76 长老——牧师当要照顾教会Elders - Pastors must care forthe church
《简明神学》Concise Theology: A Guide to
Historic Christian Beliefs，巴刻（J. I. Packer）著/張麟至译，更新传道会，2007年。
76 长老——牧师当要照顾教会
Elders - Pastors must care for the church
坚守所教真实的道理，就能将纯正的教训劝化人，又能把争辩的人驳倒了。（多1:9）
使徒们虽然曾嘱咐所有的基督徒，要以爱心的眷顾与祷告彼此守望（加6:1-2；约一3:16-18；5:16；来12:15-16），但他们也在每一个教会里，指定被称为[长老]的人作守望者（徒14：23；多1:5）。这些人要像牧羊人照顾羊群那样地照顾信徒（徒20:28-31，彼前5:1-4），要以身作则（彼前5:3），领导属神的子民行善避恶。根据他们的角色，长老（希腊文作presbuteroi）又可称为[牧羊人]（希腊文作poimens，或作[牧师]，弗4:11），也称作[监督]（希腊文作episkopoi，或作[主教]，徒20:28；另参徒20:17；多1:5，比较1:7；彼前5:1-2，来13:7，17,24）。会众这一边则要确认他们领导者具有神所赐的权柄，并肯跟随他们的领导（来13:17）。
这种形态在旧约圣经里已经有了：神是以色列的牧者（诗：80:1，而君王、先知、祭司和长老（地方官长）都蒙召担任小牧者的角色（民11:24-30；申27:1；拉5:5；6:14；10:8；诗77:20；耶23:1-4；结34章；亚11:16-17）在新约圣经里，耶稣被称为好牧人（约10:11-30），也是牧长（彼前5:4）；长老都隶属在祂以下。使徒彼得自称是在基督权下的[长老]（彼前5:1），也许是因他还铭记着：属灵的牧养是当他得蒙主恢复到服事岗位时，耶稣耳提面命的工作（约21:15-17）。
虽然不是所有的长老都要教导，但有一些是要的（提前5:17；多1:9；来13:7）。以弗所书4:11-16节所说、基督将[牧师/教师]（一些具有双重角色的领袖）的恩赐赐给教会，他们籍着发掘并发展教会中每一个人的属灵恩赐（弗4:12-16），装备信徒进入服事。在使徒所有看见的会众领导群里，有非长老的教师（提后2:2）、有不从事教导的长老，但也有既会治理又会教导的长老。）
长老的牧养职分要求他们具有成熟又稳定的基督徒性格，和井井有条的个人生活（提前3:1-7；多1:5-9）。在长老职分上全心、忠诚尽责者，将来必会得到奖赏（来13:17；彼前5:4；另参提前4:7-8）。
使徒和他们的助理——如提摩太和提多，他们的牧养责任比那些管理会众的长老要宽广多了（林后11:28；多1:5）；而会众中的执事（希腊文作diakonoi，或作[仆人]，也许是长老的助手，提前3:8-13；腓1:1），责任范围则狭小得多，他们有一特定的责任，就是负责怜悯人的服事（徒6:2-6；罗16:1-2）。
每一个教会都需要具有服事功能的人，来履行长老的职务；而且每一个教会都应当有一套好方法，可用来选出并指派长老。
ELDERS
PASTORS MUST CARE FOR THE
CHURCH
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. TITUS
1:9
The
apostles told all Christians to watch over each other with loving care and
prayer (Gal. 6:1-2; 1 John 3:16-18; 5:16; Heb. 12:15-16), but they also
appointed in each congregation guardians, called “elders” (Acts 14:23; Titus
1:5), who would look after the people as shepherds look after sheep (Acts
20:28-31; 1 Pet. 5:1-4), leading them by example (1 Pet. 5:3) away from all
that is harmful into all that is good. In virtue of their role, the elders
(presbyters: Greek: presbuteroi) are also called “shepherds” (Greek: poimenes,
or “pastors,” Eph. 4:11) and overseers (Greek:episkopoi, or “bishops,” Acts
20:28, cf. v. 17; Titus 1:5, cf. v. 7; 1 Pet. 5:1-2), and are spoken of in
other terms that express leadership (Rom. 12:8; 1 Thess. 5:12; Heb. 13:7, 17,
24). The congregation, for its part, is to acknowledge the God-given authority
of its leaders and follow the lead they give (Heb. 13:17).
This
pattern is already present in the Old Testament, where God is the shepherd of
Israel (Ps. 80:1) and kings, prophets, priests, and elders (local rulers) are
called to act as his agents in an under-shepherd role (Num. 11:24-30; Deut.
27:1; Ezra 5:5; 6:14; 10:8; Ps. 77:20; Jer. 23:1-4; Ezek. 34; Zech. 11:16-17).
In the New Testament, Jesus the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-30) is also the Chief
Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4), and the elders are his subordinates. The apostle Peter
calls himself an “elder” under Christ (1 Pet. 5:1), remembering perhaps that
spiritual shepherding was the specific task that Jesus gave him when restoring
him to ministry (John 21:15-17).
Some
though not all elders teach (1 Tim. 5:17; Titus 1:9; Heb. 13:7), and Ephesians
4:11-16 says that Christ gave the church “pastor-teachers” (one class of
persons with a dual role) to equip everyone for service through the discovery
and development of each person’s spiritual gifts (vv. 12-16). In the
congregational leadership groups envisaged by the apostles, there may have been
teachers who were not elders (2 Tim. 2:2) as well as elders who did not teach
and elders who both ruled and taught.
The
pastoral role of elders demands mature and stable Christian character and a
well-ordered personal life (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). Wholeheartedness and
fidelity in eldership ministry will be rewarded (Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 5:4; cf. 1
Tim. 4:7-8).
The
pastoral responsibilities of the apostles and their deputies, like Timothy and
Titus, were wider than those of congregational elders (2 Cor. 11:28; Titus
1:5), while those of congregational deacons (Greek: diakonoi, or “servants,”
perhaps elders’ assistants, 1 Tim. 3:8-13; Phil. 1:1) were narrower, with
particular responsibility for the ministry of mercy (Acts 6:2-6; Rom. 16:1-2).
Every
church needs ministerial functionaries to fulfill the eldership role, and
should set in place a wise method of selecting and appointing them.
