There is the very real danger that the elders will relinquish their God-given responsibilities for the spiritual care of the church to one or two exceptionally gifted men. This danger will always exist because people are selfish and lazy by nature, particularly when it comes to spiritual matters, and are more than eager to pay others to do their work. But once that happens, the elders are reduced to adviser status and the “first among equals” concept becomes “first without equals.” Biblical eldership then vanishes.
