Sermon Tone Analysis

Where Shall We Find Elders?

Acts 14.23

 

Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

Elder is a loaded word.

Through casual familiarity with the Word of God most people recognise that the term refers to a position of authority.

However, far too many are ignorant of the purpose for elders and of the criteria for appointment of elders.

Churches routinely elect men and women as elders, choosing whomever they please on the basis of popularity, position in society, or possessions held.

Can we justify such actions by the Word of God?  Can such actions please Him?

Nowhere in the Word of God are elders elected to pastoral office, however!

Throughout the Word of God elders are appointed by God and accepted by the believers.

Something strange and startling has transpired in these last days—the sheep have assumed to themselves the right to overrule God in His appointment of shepherds.

Few conditions guarantee an anaemic church as does the competition between pulpit and pew for oversight of the Body such as witnessed within the contemporary church.

Just as the Jewish high priest was appointed by God in the days before the First Advent of our Lord, so the shepherds of the flock are appointed by God in this day prior to His Second Advent.

/No one takes this honour upon himself; he must be called by God/ [*Hebrews 5:4*].

The message today is a study of the appointment process.

The purpose is to instruct us so that we will be whole as a church, pleasing to God and effective in our labours offered up to Him.

We will consider the consequence of ignoring God’s teaching and seek how we may correct our attitudes so that we may insure His glory among us.

The Role of Elders — The term *elders* sounds archaic or perhaps even stilted to our ears.

If we are remotely familiar with the term we likely associate it with a hierarchical system of church government.

We think of presbyteries and sessions as forms of church polity with complex divisions between teaching elders and ruling elders.

However, the concept of *elders* is biblical.

Furthermore, throughout the most of the history of Baptists their pastors were referred to as elders.

It is only within the past century that *elder* ceased to be a common title for the minister of a Baptist congregation.

I fear that many Christians are unaware that in the New Testament literature at least three terms are used interchangeably in referring to the settled minister of a church.

Of course we are all familiar with the term *pastor*.

The Greek word behind this title [poimhvn] points to the shepherding work of the New Testament minister.

The term *pastor* reminds us that the leader of the flock is responsible to provide spiritual nourishment and refreshment for the flock of God.

In the New Testament pastors were sometimes referred to as a *bishops* or *overseers*.

The term which was translated *overseer* [ejpiskophv] refers neither to a *pastor to pastors* or to a denominational official, but it is rather the common term which recognises the authority resident within the office of the pastor.

Pastors are to protect the flock and to oversee the work of God.

Paul’s instructions in *1 Timothy 3:1-7* addressed the qualification of *overseers*.

In *Titus 1:5-9* Paul used *overseer* and *elder* interchangeably, which introduces the term *elder* for our study this morning.

*Elder* [presbuvtero"] is used synonymously with *overseer* and *pastor*.

*Elder* focuses attention on the dignity of the office and the honour which should be accorded those occupying the office of a pastor.

As evidence of this, consider that the verbal form of the word is translated *ambassador* in the New Testament.

The Apostle Paul declares that /We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors/ ( JUpe;r Cristou` ou

presbeuvomen) in *2 Corinthians 5:20*.

Literally the Apostle claimed to be *an elder on behalf of Christ*.

Similarly, when Paul wrote the Ephesian encyclical he would declare of himself: /I am an ambassador in chains/ (presbeuvw ejn aJluvsei) [*Ephesians 6:20*].

Literally, he said *I am an elder in a chain*.

In a sense an elder is to be an ambassador of Christ, representing Christ to the people and representing the people to Christ.

There is to be sufficient maturity that the elder presents the ministry of Jesus in a compassionate and even-handed manner to all the flock of God.

Though the terms may seem strange to our ears, it is not wrong to address the pastor of the church as elder or as bishop, provided we know what we are saying and are not attempting to create a hierarchy within the Body of Christ.

The titles are ancient and honourable.

However it is true that commonly we simply refer to the pastor as Pastor.

These three terms are used interchangeably in speaking of the one office as Peter writes in *1 Peter 5:1-4* and by Paul when he spoke in *Acts 20:17, 28-31*.

Elders are, strictly speaking, the shepherds of the congregation or the pastors of the church.

What seems apparent from even casual study of New Testament Scripture is that the churches usually enjoyed a plurality of elders.

The text before us states that Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in each church.

The language makes it clear that multiple elders were appointed in each church.

A large number of verses throughout the Word make reference to the elders [see *Acts 11:30*; *15:2*; *16:4*; *21:18*; *1 Timothy 5:17*; *James 5:14*].

The Divine Model for Appointment to Oversight of the Church — The churches of the New Testament were presided over by elders.

In our text we see the missionaries giving organisational structure to the nascent churches through the appointment of elders in each congregation.

This leadership structure seems to have been normative for the churches of the New Testament era.

The church at Ephesus evidently had elders appointed to provide oversight and guidance [see *Acts 20:17-35*].

Titus is commanded to appoint elders in each congregation established on the island of Crete [see *Titus 1:5*].

In his instruction to Timothy, Paul provides direction for how to treat the elders of the congregation [*1 Timothy 5:17-19*].

Indeed, Timothy himself was set apart for service by the imposition of hands by the body of elders [presbutevrion *1 Timothy 4:14*].

Early in the history of the Jerusalem church we discover elders directing the affairs of the church [*Acts 11:30*;* 15:2, 4, 6, 22, 23*;* 16:4*; *21:18*].

What is apparent from even a casual reading of the Word of God is that the earliest model of the church included elders to provide oversight of the churches.

The New Testament model is that which encourages pastoral oversight.

In the New Testament there is provided no model of a church which is run by a board or ruled by deacons.

Tragically, though virtually all Christians will concede that churches may be led by the elders, many still attempt to impose a form of leadership which denies this biblical polity.

Some may argue that the church may choose whom it will to serve as an elder.

Such arguments are based more upon contemporary politics than upon the Word of God, however.

I would simply challenge any who feel they are correct in choosing whom they will to demonstrate the validity of their position through appeal to the Word of God.

The first church chose seven men to serve as the first deacons [cf.

*Acts 6:5*].

However, after choosing these men the disciples presented them to the Apostles for their approval.

The Apostles authenticated the decision of the church when together they /prayed and laid their hands on /those chosen by the church [*Acts 6:6*].

The Apostles were responsible to approve what the church did, and they demonstrated their approval by praying for those chosen and by laying their hands on them.

In effect, the Apostles set the deacons apart to the ministry to which the church had appointed them.

When the Jerusalem church wished to communicate to the Antioch church the conclusions drawn as result of the Jerusalem conference, the Apostles and elders acted in a similar manner.

The church selected two men who were among the leaders to accompany Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch [*Acts 15:22*].

The Word makes it clear that those chosen were themselves from among the eldership.

Paul is very clear in stating that he was appointed to the position he occupied [*Acts 26:16*].

Repeatedly the Apostle makes it clear that his appointment was from God and not from man [cf.

*1 Corinthians 1:1*; *2 Corinthians 1:1*; *Galatians 1:1*; *Titus 1:1-3*].

Paul claimed that he was appointed /a herald and an apostle … and a teacher/ [*2** **Timothy 1:11*].

All the Apostles, in fact, were chosen by Christ Himself [*Acts 1:2*] and consequently, at the first elders were chosen by the Apostles.

There is continuity here which is foundational for New Testament faith and practise.

I do not claim apostolic succession, but I do note that God appoints leaders and usually that divine appointment is either through or under the oversight of those gifted men whom He has placed in leadership.

Focus on the passage under scrutiny in this message.

The missionaries had just concluded the first missionary journey.

They had preached the Good News in several towns with the result that souls were saved in each town.

Now, as they return, retracing their steps through each of the cities where they have previously won converts to the Faith, they encourage the disciples.

Those converts, united in their common faith and covenanted together, are designated as churches.

Here is a vital definition which you should grasp well.

A church is an autonomous congregation of baptised believers covenanted together to fulfil the Great Commission through evangelism and discipleship, administration of the ordinances of the church, and worship of the Risen Son of God.

Multiple truths leap out at us from the text.

First, every church had its elders.

The office of these elders was to pray with the members of the church, to preach to them in their solemn assemblies, to administer all gospel ordinances to them, and to take the oversight of them.

Elders, according to various passages of the Word of God, must* instruct the foolish, warn the idle, encourage the timid, and refute those who oppose sound doctrine*/./

It is requisite that every particular church should have one or more such God-approved individuals to preside in it as elders.

Those who are elders are expected to exercise oversight over the churches.

They are leaders appointed to direct the work of the church.

Elders are to be men of God who labour for the welfare of the Body of Christ.

Elders are to be seen as those who build up the congregation and strengthen the people of God through correctly handling the Word of God and through serving the needs of the flock.

The elders are to be men of prayer and men thoroughly familiar with the Word.

There should be no surprise that the people of God are called to respect those who occupy the office of elder.