Pressure for the pastor is the norm. Pressure comes in many forms and from numerous quarters. One of the common pressures is to fulfill a role that is seen and chosen for you by others. Sometimes you can fill these roles, like visitor, counselor, planner, leader, problem solver, etc. Sometimes you can't. You either don't have the time, inclination or skill to be all things to all members. But that pressure to be something for someone is always there. Over time you develop responses to that pressure.

One of the things we need to guard against as pastors is the loss of our primary roles. The pressure to fill those other roles can crowd out other key roles laid down for you in scripture. Prayer is one. Preaching is another. Scholarship is the one that I am talking about in this post. Biblical scholarship. Who should be the most accomplished Bible student in the church? To me, the answer is simple. The pastor. I can only think of one or two things that a pastor should be known for more. Maybe loving His family and loving her God. Maybe prayer as a way of life and a path where there is none. Those two things are right up there, you choose the priority. Add more if you like.

But can you take seriously the call to be a Bible Scholar?

A tremendous responsibility was placed before Peter in Acts 6. The care of widows in general and the Greek widows in particular. Do a search on widows and you will see that taking care of them and maintaining an interest in their welfare is a high value responsibility of church leaders and members. Yet, Peter turned that responsibility over to a group of men who had not even been formed yet. He did not pass the buck, instead he set in place a system of care that insured a healthy ministry toward and for widows for a long time to come.

After this, Peter did not go off on vacation, although he probably deserved one. Verse 3,4 make it clear what he did.

³Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them ⁴and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."

Peter takes the call to be a Bible scholar seriously. More seriously than other calls. It could be argued that he took those calls as seriously by insuring that responsible leadership was put in place. It could also be argued that he would have been irresponsible to take on the Widow ministry as his own instead of placing it into the capable hands of Greek Deacons. Fortunately, he chose wisely.

What he did was give focus and attention to God's word, pretty much the Old Testament, and to prayer, the breath of the believer. Can we do differently and still be called pastor? I don't think so. I'm not ready to be called an apostle or anything like that. Pastor is plenty for me. But I am glad to be a student of the word and a pastor of prayer.

Here are some papers I came across recently that reinforce in a persuasive way what I'm talking about.

A paper presented by John Piper.
And video from D. A. Carson. Or start the video below.
This should be on paper someplace as well, but the video is well worth it.