Unavoidable: Home-Grown Elders

The modern pastorate is a thing foreign to the bible. The professional pastor (he who dominates the preaching, leading, and decision making) stems from man's traditions and not anything we find in scripture.

What do we read about in the bible? We see elders. Where do these elders come from? They come from within.

Below are some descriptions of elders in the New Testament:

Acts 14:21-23

"When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed."

Titus 1:5

"This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you."

James 5:14

"Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord."

I Peter 5:1-3

"So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock."


Based upon the above passages, especially Acts and Titus, it is clear that elders come from within the body. This flies in the face of the modern pastor who is almost always an "expert" brought in from the outside in exchange for a salary; this is the exact opposite of what's been modeled to us by the apostles and the early church as a whole.

Who were these NT elders? They were simply mature Christian men who were already serving actively within their local bodies. Their character and behavior were recognized for what they were: mature in Christ. Their appointment was based upon what they were already doing. There is no sense that their behavior changed at all once they were appointed as elders.

Their behavior did not change because they were already a part of the church family.

Modern, professional pastors often struggle to feel as if they are actually a part of the church where they preach. Even after years of employment in one church, they feel like an outsider. This is because they are, in fact, an outsider.

The scriptural model is unavoidable: elders come from within. Many of today's church problems stem directly from the rejection of this paradigm by institutional churches.

Reason #17 - Professional Pastors Imply That Churches Need "Experts" to Lead Them

When institutional churches search for a new pastor they look for someone with a bible college or seminary degree.

When men want to be pastors they go to bible college or seminary.

Why do these things happen?

The reason is that most Christians believe that they need "experts" to lead them. Instead of looking to their own church family for elders, they instead almost always turn to outside "experts" with advanced degrees to be the next pastor. This occurs across denominational lines. The vast majority of new pastoral appointments are men who have never had previous contact with the particular body they are to lead. The churches look less at I Timothy 3 guidelines than they do at what degree a person has. Salaries are even partially based on what theological level a person has attained. For example, men with doctorates are the most expensive.

The above is understandable from a secular perspective. However, the church is not secular in nature, and therefore ought not follow a secular model. The church has no need of theological "experts" from outside. It only needs look inward for godly men already in its midst.

Professional pastors: please resign today and encourage the church to cease looking for leadership from outside "experts."


(This is post seventeen of 25 Reasons Professional Pastors Should Resign.)

Reason #8 - Professional Pastors Get Confused With Biblical Elders

Some disagreement exists within Christianity over whether or not elders and pastors had overlapping roles in scripture. Put simply, the question is whether or not elders and pastors were essentially the same.

That being said, there can be no doubt that the elders we read of in the New Testament are far different from today's professional pastors. When we look in the book of Acts and various epistles we see elders as godly men of the body who are simply recognized as being what they already are: those of Christian maturity who are helping others along that same path. However, modern pastors are largely paid experts from outside the body who are brought in to lead through decision making, lecturing, and program planning.

Despite these differences, many Christians believe that what we see today in the pulpit is what the bible speaks about. If you ask Christians to point out pastors in the New Testament, they will likely turn to passages dealing with elders (or possibly overseers). For example, when discussing qualifications, the passage that gets the most attention is I Timothy 3. However, that section of scripture talks about overseers, not pastors. In fact, the term pastor is rarely used in the New Testament.

I Peter chapter 5 does mention all three (elder, overseer, pastor), but even in that case the idea of pastoring has very little in common with what most professional pastors do today. To pastor is to shepherd. This has little to do with monologue sermonizing or planning the next Christmas program.

The church (at least here in the USA) is confused about what biblical elders are. Having professional pastors claim to be elders is a sham. The two are markedly different. To help clarify this situation, all professional pastors ought to resign today. If that occurred, the church might be forced to ask itself what elders actually are. Questions of that sort, while uncomfortable for many, sometimes lead to great improvements.


(This post is part eight of the series 25 Reasons Professional Pastors Should Resign).

Church Simply: Elders From Within

When we look in the New Testament we see much more about elders than we do about pastors. But who are these guys? Where do they come from? What are they supposed to do? Do they even matter?

Elders do matter. If they didn't, then Paul wouldn't have bothered with them. However, we see the following in Acts 14:21-23, "When they had preached the gospel to that city (Derbe) and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed." Paul and his helpers were directly involved in appointing elders in these new churches that they had planted.

On a later missionary journey we read, "Now from Miletus he (Paul) sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him" (Acts 20:17). Paul could not call the entire church to come see him so he called the elders.

In light of what we read in the New Testament, what do we know about elders?

1. Elders were ALWAYS selected from within the body. They were not from the outside.
2. Elders were recognized for what they were already doing. Their behavior did not change once they were appointed.
3. Elders were godly men who obeyed the Lord. They were not primarily known for their teaching.
4. Elders served others. This was their form of leadership

In I Peter 5:1-3 we read, "So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock."

Peter's primary exhortation to elders is to shepherd. What does this look like? Peter is referring to guidance toward a life of holiness, godliness, and sacrificial love. The elders were to accomplish this through their actions of service. They modeled the behaviors they hoped to see in the remainder of the body. Notice that they were not to put others under compulsion. They were not to be domineering. Instead they were to be "examples to the flock."

In the modern church we have in general lost sight of what elders are and what they do. This is to our detriment. Elders are important because they are godly men from inside the church family who model godly behavior to the rest of the body and lead by doing this.

Jon On Elders

Jon at Jon's Journey shares some excellent thoughts in a recent post entitled Levites Priests and Elders.

I'm particularly interested in what Jon writes about elders. He makes a solid case that what we see in the Old Testament should inform how we think about elders in the New Testament. According to Jon, "Throughout the Old Testament we also see many references to elders. Elders had a recognized role in the Jewish community. They were older men with experience that the community respected and relied on for guidance."

Jon continues regarding the New Testament, "As the church expanded into non-Jewish communities, older respected men were recognized as elders in these new communities as well.

By using the term elder, I believe the writers of the New Testament had a different role in mind that what we tend to see today. There is no evidence these elders were responsible for religious buildings, church programs, church organizational policy, or church staff. There is no evidence they were elected for a limited term, and then became non-elder laity again a few years later.

I believe the role of elders is important, and it makes sense to study what the Bible has to say on the topic. Consider who are the older respected people in your life. Recognize who they are. Go to them for advice and guidance. Let them influence you. And at some stage in life you may play the role of elder to others in your community."

I appreciate that Jon is trying to understand what the scripture writers actually meant when they used the term elder. Only when we have correct definitions in mind will we truly understand the bible.

What Should Elders Do When the Church Gathers?

Answer: be themselves.

"...appoint elders in every town..."

"This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you." Titus 1:5

I was recently reading through the book of Titus when I saw something that I'd never thought much about before. It's related to both what Paul writes and what he doesn't write.

We know that Paul left Titus on the island of Crete to help with order in the churches and to appoint elders. The above verse is clear enough on that. What fascinates me is a little prepositional phrase that comes immediately after Paul writes the word elders.

Paul mentions to Titus that he left him to appoint elders "in every town." Interesting. Notice that Paul did not say that he left Titus to appoint elders "in every church." This is a key difference.

If Paul had written that Titus was to appoint elders in every church, we would see a suggestion on Paul's part of the validity of separate local churches within the broader Christian community of a city (much like we see today). However, that is not what we see. Instead, Paul instructs Titus to appoint elders in every town. What does this suggest? The answer is that Paul saw a need for recognized elders within the church in each town.

This is significant because it hints strongly at one component of the biblical model for the church: all Christians in a town compose the church there. These Christ-followers are in need of elders, so Titus appoints them. Paul does not suggest that anything smaller than entire Christian community in a town is a valid descriptor.

In most of Paul's other letters he writes to churches in a particular city or town. Nothing smaller than this exists in the apostle's mind. Therefore, when it comes to Crete, Paul understands a need of the churches there.

It is a foreign concept (biblically-speaking) for an elder to serve as such only within a smaller local body but not the broader community. Paul expects the elders in the towns on Crete to serve all the Christians in the town where they live.

This little prepositional phrase speaks volumes about both the definition of church and the unity of the church. All believers in a town make up the church in that town. I live in Savannah, Georgia; therefore, I'm part of the church in Savannah. Anything smaller than that is a man-made, artificial division. This, of course, does not mean that all Christians in a town have to all meet together all the time. Rather, the bible speaks of Christians getting together frequently in various sizes, shapes, and places.

Paul's phrase also clues us in on his expectations for unity. All the Christians in a town are to be united as the church in that town. No division ought to occur between them. Anything that does draw dividing lines (such as denominations, local membership, and church covenants) fails to have any sort of biblical mandate. Instead, Paul recognizes all in a community as the church there.

In light of this, we would do well to think about our own understanding of the church in a certain area. Do we think like Paul thinks? Or, do we think according to cultural traditions and momentum? Maybe more importantly, do we live like the church in our town includes every Christian in our town? If we did, what would this look like?

Should Elders Teach in a Different Manner than Other Men in the Church?

In a previous post, I asked whether or not elders should teach.

Now I'll ask a related question: Should elders teach in a different manner than other men in the church?

In looking at the church in general today, we see that in most instances the elders/overseers/pastors do in fact teach in ways that are different from everyone else. The sermon is the primary example of this. But is this how it should be?

Should elders teach in a different manner than the other men? In a word: No.

When we look in scripture, we see relatively few instances of elders teaching. When we read about teaching in the bible, we get the sense that all of the church was doing it. Col. 3:16, for example, exhorts everyone to teach.

In light of passages such as I Tim. 2 and I Cor. 14, it is fair to say that women should not teach men. Despite this, women should certainly be teaching other women. Teaching like this ought to occur every day of the week. It could be in the form of bible studies, but more frequently it ought to be in the everyday happenings of life.

What about during larger gatherings of the church? Elders will likely do some of the teaching. However, non-elder males will also teach. While elders will defend and shepherd the flock, non-elders will do the same. There is no scriptural warrant for elders teaching in a different manner than others.

That said, it does make sense that elders will be heavily involved in the teaching. The reason for this is that elders have been recognized as godly men. Also, elders have a decent amount of life experience (thus the term "elder"). When a passage of scripture is being discussed, it seems logical that elders would have much life experience to share with the group as it relates to the situation.

As far as teaching with authority is concerned, this role belongs to the Holy Spirit. Elders do not have an authoritative role; rather, their role is one of being godly examples to the people. Their teaching does not tell people what to do, but rather encourages them to do what God has said. They guide through their own obedience and service.

The topic being discussed at any particular time will likely have an impact on who speaks. There are times for elders to teach and there are times for them to learn (as with all of us).

One great benefit to elders teaching just like the other men is that it helps the body see them as part of the body. When elders teach in a different manner from others, it causes them to stand out and stand apart. This makes it tough for them to be a real part of the body.

One great benefit elders can give is in encouraging the younger men to teach. They may be able to instruct them in this. Younger folks have many excellent things to say, but may feel uncomfortable or unprepared to speak. Elders can help with this.

Paul makes it abundantly clear in I Cor. 12-14 that the church is one body that benefits from mutual interaction and upbuilding. When everyone is involved, the body is healthier than if there is an imbalance in any facet of church life. This includes teaching.

In the end, the scriptural model must be our guide. The bible never sets elders apart as men who teach differently from the rest of the flock. They should be able to teach. This teaching looks like the teaching of the rest of the body.

Should Elders Teach?

Should elders teach?

This is a question that is rarely asked in the church today. The assumed answer is almost always "Yes, of course." Whether the term used is elder, overseer, or pastor, most folks in the church believe they should teach.

It is fascinating to look in scripture for examples of elders teaching. What stands out is just how little of it there is. In light of the amount of teaching by elders that goes on in the church today, it seems like it would also be splashed all over the pages of the NT. However, it's just not very frequent at all.

That said, there are passages that I believe indicate that elders should teach. For example, I Timothy 3:2 informs us that overseers should be "able to teach." Although this does not say that they have to teach, it implies strongly that they will be doing so.

In I Peter 5, Peter exhorts the elders to "shepherd the flock of God that is among you." Shepherding can include a fairly wide variety of activities. It seems that teaching would be one of these. Part of shepherding is guidance, and this often takes the form of some type of teaching.

In Acts 20, Paul warns the elders from Ephesus to protect the church against false teachers from both inside and outside the church. One method of doing this is to teach the truth to the people. Paul tells them that some of the false teachers will "speak twisted things." Paul reminds them that he "admonished them with tears." The implication is that the elders must continue to admonish the church by speaking against those who speak twisted things.

Equally important, elders are part of the flock themselves. Paul has commissioned all believers to teach one another. In Colossians 3:16, he writes, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." As part of the church, elders have this privilege and responsibility.

Whenever we discuss teaching, we must keep in mind that scripture does not limit it to speaking from a podium/pulpit to a relatively silent group of people. Rather, in the bible we see teaching take place in various forms throughout life. It certainly occurred as the church gathered in larger groups, but it also happened when just a few people got together performing normal tasks throughout the day.

Back to the question at hand: Should elders teach? I believe the scriptural answer is a clear "Yes."

In my next post I'm going to tackle a related question that is a little more controversial: Should elders teach in a manner that is different from the way other men in the church teach? Yikes. That should make for an interesting discussion.

Elders/Overseers Are Important But Not That Important

In the life of Christ's church it is important that we we keep a biblical perspective on the role of elders/overseers (I'm using these two terms interchangeably in this post). It is far to easy to go to one of two extremes. On the one side, within the institutional framework elders/overseers (usually referred to as "pastors") are treated as far more important than they are. On the other side, many within simple church life act as if elders carry little to no importance at all. Neither of these extremes is biblical.

When we look in scripture, we see that elders/overseers are important but not that important. In other words, they are significant to the life of the church, but in a limited capacity. There are a few passages that speak to the importance of elders. Acts 20 and I Peter 5 are examples of these.

The reality is, however, that there are few passages that deal with elders/overseers. When compared to the amount of information directed to the church as a whole, the total written to/about elders and overseers is very small. For example, many of the NT letters do not even mention elders/overseers. If they were extremely important to the life of the church, then more attention would be given to them.

Where can we find a proper perspective on the importance of elders/overseers? Paul helps us with this in his opening to the church in Philippi. He writes the following:

"Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons." Philippians 1:1

In the very first verse of this epistle we see Paul's perspective on the relative importance of elders/overseers. Paul mentions them, but they have only secondary importance. As with most of Paul's other letters, he addresses the entire church in the city. His intent is for the application to be to all the saints. When Paul uses the word "saints," he is referring to all the saved within Philippi. Notice that Paul does not view the elders/overseers as more saintly than anyone else.

Paul sees the elders/overseers as being with the church. They are a part of the body. They are not above the body, but with the body. They are not outsiders, but rather a component of the church family.

We must note, however, that Paul does take the time to mention the overseers specifically. He would not do this if they did not have an important role to play. While they are less important than the church as a whole, their role is nonetheless significant. It is to be exercised within the body life of the entire church.

This one little verse helps us understand and keep a biblical perspective on the relative importance that elders/overseers play within the body. The challenge to all of us is to hold this perspective.

House Church - Non-Hierarchical Leadership

I've thought about this particular post for quite some time.  There is so much that could be said.  I'll try to keep this to a semi-reasonable length.

Let's begin with two examples from Jesus' ministry:

In Mark 10:42-45 we read, "And Jesus called them to him and said to them, 'You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'"

Elders in I Timothy 5:17-21

Here we go. This is the final post in this series looking at elders/overseers/pastors. First the text:

I Timothy 5:17-21, "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, 'You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,' and, 'The laborer deserves his wages.' 19 Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. 21 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality."

This passage applies directly to elders so we can safely draw some conclusions.

What can we learn? The answer is quite a lot.

1. Elders are multiple.

2. Elders rule.

We must be careful with the term "rule." In the scriptures we never see elders who rule in the sense of what a king or dictator does. In fact, within the church we don't see anyone with any sort of power over anyone else. In 5:17, Paul is emphasizing the tasks of coming alongside, giving aid, caring for, helping, etc.

3. Elders who rule well should be considered worthy of double honor - especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

This one is loaded. Toward the end of this post I'm going to talk about what I believe "double honor" means. Let me now address "preaching and teaching." The original language says "word and doctrine." We must be careful not to read modern ideas back into the text. We simply see that these elders worked hard in teaching of the scriptures. We do not know the context, although church gatherings do make sense. Beyond this, we must not guess.

4. Two or three witnesses are required to admit a charge against an elder.

5. Elders who persist in sin must be rebuked in front of the church. This occurs as a warning to the others.

Let's return to the term "double honor." This is a significant phrase because it is the primary text used to support the idea that pastoral salaries are biblical. But is that what Paul is talking about? Let's see.

How can we know what "double honor" means? We must look at the specific words used in the immediate context and the broader context.

Paul says that some elders are worthy of "double honor." Interestingly, he then gives two examples of labor that is rewarded with what it deserves. A working ox deserves grain and a laborer deserves wages. Paul is showing that certain actions should lead to certain responses from others. Please notice that Paul does not say that elders are worthy of "double wages." The apostle could have used the specific word for "wages," but he chose not to. Instead, he used "double honor." This suggests that double honor is different from wages.

We can also look to how Paul used the term "honor" in two other places of close proximity within this very book. In I Timothy 5:3, Paul writes, "Honor widows who are truly widows." This is exactly the same Greek word for honor that he uses in 5:17.

What is Paul talking about? He is discussing how the church should care for widows who meet certain standards. It seems clear that Paul is talking about gifts, including financial ones. However, Paul is in no way suggesting that the church should pay regular salaries to widows.

The other occasion of the word "honor" comes in I Timothy 6:1. In this verse, Paul writes, "Let all who are under a yoke as slaves regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled." We clearly see that slaves are supposed to show honor (same word again) to their masters. What does this mean? It means respect. It certainly doesn't imply anything financial. Since when have slaves had to pay salaries to their masters?

We can learn more about the probable meaning of "double honor" by looking at the immediate context of the passage. I Timothy 5:19-22 deals with the issue of respect that should be shown to elders. If "double honor" means respect in 5:17, then the passage flows nicely in context. However, if "double honor" focuses on finances (or especially salaries), then there is a sharp and awkward change of emphasis between verses 18 and 19. Because of this, the context suggests that "double honor" refers to respect.

So what does all this mean? What can we conclude about "double honor"? I believe this phrase in 5:17 is primarily speaking about the church showing respect to the elders who labor in teaching the scriptures. Secondarily, it leaves open the idea of financial gifts from folks within the church. On the other hand, it does not suggest or imply that churches paid regular salaries to elders.

All the evidence points to these conclusions: Paul does not use the term "wages." Instead he uses "double honor." Paul writes the term "honor" two other times in close proximity. Neither of these suggest salaries. The widows passage does leave open the option of giving financial gifts. Finally, the context of the passage itself speaks of respect.

Therefore, let us show respect to elders within the body. Let us especially show respect to those who labor in teaching the scriptures.

Interestingly, the scriptures as a whole indicate that we should show respect to all people, both inside and outside the church. Also, all Christians ought to labor in studying the scriptures. Let us strive to teach the bible to others, both in what we say and in how we live.

Elders in I Timothy 4:14 and James 5:14

Now for the next installment of my protracted look at elders/pastors/overseers in the New Testament. This will be a relatively short post as we examine I Timothy 4:14 and James 5:14. Both of these verses use the term "elders."

To sum up: we don't learn very much about elders in these verses because they are not the primary focus.

In I Timothy 4, Paul is exhorting Timothy to teach sound doctrine and set an example of godliness in the church at Ephesus. Paul writes in I Timothy 4:14, "Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you."

Paul is commanding Timothy to not ignore the gift for ministry that God has given to him. This probably had something to do with teaching. Regardless, for the purposes of this post we see that this gift was given by prophecy and recognized by the church as the elders laid hands on Timothy.

What can we learn about elders from this passage? We see that they were important to the life of the church and that they were actively involved. That's about it.

What about James 5:14? James instructs, "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord."

This is a somewhat difficult passage to interpret. I'm not going to get into all that now.

What can we learn about elders? I think it is again clear that elders have an important role within the church. This role is a spiritual one - they are called to pray over him and anoint him with oil. Again, the information is sparse.

Complicating all this is an issue that is difficult in many of the passages using the word "elders." The author could be referring to men appointed to a certain role (see here) or the author could be writing about older men within the church body. Not surprisingly, there is likely much overlap between these two groups.

Although the above verses are important, we are limited in what we can learn about elders. As we have seen before, elders are important and active in the life of the church. Their ministry is a spiritual one.

As we have seen in other passages, non-elders within the church seem to be free to do all the same tasks as elders. They would certainly pray for healing.

In the end, we don't learn much - mainly because the focus of the writing is other things.

I have one passage to go in this series - one that deals specifically with elders. It is one that tells us much and is hotly debated. I'll throw my voice into the ring soon as I tackle I Timothy 5:17-18. Yikes!

Overseers in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1

I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 are familiar passages. Therefore, I'm not going to spend much time on them. I just want to point out a few things; I'm not being exhaustive:

-Paul is discussing elders and overseers. This seems to be the same role. In I Timothy 3 he uses the word "overseer," while in Titus 1 he uses both "elder" and "overseer."

-Overseeing is a "noble task." Paul sees this as something good for the church.

-Paul discusses character issues much more than skills. Godliness is more important than talent or education.

-Paul speaks in the present tense. In looking at a man's character, therefore, the focus should be on what he is currently as opposed to what he was years ago.

-Overseers must have good reputations both inside and outside the church. What is he thought of in his broader community?

-Overseers must hold firm to the gospel - for the purposes of both instruction and rebuke.

I wonder: as we think of the role of elders/overseers/pastors, do our expectations and assumptions line up with what Paul says here? Let's make it be so.

Pastors in Ephesians 4:11-16

In continuing a discussion of the role of elders/overseers/pastors, we turn to Ephesians chapter 4.

Ephesians 4:11-16 says, "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." (ESV)

As always, the context of this passage is critical. In 4:1, Paul transitions to a discussion that is more application-based than he has addressed so far in this letter. The overall theme of at 4:1-16 is the unity of the body of Christ. Paul calls on all believers to live in such a way that brings about unity. He mentions various aspects of the Christian faith that all display unity ("...one Lord, one faith, one baptism..."). Paul then mentions grace that is given to each if us "according to the measure of Christ's gift."

After mentioning gifts given to the church, Paul writes in 4:11, "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers..." We must keep in mind that these roles fall within the context of gifts that Jesus gives to His church to bring about unity and maturity.

So, what stands about about pastors from this passage?

1. God gives gifts to His church.

God (Father, Son, and Spirit) give specific gifts. We must understand that it is God who does the giving to bring about His purposes. These gifts are mentioned in a few other places such as I Cor. 12-14 and Rom. 12.

2. God gives pastor-teachers to His church.

This passage mentions four roles within the church that are gifts to the church. God gives apostles, prophets, evangelists, ans pastor-teachers. The original language makes it clear that the words "pastor" and "teacher" go together. In fact, the word translated "pastor" is really the word shepherd. We can glean from this that God gives pastors to His church to, at least in part, teach and guide the flock. As we have seen from the role of elders in other places, the guiding seems to primarily take the form of providing godly examples.

It is imperative to see that pastors are given to the church. Thus, this role exists for the benefit of the church and not the other way around.

3. Pastors are to equip the saints for ministry.

This passage tells us one of the primary things pastors are to do. They are to equip the saints. How do they do this? We can surmise that teaching and giving examples are ways this happens.

Let's avoid placing our modern ideas of a pastor in a pulpit into this passage. More likely, we see mature, godly men coming alongside fellow believers and serving the church and community with them.

So we see pastors serve, but we don't see them do the majority of the serving. In fact, we don't see them do anything unique at all. They come alongside and assist - as one of the flock - in ministry.

4. Pastors equip the flock with the goals of maturity in Christ and unity in Christ.

God provides pastors as gifts to edify the church. This is the purpose of all spiritual gifts. Pastors come alongside others and provide guidance so that they will move toward maturity in Christ. This maturity then brings about unity of the body.

Overall, then, Paul tells us in this passage that God gives pastor-teachers to His church just like He gives other spiritual gifts to His church. God provides pastors to give godly examples to the church and come alongside fellow believers. As the pastors equip the saints, the goals are Christian maturity and Christian unity.

Elders in Acts 20:17-38

Acts 20:17-38 is a very important passage in discussing the role of elders/overseers/pastors within the church. I encourage you to read it prior to the rest of this post. Thanks.

The broader context of this passage is Paul's 3rd missionary journey. He is trying to get back to Jerusalem quickly in order to be there for Pentecost. For time's sake Paul decides to bypass Ephesus and stop in Miletus. Paul calls for the elders of the church in Ephesus to come to him. In saying a final farewell to them, the apostle reminds them of his example and instructs them in caring for the church.

What can we learn about elders/overseers/pastors from this passage?

1. The terms "elders," "overseers," and "pastors" refer to the same role in the church.

Acts 20:17-38 is a passage that uses all three of these terms. In 20:17 we read of Paul calling for the "elders." In 20:28, we see that the Holy Spirit has made them "overseers." Later in that same verse, we read that these men are to shepherd (pastor) the church. In the N.T. all three terms seem to be used almost interchangeably.

2. Elders are important to the life of the church.

Paul specifically calls for the elders of the church in Ephesus. This indicates that they play an important role. This is consistent with what we see in other sections of the N.T.

3. Elders should follow Paul's example in attitude and action.

In 20:18, Paul says, "You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia." I may be reading a bit into his statement, but I think Paul is telling them to emulate him. We know that in other places he tells Christians to copy his behavior.

In light of this, elders should serve with humility and long-suffering, declare and teach what is profitable to the church, proclaim the good news of Christ to all peoples, and care little for their own lives.

Of course, we should remember that all Christians are called to all of the above things as well. We should all follow Paul's example.

4. The Holy Spirit makes overseers.

In 20:28 we see that it is God who appoints overseers. It is His decision, not man's.

5. Elders are to be on guard for themselves and the church.

Paul warns in 20:28-31 of the coming of false teachers from both outside and inside the church. A primary duty of elders is to protect the church against false teachings. This obviously implies, then, that elders will be knowledgeable of the scriptures and what constitutes sound teaching.

6. Elders should work hard.

Paul's example to them was that of a tentmaker. He was able to provide for himself and those who were with him. He did not rely on the church in Ephesus to support him with a salary.

7. Elders are to help the weak because it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Paul makes it clear to the elders that they should help the weak, poor, and needy. Paul was able to give to those in need because he made money working with his hands. He reminds the elders of the importance of this because Christ Himself said that giving was better than receiving.

So what are the implications of this passage for us today?

The bible makes it clear to us that elders/overseers/pastors are important to the life of the church. I can't think of a N.T. church that lacked elders; therefore, all churches today should have them.

Elders, like all followers of Christ, should emulate Paul's attitudes and actions as he looked to Jesus. Obviously Christ is our ultimate example, but we can learn from Paul as well. We should be humble people who are willing to suffer for the sake of the proclamation of the gospel.

We must all recognize that it is the Holy Spirit who selects overseers. God makes the choice. In churches, we should look for God's decision about this and simply recognize who He has appointed.

Elders must know sound doctrine and be ready to protect the church from false teaching both outside and inside the body. Ideally we will all do this, but the elders in particular must be alert to this task.

If Paul's example is to be followed, then elders should work hard with their hands (not salaried by the church) in order to give to the poor and needy. The reason for this is based on what Christ has said: it is more blessed to give than receive.

Elders in Acts 15-16

Let's continue looking at elders, this time in Acts chapters 15-16.

In these two chapters, we see the word "elders" used six times (in bold font below), all referring to the same people.

It is difficult to determine the exact meaning of "elders" in these chapters. Is Luke talking about older wise men in the church in Jerusalem, is he referring to people who have been appointed (such as in Acts 14:23), or is he referring to both? I don't think we can determine from this text.

What can we learn about the role of elders from this passage? Let's see.

This is a long passage, but I'm including it here so that we will all read it again before discussing it.

The passage is Acts 15:1 - 16:5:

1 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." 2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.

3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. 5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses."

6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."

12 And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, "Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, 16 "'After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, 17 that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things 18 known from of old.' 19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. 21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues."

22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, 23 with the following letter: "The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. 24 Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, 25 it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell."

30 So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32 And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. 33 And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. 34 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are." 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

16:1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

Before we discuss the above passage, let's remember the context. Acts chapters 10-11 are critical. In those two chapters, we see salvation come to Gentiles. The Holy Spirit falls in a very visible manner, making it clear that following O.T. requirements is not expected for Gentiles to become Christians.

Now we move to Acts 15. We come across what many people refer to as the "Jerusalem Council." What happens during this gathering? What can we learn about elders?

To sum it up - I don't think we learn very much about elders in this passage.

We see a gathering taking place. We see a problem arise that the church has to deal with. That problem (do Gentiles have to follow the O.T. law to be Christians?) is the focus of this chapter. Elders are mentioned but not highlighted.

Much of the chapter is a lengthy discussion. The apostles are there, as are the elders. It seems that the church as a whole was involved. Verse four tells us that they were received by the church. Verses 22 -23 mention the apostles, elders, and "the whole church" and "the brethren." It is difficult to determine what role the elders played that the whole church did not.

After much discussion, there is a resolution. The group comes to the conclusion that Gentiles do not have to follow the O.T. law in order to be Christians. The key is that they did not need to be circumcised in order to be saved.

Did the church come to this conclusion on its own? It appears not. They were simply recognizing a truth we have already seen back in Acts 10-11. The Holy Spirit made it clear to everyone in those chapters that Gentiles are accepted by God through repentance and faith.

Also, who came to this conclusion in Acts 15? We learn a lot from Acts 15:23. In the first line of the letter sent to Antioch, it reads, "The apostles, the elders, and the brethren..." The implication was that the decision from the Jerusalem meeting came from the entire church.

So what about the elders? What did they do? What can we learn?

-The fact that they are mentioned implies that they are important to the life of the church. In the space of a little over one chapter, they are mentioned six times.

-The elders are involved in the decision making. While some verses suggest that the decision was that of the entire church, others focus more on the apostles and elders (see 16:4). My guess is that those in the church in Jerusalem looked to the elders as a model to follow in their decision making. This does not imply, however, any specific authority on the part of the elders.

That's about all I can find. Since this is primarily a narrative passage that focuses on other things, we don't learn much about elders. This does not imply that elders aren't important; rather, they just aren't the focus of this passage.

I wanted to look at this passage for two reasons. First, it contains the word "elders," and I intend in this series to look at all N.T. passages that use that word. Second, and equally important, the "Jerusalem Council" is often used as evidence for the authority of elders in the church. The thinking goes like this: the apostles and elders made the decision; apostles don't exist any longer but elders do; therefore, elders now have authority in the church. The big problem with this reasoning is that elders don't have authority in this passage.

We must be careful not to read into passages what isn't there. This passage is remarkably sparse on what we can learn about elders.

I believe we can safely say that Acts 15:1 - 16:4 teaches us the following about elders:

-Elders were part of the church.

-Elders were important to the life of the church.

-Elders were involved in decision making.

Based on what we see in 16:4, we can guess (not be certain) that others within the church looked to the elders as examples in how to think through this problem.

In the end, we don't learn much from this passage. Let's let the bible speak, not add to it, and not take away from it.

To learn more about the "Jerusalem Council," click here to read several posts that my friend Alan has written about it.

Overseers in Philippians 1:1-2

"Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." (ESV)


Above is the familiar greeting at the beginning of Paul's letter to the Philippians. This is a typical Pauline way of opening his epistles. If you look at other greetings you will see that many are very similar. This one is unique, however, in that Paul mentions the "overseers and deacons." Because Paul uses "overseers," which is used interchangeably with "elders" regarding role in the church, I'd like to mention a few things we can glean from the opening of this letter:

1. Christ is the head. Paul reminds the Philippians of this by referring to himself and Timothy as servants of Christ Jesus. If Christ is the head, by implication no one else is.

2. Paul writes to the church. The contents of the epistle are directed to the church family. Paul even uses the word "all" to emphasize that he desires that everyone in the church hear what he has written. The apostle does not choose any special, select group of people to receive the letter.

3. Paul reminds them at the beginning that they all are saints. Paul is assuming that everyone in the church is, in fact, in Christ. Because they are in Christ, they are all considered to be saints. This is not because of what they have done, but because of what Jesus has accomplished. Notice that Paul does not elevate anyone to special status within the church. All are saints.

4. Paul writes to the entire church in Philippi. He assumes that all the Christians in Philippi compose the church at Philippi. Paul does not see any artificial divisions within the church such as we have today. Another way of putting it is that the whole church in that area was the church in that area; Paul saw no division in Christ.

5. Paul recognizes overseers and deacons. Paul mentions, almost in passing, the reality of both overseers and deacons in the church. In the manner he does this, Paul seems to be telling us at least two things. On the one hand, overseers and deacons are necessary and important for the life of the church (and they should be multiple). Otherwise, he would not have mentioned them. On the other hand, the brief manner in which the apostle mentions them after he addresses the church as a whole tells us that the overseers and deacons are significantly less important than the church body. We can safely infer that Paul sees them as existing to serve the body as opposed to being served by the body.

6. Paul wishes the church body grace and peace. The apostle's desire is only for the best for this church. The remainder of this letter is an exhortation to joy in Christ and unity of the body. Notice that Paul quickly moves away from mentioning the overseers and deacons. If we were not reading carefully, we could miss their being mentioned altogether. Again, this shows us that Paul did not view overseers as holding any sort of special, elevated, separated-out status or position within the church.

This greeting gives support to the idea that overseers and deacons exist within the church to serve the church. Servant-leadership in the name of Christ is the key (Paul uses Jesus' name three times in this short greeting).

Elders in I Corinthians 9:14

In I Corinthians 9:14 Paul writes, "In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel." (ESV)

Many times I have heard this verse used as justification for modern-day pastors earning salaries from their churches. This verse is applied directly to them because, they reason, they "proclaim the gospel."

However, the reality is that this passage does not apply whatsoever to pastors. Nowhere in this verse or the entire passage does Paul even mention elders, overseers, or pastors. Simply put, elders do not appear here (read I Corinthians 9 here).

Paul is discussing those who travel from location to location proclaiming the gospel. He seems to have apostolic workers and evangelists in mind. Since they travel around, they need financial support. Elders, however, since they come from local congregations where they live, do not need this support since they can have regular jobs.

We should also keep the broader context in mind when studying this passage. Paul is discussing the issue of Christian liberty. Paul is not willing to use this liberty, as it relates to receiving financial support from the Corinthians, because he does not want it to in any way hinder his proclamation of the gospel.

We do know that Paul received financial support from the Philippian church, thus showing that it was acceptable for apostolic workers to do so.

Back to the issue of elders. In the end we must come to the conclusion that when Paul wrote this passage, he did not have elders/overseers/pastors in mind. The context excludes them altogether. Therefore, this verse should not be used to justify modern pastors receiving any sort of financial support.

(There is another passage pertaining directly to elders which is used by many to support pastoral salaries. That passage is I Timothy 5:17-18. I'm going to address those verses in a later post.)

Elders in I Peter 5:1-6

This post is part of an ongoing look at the role of elders/overseers/pastors in scripture. The previous posts:

On Elders/Overseers/Pastors in the Bible

Elders in Acts 11:30

Elders in Acts 14:23

In today's post, I want to look at one of the most important passages in the bible relating to this role. I Peter 5:1-6 is critical for at least a couple of reasons. First, Peter uses forms of all three Greek words for elder/overseer/pastor. Second, Peter tells us much about both the actions and motivations of those who would serve as elders/overseers/pastors. As with previous posts, for the sake of brevity I'm going to use the term "elder" unless there is a specific reason not to.

Peter writes:

"So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you..."

We can learn a tremendous amount from this passage. I'm going to point out what I see, but I'd love your feedback as well. Comments please.

We will see a few things that we have already discovered in the Acts passages.

So, what does Peter tell us?

1. Elders are multiple. N.T. churches always had more than one elder.

2. Elders are among the flock. Elders serve amongst people they know. They are not from the outside.

3. Elders are to shepherd the flock. This is a command. This seems to have a fairly wide range of meaning. We can at least say that shepherds care for the flock. This is where we get the word for "pastor." There are other aspects to shepherding such as feeding, guiding, leading, and protecting. We must be careful how far we go with these assumptions. To be safe, I think we must limit ourselves in this passage to the concept of caring for the flock.

4. The flock belongs to God. It is "of God." Jesus Christ is the head of His flock.

5. Elders exercise oversight. This seems to refer to caring for the spiritual well-being of the flock. This is where we get the word for "overseer." Let's be very careful not to allow our modern ideas of overseer (boss, ruler, master) intrude on how we understand this word.

6. Elders are to serve willingly and eagerly, not because of compulsion or for shameful gain. These words speak to the motivation to serve. The motivation must be one of sacrificial service. Our Lord came not to be served, but to serve. Let us follow this example.

7. Elders are not to domineer, but are to be examples to the flock. This is probably one of the most important statements about elders in the entire N.T. Peter expects that elders will not place themselves in positions where they can domineer over others. This is very important. Instead, elders are to be examples to the church. This may be the most important part of being an elder. In fact, elders are probably selected by the Holy Spirit and recognized by the church because they are already being godly examples.

8. Jesus Christ is the Chief Shepherd. The one true senior pastor of the church is Jesus Christ.

9. Christ will give the crown of glory. It is difficult to know who receives this crown and what it is. However, there is no doubt that it will be a good thing. This should motivate us all to serve diligently regardless of whether or not we are recognized as elders.

-Verses 5 and 6 are often left out of this equation. I believe that is a mistake. These two verses show us that the overall context is one of humility and mutual subjection.

10. Those who are younger are to be subject to the elders. We must understand this correctly. This is not the same as being subject to a king or even a boss. The idea is that those who are younger will listen to and follow the godly examples of elders who are caring for the flock. The elders lead by example more than by word. The younger follow this example, not because of the men who do it, but because they are following Christ.

11. All in the church are to show humility toward one another. We are all to think of others before ourselves. This includes elders.

12. All in the church are to humble themselves before God. We have no reason to be prideful since God has given us everything. Part of salvation itself is humility before the God who saves. Elders are to serve with this humility in mind.

We have seen a great deal in these few verses. We learn about what elders are to do and what their motivation should be. Elders should be, first and foremost, godly examples to the church who desire to care for the church. Their main duty is service. They do this together, not alone. They remember that the church belongs to Christ, and that He - the only real senior pastor - is returning one day for His church.