“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” – Hebrews 13:17
Bible Verses About Elders And Pastors
1 Timothy 5:17 – Elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor.
“The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.” – 1 Timothy 5:17
1 Peter 5:2 – Shepherd the flock of God that is among you.
“Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly.” – 1 Peter 5:2
James 5:14 – Call the elders to pray over the sick.
“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” – James 5:14
Titus 1:7 – An overseer must be above reproach.
“For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain.” – Titus 1:7
Acts 20:28 – Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock.
“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” – Acts 20:28
Hebrews 13:7 – Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you.
“Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” – Hebrews 13:7
2 Timothy 4:2 – Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season.
“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” – 2 Timothy 4:2
1 Thessalonians 5:12 – Respect those who labor among you.
“We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:12
1 Timothy 3:1 – Aspiring to the office of overseer is noble.
“The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.” – 1 Timothy 3:1
Acts 14:23 – Appointing elders in every church.
“And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” – Acts 14:23
Matthew 9:37-38 – The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'” – Matthew 9:37-38
Philippians 1:1 – Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints.
“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons.” – Philippians 1:1
Matthew 20:26-28 – Whoever wants to be great must be a servant.
“But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave.” – Matthew 20:26-28
Luke 12:42 – Who then is the faithful and wise manager?
“And the Lord said, ‘Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?'” – Luke 12:42
Jeremiah 3:15 – I will give you shepherds after my own heart.
“And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.” – Jeremiah 3:15
Matthew 5:14 – A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” – Matthew 5:14
Romans 12:8 – The one who leads, lead with zeal.
“The one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” – Romans 12:8
Psalms 78:72 – He shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart.
“With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand.” – Psalms 78:72
Ephesians 4:11 – Christ gave the apostles, prophets, evangelists, the shepherds and teachers.
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers.” – Ephesians 4:11
John 10:11 – I am the good shepherd.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” – John 10:11
2 Timothy 2:24 – And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome.
“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil.” – 2 Timothy 2:24
1 Corinthians 12:28 – God has appointed in the church first apostles.
“And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.” – 1 Corinthians 12:28
1 Peter 4:10 – As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another.
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” – 1 Peter 4:10
Galatians 6:1 – Restore him in a spirit of gentleness.
“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.” – Galatians 6:1
Romans 13:7 – Pay to all what is owed to them.
“Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” – Romans 13:7
Colossians 3:23 – Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord.
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” – Colossians 3:23
1 Timothy 2:1 – I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.” – 1 Timothy 2:1
Acts 6:3 – Select from among you seven men of good reputation.
“Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.” – Acts 6:3
Final Thoughts
It’s clear that the Bible places great importance on elders and pastors within the church. They have a critical role in guiding the flock and are entrusted with the responsibilities of teaching, leading, and caring for the community. It’s vital that we support and respect those in these positions, as they dedicate their lives to serving God and others.
As a community, we can benefit from actively participating in church life, learning from our leaders, and contributing to the work that God is doing through them. Reflecting on God’s word helps us grow in understanding how to support those who shepherd us.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into related topics, consider checking out resources on men of God or leading others to Christ. There’s so much more to explore in the Bible!