According to 1 Peter 5:2, the main function of pastor-elders is to care for the flock of God: "shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight." Addressing the Ephesian elders, Paul says essentially the same thing when he exhorts them to be "on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28).5 Effective shepherding consists of caring for the overall spiritual well-being of God's sheep, which requires feeding them the Word of God, leading them by example into paths of righteousness for His name's sake, and protecting them from spiritual hazards.
Faithful shepherding requires feeding God's sheep the spiritual food they need in order to grow to maturity. God sharply rebuked those who did not provide nourishment to Israel but instead took care of themselves. Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel issue forth woes to lazy shepherds:
"Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!" declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: "You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds," declares the Lord. (Jer. 23:1-2)
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, "Thus says the Lord God, ‘Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock.'" (Ezek. 34:2-3)
Clearly, God's expectation is that we attend to His sheep. To do so, we must heed Solomon's counsel to "Know well the condition of [our] flocks, and pay attention to [our] herds" (Prov. 27:23). If we as shepherds do not know our sheep, how can we properly care for them? And how can we care for them without feeding them?
The most essential ingredient in the diet that we must feed believers is sound doctrine that will nourish their souls (1 Tim. 4:6). This satisfies the young believer's longing for "the pure milk of the word," so that he or she may grow in respect to salvation (1 Peter 2:2), as well as the mature believer's hunger for "solid food" to grow in discernment (Heb. 5:12-14). This is undoubtedly why Jesus commanded Peter three times to feed His sheep (John 21:15-17).
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