ARE UNDERSHEPHERDS FOR NOW AND ETERNITY?

The image [of the shepherd in Ephesians 4:11] is vague; its OT and pre-OT usage would suggest that primary emphasis would lie on shepherds as those who led..., provided and protected those in their care.

Ernest Best
Ephesians: A Critical and Exegetical Commentary
T. & T. Clark Publishers; Ed. 2004 edition

Comment

• leading: This is an obvious statement, but leading requires that the shepherd first go where he wants the flock to go. A second and equally important requirement is that the flock must know the shepherd and must find his leadership trustworthy.
• providing: The largest portion of this task is getting food and sheep together. Actually feeding the sheep is unnecessary, except for the young and the sick. if the sheep are not feeding themselves, something is horribly wrong with the flock.
• protecting: The flock lives in constant danger of illness, attack, or foolishness. The shepherd protects the flock by seeing to its general health, by fighting off enemies, and by caring for the injured and sick.
  

Ponder

• How much, if any, of this metaphor carries over into eternity?
• Either way, what is the significance for how we behave now?
  

Resources

The Five-Fold Ministry and the Birth of New Movements
Christian Unity (Ephesians 4:1-16)

Tag(s): ecclesiology church christian theology

NEW TESTAMENT LEADERSHIP: task, position, or what?

Biblical Input

1) presbuteros ("elder"), episkopos ("bishop, overseer")
qualifications--1 Tim 3:1-7; 5:17-19; Tit 1:5-9
tasks (narrative)--Acts 20:17-38

2) diakonos (minister)
qualifications--1 Tim 3:8-13
tasks (narrative)--Acts 6

3) APEPT as gifts to the ekklesia
Eph 4:11-14

4) Olders and Youngers
1 Tim 5:1-16; Tit 2:2-8

Questions:

• Are 1 and 2 offices?
• What is the relationship of 3 to 1 and 2?
• How are each of these and all of these related to the local church?
  

Related Posts
beginning questions

This post is subject to change without notice.

NOTE: This is a rumination ("1. The act of pondering; meditation. 2. The act or process of chewing cud." American Heritage Dictionary) in search of synergy ("1. The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.")

Tag(s): theology

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“Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.” http://www.esv.org/

THE OFFICE OF PASTOR AND OTHER NT MYTHS--beginning questions

Despite, or maybe due to, the class I took last fall, many questions remain. I have opinions on each of these questions and I even have biblical answers for some. Others remain uninvestigated or overly tinged by presupposition. So, poked in among the thesis, the Doctrine of the Kingdom, teaching (here, here, and here), and too little sleep, I shall be pondering these and other pesky gender-leadership-ecclesiology topics.

• Can a woman be a senior pastor?
• For that matter, NT-speaking, can anyone (except you-know-who) be the Senior Pastor?
• Does the "office" of Pastor even exist?
• Can a woman be an elder?
• Can a single man with no children be an elder?
  
• Are elders pastors or something else or what?
• Can a woman be a deacon?
• What are deacons and how are they different from elders (assuming they are different)?

Each of these questions stirs opinions, and often much heat. Opinions are welcome. Heat is not. If you comment, be on topic, be fair, and don't preach (if you want to preach, post on your own blog and leave a link).

NOTE: This is a rumination ("1. The act of pondering; meditation. 2. The act or process of chewing cud." American Heritage Dictionary) in search of synergy ("1. The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.")

Tag(s): theology hermeneutics

See CC License

“Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.” http://www.esv.org/