Dictionary Definition
pastor
Noun
2 only the rose-colored starlings; in some
classifications considered a separate genus [syn: subgenus
Pastor]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Extensive Definition
- For the bird genus, see Rosy Starling.
The usage of pastor comes from
its use in the Bible. In the
Hebrew
Bible (or Old Testament), the Hebrew
word is used. The word is used 173 times and can describe the
feeding of sheep as in Genesis 29:7 or the
spiritual feeding of human beings as in Jeremiah
3:15, "And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which
shall feed you with knowledge and understanding" (KJV).
In the New
Testament, the Greek word
(poimēn) is used and is normally translated pastor or shepherd. The
word is used 18 times in the New Testament. For example, Ephesians 4:11,
"And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastor(s) and teachers" (KJV). Jesus also called
himself the "Good Shepherd" in John
10:11.
Sometimes "pastor" was used in
the New Testament as a reference to presbyters, but it was used
mostly as a title for Bishops
(episkopos). For example, in Acts
20:17, the Apostle
Paul summons the elders of the church in Ephesus to give a
last discourse to them; in the process, in Acts 20:28, he tells
them that the Holy Spirit
has made them bishops, and that their job is to shepherd their
church. Peter uses
much the same language in 1
Peter 5:1-2, telling the elders among his readers that they are
to shepherd not "lord over" the flock in their charge, acting as
bishops willingly.
Paul also gives a list of
characteristics that men serving in this capacity ought to possess.
In 1
Timothy 3:1-7, Paul gives a list for those serving as
shepherds. In Titus
1:5-9, a remarkably similar list is given, this time directed to
elders which may lead some to believe them to be the
same.
Arguably from the earliest
centuries of Christian history, the Church had three orders which
were considered divinely ordained: Bishops, Priests (or
Presbyters) and deacons.
Each was only considered authoritative and able to administer the
Sacraments if
one had valid apostolic
succession (i.e., traceable lineage of ordinations back to the
original bishops, the Apostles themselves). However, Protestant
communities since the reformation generally disregard this
practice, or deny the existence of apostolic
succession.
Historical usage
Around 400 AD, Saint Augustine, a famous North African bishop, described a pastor's job: Disturbers are to be rebuked, the low-spirited to be encouraged, the infirm to be supported, objectors confuted, the treacherous guarded against, the unskilled taught, the lazy aroused, the contentious restrained, the haughty repressed, litigants pacified, the poor relieved, the oppressed liberated, the good approved, the evil borne with, and all are to be loved.Current usage
In Protestantism
Many Protestants use the term pastor as a title (e.g., Pastor Smith) or as a job title (like Senior Pastor or Worship Pastor). Some Protestants contend that utilizing the appellation of pastor to refer to an ordained minister contradicts the Protestant doctrine of the priesthood of all believers, and, therefore, reject the use of the term pastor for their leaders. These include some parts of the Mennonite, Methodist, Presbyterian, American Churches of Christ, the Assemblies of God, and Baptist traditions.The use of the term pastor to
refer to the common Protestant title
of modern times dates to the days of John Calvin
and Huldrych
Zwingli. Both men, and other Reformers
seem to have revived the term to replace the Catholic priest in the minds of their
followers, although the Pastor was still considered separate from
the board of presbyters. Few Protestant
groups today still view the pastor, bishop, and elder as synonymous
terms or offices; many who do are descended from the Restoration
Movement in America during the 1800s, such as the Disciples
of Christ and the Churches
of Christ.
The term pastor is sometimes
used for missionaries in developed countries to avoid offending
some people from the industrialized countries who may think that
missionaries go only to less developed countries.
Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican
Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican/Episcopalian churches typically refer to their local church leaders as parish priests (although the term pastor may also be used, particularly in North America). However, Anglican/Episcopalian Churches rarely use the term "pastor", preferring the words rector and priest.Every Catholic parish is entrusted to the care
of a single pastor, who must be a priest according to the 1983
Code of
Canon Law. The associate pastor is called a parochial vicar and
also must be a priest. In U.S. Catholic parishes, a lay
ecclesial minister who fulfills many of the non-sacramental
functions of an associate pastor is often called a pastoral
associate, parish minister, or pastoral assistant.
References
Footnotes
External links
- New Advent. The Catholic Encyclopedia's entry on the term pastor.
- Gumpoint. A Pentecostal view on the term pastor.
- Personal Life of a Pastor. The personal life of pastors is often overlooked by their church. This link directs you to a collection of resources about keeping a pastor's personal life vibrant.
- Pastor's Role. A collection of articles about the role of a pastor in a church.
- Pastoral Administration. Articles about a pastor's role as administrator of a church.
pastor in Bulgarian:
Пастор
pastor in Czech:
Pastor
pastor in German:
Pastor
pastor in Modern Greek
(1453-): Ποιμένας
pastor in Estonian:
Pastor
pastor in Esperanto:
Pastoro
pastor in French: Pasteur
protestant
pastor in Korean:
목사
pastor in Croatian:
Pastor
pastor in Indonesian:
Pastor
pastor in Italian: Pastore
(religione)
pastor in Lithuanian:
Pastorius
pastor in Hungarian:
Lelkipásztor
pastor in Dutch:
Pastor
pastor in Japanese:
牧師
pastor in Norwegian:
Pastor
pastor in Polish:
Pastor
pastor in Portuguese:
Pastor
pastor in Russian:
Пастор
pastor in Simple English:
Pastor
pastor in Finnish:
Pastori
pastor in Swedish:
Pastor
pastor in Ukrainian:
Пастор
pastor in Yiddish:
גלח
pastor in Contenese:
牧師
pastor in Chinese:
牧师
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
DD, Doctor of Divinity, Holy Joe,
abbe, bishop, canon, chaplain, churchman, churchwoman, clergyman, clergywoman, cleric, clerical, clerk, curate, cure, divine, ecclesiastic, father, man of God, military
chaplain, minister,
padre, parson, priest, rector, reverend, servant of God,
shepherd, sky pilot,
supply clergy, supply minister, the Reverend, the very Reverend,
tonsured cleric, vicar