The "Chief Shepherd" And The Shepherds
At one time the Jews were the chosen people of God. While this condition prevailed, Jesus said, ". . . . other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." (John 10:16.) The Son of God died on the cross, abolishing in his flesh the enmity, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, which stood as a wall between the Jew and the Gentile. The Lord removed this enmity — the law — when he died on the cross (Col. 2:14), that "he might reconcile both (Jew and Gentile) unto God in one body." (Eph. 2:14-16.) Paul continues by saying, "And came and preached peace to you (Gentiles) which were afar off, and to them (Jews) that were nigh. For through him (Christ) we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." (vs. 17, 18.)
While the Jews, at one time, were the fold, Jesus said, I have other sheep (Gentiles) which are not of this fold. But he added, "Them also I must bring and there shall be one fold and one shepherd." Thus today the Lord has but one fold, and it is under one shepherd. The one fold is composed of all, whether Jew or Gentile, who have heard the voice of Christ, through the apostles, and are following him. He, Jesus Christ, is the one Shepherd or the "chief Shepherd" over the fold. (1 Peter 5:4; John 10:14.) The fact that the Lord said there shall be "one sheep fold and one shepherd" shows that there should be unity among believers.
While it is true that the "chief Shepherd" is Christ, and that the duty of the shepherd is to feed and care for the flock, yet there were men in the early church who were shepherds, for they were given the responsibility of feeding the flock. These men were also known as "elders," "bishops" and "overseers." But there was no man who was responsible for all the flock — or for the church universal. There was a plurality of elders or shepherds in each congregation. Peter was an elder, shepherd, as well as an apostle. He gave instruction, by inspiration, to other men in the church who were shepherds or elders. (1 Peter 5:1-4.) To them he said, "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof." (v. 2) The elders of the church in Ephesus received instruction from Paul in this manner, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." (Acts 20:28.) Their oversight was restricted to "the flock which was among them." (Cf. 1 Peter 5:2.) They had no authority over the flock in Jerusalem, or in Rome, and neither did the elders, or bishops, in Rome have any authority over the church in any other city.
There are to be elders, shepherds or bishops, in each congregation today, providing there are men in the congregation who are able to serve in that capacity — by that I mean, men who meet the qualifications of an elder, which are given in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. In the days of the early church elders were "set" in the church with miraculous power, but such is not true today. Today men must prepare themselves to serve the Lord in this capacity.
The Lord remains and shall ever remain the ONE SHEPHERD of the ONE FOLD. Though there are many elders, shepherds, in the church of the Lord throughout the world, Christ is the "chief Shepherd." He has "all authority." The other shepherds have authority in the "flock which is among them" only as the "chief Shepherd" has delegated that authority unto them. The extent of the authority that the Lord has given unto the elders or shepherds in the congregation can be found only in the "perfect law of liberty," the inspired word which will completely equip the man of God for every good work. A study of the New Testament reveals that the elders had authority only in "the flock of God which was among them." The church of the Lord was corrupted when men were not content with the authority that the "chief Shepherd" had given unto them — they wanted MORE authority. The result — APOSTASY. The same will result today if elders take, or are given, more authority than the "chief Shepherd" has committed unto them. When Paul said, "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour" he did not mean that they were to rule in more than one congregation. Let's be content with the Lord as the "chief Shepherd," and let all other shepherds or elders rule only in "the flock which is among them."