I have made the point often here that the New Testament portrays pastors knowing their people well, and not just speaking to crowds of unknown people. The command to watch over their souls, knowing God will hold us accountable for this (Heb 13:17), requires this as does a ministry in which we \u201cwarn everyone\u201d and \u201cteach everyone\u201d with an aim to \u201cpresent everyone mature in Christ\u201d (Col 1:28). The assumption is that we know whom we are caring for. It will be difficult\u00a0 to watch over souls of people whose names you don\u2019t know. I have also cited here numerous instances where church leaders from the past have affirmed this understanding. Recently I have come across one more example.<\/p>\n
Theodore Beza served under the leadership of John Calvin in Geneva and was Calvin\u2019s successor. Beza exemplifies this understanding of pastoral ministry in his sermon on John 21:15, where Jesus charged Peter, \u201cFeed my sheep\u201d:<\/p>\n
It is not only necessary that [a pastor] have general knowledge of his flock, but he must also know and call each of his sheep by name, both in public and in their homes, both night and day. Pastors must run after lost sheep, bandaging up the one with a broken leg, strengthening the one that is sick \u2026. In sum, the pastor must consider his sheep more dear to him than his own life, following the example of the Good Shepherd.<\/p>\n