Gods man

As the guardian of Gods people and Christs Church, it is the Pastors responsibility to
look after Gods people holistically, In all things said and done!

I. Gods man described Scripturally

a. Pastor
b. Bishop
c. Elder

II. Gods man and his holistic role

a. In regards to Gods people

b. In regards to Gods Church
c. In regards to Gods word

Nothing is more sorely needed today than a return to biblical leadership principals.
Solid leaders are appealingly rare in the contemporary church, on the mission field, and
in Christian schools and organizations. A church cannot be more successful than its
leaders. If the Pastor or leaders fail to meet Gods high standards of godliness,
authenticity, and spiritual maturity, the church will fail too. John F. MacArthur Jr The
Masters plan for the Church Pg18

When we begin to look at Gods man, who he is and what he is to us, or what he
means to us, we have to turn to Gods word for the necessary instruction and role model
of those that have come before us. With this in mind we will see that Gods man is
described in three ways, namely Pastor, Bishop and Elder. All three words describe the
same person.
Henry C. Thiessen States, In Acts 20:17,28 the elders of the church at Ephesus
are said to have been made overseers (or bishops) over the flock, with the purpose that
they should feed (shepherd or pastor) the church of God. Here we have the terms of
elders, overseers, and pastors all used of the same men..The elders and overseers in
the church at Ephesus had been entrusted with the work of shepherding the flock, that
is, they had been made pastors in the church. Lectures in systematic theology Pg 320 .
John F. Macarthur Jr sums it up this way, So the term elder emphasizes who the
man is. Bishop speaks of what he does. A Pastor (shepherd) deals with how he
ministers. All three terms are used of the same church leaders, identifying those who
feed and lead the Church, but each has a unique emphasis. The masters plan for the
Church Pg 185.
L. Duane Brown says this, In the New testament there are three major titles
given to the spiritual leader of the local church (1) pastor, which means one who feeds
or nourishes; (2) bishop is one who administrates or oversees; and (3) Elder which has
its root meaning back in the Old testament for a wise and mature man. All three titles
express the major areas of ministry for the leader: Pastor preacher of the word,
Bishop administrator of the affairs of the church, Elder counselor and dignitary of the
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local body. The bible makes it very clear that these three titles refer to the same person
and office: 1 Peter 5:1-4; Titus 1:5-7; Acts 20:28. Biblical basis for Baptists Pg 37 - 38

This is not, as some Churches teach different position in the hierarchical

structure but rather the description of the same person, seen and acting in different
roles. It is my intent to persuade you and have you realize that we are describing the
same person with different roles to play within the same position, and that isbeing
Gods chosen man!

The office of Pastor is derived from the Greek word Poimen which means
Shepherd or feeder Eph 4:11. It is interesting to note that the Bible was written in a time
of rural living. For example, we come across the farmer and his life style or the
fishermen and their way of life and the greater hand to mouth community. For modern
man, we hail from a technological advanced environment, where a lot of the nuances
and or implications of words have lost their significant meanings. Consequently we,
today have to dwell a little harder on the words to understand the true meanings behind
each word (description). To understand the Scriptures fully and to understand clearly all
things said and done, the Scriptures must be interpreted literally, grammatically and
historically (culturally).

To continue in thought, a shepherd is one that looks after sheep. Sheep need to
be cared for and protected literally day and night. A good shepherd spends time with his
sheep and knows them, and is known by his sheep. God has likened mankind as
sheep. John C Thiessen says, It is not a flattering designation, for a sheep is a very
ignorant animal in many respects, it is in constant need of the care of a shepherd, and
so also are the Believers in Christ.. Pastoring the smaller Church Pg 17. As a shepherd
he will get to know and love each sheep individually and get to know the characteristics
of each and know them individually. A shepherd will lead his sheep out early in the
morning and feed them and protect them from predators and the environment. We as
sheep need to be loved, tendered, feed, protected, strengthened, perfected and
preserved in Jesus Christ. This requires a shepherd a Pastor. He has an enormous
responsibility to his sheep and being accountable to the Great Shepherd, God Himself!
. as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief:.
Heb 13:17

In 1 Timothy 3:1 we note that the term Bishop also refers to an office. The word
Bishop is derived from the Greek word episkopos which refers to an overseer or
superintendent. According to The concise Oxford Dictionary an Overseer is one who
looks from above or to look after. A superintendent has the management of or arranges
and inspects work of workmen or execution of work. Charles C. Ryrie makes the
following observation when he reflects on 1 Timothy 3, The significance of such a
great amount of detail should not be missed. It seems to be saying that it is exceedingly
important to have qualified men to lead the church, and that it is better to have fewer
elders who are qualified than a larger number, some of whom are not qualified. A
survey of Bible doctrine Pg 144
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It is interesting to note that some theologians see the term Bishop and Elder
as having the one and the same meaning. Dr H.L Wilmington clarifies it as: These two
terms, bishop and elder, are often used interchangeably (Acts 20:17-28; Titus 1:5-7).
The former term (bishop) speaks of his office responsibility, while the latter term (elder)
refers to his spiritual maturity. Willmingtons guide to the Bible Pg 706 . We find then
that the office of Bishop has a clear and defined qualification laid out for the man who is
to fill this role.

The Bishop must be of good behavior, in control of his home, hospitable, a

teacher, committed to holiness, spiritually minded, not given to materialism. A mature,
meek and respected citizen among his community, a man who must lead by example. A
man who oversees a work must have a Godly strength of Character as he is a steward
of Gods household. One who runs Gods household in accordance to the way God
wants it run. This takes strength of Character (Strong belief in God) and or to put it
another way - one who knows in whom he believes.

I believe that it is with this in mind that God had Paul inform Timothy of the
qualifications of a Bishop as, this office needs a man that is of the highest Spiritual
caliber as he manages Gods people and deals with and counsels His sheep. It is said
that a ship is only as tight as the captain. The responsibility of overseeing Gods
Church is a high calling and one fraught with a heavy responsibility toward those served
and an accountability to God Himself with the added knowledge of being answerable for
not serving with the proper heart attitude and or being presumptuous in speaking for
God when he had not so spoken. My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we
shall receive the greater condemnation. Jas 3:1

I am of the opinion that the man who takes hold of this calling, if he is weak in
one or two areas, the whole ministry will suffer somewhere down the road. Gods
household will be impacted in a way that will be harmful for the Church, the individual
and the church will not be a Church that has .. 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 Eph 4:13

The last description of one holding an office is the Elder. An Elder according the
Greek word presbuteros means to be the aged one or senior, one who is wise from
experience and maturity and or advisor or counselor. According to Dr Roy Wallace, Its
frequent use probably grew out of the fact that it was already an established word
among the Jews. It carries the idea of maturity and experience, thus describing the
character of the office rather than the functions of the office., Systematic Theology Pg
261. It is to be noted that, experience is gained through time and observations as
Laban said to Jacob I pray thee, if I have found favor in thine eyes, tarry: for I have
learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake. Gen 30:27 .

When we think of an Elder person, we think of experience and maturity. So it is

no great thing to expect an Elder to be mature. Maturity is not guaranteed in the aged,
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there are many folks around today who may be old in years, yet immature in behavior
and thought. The Elder must be one who is mature in Gods Word.
In gaining maturity - Faith and experience are intertwined in his personal growth
and walk with God, and this experience comes with time! It is the wise preacher boy,
who will take time out and listen to the experience of the older Elders and learn from
their mistakes and victories,. It is my opinion that the old Elder is not to be put out to
pasture, but to impart their knowledge and experience to the next generation. The
preacher boy cannot buy experience. He can learn from others, and learn from his own
failures and achievements. This takes time as he walks with God. This is where the
Elder learns about himself and others as he walks in faith with the Lord and deals with
people, that He will gain experience.

The next description of an Elder is one of faith. The church rises and falls on his
lack or strength of faith. As an Elder, God would have tried and tested his faith that will
be drawn upon as he ministers to others or when he guides the church forward. In his
gaining experience, his faith would have been increased throughout this time period. He
is a man as we have seen to lead by example; faith is a major area of leading, It is not
blind faith but a faith that is assured in Christ. It is a faith that rests upon Gods word.

This makes the Elder a man of wisdom. Wisdom is taking knowledge and
applying it correctly. The Elder has taken faith, experience and knowledge of who God
is and applies it in a correct manner to whatever situation he finds himself. Wisdom is a
key ingredient to the position of Elder. In fact it is expected, as people seek his counsel
on issues in their lives. This in turn then also applies to his character, it is a Godly
character, as he applies Gal 5:22 in his life and walks in Gods Spirit, his character will
be one that brings glory and honour to God and it will be who he is ..a Godly character.

It is also my conviction that the Elder is to be one of benevolence, this struck

home for me when I saw in Luke 9:2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God,
and to heal the sick. and James 2:14-16 that the Elder is to find the balance between
the sharing the Gospel and catering to needs. As with the Elders character, he must
also be a man of strength. It takes great courage to stand against society, especially if
you are an Elder who knows that God requires holy living from all. We are told to stand
firm in the Gospel of Christ Phil 1:27. An Elder is a man of respect and a man of
responsibility.

Any man that is of a leadership position knows and understands that, to lead
effectively, one must be respected. And so it is with the Elder. If people do not respect
him. They will not follow, Paul ascribes to this in 1 Cor 9:27, when he speaks of taking
control of self. People respect those that practice what they preach and he must be
respected by those that are not of the Faith, so that he may win them for Christ 1 Tim
3:7. This then also implies that the Elder must be a responsible person. The Elder is to
take responsibility for Christs message of hope and peace, Take responsibility for
Gods call in his life and take responsibility for Gods people. This is not a task that is to
be taken lightly. When we read the Scriptures we find that he must give account to God
for the goings on of those that are in his care Heb 13:17.
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Finally it stands to reason then, that the Elder is a man of Authority. He has
Gods authority to say Thus saith the Lord! It is his lot in understanding his position in
Christ, his calling and finally his responsibility for those that form part of his flock.
Consequently he has Gods authority to exercise all that Christ has commanded him to
do. As an Individual, and more so as the Elder - Spiritual guide of the Church.

I have set out a brief description of the meaning of the titles ascribed to the
calling of Gods man to office. Now I want to reflect on the practical application as his
role touches Gods people, Church and Gods word. The man described above is one
and the same person. As a Pastor, he deals with Gods flock. It encompasses taking
Gods sheep and caring for them in ever aspect of their lives. He is answerable to the
Great Shepherd as he cares for them.

As touching the Church, he is known as a Bishop. This speaks of being a

superintendent. Managing Christs church in all things said and done. It speaks of the
practically aspects of one delegating and overseeing the tasks needed to be done by
the Church as a whole. It must be borne in mind that the Church consists of Christs
sheep collectively. Consequently as a group they must be managed.

Finally, We speak of the Elder, who represents Christ in office and his word. It is
my opinion that as a representative of Christ, the strength of Godly character, sense of
responsibility etc all take a holistic part to play in the overall preaching of Gods word,
the representation of Gods word and the overall presentation of Gods Church. This
speaks of a Godly character, that must permeated the man of God as he presents
Gods message to a lost and dying world , using an organized, managed Church as a
sanctuary for the hurting and needy.

I want to finish off by quoting John C. Thiessen, as I believe this encapsulates all
that is said, implied and allude to, A capable Pastor is one who can go into a strange
community, get permission to use the one room country school house (if any such are
left), or some other vacant building, build the fire in the stove, sweep the floor, dust the
furniture, invite the people of the community, lead the singing, conduct the services,
preach the sermon, deal with inquirers and lead them to Christ, organize a church, and
carry on until a real work of the Lord has been established. Pastoring the smaller
church Pg 16

As Dr Weldon Adams so clearly and aptly portrays, He is the guardian of Gods

people and Gods Church!