Pastors pastor

Last year at the SBC (2022), Rick Warren made a statement that he thinks "pastor" is a spiritual gift. He didn't go into his reasoning. But others have made this same argument. Denny Burk has written a helpful article on this (see footnote (1)) and he outlines some of the reasoning made by those who argue for pastor as a spiritual gift: 

• The office of elder/bishop has specific qualifications, including that the officeholder be a male. The gift of pastoring—because it is not an office—doesn’t have any such qualifications. “People are not given gifts based on observable qualifications but because of God’s sovereign gracious act.” Anyone, therefore, can receive the gift of pastoring including women. 

• Related but slightly different, some argue that a pastor is distinct from an elder in that elders do pastoring, but not all pastors are necessarily elders. Because of this, the argument is that women can be pastors since that is an office that is distinct from elders.

These arguments often come from people who state that the Bible is completely true and inerrant. They even come from people who affirm the idea of Complementarianism. And often they’re not coming from fringe people, but from people who have gained credibility over the years. This is a topic that is currently at the top of controversies in the SBC and sure to be a major topic in New Orleans at the SBC in 2023. 

So how should we think about "pastor"? 

There is probably more than one way to think through this question, but I want to focus on the second argument listed above - the argument that elders do pastoring, but that does not necessarily mean they are pastors. This argument appears to hinge on the distinction between the verb “pastoring” and the noun “pastor.” While pastoring (verb) is used to describe elders / bishops, the noun is not used synonymously in those passages (1 Pet 5:1-4; Acts 20:20-28). Does that mean that elders do pastoring, but aren't technically pastors?

• • Acts 20:20-28 is one place where this shows up. Paul calls for the "elders" of the Ephesian church (20:20), then he charges them in 20:28, "Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which He obtained with His own blood."

Is the word "shepherd" used? No. But the verb "shepherd" is used. It is translated as "to care," but it is the Greek word poimainein - "to shepherd." And that is something that we expect since Paul is talking about "the flock." He tells the elders / overseers to shepherd the flock. Does that mean that elders do shepherding, but aren't shepherds?

• • 1 Peter 5:2 is a very helpful passage to think about this question. This example is fascinating because Peter talks about elders (noun) who are overseeing (verb) and shepherding (verb). Since we already know from other passages that elders are synonymous with overseers (Acts 20:20, 28; Titus 1:5-7), we don’t assume that this verb use of overseeing is meant to describe a distinction between the act of overseeing and the person of overseer (so that elders oversee, but are not themselves overseers). Instead, we understand that the verb is simply showing us one of the facets of being an elder - it means you are also an overseer who oversees.
    In the same way, 1 Peter 5:2 also tells us that elders shepherd (verb). I think the case can be made that just like it is clear that elders are also overseers (noun) who oversee (verb), this verse is showing that elders are shepherds (noun) who shepherd (verb).

  • But what really settles the question for me is the uses of the verb poimaino ("to shepherd"). 

    • • • In the New Testament, when poimaino is used, it is either in reference to Jesus, the elders or apostles, or to people who are actually shepherds (2).  We know that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, it would be hard to make the argument that the apostles weren't considered shepherds of the church (John 21:15-17; 1 Pet 5:4), and so it would appear that every use of the verb "to shepherd" is actually in connection to somone who is a shepherd. 

        • But the question is really about the Apostles. Were they shepherds, or just shepherding. 

        • When you look at the use of the verb poimaino in the Septuagint, this evidence becomes clearer. The verb poimaino ("to shepherd") occurs 51 times (3). 24 times it is used in reference to an actual shepherd (Jacob shepherds the flock). 20 times it is used in reference to a ruler (e.g. David shepherds the people). 2 times it is used in reference to keeping companions with someone (the concept of shepherding and keeping are very close; so think in terms of keeping certain people inside of your field of friends). 

  • So really, throughout the Bible, there are only two kinds of uses for the verb poimaino. It's used for a shepherd, or for a ruler. But the fascinating thing is that when it is used of a ruler, that ruler is still considered a shepherd, but instead of shepherding sheep they are shepherding people (4). This is clear when we see phrases like in 1 Chronicles 11:2 in reference to David: "You shall be a shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel." David as ruler is also shepherd. Rulers are viewed as shepherds of people. Because of this, it shouldn't be strange to us that in the NT, the overseers of the church also have this shepherding language attached to them. The pattern has already been established, and were meant to pick up on it, that rulers are shepherds. And so instead of leading us to think there is a distinction between elder / overseer and pastors, using the verb poimaino in relation to overseer / elder is actually something that should make clear to us that these church leaders are not only overseers, but also shepherds. This follows the pattern of the ruler-shepherd in the OT (obviously pastors don't rule the church like the king ruled Israel, but our overseeing is a task of shepherding). 

  • So, because of how the Bible uses the verb poimaino, and how it connects rulers with shepherds, it doesn't fit the pattern to say that the Apostles were shepherding, but weren't shepherds (or to say that elders are pastoring, but aren't pastors). The Bible does not make a distinction between those who do shepherding and those who are shepherds.
    This makes the office of overseer / elder synonymous with pastor. And if it is synonymous, then that beings clarity to the discussion on who is qualified to hold the office. In short, it supports the BFM 2000, article VI, which states, "the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture."

  • And, if the Bible does not make a distinction between those who shepherd and those who are shepherds, then that would also have implications for whether the function of pastor is limited to the biblical qualifications of male as well. But that inference is straightforward and can be expounded on at a different time. 

(1) https://www.dennyburk.com/is-rick-warren-right-about-gift-vs-office/

(2) uses of poimaino in NT: 

• In reference to Jesus: Matt 2:6; Rev 2:27; 7:17; 12:5; 19:15

• In reference to elders or Apostles: John 21:16; 1 Pet 5:2; Acts 20:28; Jude 12

• In reference to shepherds: Luke 17:7; 1 Cor 9:7

(3) uses of poimaino in Septuagint (remember, these are the numberings from the Septuagint, so they may not exactly correspond to the Hebrew numbering):

• In reference to shepherds (I include in this references to God, although you could make the case that some of those references are better classified under the ruler category): Gen 30:31, 36; 37:2, 13; Ex 2:16; 3:1; 1 Sam 16:11; 17:34; 25:16; Ps 22:1; 27:9; 36:3; 79:2; 151:1; Jdt 8:26; Ho 13:5; Mic 7:14; Zech 11:4, 7, 9, 17; Is 40:11; 61:5; Jer 6:3. Also, used 5 times metaphorically in Song of Solomon, but clearly still with the background of a shepherd shepherding the sheep: Song of Solomon 1:7, 8; 2:16; 6:1, 2

• In reference to a ruler: 2 Sam 5:2; 7:7; 1 Chron 11:2; 17:6; Ps 2:9; 48:15; 77:71, 72; Prov 9:12a; 22:1; Mic 5:4, 6; Jer 3:15; Jer 6:18; 22:22; 23:2, 4; Ez 34:10, 23; Ps Sol 17:45

• In reference to keeping companions with: Prov 28:7; 29:3

(4) This would also be the case for those 2 times poimaino is used in reference to keeping companions with someone - they are shepherding / keeping people.