We will not go back to the Old Testament to find any office or officer
in the kingdom of Christ. What currency, then, has the word “pastor”
in the New Testament? The word is in the New Testament, in some
translations, in _one place_. That is its entire currency in the new
and everlasting covenant. But then the word “Easter” is found in _one
place_ in the common version. Is that authority for _Easter_? If it is
in the New Testament in one place, rightfully, it is authority as
much as if it were in fifty places. But how does it happen to be
there in _one place_? If the translators had, in that _one place_,
given us _passover_, as they have done in every other instance to
represent the same original, we should have had no Easter in the New
Testament. In the same way, if the translators had given us the word
_shepherds_, Eph. iv. 11, as they have done in every other case to
represent the same original word, we should have had no _pastor_ in
the New Testament. On this one variation from the rule, to translate
_poimeen_, shepherd, hangs the “pastorate,” so called, the _office_ for
the pastor, and we might add, all the “installations,” etc. Probably it
is Dr. Watts that exclaims, with other matters before him: “Great God!
on what a brittle thread hangs eternal things!” On what a slender prop
hangs the _pastorate_! Still, on this platform the pastors stand.
In _one place_ and only _one_, in some translations, the original
word for shepherd, and so translated in every other place in the New
Testament, is translated _pastors_. When the common version appeared,
King James issued a proclamation commanding the _translation_ to be
read as the _word of God_. If we obey this command we must read the
Latin word _pastor_ as the word of God, though the same translators
give us _shepherd_ as the English representative of the original word
_poimeen_ in every other occurrence of it in the New Testament. In this
way we get divine authority in the word of God, and human authority
from King James, not only for the unscriptural pastorate in the Church
of England, but the equally unscriptural _pastorate_ now trying to grow
up among us, first under one plausible pretext and then under another.
Why translate _poimeen_, shepherd, in every other place, and cover up
the word shepherd with the Latin word pastor in one place? Whatever
idea the Lord and the apostles intended to convey in this matter,
they deemed the _one word_ sufficient. What reason can any man give
for representing the original word _poimeen_ by the word shepherd in
every instance but one, and there using the Latin word _pastor_? Rome
loves Latin. It is not the _vulgar tongue_. What reason is there for
departing from the otherwise invariable rule and giving us _pastor_,
Eph. iv. 11? Why not give us “Chief-Pastor,” or “Arch-Pastor,” and not
“Chief-Shepherd?” Why not style the Lord “the Pastor of the sheep,”
and not “Shepherd of the sheep?” _Pastor_ would not read well as the
correlative of _sheep_. We hear sermons on the offices of our Lord, as
King, Priest, Prophet. Why not have a sermon on his office as _Pastor_?
Then we might have a sermon on the office of the church as a _flock_,
or the office of the members as _sheep_. Could we not say _flock’s_
office, _sheep’s_ office? The Lord has no such office as _shepherd_,
or, in Latin, _pastor_. There is no such office as _pastorate_, nor
officer as _pastor_. There is not one word in the New Covenant about
the qualifications of a pastor, the election of one, the calling
of one, or the installation of one. As the correlative of the word
_flock_, when the church is figuratively called _flock_, the Lord who
cares for the flock and has the oversight of it is figuratively called
_Shepherd_, or, when the followers of the Lord are figuratively called
_sheep_, the Lord is figuratively called “the Shepherd of the sheep.”
When the Lord is called “the Chief-Shepherd,” or “Arch-Shepherd,”
the church is in view as the flock of which he is Shepherd, and the
_overseers_ in the church are _under_ shepherds, but there is no
_shepherd’s_ office, nor _flock’s_ office. The bishops or overseers
are as certainly _bishops_ or _overseers_, when figuratively called
_shepherds_, as if literally called _overseers_. No other office or
work is meant.
Coming now to the practical matter, we desire Bible things and Bible
names for them. We desire to preserve the church and everything in
it as the Lord gave it. We desire, in the matter in hand, to prevent
the creation of any _new office_ in the church. There is nothing
new or unscriptural in the idea of an overseer who devotes himself
wholly to the word and teaching. There may be other overseers who do
not give themselves wholly to the word and teaching. Then there is
nothing unscriptural in an evangelist remaining with a church one,
two or more years, to set in order things that are wanting, assist in
qualifying the church to take care of itself, and preach the gospel
to the community. In this capacity he is not a church officer at all,
but doing the work of an evangelist. He is not with the church to
“perform divine service” for it, to lord it over it, or as a ruler, nor
_permanently_, but assisting the church in her infancy and enabling her
to take care of herself.
Every preacher connected with any church is laboring in one of these
two senses: as an overseer who labors in the word and teaching, or as
an evangelist. In the former capacity he may be there permanently. In
the latter capacity he is not there permanently, but setting in order
the things wanting, with a view to qualifying themselves to every
good word and work; to instruct and edify one another in love, but
intending to go on to another place as soon as he has finished his
work where he is. But the overseer who labors in the word and teaching
is not to assume any airs of authority, or any _great chair_ with his
_subordinates_ on more humble seats by his side. We abominate all these
great chairs, pulpits and preferences for public men. If they are good
men they do not want them, and if they are bad men they certainly
should not be honored with them. Really great and good men are plain
men—want no great chair nor great titles. They need no priestly robes,
clerical coats nor titles. They make a record that tells the story for
them. _They do the work._ Let us do the work, seek the simplicity of
Jesus and the humility of children. While we sing, “Nearer, my God, to
thee,” let us strive to live nearer to God and do our utmost to excel
in understanding and practicing precisely what the Lord has laid before
us in the Scriptures.