers and the common laborers. A wide range of work is required to complete the whole ...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Halftitle Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Preface
• Contents
• 1. The Pastor and His Lord
• 2. The Pastor and the Church Call
• 3. The Pastor and His Personal Life
• 4. The Pastor and His Family
• 5. The Pastor and His Denomination
• 6. The Pastor and His Preaching-Teaching
• 7. The Pastor and Personal Counseling
• 8. The Pastor and Evangelism-Missions
• 9. The Pastor and Special Ministries
• 10. The Pastor and Congregational Services
• 11. The Pastor and Christian Education
• 12. The Pastor and Total Church Leadership
• 13. The Pastor and His Community
• 14. The Church and the Community
• 15. The Pastor and Administration
• 16. The Pastor and Official Church Relationships
• 17. The Pastor and Church Finances
• 18. The Pastor and Legal Affairs
• 19. The Pastor and Building Programs
• 20. The Pastor and Pentecostal Distinctives
• Appendix