A Pastor by Any Other Name?

Daniel Baker

Shakespeare was right about roses, but does his logic apply to pastors? When Juliet was troubled because of her family name, Capulet, a family bitterly divided against Romeo's Montague family, she asks,

What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name;
And for that name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.

Sometimes it's true that a name is an arbitrary attachment to the thing. If roses were called pansies and pansies were called roses, we'd buy pansies on Valentine's Day and be perfectly fine doing it.

But it's not always true that names are so disconnected from the thing itself. This is especially true in the Bible when God names certain people or places or things. Remember, Jesus is called Jesus because "He will save His people from their sins" (NASB, Matt. 1:21). But what about the role we call "pastor" or "elder"? Here, too, God has embedded in the name of the role important truths about the role itself. Here are a few of them:

A Pastor is an Elder is an Overseer

There are three basic terms that the Lord gives to pastors in the church. They are "pastors," "elders," and "overseers." Sometimes he uses all three terms interchangeably. When Paul is speaking to the Ephesian "elders of the church," he exhorts them in these words:

"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood." (NASB, Acts 20:28)

These elders are called "overseers" in verse 28, and they are told "to shepherd the church" which has been entrusted to them. So, a pastor is an elder is an overseer. Throughout the New Testament these terms refers to the same office in the church.

Well, now we need to answer Juliet's question, "What's in a name?" What does the name(s) of this role teach us about the role itself?

A Pastor is a "Pastor" (Shepherd)

First, a pastor is a "pastor," literally a "shepherd." Pastor and shepherd come from the exact same Greek word. That's why in places like Ephesians 4:11 the ESV used the word "shepherd": "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers." Other translations use "pastor" at this spot. Of the three terms this is probably the best one for capturing the role in its entirety. The other two words fill out other aspects of the job, but they can all be contained within this title "pastor." A shepherd is entrusted with a flock of sheep. Those sheep are his exclusive concern. If they thrive, he is successful. If they languish and suffer, he is a deficient shepherd. For him to succeed as a shepherd, he must care for the sheep, protect the sheep, know the sheep, and feed the sheep. Pastors do this in their churches primarily through the ministry of the Word. Teaching the Bible is how they feed the sheep. This is also part of the protection they provide, though this protection includes things like church discipline as well. But there is also the relational component: Their love for their people is expressed through caring for and knowing them.

Of course, this is only a metaphor. It isn't meant in any way to communicate that congregations are stupid and pastors are smart because, after all, sheep are really dumb. It's also not meant to communicate that congregations are less important than pastors. Remember, pastors are also sheep who serve and absolutely depend upon "the Chief Shepherd" Jesus Christ (1 Peter 5:4). Pastors need the same protection and provision that all sheep need (Ps. 23:1-4).

A Pastor is an Elder

A pastor is also an "elder," a role that has an ancient history in Israel (Ex. 3:16). Elders were voices of wisdom, judgment, counsel, and leadership in ancient Israel. At times they provided legal services and could validate financial transactions (Ruth 4:2ff.). These men tended to function as a group to govern a city and could represent that city in certain legal or judicial or even religious situations. The Lord chose to bring forward this term into the New Testament—not priest or king. Elders in the church generally function as a group (Acts 14:23; Phil. 1:1) to provide leadership and wisdom to the church under their care. Because of the role they tended to perform in Israel, they were often "older" (what the name literally means), but it isn't a requirement in the New Testament that elders actually be "older," only that they not be "a new convert" (1 Tim. 3:6).

A Pastor is an Overseer

A pastor is thirdly an "overseer." The governing office in the local church is the pastor. In fact, "the elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor" (1 Tim. 5:17), and God says to, "obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls" (Heb. 13:17). Of the three terms, this has the narrowest meaning. It obviously speaks to the leadership and direction that elders provide in a church. They are in charge in this basic sense, though others will certainly exercise leadership and responsibility in the church (esp. deacons, Acts 6:1-7; apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, Eph. 4:11; etc.). They have authority from God to carry out their office, though authority in any person is limited and narrow. Only God has unlimited and categorical authority over…everything. The rest of us have some authority to do some things in some situations. The pastor has authority in the church to lead the church as the Bible teaches, but he doesn't have authority to intrude into all areas of the lives of the people in his church. Only God has such blanket authority.

So, what's in a name? A lot. In these three words is a summary job description and even a sort of checks-and-balances for the role itself. The terms tell us that the leader in the church must still be one who cares for, knows, and protects his sheep. The pastor must be concerned for the sheep, but he must also be willing as an elder to perform legal and judicial and formal actions as they are required in the life of the church. We want all three aspects to be represented by the leaders of our churches.

We hope that this picture of a pastor is consistent with your experience at Sovereign Grace Church, as imperfect as that picture might be. May God keep us faithful to the charge he has given us, and may his church always look to the Bible as it chooses its leaders and defines what those leaders will do.