CLC

@ Kay, Lin

I have been meditating on this issue; and I agree with you guys. I think that the elders were more mentor than anything else. The Bible makes no mention of authority that is wielded over the rest of the congregation.

Partly to Frank: I believe that the reference of the elders being shepherds does not mean that they are really our shepherd like Jesus was. I believe that it was a similar metaphor used for a different purpose as is done many a time such as here:

” 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. ” (Isaiah 53:6-7)

In this metaphor, we are referred to as sheep; but, then, Christ is also referred to as a lamb. So does this mean that Christ is also a sheep like the rest of us? No, the metaphors are merely looking at the different aspects of the nature of sheep and applying those specific characteristics to who they apply to, rather than applying ALL the characteristics of sheep to the people the metaphor is referencing.
For example, we sinners have the tendency to go astray as sheep do. That characteristic of sheep applies to us. So that characteristic of sheep is applied to us to help us understand better.
However, the picture of the lamb being led to the slaughter gives us understanding to what happened to Christ. So that particular characteristic of sheep at the time of being the preferred sacrifice is used to reference Christ. That does not mean that Christ has the characteristic of going astray, nor does it mean that we sinners are taking the sin of others on ourselves as the picture of the slaughtered lamb portrays. The individual characteristics are what’s being used, not the lamb themselves.

Therefore, the characteristics of the shepherds leading the sheep, sacrificing His life for the sheep, bringing back stray sheep, calling the sheep to follow him like little children, being the gate, etc. are the ones applied to Christ.
The characteristics of the shepherd taking care of the sheep are the ones applied to elders. They do not have all those leadership qualities of Christ.

Frank said: “I believe the gatekeeper and the sheep pen represent the house church and the elder(s).”

The elders are not the gatekeeper. If the elders were the gatekeeper, they wouldn’t be covered by Christ’s sacrifice. There is no mention of the gatekeeper being even slightly part of the group being saved.
He was only mentioned one time:

“2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice.”

After that, when people didn’t understand, Christ said that He was the gate for the sheep.

“6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. 7 Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. ”

And it was only when Christ said that He was the gate that He mentioned the thieves and robbers. So that analogy doesn’t really make sense to me. Not to mention the fact that Christ said that he sacrificed Himself for His sheep, NOT for the gatekeeper. There is barely any mention of the gatekeeper.

This is why I am holding to the notion that the usage of shepherd was different for the two instances of when they were used as metaphors.
Christ used the metaphor to help people understand His relationship with His church. Paul used an aspect of shepherds to admonish the elders to care for the new Christians who would be all over the board unless they got some guidance and mentorship, just like sheep would be without some guidance from shepherds.
Like Kay and Lin, I don’t see authority being commanded. In fact, I believe Kay effectively showed that that authority is being discouraged.

They are not like Christ. Just because a pastor/elder says that God says something, it doesn’t mean that it’s true. You have to do what Paul said, which is test everything by measuring it against Scripture. They also aren’t like Christ in that they did not die for our sins, nor does believing in them save you from your sins.

There’s a reason why pure heirarchal structures in government lead to tyranny and were desperately avoided in forming our Constitution. The same thing occurs with a heirarchal church. The heirarchal structure keeps everyone in line and accountable to one or a handful of men, sinners, not God. So if they decide to interpret Scripture to benefit themselves and you have teachings that say going against your authority is stepping out of God’s will or even cases where these few men become revered as gods, what do you think will happen?
Frankly, it’s inevitable. Whenever sinners get placed on pedestals above everyone else, their heads get puffed up; and corruption begins. This is what happens with sinners. It’s not exclusive to men. Nor is it exclusive to complementarians. Anyone who gets reverence like that will become puffed up.
We all need the body of Christ to collectively keep each other accountable. And when everyone is equal under God’s authority, there is none of this situation where the sin of one man gets immediately transferred down the line to all the underlings.

I think the gatekeeper/watchman referenced in the beginning of Jesus’s metaphor would more likely be an angel than anything else.

I hope I am making sense.

@Amos
I understand where you are coming from. It’s an interesting interpretation of the requirement of “blameless”. I think it does bear looking into. Though, I THINK there were cases of overseers in the Bible. I’m blanking out on any names, though…. But, if we can find a name, someone met the requirements.