1.
Have power over the salary of the Pastor.
2.
Have authority to protect the congregation from abuse from the Pastor.
Abuses fall into two categories
3.
Have a duty to keep the Pastor's actions in line with the vision.
4.
Must remove the Pastor who is in flagrant opposition to the Word, and does
not desire to repent.
5.
Are to carry out those areas of responsibility, given to them by the Pastor,
to the best of their ability without his (Pastor's) immediate oversight.
Angelos: A messenger
The visible head of the church is an ANGELOS!
The Pastor does not own the flock, he merely has responsibility over it!
In the congregation, the people do not ultimately answer to the Pastor,
but to God!
Responsibilities
-
Admonish
-
Encourage
-
Feed
-
Keep vision in sight
The Pastor does not dictate, he directs!
The Angelos is an elder!
1 Peter 5:1-4
v.2 Feed the flock taking the oversight
v.3 Do not be a dictator
v.4 Jesus is a Pastor, but not all Pastors are Jesus!
A Pastor is an elder, but not all elders are Pastors!
Acts 20:17-28
Many churches in Ephesus; hence Elders!
The Holy Ghost made you overseers to feed!
The Pastor appoints Elders! The Holy Ghost makes Elders Pastors!
The office of a Bishop (an under elder) is something a man aspires to (1
Timothy 3:1)
Bishop is not a ministry gift given by Jesus in Ephesians 4:11!
The Pastor appoints Elders to be overseers!
Elder
Acts 15 shows that elders rule the church with the Pastor! Elders do not
rule the Pastor!
Hebrews 13:7, 17, 24
v.7 Rule
Spoken Word of God
1 Thessalonians 5:12
-
Over = Ruling
-
Admonish = Teaching
1 Timothy 3:1-5
A Bishop is first an elder who gains responsibility. Only an elder can
be a Bishop.
v.2 Apt to teach = Skilled in Teaching
v.4 Rules his own house well
v.5 Rule = Take care of
1 Timothy 5:17
The qualifications for a Pastor also fit the qualifications for an
elder, but the gift is not the same!
Titus 2:1-3
v.3 Aged women is Greek word for elder (only in the feminine gender)
Bishop
Titus 1:5,6
-
Paul instructs Titus to ordain Elders in every city.
Titus 1:7-9
Paul gives the qualifications of a Bishop or overseer.
A Bishop oversees other elders! He is an elder with added responsibility!
A Bishop has more responsibility in the local church than an elder.
-
Compare 1 Timothy 3:1-7 (qualifications of a Bishop) with Titus 1:5-9 (qualifications
of an Elder).
Deacons
Acts 6:1-4
Anything that is of service to the people is deaconing!
The Pastor is the servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, but he ministers or
deacons to the people. What does the Pastor minister? The Word Of God!
The Pastor is:
-
A gift
-
An Elder
-
A Bishop
-
A Deacon
Look again at the chain of command for the local church:
1.
Jesus
2.
Angelos (Pastor)
3.
Elders & Bishops
4.
Deacons
5.
Saints
-
From the top down, each office is a combination of all the offices below
it.
