Page 30 - July 2015 Catalyst

WHat aBout tHose eLders?
In ministries across the land, a variety of terms are used to describe the spiritual leaders of congregations. In my journey, I have always served with “elders” who were the primary spiritual overseers of the church. Most of us see the names of our congregational leaders in the Sunday bulletin or on the church website but we seldom think of the profound effect they have on the life of the church (and our own spiritual journey) through their func- tion and focus.
screaming for definition
In my travels, I have found that local church “elders” serve in a variety of roles. In some places they do all the preaching on a volunteer basis. In other churches, they are business advisors for the staff, selected for their financial acumen or corporate success, functioning more like trustees than spiritual leaders. Sometimes they are just a group of supporters for the pastor and his plans, with no real spiritual authority. It seems the term cries out for definition in many churches.
WHo and WHat are “eLders”?
The title of “elder” comes from the New Testament Greek word presbuterous, which refers to the spiritual maturity re- quired of those who lead the church. The New Testament always refers to elders in the plural, indicating a team of godly lead- ers. They are required to live exemplary lives (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9), teach God’s word (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:9-11, 2:1, 2:7-8) and give spiritual leadership to the church (Acts 20:28; 1 Timothy 5:17- 18). They are held to a higher standard and are accountable to God for the well-
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being of the congregation (James 3:1; 1 Timothy 5:19; Hebrews 13:17). Effec- tive elders are worthy of honor. Some are worthy of “double honor”, implying that some are paid by the church based on their responsibilities while others serve volun- tarily (1 Timothy 5:17-18).
eLder, Pastor, or BisHoP?
Many believers wonder about the differ- ence in the various terms churches use to describe their leaders. The most definitive passage is found in Acts 20:17-38, where Paul addressed the leaders he had devel- oped at the church of Ephesus in the span of his three-year ministry there. He used three different titles in speaking to these men. First, he called them elders (presbu- terous) in verse 17. He then called them overseers (episkopos). This is the term that we use for “bishop.” Finally, he described them as shepherds (poimen). This is the term used for pastor. So, these were not three separate roles, but different descrip- tions of the same group of leaders. The term elder refers to their spiritual maturity. Bishop describes their spiritual authority. Pastor is the description for their spiritual function.
eLders vs. aPostLes?
The church started in Acts with apostles in the primary leadership role. The Book of Acts concludes, and the other New Testa- ment letters are written, with the elders in the leadership role. When did this transi- tion occur? In Acts 15, we see the church in Jerusalem dealing with the difficult is- sues of Old Testament law and their rami- fications on the message of the grace of the Gospel. In this deliberation, we see
July 2015