长老：教会中门训的带领者
你是否身为教会的长老？如果是，那么你应当成为教会的主要门训带领者之一。这是长老的一项重要职责，对此你早已知晓，对吗？
但是为了确保大家对此有清晰的认识，请容我稍做一些解释。如果让我选一个形象来更好地解释长老在地方教会的职责，我会毫不犹豫地选择新约中主要描绘的长老作为牧羊人的形象。保罗和彼得都敦促长老们要牧养他们的羊群（徒20:28-31；彼前5:1-4）。希伯来书的作者则呼召信徒顺服他们的领袖，因为领袖们为他们的灵魂“时刻警醒，好像那将来交账的人”（来13：17）。彼得说，长老们应当像牧长手下的牧者一样侍奉（彼前5:4）。长老的诸多职责—其中包括教导、护教、做敬虔的榜样、规劝信徒、管理教务、以及为会众祷告——总之，这些都能用一幅牧羊人看顾群羊的简单画面呈现出来。
那么，牧养的目标是什么呢？
长老们牧养教会成员是为了帮助他们在基督里成长。长老们照顾羊群，是为了使信徒从属灵的婴儿成长为成熟的基督徒，满有基督的样式。监督们劳苦服事，盼望着群羊们从缺乏，自我中心，蹒跚学步的状态长大成熟，服事耶稣，领人归主。
保罗认为，耶稣赐下各样的领袖（其中有牧师）给教会，原因是为了使基督徒长大成人。
“他所赐的有使徒，有先知，有传福音的，有牧师和教师。为要成全圣徒，各尽其职，建立基督的身体，直等到我们众人在真道上同归于一，认识神的儿子，得以长大成人，满有基督长成的身量。”（弗4:11-13）
当长老们很好地履行了自己的职责时，信徒们就不再是“婴孩”，而是“凡事长进，连于元首基督。”（弗4:15）。长老们将会像保罗所说，“我们传扬他，是用诸般的智慧劝戒各人、教导各人，要把各人在基督里完完全全地引到神面前。”（西1:28）
换句话说，牧养的目标是造就成熟的门徒。如果门训不是帮助人在基督里长进成熟，那么它还算是门训吗？
所以，作为教会的牧者，长老们应当带领教会的门训事工，树立榜样。神呼召所有的信徒来参与门训事工，但是长老们却要为全教会的门训工作全权负责。
当长老们意识到牧养的目标是造就门徒、使之成熟，这将会改变和更新他们的服事。下面我想从五个方面谈谈以门训为目标会如何影响一位长老的牧养工作。
1. 通过教导进行门训
长老们必须能够教导圣经（提前3:2,5:17；多1:9）。神的牧者应当用神的话语喂养群羊。如果其目的不是为了使群羊强壮成熟，那么喂养还有什么意义呢？
一位长老无论是在周日晚场聚会面对50个人进行教导，还是在家庭查经会上教导12个人，甚至在喝咖啡时进行一对一的教导，他都不应该只专注于解经，尽管解经非常重要。而是要从圣经中抬起头来，看看他的会众，根据他们所处的不同生命阶段，把圣经的真理与会众的属灵状况、人际关系、说法方式和财务情况联系起来。他应当努力应用经文，使基督的跟随者们的生命走向成熟。
2. 通过牧者关怀进行门训
长老去医院探访的目的是什么呢？或者说为什么他要和一对为不育不孕折磨的夫妇共度夜晚？为什么他要和一个刚刚失去相濡以沫50年的妻子的老人共进早餐？当然，他的目的是要鼓励和安慰这些正在痛苦中的教会成员。然而他也应当通过探访和关怀促进他们属灵的成长。
所以，不要只是问“你感觉怎么样？”，“教会能做什么来帮助你？”。一个注重门训的长老应当有智慧地询问“你认为神借着这个困难正在你的生命中做什么工作？”，“神是否在你的苦难中向你显明出祂自己的某些性情？”。他不仅仅要为他们祷告求医治和安慰，也要求神做炼净和成圣的工作。
苦难也许是神将我们塑造成基督的样式所使用的最锋锐的工具。所以，借着提醒弟兄姊妹记得苦难有其神圣的目的，长老们就可以坚固他们属灵的成长。
3. 通过接待他人门训
保罗两次提到长老必须乐于接待远人（提前3:2；多1:8）。让我们再一次从门训的角度来看看这一项长老的职责。当接待远人时，我们发现这并不只是意味着对人友好。款待也是长老们通过以身作则来门训的一种方式。
通过长老的款待，别人可以在日常生活中近距离地观察他。他们可以看到长老如何与妻子相处、教养孩子、以及在现实生活中活出信仰。款待能够促进长老的门训事工，使别人可以走进他的生活，好让他可以说，“弟兄们，你们要一同效法我，也当留意看那些照我们榜样行的人。”（腓3:17）
4. 通过共同生活来门训
款待别人只是一个开始。通过榜样来门训可不只是进行一次户外郊游而已；长老们必须向他人敞开自己的生命。就像好牧人应当和羊群共处，好牧者也必须和教会成员有共同的生活。教会成员需要在不同场合中观察长老们的行为，这些场合包括工作和娱乐，事工和苦难，成功和挫折。
对生活繁忙的人而言，这些听起来让人望而却步。共同生活并不是在你的日程上加添更多的事情，而是邀请他人加入你已有的日程安排。所以如果你是长老，那么你可以邀请成员来加入你日常的钓鱼、游戏或者整理花园的工作。还可以一起乘车上班。如果你在教会里教主日学课程，你可以邀请一个弟兄做助教观摩学习。
长老们应该能够像保罗那样说出这样的话，“我们如此爱你们以至于我们不单乐于和你们分享主的福音，也乐意分享我们的生活。”（帖前2:8）。当长老们分享自己的生活的时候，成员们就能够清晰地看见基督徒的成熟是什么。
5. 通过带领来门训
让我们再举一个例子：领导。长老们带领一间地方教会，就像牧羊人带领群羊一样。这就是为什么他们也被称为“监督”（徒20:28；提前3:1；来13:17）。
当一位长老以门训为目标时，他就不会再把“领导”视为仅仅是坐在桌子旁发号施令。他明白“领导”意味着培养更多的领袖。成熟的牧者会邀请他人一起来参与教导和履行职责（提后2:2）。他会做示范并授权他人去做。门训的异象把长老的领导重点从政策和项目的制定，转向培训未来的牧者。
门训的意义是什么？
为什么长老将门训作为自己牧养的目标那么重要呢？因为门训本身并不是最终目的。
长老和地方教会的终极目标是享受神，赞美神和祂的荣耀。牧者和群羊活着都是为了反映耶稣的形象和性情。
所以，当牧者们牧养教会、训练有基督样式的门徒时，他们正在彰显和扩展耶稣的荣耀。造就越来越多成熟的门徒意味着有更多人珍视耶稣，效仿耶稣，并传扬耶稣的福音。带领门训的牧者们劳苦做工，目的是将荣耀归给我们的大牧长–耶稣。
Elders—The Church’s Lead Disciple-Makers
Are you an elder in your church? Then you should be one of the church’s lead disciplers. You knew that this was a key part of an elder’s job description, right?
Let me back up just to make sure it is clear. If I had to pick one image to best explain an elder’s job in the local church, the choice would be a no-brainer: the New Testament predominantly portrays elders as shepherds. Both Paul and Peter urged elders to shepherd their flocks (Acts 20:28-31; 1 Pet. 5:1-4). The writer of Hebrews called believers to submit to their leaders who “keep watch” over them “as men who must give an account” (Heb. 13:17). Peter said that elders serve as under-shepherds of the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4). Many of an elder’s duties—including teaching the Word, guarding against heresy, modeling godliness, pursuing wayward believers, overseeing church affairs, and praying for members—can be summed up within the simple picture of a shepherd tending sheep.
But what’s the goal of shepherding?
Elders shepherd church members in order to help those members grow up in Christ. Elders tend the flock in such a way that believers develop from spiritual infancy to full-grown Christ-likeness. Overseers labor in hope that the sheep will move beyond a needy, self-focused, toddler Christianity to an adulthood of serving Jesus and leading others to Jesus.
Paul identified Christian maturity as the reason Jesus gave various leaders to the church, including pastors (i.e., shepherds):
It was he who gave some to be…pastors and teachers to prepare God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Eph. 4:11-13)
When elders fulfill their duties well, believers will “no longer be infants” but will instead “grow up into him who is the head, that is Christ” (vv. 14-15). Elders should say with Paul, “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ” (Col. 1:28).
In other words, shepherding aims at making mature disciples. What is disciple-making if not helping people progress toward maturity in Christ?
So as the church’s shepherds, elders should lead the way and set the pace for disciple-making. All believers are called to the task of making disciples, but elders bear an overall responsibility for the discipleship work of the congregation.
When elders grasp the goal of shepherding as disciple-making and disciple-maturing, it will transform their ministry. Consider how the goal of making mature disciples might impact five common aspects of an elder’s pastoral work.
1. MATURING DISCIPLES THROUGH TEACHING
Elders must be able to teach the Bible (1 Tim. 3:2, 5:17; Tit. 1:9). God’s shepherds feed God’s sheep with God’s Word. And what’s the point of feeding the sheep, except to strengthen and mature them?
When an elder opens his Bible to teach fifty people at a Sunday evening service, or twelve people at a home Bible study, or one guy over a cup of coffee, he should not only focus on interpreting the Bible well, though of course that is critical. Instead, he must also look up from his Bible to see the people in their various stages of discipleship, and then connect the Bible’s truths to his congregation’s hearts, relationships, speech, and finances. He should strive to apply the text in ways that ripen Christ-followers.
2. MATURING DISCIPLES THROUGH PASTORAL CARE
What is the point of that elder’s hospital visit? Or why does he spend an evening with the couple devastated by infertility, or have breakfast with the elderly man who recently lost his wife of 50 years? Certainly he is there to encourage and comfort these hurting church members. But he should also be there to promote spiritual growth.
So instead of only asking, “How are you feeling?” and “Is there anything the church can do to help?” a discipleship-minded elder will tactfully ask questions like, “What do you think God is doing in your life through this difficult experience?” and “Has God showed you something about himself in the midst of your suffering?” He will not only pray for healing and comfort, but also for God’s refining, sanctifying work.
Suffering is perhaps one of God’s sharpest tools for chiseling us into Christ’s image. Elders can support spiritual growth simply by reminding brothers and sisters that their suffering has a divine purpose.
3. MATURING DISCIPLES THROUGH HOSPITALITY
Paul twice says that elders must be hospitable (1 Tim. 3:2, Tit. 1:8). But let’s again view this elder task through the lens of making disciples. When we do, we find that hospitality is about more than elders being friendly. Hospitality is also about elders making disciples by being examples.
An elder’s hospitality enables others to see that elder up close in his natural habitat. They see how he relates to his wife, shapes his kids, and works out his Christian faith in real life. Hospitality facilitates an elder’s ministry of modeling maturity (1 Pet. 5:3). It allows people into his life so that he can say to them, “Join with others in following my example” (Phil. 3:17).
4. MATURING DISCIPLES BY LIVING LIFE TOGETHER
Hospitality is just the beginning. Modeling maturity takes more than a cookout; elders must open their lives to others. Just as effective shepherds must be among the sheep, so effective elders will live life together with church members. Members need to see elders’ behavior in a variety of contexts, including work and play, ministry and misery, success and setback.
This may sound daunting to men with hectic lives and busy schedules. But doing life together is not as much about adding more to the schedule as it is about inviting others into what is already happening. So if you’re an elder, include members into your normal golfing or fishing, gaming or gardening. Commute together to work. If you teach a class at church, bring on an assistant teacher to apprentice with you.
Elders should be able to say with Paul, “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well” (1 Thess. 1:8). As elders share their lives, members get glimpses of Christian maturity in high definition.
5. MATURING DISCIPLES THROUGH LEADERSHIP
Let’s take one more example: leadership. Elders lead a local church, just as shepherds lead a flock. That’s why they are called “overseers” (Acts 20:28; 1 Tim. 3:1; Heb. 13:17).
But when an elder grasps the goal of making mature disciples, he no longer sees “leadership” as merely sitting around a table making decisions. He understands that leadership includes raising up more leaders. The maturity-minded shepherd invites others into his life to share in teaching and responsibility (2 Tim. 2:2). He will demonstrate and delegate. A discipleship vision shifts an elder’s leadership focus from policies and programs to training future shepherds.
WHAT’S THE POINT OF MAKING MATURE DISCIPLES?
Why is it so critical that elders see disciple-making and disciple-maturing as the goal of their shepherding? Because making disciples isn’t really the ultimate goal.
The ultimate goal for elders, and the church, is to savor and exalt God and his glory. Both shepherds and sheep exist to reflect the image and character of Jesus.
So when elders shepherd in such a way as to grow up Christ-like disciples, they are extending the reflection of Jesus’ glory in the world. Making more and more mature disciples means there are more people treasuring Jesus, imitating Jesus, and proclaiming the good news about Jesus. Disciple-making shepherds labor to bring glory to the Chief Shepherd himself.
作者：Jeramie Rinne
杰拉米·莱尼从戈登-康威尔神学院获得道学硕士学位，正在担任马萨诸塞州辛翰市南岸浸信会主任牧师。他经常为九标志期刊撰文，是the Good Book Company出版社的忠心作者，西缅基金会释经工作坊导师。他与妻子珍妮弗和四个孩子住在波士顿南岸区。
翻译肢体：淦昱
用圣经视野和实用资源装备教会领袖
进而通过健康的教会向世界彰显神的荣耀
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