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40 Questions
40 Questions About Elders and Deacons
Organized around common FAQs, 40 Questions About Elders and Deacons tackles the major questions that pastors, church leaders, and students ask about congregational church government, a topic of significant interest in the church today. It provides readers with a clear analysis of key biblical passages and succinct answers (4-8 pages each). The unique format of the book allows readers to pick and choose what issues are most pertinent to their interests and needs. Thought-provoking discussion questions for each topic make it ideal for either personal or church-wide study.
272 pages, Paperback
First published November 29, 2007
71 people are currently reading
146 people want to read
About the author
Benjamin L. Merkle
44 books20 followersBenjamin L. Merkle (PhD, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
October 14, 2025
Great resource.
April 29, 2018
VERY helpful overview of common questions about church polity. The book is brief and does not go extremely deep into technical arguments. It is a great place to start to gain an understanding of the topic. It is simple to read and understand. Highly recommend to anyone who has questions about what the Bible says about church government.
January 10, 2022
Benjamin Merkle has done the church a great service. He has provided a very thorough treatment of answering some common questions that arise when thinking about Elders and Deacons. This book is the outworking of Merkle's doctoral dissertation and also his personal experience in serving in churches where Elders and Deacons function in their biblical roles. The book is broken down into 4 parts: Part one deals with church governance in general (Q's 1-6). Part two deals with the office of the elder (Q's 7-13). Merkle takes time to break down the background and origins of the office, the roles and qualifications (Q's 14-20) of the elders. He deals with the concept of plurality (having man elders) and parity (that each elder has the same level of authority) (Q's 21-28). In part three Merkle deals with selecting, installing, paying, and the possible removal of the elder (Q's 29-33). The final part is dedicated to the role of the deacons. Here Merkle lays out the background, role, and functions of the diaconate, and even deals with the thorny subject of whether women should or shouldn't be deacons (Q's 34-40). At times it can become a little tedious when reading, this book is highly footnoted, and well researched. But if you are looking for a more practical and shorter version of this book, then look no further than "Why Elders?" by Benjamin Merkle. I would recommend this to any pastor, seminarian, or educated layperson who is looking for a thorough treatment of Elders and Deacons.
January 25, 2021
Super informative view on elders and their functions, qualifications, and selection process. I would say the information is shared very matter of fact like rather than opinion. The author concludes that the office of apostleship is no longer active and gives scriptural evidence to support this view however this is a highly debated topic and there are scriptures that point to the opposite of the authors viewpoint. I do wish the author would explain away the counter arguments that could be made against his stance like Grudem does in Bible Doctrine.
July 24, 2024
Really, I'd give it a 4.5. This is a good book to get you started on the subject of Elders. The section on Deacons could give some more practical insight into how churches could utilize this role better. Perhaps some contemporary examples.
Who's looking after the spiritual welfare of the congregation? One lone pastor simply cannot do this. And without accountability the church suffers.
40 years ago I first saw that plural elders were the Biblical standard. But so few churches utilize the Biblical model instead opting for a contemporary business model.
Who's looking after the spiritual welfare of the congregation? One lone pastor simply cannot do this. And without accountability the church suffers.
40 years ago I first saw that plural elders were the Biblical standard. But so few churches utilize the Biblical model instead opting for a contemporary business model.
February 22, 2024
Easy and good read for anyone who wants to better understand the offices of elder and deacon. As a Baptist, I agree with his statements and conclusions regarding the two offices and his understanding of Congregationalism. Even if you're not a Baptist, the principles and teachings of the two offices will benefit you, and your biblical understanding of what holding the office means (and their qualifications).
November 22, 2025
This is a great resource, and will definitely find a permanent home on my bookshelf. The format is so nice, and the author articulates quite well many thoughts I hadn't yet put into words. A few conclusions may be headscratchers for me, but mostly loved this book. He challenged my thinking in a couple areas that were a bit muddy or even erroneous, and I am the better off for it.
April 12, 2023
A fantastic overview of biblical elders and deacons. Merkle does a great job providing breadth without sacrificing depth.
August 2, 2023
Detailed, comprehensive, accessible. I don’t agree with every conclusion, but I appreciate the interaction between opposing views. Very helpful resource.
March 8, 2017
A great book that thoroughly covers the topic at hand. If you're looking for a great overview on Elders and Deacons that covers the relevant passages from Scripture and includes looking at the original languages and history this book will be of great benefit for you. It isn't too difficult either so a church member could read it if they were curious about the topic. It is an entire book about the subject so understand that going in. I HIGHLY recommend it if you need a book on the subject.
December 19, 2013
The topic of church structure seems to be gaining in popularity as more and more pastors and seminary students ask important questions about polity. Ben Merkle has contributed well to this discussion with this entry to the 40 Questions series. Merkle combines scholarly insight with brevity and readability to help Christians to see the value of a plurality of elders leading a church without losing all the benefits of congregationalism.
Positives
In general, I find myself agreeing with Merkle’s answers to the important questions about deacons and elders. I agree that the biblical model is that there are 2 offices in the church—elder (also called overseer or pastor) and deacon—and that a church should have a plurality of elders. I also agree that the office of elder is rightly biblically restricted to men, though such a restriction is in no way a claim of male superiority.
I appreciate very much Merkle’s handling of the qualifications of elders and deacons. In those chapters, as in much of the rest of the book, the author has thoughtfully organized his material in a way that would greatly benefit a church looking into these issues. I found his discussion of the phrase “husband of one wife” to be solid and helpful. Personally (and perhaps a bit on the self-congratulatory side), I was excited to see Merkle make an argument against polygamy as the only meaning behind “husband of one wife” that I had often thought but had never seen in print (see chapter 16).
Negatives
The 40 questions format, while great for reference and readability, necessarily limits the author’s ability to discuss certain issues in depth. For example, in a discussion of women in ministry, Merkle makes a sweeping statement about the gift of prophecy, “Wayne Grudem has convincingly demonstrated that prophecy was a spontaneous utterance and thus distinct from teaching or preaching” (143). Full volumes are written in an attempt to convincingly argue the meaning of New Testament prophecy. Thus, to put in the word “convincingly” in a single sentence on the topic is not sufficient. Of course I recognize that Merkle was not intending to write on the issue of prophecy, and he was limited by the brevity of his chapters, but these explanations for the weakness do not make the weakness not present.
I also know that not all readers will find Merkle convincing on the more controversial issues regarding elders and deacons. Such issues may include discussions of women as deacons or of parity of elders. I think that I would enjoy reading Merkle on these topics in a larger format so that he could make a more convincing argument for his position.
Conclusion and Recommendation
Though the book has strengths and weaknesses, I would highly recommend 40 Questions about Elders and Deacons as a solid resource for churches that are looking into biblical church structure. If your church is considering a move to elders, or if you are curious about the issue in more than a cursory way, you will benefit strongly from reading through Merkle’s introduction of the important issues.
Positives
In general, I find myself agreeing with Merkle’s answers to the important questions about deacons and elders. I agree that the biblical model is that there are 2 offices in the church—elder (also called overseer or pastor) and deacon—and that a church should have a plurality of elders. I also agree that the office of elder is rightly biblically restricted to men, though such a restriction is in no way a claim of male superiority.
I appreciate very much Merkle’s handling of the qualifications of elders and deacons. In those chapters, as in much of the rest of the book, the author has thoughtfully organized his material in a way that would greatly benefit a church looking into these issues. I found his discussion of the phrase “husband of one wife” to be solid and helpful. Personally (and perhaps a bit on the self-congratulatory side), I was excited to see Merkle make an argument against polygamy as the only meaning behind “husband of one wife” that I had often thought but had never seen in print (see chapter 16).
Negatives
The 40 questions format, while great for reference and readability, necessarily limits the author’s ability to discuss certain issues in depth. For example, in a discussion of women in ministry, Merkle makes a sweeping statement about the gift of prophecy, “Wayne Grudem has convincingly demonstrated that prophecy was a spontaneous utterance and thus distinct from teaching or preaching” (143). Full volumes are written in an attempt to convincingly argue the meaning of New Testament prophecy. Thus, to put in the word “convincingly” in a single sentence on the topic is not sufficient. Of course I recognize that Merkle was not intending to write on the issue of prophecy, and he was limited by the brevity of his chapters, but these explanations for the weakness do not make the weakness not present.
I also know that not all readers will find Merkle convincing on the more controversial issues regarding elders and deacons. Such issues may include discussions of women as deacons or of parity of elders. I think that I would enjoy reading Merkle on these topics in a larger format so that he could make a more convincing argument for his position.
Conclusion and Recommendation
Though the book has strengths and weaknesses, I would highly recommend 40 Questions about Elders and Deacons as a solid resource for churches that are looking into biblical church structure. If your church is considering a move to elders, or if you are curious about the issue in more than a cursory way, you will benefit strongly from reading through Merkle’s introduction of the important issues.
May 16, 2012
Pretty good read. I wavered back and forth between 3 or 4 stars. I guess I was feeling generous today. :) Merkle's work is very helpful for anyone thinking through the issue of Eldership, what the Bible has to say about Elders, the historical understanding of these issues in context going all the way back to tribal Israel, and how modern-day Elders should function and shepherd in conjunction with the Deacons serving in their distinct role. I think it's comprehensive and should be read together with Strauch's "Eldership" and the corresponding chapter from Hammett's "Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches."
March 24, 2015
I thought this book was very helpful. Merkle appeals strongly to the NT teaching, and also adds practical wisdom from experience and church history. Most of the 265 pages deal with elders, and only 30 pages deal with deacons. There were several questions that were answered that leave the reader wishing more insight had been said, but that would have produced a much longer book. Certainly an insightful yet simple book.
April 17, 2012
Just about any questions one may have concerning the issue of elders is dealt with in this book. It is dealt with biblically, thoroughly and carefully. Whether you want to better understand what qualifies someone to be an elder or you want to know how a church can transition to elders this book has it all. It is very sound and also makes a great resource.
July 5, 2013
Quite good. Very clear, concise, and carefully argued. I'm not entirely with him on every detail, as I lean to the Presbyterian end of governance models. However, he makes a great case for biblical church structure.
January 12, 2014
Dr. Merkle did a fairly good job being clear and covering just about every question relating to Elders and Deacons, though I do think the 9Marks books are better and more helpful. I also did not agree with his answer to question 39 but all his other answers were well defended and clear.
March 10, 2010
A seminary look at the topic of elders and deacons. May be too deep for some uses.
July 28, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. Simple and fun to read.
January 2, 2015
Excellent, concise book on church polity. It's written from a congregationalist point-of-view.
January 10, 2013
A good place to go get a quick yet not superficial analysis of many issues surrounding church government
August 27, 2016
I agree with most everything in this book but the argumentation is weak throughout. Also it is bland reading.
August 14, 2015
Through work; it covers everything a layperson would need to know on this important topic.
April 17, 2016
Neat and concise, very informative
July 28, 2014
Very balanced approach to a touchy subject, but firm on Scripture where Scripture is firm.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews