Elders

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Reference 1

https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-elders/

 

The Church is given a lot of latitude, by Christ, to accomplish its mission.  It isn’t burdened down with a lot of rules directly, but indirectly, one can see what the church should and shouldn’t be doing.  Primarily through Paul and also through John in Revelations, we see where the early Church was failing and where it succeeded.  The assumption is that if the early Church was admonished, then our Churches should avoid the same pitfalls and if the early Church praised, then our Churches should strive to perform those same actions.

One of the repeating themes in the early Church was that of leadership.  As most of the New Testament was written by Paul, Considered the Apostle to the Gentiles, the letters were addressed to Churches in Gentile nations.  Though these Churches certainly had Jews in their congregations, Jewish custom and traditions may have been somewhat foreign to them thus they may not have the regard for elders the way that the Jewish nation did.

No matter the reason, there was, and probably always is, a problem with authority within the Church.  Primarily, there are three types of leaders in the Biblical Church.  Elders, Deacons and Teachers; and each recognizes that Christ is the ultimate head of the Church.

A nations rules or laws may require that additional structure and/or persons/positions to function as a church.  Specifically in the US, in order for the church to operate as a 401c tax exempt entity, it has to have a trustee.  These people may serve other functions within the Church, the position is not sufficient to lead the Church.

The first is the Elder.  In the Old Testament days, the older of the populace (and usually men) were give special recognition that assumes because of their age, that they were wiser and more knowledgeable then the rest of the general populace. At least in the early Old Testament, the Elders would also typically act as judges.

Though the New Testament builds a lot on the Old Testament, Christ ushered in a new covenant, and it leveled the religion base so that now the aged were not necessarily the most wisest, Biblically speaking.  Also, there were a lot of cultural changes as now, though Jews and Gentiles may have lived together, they were worshipping together.  So it is very possible that younger persons may actually serve as “Elders” for the aged. And it shouldn’t be looked upon as disrespectful.

The 2 primary passages for Eldership are 1 Timothy 3:2-7 and Titus 1:6-9.

1 Timothy 3:2-7 - ²A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; ³Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; ⁴One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; ⁵(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) ⁶Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. ⁷Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Titus 1:6-9 - ⁶If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. ⁷For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; ⁸But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; ⁹Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

These 2 passages layout out the base for what it takes to be an Elder.

Blameless, Husband of one wife, Vigilant, Sober, of Good Behavior, Quick to Hospitality, Ability to Teach, Not Quick to a Fight, not interested in dishonest money, patient, not greedy or of desire of other people’s property, has his house and children in order, cannot be new to the Christian faith, must have a good report with the unbelievers, a steward, appreciates good men, temperate, holds fast to the Word.

First, Blameless, a steward, not greedy or of desire of other people’s property, not interested in dishonest money.  An Elder has to be trustworthy in every aspect of their life.  Every bit of purposeful wrongdoing needs to be out of their life.  This is both Biblical wrongdoing and Civil, so long as it doesn’t impede on Biblical truths). And as a steward for God, they have to trustworthy that they can manage all facets of the Churches business, without a self-serving interest.

Second, An Elder has to Patient, the Husband of one wife with his house and children in order, appreciates the company of good men, of Good Behavior, Quick to Hospitality.  Since an Elder will leading the Church and helping to settle disagreements and arguments, they absolutely have to be patient.  I doubt that an Elder could be any of the following if they were not patient.  An Elder’s home should be without striff and parental rebellion.  Obviously there are going to be family issues, but an Elder should be able to quell them so that they don’t become spectacles for all.  An Elder keeping the company of good men is just common sense.  1 Corinthians 15:33 says that “Bad company ruins good morals.”  This doesn’t mean that he doesn’t associate with ungodly persons, just that his close company, close friends, should be Christians.  In all aspects of an Edlers life, he should show good behavior.  And an Edler should always be Hospitable.

Third, cannot be new to the Christian faith, Vigilant, Ability to Teach, holds fast to the Word. must have a good report with the unbelievers.  This grouping gives an indication of how much Biblical knowledge and wisdom is needed to be an Elder.  Though everyone that receives God’s grace can be used in the service of the Lord, new converts just don’t have the Christian maturity needed to lead the Church, and thus, shouldn’t be trusted nor burdened with doing so.  Christ left us no formula to follow to know when it’s time, no any test to indicate that one is ready; short of living out the Christian principles).  It is left up to the congregation and other elders, along with prayer, to know when one is ready.  But an Edler is to be vigilant in holding to the word and spreading the word.  Every opportunity is one that he might be able to share the Good News.  Finally, an Elder needs to know his Bible.  It’s one thing to have the knowledge and wisdom, and an entirely different thig to be able to teach, and to teach effectively.

Lastly, temperate, Sober, Not Quick to a Fight.  An Elder needs to be consistent.  No mood swings, no problems with attendance, punctual arrival.  Many, many congregations and religions outright condemn the consumption of alcohol.  Short of an individual giving himself to the Lord as a Nazerite, there is no place in the Bible that condemns the moderate participation in alcohol.  These verses not only support that but also continue the Biblical principle of being against drunkenness, a form of gluttony.  There are very few things that Biblically we are required to stay away from, but we are warned of gluttony in any form.  Drunkenness can ruin many things.  Biblically, it can ruin your ministry, and often has a tendency to loosen your tongue, which can cause it to be very difficult to repair relationships.

One quick note that should be addresses is when it says the husband of one wife.  What exactly was Paul refereeing?  That a man that has been divorced is not a candidate for Eldership?  Or that if he has 2 simultaneous wives that he isn’t a candidate?  Clearly, the later should disqualify anyone.  Christ tells us that, “From the beginning, He made them Male and Female.” (Matthew 19:4), meaning one man plus one woman equals one marriage.

But what if Paul meant the other way?  We’ll briefly look at it but it requires more study than we want here and it is outside of our scope.  What if the person divorced before they met they gave their life to Christ and then remarried.  Christ is forgiving.  Wouldn’t Jesus over look this?  Or what if they were a budding new Christian and divorced or remarried, only later to become strong in the Lord. Wouldn’t God want to use such a person?

Unfortunately, the short answer is, “This is one for the Elders to deal with.”  I would assume that each situation is unique enough that each needs to be looked at individually.  The Christian maturity when the divorce took place.  Their level of Christian maturity now.  The dynamics of the families involved to name but  few.

But if everything is on the up and up, I personally believe that there is no reason that a man that had divorced, assuming their Christian maturity was low when it happened, could not be eligible to serve as an Elder.

Those 2 series of verses is what the Bible outright says is required of an Elder.  Later, we’ll look at Bible passages that constructively criticize or praise the work of the Elders in the Early Churches.

Christ states how important the Eldership is.  In 1 Timothy 5:17 Paul states, "The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching."  And he reminds the Elders how important the congregation is to Christ by saying in Acts 20:28, "Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood."

Paul also gives a warning to the congregation.  In Hebrews 13:17 he says, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you."

The Old Testament doesn’t name any preachers but instead states that some Prophets preached.  The New Testament names some Old Testament people that were preachers.  Though the Bible doesn’t say so in exact words, clear reading of the Word indicates that most of the Old Testament preachers failed.

This isn’t necessarily because they were incapable or uncommitted; most likely quite the opposite as surely the Lord wouldn’t have called on them to preach if they were given the ability.  Most of the problem stemmed from the people not wanting to hear or heed the Word of the Lord; the people simply didn’t want to submit.

The Apostles bridged the gap between Old and New Testament preachers.  Old Testament preachers and the Apostles received direct revelation from God while the Apostles and the New Testament preachers followed the Holy Spirit and t eh scriptures to discern the direction of Christ.

There are no scriptures that define the specific role of the preacher.  Reading of the scriptures seems to indicate that the preacher should have the same qualifications as an elder.

There also appears to be 2 types of preacher in the New Testament, one that travels and straightens out the Church and another that stays permanently within a church.  The Apostle Paul worked outside the Church to raise his own living funds and did not accept money from the Church.  The scriptures don’t say whether the other Apostles did the same.  However, the scriptures do say that those serving as overseers are entitled to be paid for their service.

In today’s churches, preachers are typically schooled at some seminary an often more knowledgeable of the scriptures though not necessarily wiser than elders (generally, wisdom is accompanied by age).   As the Bible gives a lot of leeway on how the structure of the church goes, some churches opt to have the preacher by the sole elder of the church.  Others recognize the preachers as an elder but with more authority than an elder.  Others practice that the preacher is an extension of the eldership.

As the Bible doesn’t specifically how exact authority goes in relation to the preacher, I’ll keep my personal preference to myself within this article (it may be open for discussion in the forums though).

In the modern church, the preacher is typically a full time staff member, while elders are generally lay people that serve on more of a temporarily basis.  Most preachers, because of their training, also perform counseling.

In the New Testament, several people are identified as preachers or preaching.  Though the Bible doesn’t talk a lot about a preachers duties, it does give the Church several warnings about false preachers.  Generally, when God repeats something several times, it is something to do or to heed.

Often, the preacher is the face of the church.  As such, when someone wants something, it’s the preacher they want help and guidance from.  When they are sick, it’s the preacher they want to come visit them.  When someone from the church goes to visit the home, it’s the preacher they want.  Certainly, the preacher should perform his share of these duties, but the congregation is missing many blessings by not receiving others in the same manner as they do the preacher (btw, this is not in the Bible but is an observation).

Deacons

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Reference 1

https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-deacons/

 

Now, let’s look at the qualifications of a Deacon.

The need for a Deacon is first presented in Acts 6:1–6.  The original 11 Apostles (plus 1) were being overwhelmed with their spiritual duties that they were overlooking their material ones.  So they determined that they should continue with their spiritual responsibilities and entrust the work of the material needs to others.  The Term deacon wasn’t used the book of Acts, it made its appearance in the Bible Phil. 1:1.

The only clear directive we have comes from 1 Timothy 3:8-12.

⁸In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. ⁹They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. ¹⁰They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. ¹¹In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. ¹²A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well.

Let’s break this down similarly to the way I did for Elders.

First, a Deacon should not pursuing dishonest gain.  This could be stealing as well as unethical or questionable business practices.

Secondly, a Deacon should have high degree of integrity and not use their position (Deacon or not) for personal gain.  Be trustworthy, steadfast and not two-faced.  Be able to keep personal information entrusted to you by others to yourself, though use discernment as to whether or not that information should be passed along. For a Deaconess it also adds that they should not rumor mongers and have a temperate personality.

**Maybe this wasn’t a problem in the early Church, but this “bullet point” is just as applicable to among the male deacons as it is the women.**

Thirdly, a deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well.  Nothing is said about the husband of one wife (or the wife of one husband) but even though it isn’t said, the husband of 2 wives should no be allowed.

Though the position of deacon is a necessity in the Church, it generally is filled with people that are not as spiritually and Biblically mature as Elder positions require.  So typically, Deacons tend to be younger or less mature Christians.  Here, to be tested, simply means one that isn’t a brand new Christian.  No formula for Christian time or Christian maturity is given.

And finally, another warning of over indulging in alcohol.  The same notes I have above for a Deacon would apply here.

Paul then states, if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.  Another words, if the criteria above is meet, then they should make good Deacons.

Besides the distinctions made to the Elders and Deacons, note that the Elders do not really specify any actual functions.  The reason is, as was the reason for the creation of the Deacon role to begin with.  The Deacon role is to assist the Elders.  So there is no actual job description.  A Deacon assists the Elders with the material and logistical portions of running the Church.

It is certainly not a demeaning role or duty.  It is very vital to the completion of Christs mandate here on earth.

My Elders and Deacons look as the eldership as a training course for Eldership.  While there is never a guarantee that a Deacon will ascertain the Eldership qualifications, I feel that good Elders mentor the Deacons for future leadership of the Church.  A Deacon should never feel dejected that they never attain the position of Eldership; it may be that perhaps God didn’t call you to be an Elder or perhaps, you’re a much better Deacon than you would be an Elder.

Apparently, the Deacons must have done a better job of performing their duties in the early church as I can’t recall off the top of my head any they having been reprimanded by Christ or the Apostles.  I may be wrong on that however.  More than likely the case, the Elders, as the leaders of the early Church, bore the discipline and tongue lashings.  The Elders are responsible for the well-being of the church.

Last updated on July 31, 2020

 

I could not find any Biblical qualifications for Bible teachers.  Besides some praises, there are warnings for teachers and warnings about them. 2 Timothy 2:2 says that those that understand the Word can be entrusted to teach.

Though no specific qualification denotes teachers, 1 Timothy 5:7 says that Elders should be able to teach.  It also talks about preachers teaching HHHHHHH – Need to look up scriptures on this HHHHHHHHHHH.

In a sense, we are all teachers.  Deuteronomy 11:18-20 says we are to continually talk about the Lord and teach His ways.

What parts of the Bible should be taught?  Paul says 2 Timothy 3:16, says that the whole Bible has importance and relevance.  And he goes on to say in 2 Timothy 3:17 that the full Biblical knowledge makes the Christian thoroughly ready to participate in the Churches mandate.

Paul tells us that no one should teach anything other than what the Apostles have taught.  Another words, only teach what is in the Bible.  Deuteronomy 4:2 specifically says not to add or subtract any commands He gave.  Likewise, Revelation 22:18-19 states that anyone that does will have the plagues described in the book upon them.

Obviously, a teacher needs to know his stuff.  And his goal shouldn’t be just to teach, but to train so that everyone can be as knowledgeable as them, as stated in Luke 6:40.

But a great warning is given in Luke 17:1-2.  This verse says that it would be better to kill oneself than cause another harm or to cause them go wayward.  James 3:1-2, warns of the penalty of improper teaching at the judgement.

Hopefully, through mature Christians and Elders, a church will never have to endure a false teacher.  But it has happened and it will happen.  Peter 2:1-2 warns the Church to be on its guard.

Teaching is one of the Gifts that God promises to some Christians (Romans 12:6-8).    As with any the gifts, 1 Peter 4:10-11 informs the Christian that they are expected to use those gifts (1 Timothy 4:14).

Teaching is a very noble and valuable ministry of the Church. It should be given just as much attention as anything else a Christian does (Colossians 3:23-24).