Topical Bible: Ministers are Bound to Feed the Church

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The role of ministers in the Christian church is a sacred responsibility, deeply rooted in Scripture, to nurture and edify the body of Christ. This duty is often described metaphorically as "feeding the flock," emphasizing the spiritual nourishment that ministers are called to provide.

Biblical Foundation

The concept of ministers as shepherds who feed the church is prominently illustrated in the New Testament. In the Gospel of John, Jesus charges Peter with the care of His followers, saying, "Feed My sheep" (John 21:17). This directive underscores the pastoral responsibility to provide spiritual sustenance and guidance.

The Apostle Paul further elaborates on this role in his epistles. In Ephesians 4:11-12 , Paul writes, "And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ." Here, the function of pastors and teachers is explicitly linked to the edification and equipping of the church, highlighting their duty to impart sound doctrine and foster spiritual growth.

The Role of Shepherds

The imagery of shepherds caring for their flock is a recurring theme in Scripture, symbolizing the protective and nurturing role of church leaders. In Acts 20:28 , Paul exhorts the elders of the church in Ephesus, "Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood." This passage emphasizes the divine appointment of ministers and their accountability to God for the spiritual welfare of the congregation.

Peter echoes this sentiment in his first epistle, urging church leaders to "shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you" (1 Peter 5:2). This instruction highlights the voluntary and eager nature of pastoral ministry, driven by a genuine love for the church.

Teaching and Preaching

Central to the minister's role in feeding the church is the ministry of the Word. Paul instructs Timothy, a young pastor, to "preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and careful instruction" (2 Timothy 4:2). This charge underscores the importance of diligent teaching and the proclamation of biblical truth as the primary means of spiritual nourishment.

The responsibility to teach sound doctrine is further emphasized in Titus 1:9 , where Paul describes the qualifications of an elder: "He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." This passage highlights the dual role of ministers in both instructing the faithful and defending the church against false teachings.

Servant Leadership

While ministers are called to lead and teach, their leadership is characterized by servanthood. Jesus Himself set the ultimate example of servant leadership, as recorded in Mark 10:45 : "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." Ministers are thus called to emulate Christ's humility and selflessness in their care for the church.

In summary, the biblical mandate for ministers to feed the church encompasses a multifaceted role of teaching, shepherding, and serving. Through the faithful execution of these duties, ministers fulfill their God-given responsibility to nurture the spiritual well-being of the body of Christ.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 3:15
And I will give you pastors according to my heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
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John 21:15-17
So when they had dined, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, love you me more than these? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Feed my lambs.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Acts 20:28
Take heed therefore to yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood.
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1 Peter 5:2
Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
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Library

The Last Interview of Paul with the Elders of Ephesus.
... Peaceable as was the demeanour of his ministers, and benevolent as were their
intentions ... A pastor should feed the flock; an overseer is bound to inspect ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xxiv the last interview.htm

Instructions to Converts.
... Text."Feed my lambs."John 21:15. ... There has for a long time been an idea that
ministers are bound to be holy and practice self-denial. ...
/.../finney/lectures on revivals of religion/lecture xx instructions to converts.htm

Paul's Last Journey to Jerusalem
... "And now, behold," Paul continued, "I go bound in the ... Holy Ghost hath made you overseers,
to feed the church ... purchased with His own blood." If ministers of the ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 37 pauls last journey.htm

Exhortation to Workers and Ministers
... to declare the everlasting gospel to eternity-bound souls, you ... a large number of
texts, but ministers make a ... You can not, however, feed others until your own ...
/.../cole/trials and triumphs of faith/chapter xxiii exhortation to workers.htm

Articles of Religion of the Reformed Episcopal Church in America. ...
... only render unto God as much as they are bound to do ... and only by faith and prayer;
and we feed on him ... the Church that inquiry be made of evil ministers, and that ...
/.../articles of religion of the.htm

On Being Filled with the Spirit
... They are bound to see the evidence, and to believe. ... spiritual part of the church
feel that ministers cannot, do ... to be fed, than to undertake to feed the church ...
/.../finney/lectures on revivals of religion/lecture vii on being filled.htm

Of the Primacy of the Romish See.
... so he exhorts all other presbyters to feed the Church ... passage in which Paul declares
that the ministers of the ... and said, that whatever things he bound on earth ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 6 of the primacy.htm

The Letter of the Church of Rome
... altar, after the high priest and the ministers mentioned have ... These he took and bound,
sealing them with the rings of ... slavery and given the price to feed others ...
/.../richardson/early christian fathers/the letter of the church.htm

Of the State of the Primitive Church, and the Mode of Government ...
... as the first duty of a bishop to feed the people ... Who were entitled to appoint
ministers?"they did not ... before the multitude, who, although not bound by those ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 4 of the state.htm

This Sermon was Originally Printed
... Ministers are bound to comfort God's people. ... you like, but do give me something to
feed upon." The ... But, my friends, do not support your ministers as an excuse ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/this sermon was originally printed.htm