Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not greedy for money but eagerly;
Truth to Learn
A church leader is to behave like a loving shepherd.
Behind the Words
The word translated “exhort” in yesterday’s verse is from the Greek parakalo, which literally means “to call alongside.” It is interpreted as meaning “to council, to give advice, and to comfort.” This is the name given to the Holy Spirit by Christ himself:
But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name …” (John 14:26)
The word “Comforter” in John 14:26 is the same word translated “exhort” in 1 Peter 5:2.
“Shepherd” is from the Greek word poimanate and the word “flock” is from poimnion. Even without knowing Greek it is easy to see that these two words have the same root. The first one means “to take care of a group of animals, to feed them, to protect them, to care for them.” This is what a Shepherd does for his flock. The second word means “a flock or group of animals.”
The words “serving as overseers” are from the single Greek word episkopountes, which literally means “to watch over” or “to oversee.” It is the same word that is translated “bishop” in some places in the Bible. Again, notice that this is not a separate or higher ranking position within the priesthood, rather it is the responsibility of each and every pastor (elder) of every local congregation.
Meaning Explained
Today’s verse gets into the first part of Peter’s exhortation to the elders (or pastors) of the churches to which this letter was written. The advice that Peter is giving these elders is to feed the flock. Although it is not specifically identified here, Peter’s implication is that we who are called to be overseers of God’s flock are to provide spiritual food for the flock.
The way a pastor is to oversee the flock is not by compulsion (Greek anagkastōs, meaning “not out of necessity” or “not because you have to”), but willingly (Greek ekousiōs, meaning “voluntarily”), certainly not just for money (Greek me aischrokerdōs, meaning “not greedy for money”), but readily (Greek prothumōs, meaning “willingly” or “gladly”).
Hence, a church elder should not take on the responsibility of overseeing the local congregation because he is forced to do so. Neither should he take on this responsibility because he believes he will receive personal gain in the form of money or power. In other words, he should not be doing this for selfish reasons. He should, instead, take on this responsibility readily and willingly because he wants to serve God in this way. He should feel that he has been personally called by God to care for the flock, whether it consists of five or five thousand.
Application
Does that describe your pastor? Does he regularly supply you with spiritual food? Does he consider the welfare of the flock under his care as more important than his own desires? If so, you are certainly blessed!
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved
