Is the role of a pastor today what the Bible depicts?
At some point, there seems to have been a switch from a shepherd’s staff to an office door when it comes to the pastoral role within a church. If this is true, how did we get to where we are today, and what can we do about it?
One dynamic I believe that has led many of us off track is the misunderstanding of Biblical texts and its narrative. Whether we go to church or don’t even believe in God, the protestant revolution, I believe, has played a large role in some of these misunderstandings. Granted, not everyone who was a part of the establishment of our country was motivated simply by religious beliefs, but the structure of European colonization was forming during the same time that Martin Luther and John Calvin began making waves in the religious sector and had a colossal impact on our current church models and theology. We see much of their work and structure in our church models today and have had an impact that also includes the pastoral role within the church, although our misalignment may have begun much earlier than the 1500s.
There are some of us who, when reading a book, can’t help but skip to the final chapter to find out the ending. We also know that if we were to pick a chapter out of the middle of the book, we would only get part of the narrative of the story. When it comes to understanding Biblical text accurately, picking out one chapter, one verse, or only reading the book of Revelation will not give us a more complete understanding of God and his relationship with creation. I use the term more complete understanding because there are many answers we long for that simply are not given to us in the Bible, yet often we preach, teach, and even argue as though we know it all.
The Bible is a unified narrative, meaning although it’s been comprised over 1500 years with a multitude of writers, it is an ongoing story that intrinsically ties itself together even into our current day. To extract passages, chapters, individual stories, or verses places us in a position to miss something much wiser and even more beautiful. To understand it the way God intended it, the pieces must all fit together. If I took one word out of a sentence, we know that one word would not give us a complete understanding of what the sentence was intended to say.
Much of what we know in our modern-day church structures is a result of what’s known as eisegesis. The interpretation of a text (as of the Bible) by reading into it one's ideas. Hermeneutics is the overarching theory of interpretation, while exegesis is the practice of applying those theories to interpret specific texts. Hermeneutics deals with the framework and principles, whereas exegesis focuses more on the textual analysis and explanation of individual passages. More simply, hermeneutics is seen as the “how,” and exegesis is the application of it.
A simple theory of hermeneutics when reading or researching the Bible is to filter it through learning the cultural understanding of the texts, the original language it was written in, and how that translates to our English language, and the audience it was written to. There are Biblical principles that apply to humanity as a whole; however, many of the texts and letters were not written directly to us today. There is, however, one common denominator that creates equality to us today in 2025 America and many of the people of ancient cultures that we read about in the Bible, and that is the reality that the Bible, when read responsibly, will lead us to the same God who was, who is, and who is the come. The ancient of days written about is very much the same, alive and active God who seeks to be known by each one of us and for us to fully know him.
For many of us, we have not been taught to think this way. Outside of our churches, school systems are structured to teach us to retain information rather than equipping us on how to seek out an understanding of that information. It’s like knowing how to do something but not having been taught the steps to get there. Of course, the old saying goes, “if it’s not broke, then don’t fix it”, and I wouldn’t always disagree with that, but the church is b-a-r-o-k-e-n. If God’s intention for humanity (the church) was to keep his creation, to produce life through words and deeds, and to reflect his character by caring for one another, we are often missing that mark.
A documentary was recently released titled “Religion Business” [1] wherein two brothers record years of research, conversations, interviews, and expert analysis about the loopholes found in the non-profit sector and how many organizations have found themselves quite far off track from what the Bible describes.
God knows our tendency to seek after selfish gain, and I would argue that because we have justified the quickly evolving trends of our culture, we have taken ourselves on a much longer journey than necessary. The Bible shows us how he extended the wilderness season of the Israelites in the Exodus story because of their pride.
I believe we have extended much of the pain and suffering in our world due to our unwillingness to believe that following God’s decrees will produce life and restoration for all of creation.
For many of us, we plead for Jesus to come back to help, to heal, to restore, and to serve justice, but we have been unwilling to move further from the things that tie us to this world and closer to God because it's sacrificial. It means giving up our lives completely for him, and seeming seems crazy to those around us.
God’s wisdom is made evident throughout the Levitical Law, and the guidelines set forth for the Priests prevented hierarchical spiritual abuse. Priests were called to represent a life dedicated to God. They were called to be holy as God is holy and not to partake in that which would defile them. They were to live in such a way that set themselves apart for the Lord and to walk in complete reliance on him and the provisions he gives. (See Leviticus 21 and Numbers 18). The offerings of the people, tithes, were grain offerings first burnt unto the Lord and then used as supplication from God for the priests to live on. (see Leviticus 2). Noticeably, there are teaching themes shown here that continue throughout the Bible and extend to all of humanity who has been designed to live as royal priests representing God and his kingdom to the world.
The role of a priest was a calling. It was placed upon the hearts of these people, and although it was an honor to serve the Lord in this way, it required a heart of humility. It is a lowly position according to the world’s standards. A priest placed themselves at the mercy of God and the people to meet their own daily needs. Today, priests and pastors alike live lives that are not much different financially from most lay people. Even the term lay person creates a sense of spiritual heaircharchy and we don't see that being used in the Bible. It elevates someone making us believe someone may be more spiritually apt or authoritative than another. Again, our call is for each one of us to live out our priestly duties as God’s representative in whatever task we’ve been given, but are pastors living out the sacrificial and surrendered life Jesus describes?
Recently, during a catholic priestly ordination, there’s a moment during the ceremony where we saw the candidates lay prostrate on the ground in a circle together, signifying the spiritual death of who they were before their priestly calling. It was an acknowledgment before friends, family, mentors, and God that their old life doesn’t exist and they are forever committed to their priestly roles. This wasn’t a come-to-Jesus moment. It was a spiritual funeral. It was emotional. It was real. This was after seven years of schooling and training. Clearly, there was time to count the cost and the sacrifices required to ensure the calling is genuine. It’s was a moment of humble surrender. It was simply beautiful, but scripture says this type of commitment and the invitation each of us has received. This is the invitation to follow Jesus, to be an earthly priest of his heavenly kingdom.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9
This statement by Peter is something God has given as a task to humanity beginning with Adam and Eve, and it continues today. Remember, God’s intention for humanity (the church) was to keep his creation, to produce life through words and deeds, and to reflect his character by caring for one another, but are pastors living out the sacrificial and surrendered life Jesus describes, or are we simply telling others to do so?
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or did we need clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison, and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:37-40
If this is the call of all of humanity, what do we do with the role of a pastor as seen in the New Testament? The term pastor is only used once in Ephesians 4:11, So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors, and teachers...
This is where our hermeneutical practices are important. Remember, this letter was written to believers in Ephesus, a Roman province in Asia. Multiple dynamics at play were having an impact on those seeking this new faith in Jesus Christ. Remember, there were Jewish converts to Christianity who still believed they were the chosen people and struggled to allow Gentiles into the faith. It’s believed Paul wrote this letter from a prison in Rome where he was being kept for bringing a gentile into the temple. Tensions outside the church also existed as the people’s allegiance to Rome was being challenged against their allegiance to Jesus, and the stakes were high. As they refused the way of polytheism and worshipping the emperor, they consciously chose certain persecution, which at times resulted in crucifixions and even being used as human torches to light the streets at night. You had to know that you know that you know that Jesus is the true messiah to step into this kind of possible fate, and anyone called to lead the charge for the people, to guide, to shepherd, to exhort had quite the task on their hands.
The term pastor translates to mean that of a shepherd, the lowly position, the one who quietly watched the fields, thwarting predators, guiding flocks, that remained unseen. Elders and deacons in the Bible have a very similar role to that of the priests in the Old Testament. They are to live lives that are above reproach, to set forth as an example a set-apart life.
In the New Testament, elders and deacons have similarities are seen as leaders within the early Christian church. The terms "elders" (Greek: presbyteroi) and "overseers" or "bishops" (Greek: episkopoi) are often used interchangeably (Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Peter 5:1-2). They are responsible for teaching sound doctrine, shepherding the flock, providing spiritual guidance, and exercising church discipline (1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9), but this was a communal effort. The pastors, the elders, the overseers, and the deacons are positions of humility and servanthood, not spiritual elevation. It is a calling to guide those to follow a way of life that comes with a lot of resistance. It’s a way of expressing God’s love that takes humans beyond their understanding into divine truths. It’s not a desirable position in the here and now, but rather an assignment given to someone by God. Yes, the calling comes with incredible Kingdom benefits, but it’s a life of complete devotion and sacrifice led by example.
Attached is a video from a pastor in the Chicago area. He pastored in a very affluent suburb of Chicago and had a large, thriving church in which at the time of this experiment this church had an annual revenue of $35million, and this pastor himself was netting $1mil annually. [2] I’ll let you consider the irony after watching this video, however this is a relative accurate depiction of many of us church goers and how our lives may not look that much different than a non believer. https://youtu.be/7qftpoMfe08?si=T22G1ktD-jb2J9ew
The point is, we are missing the teachings of Jesus and have begun to teach another message, one that doesn’t appear much different than the world. Granted, this is not a blanket statement. I am not suggesting that martyrdom doesn’t exist today, I am not saying that many haven’t made a vow to serve through the humility of their hearts to guide people deeper into the way of Jesus, but we also have churches today that rival the entertainment systems of the world, yet broken relationships and impoverished families exist all around the walls of their churches. I refuse to believe that the forces of evil have more influence and power than that of the spirit of God, but I rather question if we are truly teaching and living in ways that impact those within and outside the walls of our church to know the true character of God.
Wherever the spirit of God is, things grow, not die. He restores, redeems, and brings forth life from death. If that is what you are seeing from your church, then it may be a good indicator that you are surrounded by those shepherding a flock through the narrow gate into the wide-open pastures of God’s good order.
The Edict of Milan, issued in 313 AD by Emperor Constantine and Licinius, had a significant impact on the role of pastoring as a career. The Edict officially recognized Christianity as a legitimate religion within the Roman Empire, allowing Christians to worship freely without fear of persecution. This legalization provided a safe environment for the church to grow, leading to a greater demand for organized leadership and pastoral roles. This was an incredible moment in history for followers of Jesus, but with the end of persecution, the church began to establish formal structures, such as dioceses and parishes. Leadership was needed, but as we saw earlier, God was aware of this need and established healthy ways to foster structure, yet during this time, a more defined career path for those in ministry began to take shape.
In just a few hundred years, followers of Jesus began to transition from spirit-leadings and communal care for each other to being more institutionalized. Educated pastors became essential for teaching doctrine and providing spiritual guidance, elevating the role of pastoring as a respected profession. Granted, the role of a rabbi was astute. Jews were very structured in their learning and teachings, but the purpose of their devotion was to shepherd those into a deeper understanding of the Torah, which they believed fostered the pathway to the way of life and abundance described in the later teachings of Jesus. It had nothing to do with the rabbis, but rather everything to do with God.
The Edict of Milan initiated a close relationship between church and state, with the church gaining influence in political matters. Pastors and bishops often became key advisors to rulers, which further contributed to the professionalization of pastoring, as leadership roles were associated with social and political power. Constantine, ruler of Rome at the time, supported many of these efforts, but as you can guess, his motives may have been more political than sincere. [3]
To put it bluntly, the church was wooed and got into bed with the state, thus complicating so much of the teachings and understandings of Jesus. The two worlds have never been able to be mixed, and today I believe more than ever we are trying to do both and reaping what we are sowing.
For those who believe, not only have we been granted sonship into the family of God, but have the spirit of he whose life-giving power is greater than even death itself. (John 1:12, Romans 8:11, Ephesians 1:19-20). We are designed to redeem and restore, yet because of a structure that we have created, we have also created machines that need maintenance. Our focus on salvation alone as the gospel of Jesus Christ, has unilaterally shifted our eyes to create systems to draw more people in to hear this message, to “win as many as possible” as Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 9:19. A resounding yes!! Paul expresses the sacrificial life he has agreed to and lived for the calling of servanthood to the people God jealously longs for, but he is seeking to win over their entire life for Jesus, not simply a decision, so they go to Heaven rather than hell. This is an invitation to follow “The Way”. It’s a journey, it’s a whole new way of living. It’s going to be hard to deliver this message to people and sometimes even harder to live it out, but righteousness with God begins with following his decrees.
“If you love me, keep my commands.” John 14:15
During the time the Edict of Milan was issued, Christianity grew, and it made sense that it would. The stakes weren’t as high, and even Constantine seemed to support it, very similar to our current president and his openness to Christianity. Similarly, though, the decisions that are made don’t match the teachings of the Bible, and the results show it.
War doesn’t change people’s hearts; it scares them into obedience, and we as a human race have not painted a much different picture for the world to see than the generations that have gone before us. Although this seems to have been God’s desire, I believe now more than ever, God is searching the land for the faithful remnant. The one’s who are willing to humbly bow down to lead from the bottom up, trusting in God and community for all provisions. Simply watching the trailer for “Religion Business” will give you more insight into the current state of our non-profit sector, and man’s greediness even within the church will be made quite clear.
I recently lost a close pastor friend of mine. He shepherded a community in statistically the poorest city in America. Most people wouldn’t drive their families through these neighborhoods, let alone lead a church, yet this man accepted the calling. He was sick for quite some time and was beginning to lose bodily functions. Just before getting up to give his last message, he had soiled himself. Instinctually, he went to leave, yet felt convicted to stay. He cleaned himself the best he could in the restroom, yet stayed and preached what would be his last message to this flock. He told his people at the church what had happened to respectfully warn them, yet stayed out of love. He never heard the Holy Spirit tell him to leave, and so he stayed. He knew someone else could have given a message or a video could easily have been played for the people who had come that morning, yet he knew he had prayed many times for humility. He knew that his church was God’s and not his. He simply stayed out of love and reverence for the Lor, regardless of how uncomfortable he was. He drove a rusty van and lived off a dirt road amidst a broken city, yet he was content. He loved Jesus deeply and answered the call to hold the shepherds’ staff rather than have his name on an office door.
Another pastor who I am close with has recently resigned from his position on a church staff. He has worked for over a decade in some of the most prominent churches in America, yet over time became convicted of living out his calling as a pastor in a way that didn’t seem to line up with scripture. He had admitted to his lack of spending time with God in the Bible and his realization of his overwhelming knowledge of church structure rather than theological understandings.
I am incredibly gifted to have examples of men like this so close to me, and they are only two of many who believe God’s ways cannot be faked. His design of his church was good, the way he established it, and it doesn’t need our help to reorganize anything, regardless of what our culture says.
Here’s a breakdown of the priestly evolution in a timeline. As we saw, the priests played a critical role for the Jews as spiritual directors, but God had placed guidelines to foster reliance and community for these leaders. They had a calling, but God ensured their humility. In the early years of Christianity, church leaders were often called elders or bishops and functioned more as community leaders than paid ministers. This way of thinking transferred into the 1 century churches, which we can see throughout the book of Acts and early church letters. As time went on, the leven of the world seeped into the loaf, and as we saw, the Edict of Milan created a shift. During the Middle Ages (5th-15th Century), the distinct role of the pastor became more pronounced as the church's structure grew. However, many clergy were not salaried; they relied on community support or personal wealth. During the Reformation period, (16th Century), the Protestant Reformation emphasized the pastoral role as central to church life, leading to the establishment of formal training and ordination processes.
From the 19th century onwards, the notion of the pastor as a career strengthened, with many churches establishing formal educational requirements and a salary structure, leading to the professionalization we see today, and discipleship within many churches focuses on climbing the ladder of this structure. A person comes to faith, is then later baptized, invited into a small group, later asked to lead a small group, grows to lead those who lead small groups, and so on. This is not age-specific, but a universal formula for today. Some, possibly the ones who have a true “calling,” go on to Bible college, many of which today teach these same types of structures and the skills to hone effective leadership development, often with little focus on theology.
I am not yet willing to ascribe to the statement that the church will always hurt people because it's run by people. The Bible calls born again believers saints, not sinners, and any hurt that we cause is not simply because we are human. On the flip side, many of us are always hurt or offended and that part is not up to the church, that's up to you and I to wrestle through with the Lord. I’m sure I have hurt people through my leadership, and there’s a good chance I will do it again I the future, but it’s not an excuse to not continue seek the Lord’s guidance in all things. Human brokenness and frailty aren’t a reason to compromise God’s design. I believe Paul’s heart was beautifully motivated to “become all things for all people to win as many as possible for Christ”, but Jesus doesn’t need sales tactics. How quickly we forget the power he has and, in his name, alone.
I believe the spirit of God is beginning a reckoning within many of our church structures, and my prayer is that we allow God to do a reckoning within our hearts as well if needed. I’m praying we allow God to see his word through fresh eyes if needed and truly allow the rabbi to be our only teacher, even if that means being retaught. I’m praying we move out of the way and put Jesus alone front and center in all our motives, especially as pastors, priests, leaders, and followers of The Way. To begin again in the Kingdom of God afresh, the pathway has always been that of true humility. Let this be our sold-out belief once again. Let’s come back to our role to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:12) through a revelation of Jesus Christ himself.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven…Matthew 5:3
[1] https://www.thereligionbusiness.com/n
[2] https://ministrywatch.com/harvest-bible-chapel-releases-long-awaited-audit/
Great article bro! I appreciate the research, added to the reality, added to the practical.