1 Pet 5 1-4 (2006 Starlight)

First Peter 5:1–3

Pastoral Identity

This confusion is not entirely new to the church. As early as the first century, Paul felt compelled to articulate carefully the role of the pastor. All succeeding generations have felt this tension with the corresponding need to reaffirm the biblical absolutes of ministry.

Scripture provides the primary basis for understanding the pastoral office and its functions.. We do not put Scripture under our examination, according to criteria alien to it, in order to understand ministry. Rather, Scripture examines our prior understandings of ministry. It puts them to the test.

Taking a Biblical Approach

 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16–17). This passage teaches not only a high view of Scripture’s authority but also its sufficiency, especially in formulating ministry plans and priorities. It demands that we begin with God and the Bible rather than man and culture in order to understand God’s will in ministry.

The ministry tensions, problems, and questions that our generation faces are not new.

The contemporary pastor must pay close attention to the lessons of biblical history, for they will surely be repeated in his generation. Therefore when we ask, “What is a pastor to be and do?” we must look to God’s Word for answers and not to the latest fads or theories that find their source in society rather than in Scripture, or in culture but not in Christ.

God has given several defining passages explaining who a pastor is to be and what a pastor is to do (e.g., 1 Tim. 3:1–7; Titus 1:6–9; 1 Pet. 5:1–5), But perhaps the most explicit books in the New Testament regarding the work of the ministry are 1 and 2 Thessalonians. A careful analysis of these pastoral epistles leads to this basic ministry description. A pastor’s primary activities include:

The bottom line is simply this: Will we seek to be fruitful in ministry by depending on the power of God’s Word (Rom. 1:16–17; 1 Cor. 1:22–25; 1 Thess. 2:13) and God’s Spirit (Rom 15:13; 2 Tim 1:8) or on the power of man’s wisdom? Consider how Paul instructed the Corinthian church,:

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Cor. 1:26–31).

Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry

Ardently desire to let the important consideration of God and His revealed will in Scripture be the major focus.

A significant segment of evangelical churches and a growing proportion of evangelical literature seems to be distancing itself from biblical priorities. Unbiblical imbalances among contemporary evangelicals are showing up in growing tendencies toward:

     1.     overemphasis on man’s reasoning—and a corresponding under-emphasis on God’s revelation in Scripture

     2.     overemphasis on human need as defined by man—and a corresponding underemphasis on God’s definition of man’s need

     3.     overemphasis on earthly relevance—and a corresponding under-emphasis on spiritual relevance

     4.     overemphasis on the temporal side of life—and a corresponding underemphasis on the eternal.

     5.     overemphasis on contemporary culture—and a corresponding underemphasis on the Bible

Because of these escalating trends, the church is increasingly in danger of equating religion with Christianity and “going to church” with salvation. The church increasingly substitutes human power for God’s power and peripheral talk about God for talk that centers on Him directly. The church increasingly confuses emotion with worship in Spirit and truth and the cleverness of man’s words with the power of the gospel.

Here you will find ministry that is biblically based, not demographically defined; Spirit led, not market driven; Christ centered, not man directed; and God focused, not consumer oriented.

Being About the Father’s Business

As Jesus engaged in His Father’s work, so must we. An anonymous writer vividly captured the essence of pastoral stewardship before the Lord with his exhortation to do God’s work God’s way according to God’s Word:

Stick with your work. Do not flinch because the lion roars; do not stop to stone the devil’s dogs; do not fool away your time chasing the devil’s rabbits. Do your work. Let liars lie, let sectarians quarrel, let critics malign, let enemies accuse, let the devil do his worst; but see to it nothing hinders you from fulfilling with joy the work God has given you.

He has not commanded you to be admired or esteemed. He has never bidden you defend your character. He has not set you at work to contradict falsehood (about yourself) which Satan’s or God’s servants may start to peddle, or to track down every rumor that threatens your reputation. If you do these things, you will do nothing else; you will be at work for yourself and not for the Lord.

Keep at your work. Let your aim be as steady as a star. You may be assaulted, wronged, insulted, slandered, wounded and rejected, misunderstood, or assigned impure motives; you may be abused by foes, forsaken by friends, and despised and rejected of men. But see to it with steadfast determination, with unfaltering zeal, that you pursue the great purpose of your life and object of your being until at last you can say, “I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do.”

What Is a Pastor to Be and Do?

First Peter 5:1–3 expresses the foundational principles of pastoral leadership: Be humble and do the work of shepherding the flock.

. The primary objective in shepherding God’s flock is to feed them. Besides this, a shepherd must exercise oversight of the flock and provide them with an exemplary life to look to.

He cannot do his job with an unwilling spirit, neither can he do it for the sake of monetary gain.

• He must obey scriptural commands to be faithful to biblical truth,
• bold in exposing and refuting error,
• exemplary in godliness,
• diligent in ministry, and
• willing to suffer in his service.

Can what a pastor is to be and do be boiled down to a few basic principles?

1 Pet. 5:1–3:

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, 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.

A Pastor Should Be Humble

We live in a world that neither values nor desires humility. Whether in politics, business, the arts, or sports, people work hard to achieve prominence, popularity, and fame. Sadly, that mind-set has spilled over into the church. Personality cults exist, because pastors and Christian leaders strive for celebrity status. The true man of God, however, seeks the approval of his Lord rather than the adulation of the crowd. Take heed that you be not exalted above measure, lest you come to nothing.”

Keys to Humility

A humble pastor will be confident in God’s power.  In 1 Thess. 2:2, Paul reminded the Thessalonians that “after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi (see Acts 16:19–24), as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.” Paul’s humble confidence in God’s power translated into boldness and courage in his ministry. He was confident that God was more powerful than any opposition he would face. That gave his ministry strength and tenacity. It enabled him to speak out no matter what the response and consequences were.

In the ministry, pressure to compromise, to mitigate the message, and to avoid offending sinners will always exist. However, the preacher’s job is to expose sin, to confront the lost with the hopelessness of their condition, and to offer the cure for their wretchedness in the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. Doing those things will lead to confrontation and opposition. The courage to stand firm derives from a humble dependence on God’s power. It comes from being “strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might” (Eph. 6:10).

A humble pastor will be committed to God’s truth. We live in a day when most are ignoring Paul’s exhortation to Timothy to “preach the word” of God. Instead of the Word of God, all too often from the pulpit come the uncertain sounds of political rhetoric, social commentary, and pop psychology. Such “persuasive words of [human] wisdom” (1 Cor. 2:4) are a prostitution of the preacher’s true calling.  

A man committed to God’s truth is a man dedicated to “handling accurately the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). His greatest fear in preaching is that he might present that Word inaccurately to his flock and so mislead them. Paul stressed the importance in his own ministry of handling the Word accurately in 1 Thess. 2:3. In that passage, he gave a threefold response to the charge of teaching false doctrine.

One of the most provocative verses in all the Pauline literature is 2 Cor. 2:17, where the apostle declares, “We are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.” Peddling is from kapeleuō. It describes the activity of those spiritual hucksters and con men who peddle the Word of God insincerely for their own enrichment. Unfortunately, they are as common today as they were when Paul wrote. False prophets, spiritual phonies, and assorted cultists, crackpots, and swindlers abound, unceasingly laboring “to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord” (Acts 13:10). To combat this onslaught of false teaching, the church needs pastors humbly committed to proclaiming the truth of God’s Word.

Merely proclaiming the Word is not enough, however, the pastor must live out its truths in his life.

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Certainly, brethren, we have very great cause to take heed what we do, as well as what we say: if we will be the servants of Christ indeed, we must not be tongue servants only, but must serve him with our deeds, and be “doers of the work, that we may be blessed in our deed.”

The preacher who wants his words taken to heart by his congregation must first take them to heart himself.

Finally, in 1 Thess. 2:3, Paul’s preaching was free of deceit. He moves from preaching to living to motive, and now asserts that his motives were not deceitful.

A humble pastor is commissioned by God’s will. All believers have the right and the duty to share the gospel wherever and whenever they can. However, no one should hold the office of pastor who has not received a call to that ministry from God (see chapter 6, “The Call to Pastoral Ministry”). Those who pridefully exalt themselves to that position will not have God’s blessing. God will say of them what He said of the false prophets of Jeremiah’s day: “I did not send these prophets, but they ran. I did not speak to them, but they prophesied” (Jer. 23:21).

Paul certainly did not exalt himself to the ministry. Indeed, becoming a minister of the gospel was the last thing he expected to do with his life.

A humble pastor is compelled by God’s knowledge. God’s omniscience is a further key to and motive for humility. While it is possible to fool others by an outward facade of piety, God knows the secrets of the heart.  God’s omniscience means accountability in the ministry. It keeps a man focused on pleasing God, not men. God scrutinizes the desires, motives, and intentions of the heart, and He knows what is done to please others and what is done to please Him.

Paul was quite aware of the implications of God’s knowledge about his life. To the Thessalonians he wrote, “Just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men but God, who examines our hearts. For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness” (1 Thess. 2:4–5). He knew he was commissioned by God to preach the gospel of God, not by men to preach a man-pleasing gospel.

A humble pastor is consumed with God’s glory. This key achieves the epitome of humility, for it is impossible to seek self-glory and God’s glory at the same time.

A Pastor Has to Shepherd the Flock of God

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The Primary Objective of Shepherding

A shepherd who fails to feed his flock will not have a flock for long. His sheep will wander off to other fields or die of starvation. Above all, God requires of His spiritual shepherds that they feed their flocks.

Sheep cannot feed themselves, nor water themselves. They must be conducted to the water and the pasture.… Everything depends on the proper feeding of the sheep. Unless wisely fed they become sick,.   When the minister goes into the pulpit, he is the shepherd in the act of feeding,

Jesus forcefully drove home the importance of feeding the sheep to Peter in His encounter with him described in John 21. The shepherd’s goal is not to please the sheep, but to feed them—not to tickle their ears, but to nourish their souls. He is not to offer light snacks of milk, but substantial meals of solid biblical truth. Those who fail to feed the flock are unfit to be shepherds (Jer. 23:1–4; Ezek. 34:2–10).

How to Shepherd

Besides feeding them, the shepherd has two primary duties to his flock. He must exercise oversight of them and must lead them by the example of his life.

Shepherds are accountable for how they lead, and the flock for how they follow (Heb. 13:17).

How Not to Shepherd

In his exhortation to his fellow shepherds, Peter warns them of two pitfalls. First, they must avoid doing what they do unwillingly. A good shepherd does his work “not under compulsion, but voluntarily” (1 Pet. 5:2). Sheep can be disagreeable, dirty, stubborn, exasperating animals.

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Another more sinister pitfall to avoid is doing the work of the ministry for sordid gain. “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes,” Paul said to the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:33).

It is not wrong for a pastor to be paid; in fact, Scripture commands it. “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor,” Paul wrote to Timothy, “especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. 5:17).

The Obedient Shepherd

Paul instructed Timothy in the first letter that he must:

Correct those teaching false doctrine and call them to a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith (1 Tim. 1:3–5).

Fight for divine truth and for God’s purposes, keeping his own faith and a good conscience (1:18–19).

Pray for the lost and lead the men of the church to do the same (2:1–8).

Call women in the church to fulfill their God-given role of submission and to raise up godly children, setting an example of faith, love, and sanctity with self-restraint (2:9–15).

Carefully select spiritual leaders for the church on the basis of their giftedness, godliness, and virtue (3:1–13).

Recognize the source of error and those who teach it, and point these things out to the rest of the church (4:1–6).

Constantly be nourished on the words of Scripture and its sound teaching, avoiding all myths and false doctrines (4:6).

Discipline himself for the purpose of godliness (4:7–11).

Boldly command and teach the truth of God’s Word (4:12).

Be a model of spiritual virtue that all can follow (4:12).

Faithfully read, explain, and apply the Scriptures publicly (4:13–14).

Be progressing toward Christlikeness in his own life (4:15–16).

Be gracious and gentle in confronting the sin of his people (5:1–2).

Give special consideration and care to those who are widows (5:3–16).

Honor faithful church leaders who work hard (5:17–21).

Choose church leaders with great care, seeing to it that they are both mature and proven (5:22).

Take care of his physical condition so he is strong to serve (5:23).

Teach and preach principles of true godliness, helping his people discern between true godliness and mere hypocrisy (5:24–6:6).

Flee the love of money (6:7–11).

Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness (6:11).

Fight for the faith against all enemies and all attacks (6:12).

Instruct the rich to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous (6:17–19).

Guard the Word of God as a sacred trust and a treasure (6:20–21).

In his second epistle, Paul reminded Timothy to:

Keep the gift of God in him fresh and useful (2 Tim. 1:6).

Not be timid but powerful (1:7).

Never be ashamed of Christ or anyone who serves Christ (1:8–11).

Hold tightly to the truth and guard it (1:12–14).

Be strong in character (2:1).

Be a teacher of apostolic truth so that he may reproduce himself in faithful men (2:2).

Suffer difficulty and persecution willingly while making the maximum effort for Christ (2:3–7).

Keep his eyes on Christ at all times (2:8–13).

Lead with authority (2:14).

Interpret and apply Scripture accurately (2:15).

Avoid useless conversation that leads only to ungodliness (2:16).

Be an instrument of honor, set apart from sin and useful to the Lord (2:20–21).

Flee youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, and love (2:22).

Refuse to be drawn into philosophical and theological wrangling (2:23).

Not argue, but be kind, teachable, gentle, and patient even when he is wronged (2:24–26).

Face dangerous times with a deep knowledge of the Word of God (3:1–15).

Understand that Scripture is the basis and content of all legitimate ministry (3:16–17).

Preach the Word—in season and out of season—reproving, rebuking, and exhorting with great patience and instruction (4:1–2).

Be sober in all things (4:5).

Endure hardship (4:5).

Do the work of an evangelist (4:5).

To sum it all up in five categories, Paul commanded Timothy

(1) to be faithful in his preaching of biblical truth,

(2) to be bold in exposing and refuting error,

(3) to be an example of godliness to the flock,

(4) to be diligent and work hard in the ministry, and

(5) to be willing to suffer hardship and persecution in his service for the Lord.