In five New Testament passages though, the words relate to members of the church: The same words in the familiar Christmas story ( Luke 2) refer to literal shepherds. For example, Jesus called himself the 'Good Shepherd' in John 10:11. The two words occur a total of 29 times in the New Testament, most frequently referring to Jesus. In telling Peter to feed his sheep, Christ appointed him as a pastor.Įnglish-language translations of the New Testament usually render the Greek noun ποιμήν ( poimēn) as 'shepherd' and the Greek verb ποιμαίνω ( poimainō) as 'feed'. In Jeremiah 23:4, both meanings are used ( ro'im is used for 'shepherds' and yir'um for 'shall feed them'), 'And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.' ( KJV).Ĭhrist's Charge to Peter by Raphael, 1515. The Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) uses the Hebrew word רעה ( roʿeh), which is used as a noun as in 'shepherd', and as a verb as in 'to tend a flock.' It occurs 173 times in 144 Old Testament verses and relates to the literal feeding of sheep, as in Genesis 29:7. Present-day usage of the word is rooted in the Biblical metaphor of shepherding. Many Protestant churches call their ministers 'pastors'. The term 'Senior Pastor' does not exist in scripture, but - in multi-staffed churches - is commonly used to denote the pastor who does the preaching. The term Pastor, Shepherd, and Elder are all the same position. The term 'pastor' also relates to the role of elder within the New Testament, and is synonymous with the biblical understanding of minister. The word 'pastor' derives from the Latin noun pastor which means ' shepherd' and is derived from the verb pascere – 'to lead to pasture, set to grazing, cause to eat'. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, the term may be abbreviated to 'Pr' or 'Ptr' (both singular), or 'Ps' (plural). The actual word pastor is derived from a Latin word meaning shepherd. Whether man or woman, this person is to be older and experienced in the faith (i.e., an elder), a person who is a decision-maker, and a manager of church affairs. In the early Church, only a man could be a presbyter, but many Protestant denominations in the 19th and 20th century have changed to allow women to be pastors. For some Protestants, whether called an elder, bishop, or pastor, these terms describe the same service in the church. The person must meet scriptural qualifications (1 Timothy 3:1-7 Titus 1:5-9). These terms describe a leader (i.e., bishop), one who maintains a careful watch for the spiritual needs of all the members of the flock (i.e., a pastor). On the other hand, Christians of the Roman Catholic, Persian, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Moravian, Scandinavian Lutheran, Anglican, and Old Catholic, traditions maintain the latter view and affirm the doctrine of apostolic succession. The first view is affirmed by the Presbyterian Church. However, there is ongoing dispute between branches of Christianity over whether there are two ordained classes (presbyters and deacons) or three (bishops, priests, and deacons). The words 'bishop' and 'presbyter' were sometimes used in an interchangeable way, such as in Titus 1:5-6. Likewise, Peter instructs these particular servants to 'act like shepherds' as they 'oversee' the flock of God ( 1 Peter 5:2). The New Testament typically uses the words 'bishops' ( Acts 20:28) and ' presbyter' ( 1 Peter 5:1) to indicate the ordained leadership in early Christianity.

Pastors are to act like shepherds by caring for the flock, and this care includes teaching. In Methodism, pastors may be either licensed or ordained. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and Anglicanism, pastors are always ordained. A pastor (abbreviated as ' Pr' or ' Ptr' ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation.

Pastor meaning