Introduction
     "The commanding officer is responsible for all his troops do
or fail to do." This quote is taken from the United States Marine
Corps manual of instructions for a commanding officer. But let's
think about it in the context of a church leader, and more
specifically, a pastor. "A pastor is responsible for all his
church and those in his congregation do or fail to do!"
     Pastors occupy an awesome position in the church of Jesus
Christ. They have the joy of seeing new people born into the
Kingdom of God and the privilege of helping new believers mold
their lives into the image of Christ. The pastor stands in the
place of Christ in the church as he or she shepherds their
congregation and sees them grow up in Christ.
     However the office of the pastor also carries with it heavy
responsibility. As we see from the above quote from the Marine
Corp Manual, the pastor stand responsible before God Almighty for
all that his church does or fails to do.

The Pastor in the New Testament
     Let's begin the examination of the office of the pastor by
looking at Scripture. The New Testament Greek word used for
pastor is poimen. The literal translation of the word poimen
means, "a helper, or feeder of sheep."1 This Greek word appears 
18 times in the New Testament. Surprisingly poimen is only 
translated once in the NIV as "pastor."

     "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be
     prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be
     pastors and teachers." (NIV, emphasis added.)

     The other 17 times the word poimen appears in the New
Testament the NIV translates it as "shepherd." For example,

     When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had
     compassion on them, because they were like sheep
     without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many
     things. (Mk 6:34 NIV, emphasis added.)

Evolution of the Term "Pastor"
     The most common word used in the New Testament to describe
church leaders was presbyter, or elder. The Greek word for
presbyter is presbuteros which is usually translated as elder. 
Thus, elder appears to be the common term the New Testament 
used to describe anyone in church leadership or in spiritual 
authority. I find twenty-eight uses of the word elder as it 
applies to the New Testament church between Acts 11 and
Revelation 22. In fact, both John and Peter, though they
occupied the highest New Testament office as apostles, claimed
the title of elder for themselves. John starts two of his
epistles with the phrase, "The elder." (2Jo 1 and 3Jo 1) Peter
wrote, "To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder ..."
(1Pe 5:1 NIV) A common expression in Paul's epistles is, "... 
to appoint elders in every city."2
     Thus by the end of the second century the term elder was
generally used to describe anyone in spiritual authority in the
church, regardless of his or her specific ministry calling or
position.
     The much more common word used in the New Testament to
describe the person in charge of a church was bishop. The Greek
word for bishop is episkopos. The literal meaning of episkopos 
is overseer. The NIV Bible uses the word overseer seven times 
in the New Testament. Here are two examples.

          Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all
     the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with
     the overseers and deacons: (Phi 1:1 NIV, emphasis
     added.)

          Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his
     heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.
     (1Ti 3:1 NIV, emphasis added.) (See also Acts 20:28,
     1Ti 3:2, Tit 1:7, 1Pe 2:25 and 5:2.)

     None of these verses make it clear whether there was only
one or more than one overseer in the local church. The term
bishop would have applied to the senior elder in a church or
group of churches and was sometimes used interchangeably with
pastor. But by the end of the second century the term bishop
began to be used to describe someone who either had a large
congregation or several churches under him.
     By the mid-second century the rapid growth of the churches
throughout the known world made it convenient to have a single
official who represented the local congregation at regional or
city-wide gatherings of clergy. So from among the elders of the
church various churches began to elect a principle elder as the
"permanent president" of the congregation. This person became
known as the pastor/bishop.3 Eventually the term pastor came to
designate the single individual with the authority over a
specific church.
     Let's take a quick look at how the role of deacons differs
with that of pastor in the church. In Acts, 6 we read about the
early church choosing seven men as deacons. The Greek word for
deacon is diakonos, and it means one who renders a service to 
another or one who ministers. The verb form of the word is 
diakonia, and it means the act, or process of serving or 
ministering. Theologian W. Ewing4 gives us insight into the 
different roles of deacons versus pastors in ministry.

     "The earliest fact we have about the organization of
     the Christian church is given in Acts, 6, where we are
     told "seven" men were appointed to what is called a
     "ministry of tables" . . . which is distinguished from
     the "ministry of the word" . . . This distinction
     between two different kinds of "ministry" which appears
     at the very beginning is seen to exist all through the
     apostolic church and beyond it into the sub-apostolic."

     Thus the pastor is, in Ewing's words, among those who are
"ministers of the word." The deacons (and others in the church
who serve in helps ministries) are more functional in their
ministries.
     Of course, Paul gives us the full job description of those
called to the five-fold ministries, including pastors.

          "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to
     be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be
     pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works
     of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
     until we all reach unity in the faith and in the
     knowledge of the Son of God and become mature,
     attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of
     Christ. (Eph 4:11-13 NIV)

     Within this Ephesians 4 context, one of the most important
responsibilities a pastor has is to minister God's word to his or
her people. It is very important for the pastor to recognize this
and to allow nothing to rob his or her time and attention to the
study and preparation of the word to his congregation. This must
be the pastor's first priority. Of course there will be times
when some unavoidable circumstance will interfere with Bible
study and sermon preparation. But every pastor should guard his
study and preparation time carefully.

Shepherd
     Scripture frequently uses the term shepherd to describe the
love and care Jesus felt for His people. No other English term in
Scripture equals the word shepherd when it comes to describing
the loving, self-sacrificing care a pastor uses to oversee and
minister to his congregation. The verb form of shepherd, poimaino, 
meaning, "to shepherd" is used to describe the function or work of 
a pastor. The literal translation of 1 Peter 5:2 says, "Shepherd 
the flock of God among you, exercising oversight . . ."5
     Paul told the elders at Ephesus to, "Be shepherds of the
church of God, which he bought with his own blood." (Acts 20:28
NIV) The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament tells us
what the word shepherding meant in the first century Middle East,
the setting in which the Bible was framed.

     "The shepherd goes before his flock, guides it, leads
     it to pastures and places where it may rest by the
     waters, who protects it with his staff, who whistles
     [calls] to the dispersed and gathers them, who carries
     the lambs in his bosom and leads the mother-sheep."
     "To lead, to guide, to go before."
     "Gathering the dispersed, righteous government and care
     for the weak."6

The Pastor Today
     Now that we have looked at the Scripture and the unfolding
of the office of the pastor, let us examine the call, the office,
the character, and the ministry of the pastor in today's church.

1.   The Call of the Pastor
     Every minister of the Gospel must have the call of God to
the office. Indeed there will often be such hard times on the
path of any ministry that the only thing sustaining the minister
will be the knowledge that God has called him or her! God's call
to the individual can take many forms. Perhaps He speaks to a
person during an altar call, or in the privacy of prayer and
meditation on the word, or through another person. But the one
common element with each call is that everyone who is called by
God knows it is God calling.
     Each of us who are called to one of the five listed offices
in Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher, or
evangelist) must have a specific understanding from the Lord as
to which office he or she has been called. James tells us, "If
any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously
to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." (1:5
NIV) So if you know God has put a leadership call on your life,
but aren't sure what form it should take, continue to seek the
Lord about it. He will be faithful to guide you into the proper
role within His church.

2.   Characteristics of a Pastor
     I believe there are certain common characteristics of
individuals who have a pastor's call. After considerable study
and extensive up close observation of dozens of pastors over the
years, I believe the following general observations are quite
accurate and descriptive of mature pastors.

a.   Identifies With the People
     The mature pastor identifies with the people of God. He or
she genuinely feels both the pain and the joy of his flock. This
empathy is one of the reasons people feel free to go to their
pastor in times of trouble. His identity with his people can be
sensed and is greatly appreciated.

b.   Loves the Church and the People of God
     The call of the pastor encompasses great love for God's
church and His people. He also will specifically and genuinely
love his own congregation.

c.   Flows in Great Mercy
     The pastor has an abundance of mercy. It is this mercy that
is one of the key and absolutely necessary ingredients for a
successful pastorate. It is this mercy which enables the pastor
to love and comfort the sinner, even in the midst of the sin.

d.   Cares More About People Than Issues
     While the pastor cares about issues which face the church,
his primary focus is on people, his sheep. The pastor sees issues
in very human terms, who will be pleased, who will be hurt or
unhappy, and so on. Unfortunately, this approach can limit the
effectiveness of a pastor in dealing with an issue or problem.
That's why it is important for the pastor to have good, strong
godly advisors who can help him weigh all the factors involved in
any decision.

e.   Focuses on the Sinner, Not the Sin
     While the pastor is aware of the sin, and must be willing to
deal with it, the pastor's focus and intensity is on the people
involved much more than on their sin. Again this can be a problem
with those who, for example, have a prophetic call and are thus
more focused on the sin than on the individuals involved.

3.   The Office of the Pastor
     The office of pastor is a sacred position. It is the office
of the pastor as the head of the local church that elevates the
person of the pastor. There may be other ministers, even apostles
and prophets, in a local church but the one who occupies the
office of pastor is in charge of and responsible for that
congregation. (This is not to say that the apostle or prophet may
not exercise spiritual authority over the pastor as an individual
from time to time.)
     This position of pastor gives the one who occupies it great
authority over the congregation. The pastor's authority is truly
an extension of God's authority. This authority is to be used for
the building up of the church. Most regrettably this same
authority can be wrongfully used to abuse the church. Paul
referenced this on one occasion referring to the authority of his
office as an apostle. He wrote, "This is why I write these things
when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in
my use of authority--the authority the Lord gave me for building
you up, not for tearing you down." (2 Co 13:10 NIV, emphasis
added.) Every pastor must be willing to use this God-given
authority, but he or she must also have a righteous fear of God
of ever abusing it. It is a horrible thing to abuse God's sheep.

4.   The Character of the Pastor
     In an ideal world, every pastor should be able to say to his
congregation the same thing Paul said, "Follow my example, as I
follow the example of Christ." (1Co 11:1 NIV) Paul's words must
be the goal of every pastor. However I like a quote I recently
heard attributed to C.S. Lewis as it relates to a pastor, "Think
of me as a fellow patient in the same hospital who, having
arrived a little earlier, could give some advice."
     The pastor's personal life should be one of godly purity in
his or her family and community. This is not to say he never
sins! No, we are still in this body of flesh and fall prey to its
weaknesses daily. But a godly pastor may not harbor glaring
character flaws and on-going sin. The office he occupies demands
that he or she live a life of purity before his immediate family,
the church, and the local community.
     Scripture gives us two almost identical lists that are to be
used for the character qualifications of a pastor. They are found
in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Let us briefly look at each of these
qualifications.7

a.   Above Reproach
     Here Scripture is saying that a pastor is to be above any
act or condition that would open him to blame, rebuke or anything
that would bring shame to himself, his family, or his church.

b.   One Wife
     In the first century polygamy was common. In view of the
prevailing social conditions in the world of the first century
church, it seems to me that husband of one wife here refers to
polygamy rather than divorce and remarriage. However I respect
the opinion of those who do not agree.

c.   Sober, Not Given to Drunkenness
     Webster's dictionary defines sober as, "To be temperate or
sparing in the use of alcoholic liquor, not drunk, temperate in
any way; not extreme or extravagant, serious, solemn, not garish
or flashy; quiet; plain: said of color, clothes, etc. not
exaggerated or distorted . . . characterized by reason, sanity,
or self-control; showing mental or emotional balance."
     Of course, the most obvious meaning of not given to
drunkenness means that one is not to get drunk. In today's world
that would include both drugs and alcohol.

d.   Self-controlled
     To be self-controlled means to be able to be in command over
oneself, one's emotions, desires, words, actions, etc.

e.   Respectable
     To be respectable means to be worthy of esteem, to be able
to conform to socially acceptable behavior and attitudes.

f.   Hospitable
     To be hospitable means to be kind, friendly and solicitous
towards guests, favoring the health, growth, comfort, etc. of
others, especially of new arrivals.

g.   Not Violent
     To be violent means to act with physical force so as to
injure, damage or destroy; to act with strong feeling or emotion;
to be vehement or furious.
     To be not violent means the opposite of these things. It
means to refrain from acts of physical force or of showing strong
angry feelings or emotions in a physical way.

h.   Gentle
     To be gentle means to be refined, courteous, kind, serene,
patient, not violent, harsh or rough.

i.   Not Quarrelsome
     To be quarrelsome means one is inclined or ready to argue
with others; it implies verbal strife marked by anger and
hostility.
     To be not quarrelsome means to be able to get along with
others, to refrain from verbal abuse or meanness of speech.

j.   Not Loving Money
     Everyone realizes that it takes money to exist in today's
world. I understand that. But Paul speaks of not loving money.
"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some
people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced
themselves with many griefs." (1Ti 6:10 NIV)

k.   Manage His Own Family Well
     A pastor's family is to be in order. The pastor's spouse is
to be fully supportive of the ministry call. The pastor's
children are to be decent and orderly.
     Let me add a word here about the pastor's responsibility to
protect his wife and children. For every pastor, as with every
Christian, God should come first, his family second, and his
ministry work third. A pastor's family needs his love, his
protection, his support, and his attention.

l.   Children Obey Him with Proper Respect
     Paul's admonition here is quite plain. His words are
intended to portray a family whose children are under proper
control. Paul is stating that a pastor's children are to be in
subjection, they are to obey and respect him. This applies to all
children who are still living at home. I don't think it is valid
to hold a pastor responsible for the misconduct of his grown
children, especially for children who are unbelievers.

m.   Not A Recent Convert
     Many young people will receive a call to ministry soon after
conversion, then immediately attempt to enter the call. This is
what Paul is cautioning against here. Young converts are highly
subject to their own flesh as well as the devil's multiple
snares, particularly pride. What Paul is urging here is a waiting
period of a few years to allow for the maturing of the future
minister. This admonition also applies to older converts who
receive a call to ministry.

n.   Good Reputation with Outsiders
     Finally, Paul is saying that those who enter the ministry
should have a good reputation among non-believers. In other
words, a pastor should be highly esteemed in the community at
large.
     The above list is an excellent guide for considering the
qualifications of a pastor. I believe that this list is to be a
goal, or standard, by which we are to measure ourselves and those
whom the Lord has called to ministry. However, few if any of us
will qualify on all points of this list! So do not look for or
expect perfection. You won't find it in yourself or anyone else!

     In Part II of this teaching we will examine the actual
ministry of the pastor, the possible weaknesses of the pastor,
and the congregation's relationship with their pastor.

          Lord, we want to take a moment and lift our
     pastors before You. We thank You that they are called
     to prepare Your people to serve You more fully, so that
     the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach
     unity in the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God.
     Lord, bless our pastors, guide them, and strengthen
     them as we all become mature, attaining to the whole
     measure of the fullness of Christ. Amen!


1.	The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Wm. B. 
Eerdmans Publishing, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Page 2258.

2.	There are those who persuasively argue that the early
church had a plurality of elders and that no single elder was
in charge or over the other elders.  Because this was so, they 
say, the proper Biblical model for church leadership today is a 
council of elders.  However, as church history moved into the
second century and beyond it is evident that the Holy Spirit 
orchestrated the concept of one person, the pastor, being in 
charge of and responsible for one church.

3.	Ibid, page 2060.

4.	The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Wm. B. 
Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan. Volume 3, 
Page 2057.

5.	The Interlinear Dictionary of the New Testament, By
George Ricker Berry, Ph.D, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand
Rapids, Michigan. Page 602.

6.	The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, By
Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedereich, Wm. B. Eerdmands 
Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan. Volume 6, pages 486-487.

7.	Many of the following definitions have been taken from
Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language, David
B. Guralnik, Editor in Chief, William Collins + World Publishing 
Co., Inc.