Acts 20:28–30 “Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number some will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.”
What a savvy warning. The church has been under attack by “savage wolves” and from within since the earliest church. But Paul adjures the elders, that is the pastors/church leaders, to “be shepherds of the flock.” It seems that when most people hear the word “shepherd” our mind’s eye sees a passive person sitting on a gentle, grassy hillside watching distant dots of cotton ball lambs. But that’s a total fantasy for most shepherds most of the time.
A shepherd was (and is) a fierce protector of the flock. They used shepherd crooks, rods, canes, and slings to drive off predators. They used crooks, rocks, and dogs to herd the sheep, who often didn’t want to be led, to the best grazing spots, to water, and to safety.
David, the “sweet” young shepherd boy reportedly killed both bear and lion with his bare hands (1 Samuel 17:34–35). That’s not the typical image the church has of the ones charged with leading and protecting the church. And yet, that is exactly the biblical image and metaphor that Paul uses.
I noticed one other intriguing point. Paul shifts from the flock language to disciples at the end of the warning. Those in peril aren’t just mud-puddle deep believers, but true and faithful Jesus-followers. So often, when the wolves show up and begin to wreak havoc in the church, the faithful scatter to safety. And so the church often loses the most faithful because they don’t feel safe. Couple that with a leadership team that refuses to confront the wolves and the church doesn’t just decline, those who remain are often very faithful, but weak and timid and unwilling or unable to risk the status quo.
In today’s world, the role of the protector of the flock – perhaps especially from within – must be a top priority of church leadership. The wolves have been wreaking their savagery on the flocks unchecked and unchallenged for decades and many churches have fallen prey to their attacks. This is why a solid and firm spiritual foundation is absolutely required of today’s church leaders. Without that foundation, it is too easy to succumb to a populous version of Christianity – a Christianity that tolerates bad behavior and is willing to allow the wolves and the antagonists to wield their savagery on the church in the name of perpetual niceness.
My colleague Bill Easum wrote a post some years ago on the propensity of the church to be nice and the effect it has on the church. I recommend giving it a read.
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