The Pastor Teacher as Shepherd and Elder

I have been contemplating what the office of pastor entails for several years and have felt that now is the time to place it in writing. It includes all of the scripture that is given below, plus Psalm 23. (list of scriptures used) Through out this little study please remember that in addition to being a pastor, a pastor is also a sheep or lamb himself.

This opening verse is probably one of the most well known scriptures and is heard often at funerals. I have included it here in this discussion, because a pastor is a shepherd as we shall see. The 23rd Psalm gives us a good glimpse into the oriental concept of a shepherd. What most people do not realize is that David was alive when he penned these words and his message was how God was taking care of him as a living person. If you read in the life of David as recalled beginning in I Samuel 18 you will find that not everything turned up as roses. The message of Psalm 23 is to the living and not to the dead. In that respect this is an apt description of the work of a pastor/shepherd/teacher...more