Love for Office-Bearers despite their flaws

First there is respect, but Paul would have the church members add to that a loving affection for spiritual leaders: esteem them very highly in love because of their work (1 Thessalonians 5:13). A faithful pastor labours intensely and prayerfully for the spiritual well-being of the flock, and one of the chief blessings, I can tell you that compensates for many trials is a loving appreciation and affection of the people now that loving esteem will include providing generously for material needs and certainly for praying for God to protect and bless the ministry. Another very encouraging thing to me is when church members say, Pastor, I want you to know that we are praying for you, because I both feel the need of those prayers and also the bonds of love that are reflected in that kind of statement. Paul himself spoke in that way in Ephesians 6after speaking of spiritual warfare, he says, and pray for me also. Well, one challenge, of course, is that the longer we know pastors and elders, the more we become aware of their defects and failings over time, it is inevitable that a pastor is going to let virtually everyone down. The anniversary of a death will be forgotten, wrong, though well meant, words will be spoken, the pastor will be providentially unavailable at a time when he really was needed. And in urging for pastors to be loved, therefore, Paul appeals not to their merits, but to their work. Matthew Henry writes, They must esteem their ministers highly in love. They should greatly value the office of the minister. They should honour and love the persons of their ministers and show them esteem and affection in all proper ways for their work’s sake, because their business is to promote the honour of Christ and the welfare of people's souls.¹

Richard D. Phillips