5 Smooth Stones

The titles elder, bishop, and overseer are all nouns, whereas shepherd is used as a verb in each context where it is associated with an elder, bishop or overseer. The only place it is used as a singular noun “a shepherd” is in referring directly to the Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd. It is also used as a noun in the plural form in light of the gift ministries in Ephesians 4:11 where it is unfortunately translated as “pastors.” Nowhere in scripture is a position of elder, bishop or overseer associated with shepherd or pastor as a noun. For instance, to say that an elder, bishop or deacon should shepherd (verb) is biblical; to say that an elder, bishop or deacon must be a shepherd (noun, a gift ministry) is not biblically accurate. 1 Timothy 3:2 says that a bishop or an overseer must be able to teach, a verb. It would be no more accurate to state that all elders, bishops and overseers must operate as a gift ministry level teacher, a noun, in order to hold o ffi ce. But they must be able to teach, a verb (1 Timothy 3:2). Misunderstanding our nouns and verbs has brought much confusion and limited the functioning of leadership and the release of the gifts within the church. To say that an elder must be a fi ve-fold shepherd (noun) makes as much sense as saying that because an elder needs to be able to speak that he is required to be a gifted orator. We do not make this same mistake with 1 Timothy 3:2 by requiring every elder to be at the level of a fi ve-fold teacher, or we would empty most pulpits as well as preaching ministries. We should not make the same mistake with the ministry of a shepherd. It is imperative that we come to a rede fi ning and new understanding of what a true New Testament shepherd is, and what true New Testament elders, overseers and bishops are if we are going to break out of the paradigms of the past and enter into a new functioning of fi ve-fold ministry released in the Kingdom and the church. In 1 Peter we can see one of the often misunderstood scriptures often used to confuse the o ffi ce of elder and the o ffi ce (gift) of shepherd. 1 Pet 5:1 “The elders [noun] are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the su ff erings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2 Shepherd [verb] the fl ock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, [noun] not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the fl ock.” Peter is speaking to the leaders of the church whom he alternately calls elders and overseers. These are nouns, the individuals he is addressing

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