Who Feeds the Shepherds?

Paul’s message to the Ephesian elders rings with an urgency born of love for Christ and his church. Paul sent for these dear men because he loved them, having trained them for the ministry. He sent for them furthermore, because he loved the church, which is why he trained them–-to equip the saints for ministry and for the spiritual health of the church (Eph. 4:11-16). In lieu of meeting the entire church, he asked these elders/overseers/shepherds (Acts 20:17,28) to make the 60 mile round trip for this last mentoring opportunity.

This discourse reads like an abstract for a seminary course in pastoral theology and has timeless value for men called of God to lead his church (Acts 20:28). But having fulfilled their calling to feed and lead, the question remains: “If the shepherds feed the flock, who feeds the shepherds?” Paul’s short answer is, “I commend you to God and to the word of his grace” (Acts 20:32). But what does the word of God’s grace do to supply for these dedicated shepherds? It supplies three needs that will make them adequate ministers of the new covenant.

1. Sanctify them for glory – Being sanctified means we are transformed so that we cherish the Holy God and his Holy will as revealed in his Holy Word. In other words, we are made to be holy! That holification is the process whereby the word of God’s grace fits us for heaven and thus gives us the inheritance among those who are sanctified because “without [it] no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14).

By simple logic If only the sanctified get the inheritance and the Word of his Grace gives us the inheritance then sanctification is the effect of the Word whereby it is able to give us the inheritance. This is not difficult to grasp since we know that sanctification is a function of the word (John 17:17). So the word of God’s grace is a dynamic, transforming, sanctifying word that is able to give the inheritance (i.e. eternal life, kingdom of God, promises of God as used in NT) to those shaped by it.

2. Liberate them from greed – As that inheritance looms larger in one’s thinking it becomes more precious and enjoyable not only to anticipate it with joy but to live out it’s values now. This part of sanctification led Paul to the kind of radical values shift expressed in, “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel” (v 33). As Paul spoke these words he was carrying silver and gold collected from multiple gentile congregations across Asia, not for himself, but for the suffering saints in Jerusalem. Love for Christ and relishing his kingdom will sever the root of greed and nurture Paul’s kind of open-handed generosity for others. Without this spirit no elder/overseer/shepherd will push beyond hireling status.

3. Motivate them for service – “Look at my hands,” Paul said (v 34). These hands have labored hard to meet my needs and those who served with me.  The elder/overseer/shepherd, along with every other believer is not only to put away lying, but to “do honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need” (Eph. 5:28). This ethical transformation is the effect of the word of God’s grace consistent with the word of Jesus, who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:34).

All Christians are shaped this way by the same word of God’s grace. Sheep have the value-added benefit of having shepherds bring nutritionally rich biblical meals to them, while shepherds have the additional responsibility of working hard at preparing such meals not only for their flock, but for themselves. The shepherd who labors only at preparing the public meals is a shepherd who feeds others with diminishing excellence and effectiveness. Preparation for public feeding has the benefit of self-feeding but self-feeding is a matter of focus and discipline beyond targeted exegesis and hermeneutics. This is why Paul warned the elders, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock” (Acts 20:28).

“A minister may be able to fill his pews, his communion rolls, and the mouths of the public, but what that minister is on his knees in secret before God Almighty, that he is and no more”— John Owen.