Few things are as devastating in the experience of a congregation as a trusted pastor or minister turning out to be guilty of sins which completely disqualify them from the office and invite the contempt of even the world. That one cheated on his wife, that one hit his wife, that one turned to drink, that one interfered with children, that one took advantage of a disabled member of the congregation, that one got involved with young men, that one became addicted to gambling, and all of it was while they continued preaching, soaked up other people’s respect, and made out to everyone that they were godly, faithful ministers. Reeling and bruised congregations wonder what their minister’s reputed doctrinal purity is worth now, or his conservative approach to various topical issues, or his vocal commitment to denominational distinctives. None of these things ever provide any guarantee against catastrophic moral failure, or any comfort in the wake of the exposure of shameful wrongdoing. We realise, too late perhaps, that we were distracted by something secondary, such as gifts or personality, and overlooked the primary qualification of character. But Jesus remains the one shepherd and bishop of our souls. When under-shepherds turn out to be wolves, Jesus remains the good shepherd. In a discussion of Jesus’ teaching on the good shepherd, George Hutcheson points out the various contrasts between Christ and the “thief” and the “hireling” in John 10:10–12. Looking at Jesus allows us to take comfort and remain settled in the gospel in spite of the betrayals of hirelings. It also equips to be better able to identify and exclude from pastoral office those whose character does not match His. Hutcheson explains in the following updated extract.

The good shepherd’s work is gifting, not robbing

Christ declares in John 10:10 that He is the true shepherd, firstly in opposition to those whom He call “thieves and robbers.” Either they make out themselves to be the Messiah, or they run unsent and bring in false doctrine. These he declares to be enemies and not shepherds, who come only to harm the flock. By contrast, His errand is to give them life, and that in great abundance.

False teachers and seducers make so many attractive claims, and plausible appearances, that the evil of their way is not soon seen. That is why we must make sure to inculcate what it is that the thief comes to do.

Whatever attractive claims these seducers make, and however much people are taken with them, yet in reality they have come for the hurt of the flock. This is how it will turn out, and be seen, in the end. “The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” — that is the whole aim of their work. And this meets with the blind charity of at least some in the flock, who are not so much afraid of being hurt by their errors as they are expecting to get good by their displays of piety.

These false teachers are really nothing but “thieves,” both from the point of view that they only make a prey of souls, taking them away from Christ, stealing away their food in order to give them poison, betraying Christ of His glory, and tricking them out of their happiness; and also from the fact that they do all this in a clandestine and indirect way.

However happy the deluded souls may think themselves, when they have been made a prey to seducers, and deluded with their insinuations, yet all this leads only to their destruction, and to their eternal ruin, if mercy does not prevent it. These thieves are “robbers,” (v. 8), who come to kill and to destroy, as much as to steal.

But Christ is a shepherd who is be so far from destroying His flock that He gives them life, even to those of them who are dead. “I am come that they might have life.”

Christ’s great goal in coming to the world is to purchase and confer life on His own elect. Whatever way He deals with them, yet it is all directed towards giving them life. When they think it is otherwise, that is their own mistake. For Christ not only intends life, but “more abundant life” to His flock.

What does “life more abundant” mean?

• Although He gave life to His people before His incarnation, yet He lets it out more abundantly since, to show the difference between the light of the now risen sun of righteousness, and the light that His people had from Him before.
• He gives not only the kind of life that will simply supply the basic needs of His people, but such a super-abounding measure of life as testifies to His fullness, and completely refreshes them.
• Having conferred this abundant life on them in conversion, He will make it grow more and more while they are on earth (1 Thess. 4:1).
• All this life that they enjoy here is but a drop, in comparison of that abundance of life that is reserved for His people in glory.

The good shepherd serves the sheep, not himself

Christ also declares Himself to be the true shepherd in opposition to “hirelings.” These “hired hands” have a lawful calling, and do not come to kill the sheep with false doctrine, but do preach truth; yet they are unfaithful in the carrying out their responsibilities. In verse 11 Christ declares what He is in opposition to these: “I am the good shepherd, who lays down his life for his sheep.”

How to identify a good shepherd

These properties of a shepherd, strictly speaking, belong properly and only to Christ. By these characteristics He is distinguished not only from hirelings or seducers, but also from the true ministers who are sent out in His name. But we must also consider that He approves of lawful under-shepherds under Himself, and contrasts Himself here only to hirelings. So, beside the consideration of what is unique to Him, or requires a unique consideration in Him, we may look to these properties as they are taken in a broader sense. In this broader sense, some of these properties do belong also to His faithful servants, in their measure and proportion, and by them they are distinguished from hirelings and false teachers.

One important doctrine to grasp here is that whatever hirelings or seducers infest the church, yet the elect do not lack a shepherd. Christ does employ servants under Him, yet He does not hand over His responsibility for His people, but remains still the “chief shepherd and overseer” to them, to care for them, and supply them with food by His own appointed means. In both these respects, “I am the shepherd,” He says (see 1 Peter 5:4).

Christ eminently deserves the title of a “good shepherd.” He is infinite in knowledge, to discern all the necessities of His flock. He is infinite in pity and wisdom, to deal tenderly with them (see Isaiah 40:11).

Good and faithful shepherds put the good of their flock ahead of even their own life. And as Christ not only gives life to his sheep, but His own life for them, so His faithful servants should not “account their life dear,” but worth nothing unless they fulfil their ministry, and bear testimony to the truth (Acts 20:24). Christ propounds it in general terms that the character of a true shepherd is that he “giveth his life for the sheep,” to indicate that though this was eminently and uniquely true of Him, as the Saviour of His people, yet His servants must be resolved to lay down their lives, not to expiate sin, but in the service of the church’s faith.

How to identify a hireling

By contrast, Christ identifies what hirelings are. Thinking only of their own gain, and having no interest in nor affection to the sheep, as soon as they catch sight of any danger, whether from seducers or persecutors, they desert their stations and expose the flock to danger (v. 12). From the fact that they flee in this way, Christ concludes that they are “hirelings, and care not for the flock” (v. 13).

It is not enough that someone has an external lawful calling to the ministry, and that they are don’t preach error, unless also they are faithful and single-minded in carrying out their responsibilities. Hirelings, just as much as thieves and robbers, are named by Christ as opposite to the shepherd. They must make the chief goal of their calling to honour God and seek the good of souls.

The sheep are all Christ’s own, by reason of His purchase of them, and lordship over them. Consequently, every true pastor will count Christ’s sheep dear to him, as precious as if they were his own, simply because they are Christ’s. Those who do not respect them in this way prove themselves to be nothing but hirelings. “He careth not for the sheep” (v. 13).

They also show themselves to be hirelings when, in a time of trial, they look more to their own situation, then to the welfare of the flock, and when, to avoid trouble, they desert the flock. The hireling “seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth.” Some may have more light than others, and foresee trials better than others, and yet lack the courage to stay at their post. Those who lack integrity follow Christ and duty only as long as they think it compatible with their own ends.

Wolves in the church catch some of the sheep by error, some by persecution, some by scattering and dividing them and depriving them of mutual fellowship and participation in the gatherings of the church. Although this is all the wolf’s fault, yet it is also put on the hireling’s account, because he opens a gap for the wolf to get in, and exposes the sheep as a prey, and weakens them, by his example in shirking trouble, his withholding from them the encouragement of the truth, and his lack of courage in maintaining the truth.

Anyone who puts their own commodity and convenience ahead of the welfare of the flock, and deserts their duty when the flock is in danger, only prove themselves to be mercenaries and hirelings.

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