Tag: shepherds
For Whom Do Elders Have Responsibility? (Should Elders, Pastors and Bishops Have Authority Over a Congregation or a Geographic Area?)
A key question when discussing the role of elders, pastors and bishops in Jesus’ church is: Which Christians does an elder / pastor / bishop have responsibility for overseeing, shepherding and leading? In other words, biblically speaking, how should we determine which souls an elder is responsible for? … Before continuing, there are 3 prior…
The Purpose of Elders, Pastors and Bishops in the Church
I’ve previously shown from the Scriptures that elders, pastors and bishops referred to the same role in the apostolic church. The terms were interchangeable references to the same individuals. With that defined, and having looked at what the Old Testament and Jesus’ life can teach us about this role, in this post, I explain from the…
What Jesus Teaches Us about Shepherds (9 Qualities of Effective Pastors and Elders)
The Prophets foretold Jesus’ shepherding of His flock, spiritual Israel (the church). Here is an example from Micah: 1 Marshal your troops now, city of troops, for a siege is laid against us.They will strike Israel’s ruler on the cheek with a rod.2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of…
What the Old Testament Teaches Us about Shepherds
We are in the midst of a study of the various roles GOD has placed within the church and we’re currently thinking about elders. As we progress, it’s important to keep in mind what we have already established: the overall purpose of the church is to help transform individuals be into the image of Jesus,…
Are Pastors, Bishops, and Elders the Same or Different Roles?
As I continue writing about the various roles Jesus has placed within the church, we turn our attention toward the role of elders. Before we discuss the purpose of elders, there is a very significant question we must answer up front: Are the terms elders, presbyters, bishops, overseers, shepherds and pastors interchangeable in Scripture, or…
Jesus’ Church: Organism or Organization? (Why Our Thinking About the Church is Wrong)
I recently read a newspaper article written by a preacher that was discussing his view of the purpose of the church. Since I’ve been thinking and writing about similar things recently, the headline caught my eye, so I read it. The contents got me to thinking. As Christians, we understand (intellectually) the individual truths that…
To Whom are You Committed? (Why We Can Think We’re Following Jesus When We Aren’t)
In the posts “How to Know When GOD is Calling You” and “What it Means to be Jesus’ Disciple,” I discussed discipleship and obeying when GOD calls us, first to Himself for salvation, and subsequently, to do specific things for His glory. Today, we continue that train of thought and consider a few basic, but…
October 20 – Jesus is Born
Reading Luke 1:5-80 Matt. 1:18-25a Luke 2:1-38 Devotional Finally, after almost 10 months of daily reading, we reach the second most important event in human history—Jesus is born! (The most important event would be Jesus’ death, of course.) Let’s recap the major events of today’s reading. After 400 years of silence, GOD sends a message…
August 24 – GOD Reveals More Details of the Messiah, New Covenant
Reading Jer. 23:1-8; 33:14-26; 31:27-40 Devotional Through the prophet Jeremiah, GOD reveals additional details some 580+ years before Jesus, regarding the coming Messiah, His kingdom, and the new covenant. GOD rebuked the shepherds (spiritual leaders or elders) of Israel because they had failed to lead the people properly and the result had been catastrophic. GOD…
April 6 – David Becomes King
Reading 2 Sam. 2:1-4:12 1 Chron. 11:1-3 2 Sam. 5:4-5 1 Chron. 12:23-40 Devotional David moved to the town of Hebron in Judah. The men of Judah came to Hebron and made David king over Judah. David praised the men of Jabesh Gilead who had recovered the body of Saul from the Philistines and buried…