I Peter 2:25 - Shepherd and Bishop

v 25 “For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.” {I Peter 2:25}

Most of us know what a shepherd is and what he does, he protects his flock, leads them to green pastures, and tries to make sure that none no astray or get lost. This statement could be taken as a shepherd keeping a flock of the animals called sheep or this statement could mean Christ Jesus protecting his flock {christians}, leading them to green pastures {the written word}, and letting none go astray {that none go astray}. The sheep know the shepherds voice and will follow him and then there are others that go astray {wander off}. These are deceived by the evil one into thinking that he, not the real shepherd, is leading them to greener pastures and all that their heart’s desire. When they get to the “greener” pastures they find that the grass is bitter, shallow, and soiled, with all manor of filth. But if and or when they turn 180 degrees, they find the true shepherd is waiting for them with open arms and an even more open heart. {Matthew 18:12 “How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?” and Luke 15:7 “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”} I freely admit that I was one of those who went astray but the love of the shepherd brought me home which brought ‘joy in heaven’.

But Shepherd and Bishop?

If you were to ask the question “who or what is a Bishop and what is his function in the church today”, you’ll get answers from one end of the scale to the other. Webster’s defines a Bishop as 1 - an overseer 2 - A high ranking Christian clergyman usually supervising a diocese or church district. In I Timothy 3:1 & 2 and Titus 1:7, our Lord God tells us what he is seeking in a bishop, {I Timothy 3:1 “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.” 3:2 “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;” and Titus 1:7 “For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;”}. Does this sound like someone that you’d like to get to know? Well I know of and I’m getting to know more deeply, someone just like this, blameless, vigilant, good behaviour, given to hospitality, a teacher, not selfwilled, no striker, and not a lover of money, his name is Jesus.

When you to get to know him and not just about him, you will see him as the ‘Shepherd and Bishop of your soul’.

Shepherd and Bishop? Yes!

Jesus does love you and He will lead you to the “true green pasture” where you will get to know His voice, where you will be refreshed and where you will have the joy in your heart restored. This same Jesus will oversee your life but He will not force anything upon you. Remember that he loves you and that His love is unconditional and not like the love of this world.

I’ll follow this Shepherd and Bishop anywhere for I know Him and not just know of the love that He has for me. Agape love, love that is pure and unconditional. A love that transcends time it’s self.