Talk:Elder
- What is biblical eldership?
- What is pastoral eldership!
- How important is this subject to the Church?
- What does the Bible say about church eldership?
Is the pastoral mission of the Church primarily or exclusively "concerning or appropriate to the giving of spiritual guidance"?[1]
"Pastoral care is an ancient model of emotional and spiritual support that can be found in all cultures and traditions. It has been described in our modern context as individual and corporate patience in which trained pastoral carers support people in their pain, loss and anxiety, and their triumphs, joys and victories." University of Canberra
Repeatedly I see references to Pastoral care as "emotional and spiritual" support but the words related to pastor in the Bible suggest, even state, a temporal responsibility for the health and well being. The Hebrew word "raah"[2] is not only the word for pastor and shepherd it is mostly commonly translated as "feed".
The Greek word poimen[3] which we see translated pastor in the New Testament is commonly translated shepherd.
The term shepherd as an occupational title reached beyond emotions and spiritual needs of the flock and for 2000 years the Church was heavily engaged in daily ministrations of a temporal needs. The relegation of a pastors duties to primarily a spiritual or emotional caregiver is an apparition of the modern Church.
The original duties of a shepherd are said to be:'[3]
- -to watch for enemies trying to attack the sheep
- -to defend the sheep from attackers
- -to heal the wounded and sick sheep
- -to find and save lost or trapped sheep
- -to love them, sharing their lives and so earning their trust.
The lack of knowledge concerning the role of elders and deacons in the early Christian community is in part the lack of understanding of the function of the early Church appointed by Christ. Revisiting a few of the definitions of terms used in the biblical text and the history of that era
We are not training the very men who lead and have oversight of our churches. We erroneously believe that our serving elders and deacons understand spiritual oversight and care, but in fact our churches are filled with elders and deacons who confess that they are unprepared and untrained for their work.
Biblical Eldership, when used in connection with the main text, Biblical Eldership, provides twelve comprehensive lessons regarding biblical eldership principles. It is designed for use by the prospective new elder under the direction of a mentoring elder, or can also be used in group study.
TUTORIALS
MENTORING PLAN
ELDER TRAINING PROGRAMS
BER MISSION
BER ONLINE BOOKSTORE
- ↑ 2018 Oxford University Press
- ↑ 07462 ^הער^ ra‘ah \@raw-aw’\@ (רעה) ReshAyinHei a primitive root; v; AV-feed 75, shepherd 63, pastor 8, herdmen 7, keep 3, companion 2, broken 1, company 1, devour 1, eat 1, entreateth 1, misc 10; 173
- 1) to pasture, tend, graze, feed
- 1a) (Qal)
- 1a1) to tend, pasture
- 1a1a) to shepherd
- 1a1b) of ruler, teacher (fig)
- 1a1c) of people as flock (fig)
- 1a1d) shepherd, herdsman (subst)
- 1a2) to feed, graze
- 1a2a) of cows, sheep etc (literal)
- 1a2b) of idolater, Israel as flock (fig)
- 1a1) to tend, pasture
- 1b) (Hiphil) shepherd, shepherdess
- 1a) (Qal)
- 2) to associate with, be a friend of (meaning probable)
- 2a) (Qal) to associate with
- 2b) (Hithpael) to be companions
- 3) (Piel) to be a special friend
- 07462 (רעה) ReshAyinHei ra`ah is also translated feed 75, shepherd 63, pastor 8, herdmen 7, keep 3, companion 2, and broken, company, devour, eat, entreateth once each and 10 miscellaneous other ways. It is defined 1) to pasture, tend, graze, feed 2) to associate with, be a friend of ... It is the same three letters we see in 07463 (רעה) ReshAyinHei re`eh 1) friend, friend of the king (technical sense)
- 1) to pasture, tend, graze, feed
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 4166 ~ποιμήν~ poimen \@poy-mane’\@ of uncertain affinity; n m AV-shepherd 15, Shepherd 2, pastor 1; 18
- 1) a herdsman, esp. a shepherd
- 1a) in the parable, he to whose care and control others have committed themselves, and whose precepts they follow
- 2) metaph.
- 2a) the presiding officer, manager, director, of any assembly: so of Christ the Head of the church; the NT uses the term bishop, overseers, 1985 pastors, 4166 elders, and presbyters 4245 interchangeably {#Ac 20:17,28 Eph 4:11 Tit 1:5,7 1Pe 5:1-4 etc.} 2a1) of the overseers of the Christian assemblies 2a2) of kings and princes
- The tasks of a Near Eastern shepherd were:
- -to watch for enemies trying to attack the sheep
- -to defend the sheep from attackers
- -to heal the wounded and sick sheep
- -to find and save lost or trapped sheep
- -to love them, sharing their lives and so earning their trust.
- 1) a herdsman, esp. a shepherd