Of Saints & Shepherds

Quick Facts:

• Pronunciation: är-khē-poi’-mān
• Strongs Concordance: #G750
  • “chief shepherd of Christ the head of the church”
• Appears 1 times in 1 verses in the New Testament
• Common translations:
  • “chief shepherd” (1x)

How archipoimēn is used in the New Testament

1. 1 Peter 5:4 – “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

My Perspective

The word archipoimēn appears one time and in one context. It is used by the apostle Peter to describe Jesus Christ.  In the context, Peter is exhorting elders – those whom were either older in age, or older in their faith – to watch over the flock.

Peter uses archipoimēn to encourage them that when Jesus Christ appears (at his second coming), those elders would receive an unfading crown of glory for the investment in such things. See presbyteros for a deeper look at “elders”.

The word archipoimēn is definitely a word conveying leadership in the body of Christ, however it is reserved solely for Jesus Christ.