Study : Who or what is a Pastor ?

Who or what is a Pastor ?
NT church leadership : Dictionary study 


I got some Bible dictionaries out, mainly Vines and looked up a few New Testament leadership words. I think some of them are so loaded with political and religious overtones these days that it could be safer just to use the word leader ! I think that if you keep a funny looking foreign word that's become a posh or jargon word then you can give it any meaning you like cos you've avoided using plain English.

* Pastor : latin of course, I forgot that. The greek is poimen - I'd never heared of that before and the New Testament is riddled with it. Not a religious word in greek or latin, but a concept used for leaders in the OT. Everywhere the translators go all the way to translating it into shepherd  EXCEPT in eph 4 where they keep the latin word pastor. Hmmm, is there a whiff of politics in the air here ?

* Bishop :  An englishified pronunciation of episcopos - epi - greek for over, scopeo - to look at or watch. Overseer, foreman, supervisor. Not a religious word.

* Elder : prebuteros : greek for old, and may well refer to maturity and experience not just age given that life expectancy wasn't so brilliant. Not a religious word. We still talk greek - presbyters - i've never known what they do though although I was christened in my grandad Jones' Presbyterian church and he was an elder. I've just answered my own question. He sang in the Liverpool welsh male voice choir too and he died playing tennis - his friends thought he as larking around as usual when he keeled over. That's not in Vines.

* Deacon or Minister was well worth a look. : - greek verb diaco - to hasten after. Used to mean servant or serving. It indicates that you're not the boss - you're running round for a master. You're not doing things because you fancy it or for your fulfillment (though that could be a result). It gets used all over the place. Very very rarely is it a job title. The ones who are picked in acts 6 are never actually called deacons, the word is the one used for waiting at tables (pretty impressive church policy  to pay for that many high quality men to care for the elderly - we do pick and choose what doctrines and practices we choose to follow or ignore). 

Diakonos are household servants amongst other things, but can be doing anything from scrubbing floors to accountancy. It comes in "serving one another" 1pet4v10, "works of service" eph4. In 1timv10,13 "Let them serve as deacons" seems to be more encouraging a particular attitude than a job title, Mr. Vines says. It seems to be that we all should serve. Some are appointed serve as overseers but they should do that and everything else they do with an attitude of service.

Diaconos describes a)  how we work for God, b) preaching and teaching and c) working for the church. Paul calls himself one twice, in  acts 26v16 and along with Apollos and Cephas in 1cor4v1.

Vines says the technical difference between diaconos - hired servant, and dulos - bond slave is  the type of contract with the master - ie the second is permanent.They probably do much the same work just on a different contract.

[Dulos - bond slave ie Old Testament slavery which is forced service too but the person is not bought or kidnapped. It's imposed by a court (the elders at the gate) to pay off debt or fines. Slaves should still be given civic rights. It can't last more than 7 years. If at the end of the time the slave decides steady work with food and lodging thrown in is less hazardous than hanging about in the market place being used as temporary labour its him who says to the master I like you and want to stay on. I dont know how much say the master gets in it! A scarification on the ear lobe is the visual sign of the permanent contract between the two according to Leviticus. What if these days, instead of prison, offenders had to work as free household employees for the people they have stolen from, or creditors etc... until they've worked enough hours to pay it off, or 7 years which ever is the least and then have the option of permanent work and lodgings at the end of it?]

1pet 5v2 refers to people as overseers and shepherds, 
and in hebrews Jesus is the overseer and shepherd. 

1tim5v17 those that look after the affairs of the church well are worth paying properly.

Leadership is always plural when it comes to elders or shepherds 
and they 1)feed 2)lead 3)protect : Acts - Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders.


I think that, (following the logic of vines' suggestions):-

° Overseer/Bishop (episcopos) is a job title, 
° Elder (prebuteros)- is the qualities/qualifications required
° Deacon/Minister/Presbyter (diaconos) is job role and attitude ie obedience to the boss, working, meeting needs
° Shepherd/Pastor (poimen) is a job/task description, along with Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Teacher, (see below) 


So -lizzy f's conclusion  :

Using the words as they were originally used outside a church context 
- your average slave
could spend his/her day serving
he becomes elderly/experienced, 
so he/she could be promoted to work as theforeman/supervisor. 
Senior tasks can include being looking after and teaching other workers, and acting on behalf of the boss - giving messages, being sent out to sort out things, and making public announcements about his good news.

AND inside church the same person could also 
- be in a dulos/slave relationship with God, 

and so could Deacon/Minister serve in the church 
he's mature Elder/Presbyter
and so could be an Overseer/Bishop, which according to Ephesians 4  could then be

Pastor  ( poimen :greek -shepherd), one who feeds, leads, protects the flock

Evangelist (euangelion -  town crier, from : eu - well/good,- angellein- to bring news ) person who proclaims some good news

Apostle (greek apo - away, stellein - to send) someone sent out to help or advise

Prophet (greek - prophetes, pro - for(another)- phanai - to speak) to speak on behalf of someone, in this case God, spokesman, representative.

Teacher (didaskalos - to show, teach, impart) to pass on skills and knowledge

and by doing it he will be helping the people to serve too and so build up the Body of Christ