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February 13, 2019 - May 25, 2020
The secret to caring for sheep is love. A good shepherd loves sheep and loves to be with them (2 Sam. 12:3). The best elders, likewise, are those who love people, love to be with them, and are fervently involved with them.
Phillip Keller, in his delightful book on Psalm 23 (which should be required reading for every elder), also takes note of the shepherd’s love: “All the care, all the work, all the alert watchfulness, all the skill, all the concern, all the self-sacrifice are born of His Love—the love of One who loves His sheep, loves His work, loves His role as a Shepherd.”14
If you were to ask the average Christian what he or she most wants from spiritual leaders, the answer in most cases would be, “To be loved and cared for!”
“Man before business, because man is your business.”
Check out this quote.
People today think of church elders as lay, church-board members who are separate and distinct from the professional, ordained pastor (or clergyman). I refer to these elders as “board elders;” they are not true New Testament, Christian elders. They are advisers, committee men, executives, and directors.
A true biblical eldership is not a businesslike committee. It’s a biblically qualified council of men that jointly pastors the local church.
The New Testament uses a term other than elder to describe local church leaders. That term is overseer, and it comes from the Greek word episkopos.
It is critically important for Christians today to understand that the language we use to describe our church leaders has the power to accurately reflect biblical thinking and practice or, conversely, to lead us far away from the true Church of Jesus Christ and into the false church.
If we choose to use the term elder, which many Protestant churches do because it is a key biblical term for church leaders, it is necessary to explain that the term elder means “pastor elders,” “shepherd elders,” or “pastors.”
In the end, every local church is responsible to teach its people the meaning of the terms it uses to describe its spiritual leaders, whether it be elders, overseers, ministers, preachers, or pastors.
False teachers have had their greatest triumphs when they redefine biblical words in a way that is contrary to the original meaning.
I do not hesitate to say that the relationship with my fellow elders has been the most important tool God has used, outside of my marriage relationship, for the spiritual development of my Christian character, leadership abilities, and teaching ministry. As a result, I believe, we have been able to provide stable, long-term, pastoral care for the people of God.
Jesus Christ gave the Church plurality of leadership.
The Twelve provide a marvelous example of unity, humble brotherly love, and shared leadership structure.
New Testament eldership is not, as many think, a high-status, board position that is open to any and all who desire membership.
an eldership patterned on the New Testament model requires qualified elders who must meet specific moral and spiritual qualifications before they serve (1 Tim. 3:1-7). Such elders must be publicly examined by the church as to their qualifications (1 Tim. 3:10). They must be publicly installed into office (1 Tim. 5:22; Acts 14:23). They must be motivated and empowered by the Holy Spirit to do their work (Acts 20:28). Finally, they must be acknowledged, loved, and honored by the whole congregation.
By definition, the elder structure of government is a collective form of leadership in which each elder shares equally the position, authority, and responsibility of the office.
contemporary terms it is referred to as multiple church leadership, plurality, shared leadership, or team leadership.
This is the next great step in wisdom—to realize that you also are just that sort of person. You also have a fatal flaw in your character.
To be a lone chief atop a pyramid is abnormal and corrupting.
When someone is moved atop a pyramid, that person no longer has colleagues, only subordinates.
Most pastors are not multitalented leaders, nor are they well suited to singularly lead a congregation effectively.
When placed in a council of qualified pastors, however, a pastor’s strengths make important contributions to the church and his weaknesses are covered by the strengths of others.
Shared pastoral leadership also helps to lighten a very heavy work load. If the long hours, weighty responsibilities, and problems of shepherding a congregation of people are not enough to overwhelm a person, then dealing with people’s sins and listening to seemingly endless complaints and bitter conflicts can crush a person.
Finally, plurality of leadership allows each shepherd elder to function primarily according to personal giftedness rather than being forced to do everything and then being criticized for not being multigifted.
.shepherd the flock of God among you, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2,3).8 Shared leadership provides close accountability, genuine partnership, and peer relationships—the very things imperial pastors shrink from at all costs.
The orientation of shared leadership requires a great deal of patience, persevering prayer, wisdom, self-control, humility, trust, love, and genuine respect for the gifts and perspectives of others in the body of Christ.
Since the eldership itself is a group, just as the congregation is, it requires organization or it will flounder in disorganization, undiscipline, and aimlessness.
those among the elders who are particularly gifted leaders and/or teachers will naturally stand out among the other elders as leaders and teachers within the leadership body.
The principle of “first among equals” is observed first in our Lord’s dealings with the twelve apostles. Jesus chose twelve apostles, all of whom He empowered to preach and heal, but He singled out three for special attention—Peter, James, and John (“first ones among equals”). Among the three, as well as among the Twelve, Peter stood out as the most prominent (“first among equals”). Consider the following facts:
Outside of Jesus, Peter is mentioned most often as speaking and acting.
The book of Acts richly demonstrates Peter’s leadership.
“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing,’ and ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages’” (1 Tim. 5:17,18).
To call one elder “pastor” and the rest “elders” or one elder “the clergyman” and the rest “lay elders” is to act without biblical precedence. To do so will not result in a biblical eldership. It will, at least in practice, create a separate, superior office over the eldership, just as was done in the early second century when the division between "the overseer” and “elders” occurred.
“first among equals” provides desperately needed protection from the all-too-common pitfalls of egoism, greed, personality imbalance, and unholy ambition to which highly gifted leaders and teachers may succumb.
The Christian leader or teacher who refuses brotherly accountability is self-deceived and is headed for self-destruction.
Only dictators fear accountability from godly colleagues.
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.
Another danger is that the principle of “first among equals” will be abused by a dominating, controlling leader.
Controlling leaders don’t want colleagues; they want “yes men,” “rubber stamps,” and loyal subjects.
The local church and its leaders must be serious about the biblical requirements for elders.
If the local church is not solidly committed to having biblically qualified elders, it will find itself powerless to act against tyrants or idle shepherds.
One of the secrets to a successful eldership is regular, effective meetings that include a major portion of time devoted to laboring together in prayer (Acts 6:4).
Elders need to be in the business of building up one another’s lives.
A biblical eldership, however, must be an all-male eldership.
Discrimination against women is a grievous sin and a dishonor to God in whose image women are created.
We need to be perfectly clear about the biblical teaching regarding women and men as fully equal in personhood, dignity, and value, but distinct in gender roles.
Even His fiercest enemies had to admit that Jesus spoke the truth of God, fearing and showing partiality to no one (Matt. 22:16).
Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism, edited by John Piper and Wayne Grudem.
Paul teaches that the marriage relationship is a living picture of the relationship between Christ and the Church:
