Video Transcript: Elders in the New Testament

Transcript: Elders in the New Testiment

Bruce:
All right, we are back, and we’re in this Elder Course, session two, and we’re going to start looking at the New Testament.

Yeah—elders in the New Testament. It’s interesting that it seems to be assumed. Since there was this Old Testament model of elders leading and elders being an influence, it’s assumed that that’s how God is going to continue His directions toward leadership in the New. For instance, we read this in Acts 14: Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church. This is on their first missionary journey. They were planting these churches—one city after another—the Spirit was moving, people were coming to faith, churches were being formed.

Now, how are these people going to be led? Paul and Barnabas are moving on, and so they appoint elders. We’re not told here the criteria that went into choosing those elders, but note: this is an important beginning to the churches continuing to thrive after Paul and Barnabas move on. This is how the leadership carries on.

Right—and Acts 15 is the gathering in Jerusalem where there was a big question because of this group called the Judaizers. They were saying that converts to Christianity had to obey all the Old Testament laws. So, the leaders decided to gather in Jerusalem to determine the question: What do new believers have to do?

The Judaizers presented their case: “They have to keep the Law of Moses. We’re connected to the Old Testament powerfully. We’ve got to tell new believers they must do everything”—some 613 laws—“backing up the Ten Commandments, including circumcision, keeping the feast days,” etc., etc.

Well, Paul and Barnabas are brought in; there’s a sharp dispute, because they had been preaching that we’re saved by grace through faith and that nothing is added on to that. So Paul and Barnabas are appointed, along with some others—note: believers—to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and the elders about this question.

Now, that’s not the way I pictured it. I pictured Peter, James, and John—all the apostles who were still around at that time—making the decision. They did discuss it, but the upshot is this: James, the brother of Jesus, had ascended to a leadership position in the church, and he makes a pronouncement: “No, we’re not going to have people do that. We’re saved by grace through faith,” and he gives very limited instructions to new believers throughout the churches that had been planted across the Roman Empire by that time.

What struck me is that already, in this new church, there were elders who had responsibilities and influence, and they had a governing role over the body that had formed—they had input.

Okay—another one: Titus, one of my favorite people in the New Testament. He is appointed by Paul to take on the churches planted in Crete. Paul says, “The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.” So Paul is saying: make sure there are elders in every church.

Now, we’ll look a little at how these elders were chosen—what criteria went into who Titus would pick. At this point in the church, the elders are being appointed.

You’ll notice—now, I used to kid elders in the churches I served. The last two churches I served, we chose elders by lot. But I would always say, jokingly, “I think we ought to do it the biblical way: let the pastor appoint.” (Kidding!) But at this point—in Titus—that’s what’s happening. Titus is given a list of qualities to look for and choose. We’re going to walk through that, because—elders, right?

It’s a powerful statement of plurality of leadership. So—how chosen? Well, appointed. In some contexts, election. And sometimes people simply assume the position of “elder” by influence.

You know, I’ve dealt with people in ministry who didn’t hold the office, but they were still the people I knew I had to talk to, because they had influence within the congregation. I can name all sorts of names—people with powerful influence.

I’m at the age where I do a lot of reflecting on my life. I just wrote one of the elders from the church I served in California and said, “You rescued ministry for me.” He stepped in during a very trying time. He was influential. He brought the church along when we were going through a challenging time, because we had made some very bold decisions about the future—we were going to relocate, which meant selling the church building people had sacrificed to build. I was getting the brunt of the criticism—unsigned letters; it was not a pleasant time.

So what do I do with that? I went to the elders. Right—and I know I am subject to them.

I said to this man, “I’m going to be out of here in a year. I can’t take this anymore.”

At the next elders meeting, he said, “We’ve talked about this as elders while you were not here, and tonight we are declaring—to you and to your associate—you are our pastors.” And they took over: “You will not open any letters. Telephone calls—you tell people.” They appointed two elders to receive all criticism: “If you get a call, tell them to call these two. Go to the elders. Unsigned letters with no return address—bring them straight to us. We’ll deal with this from now on.”

Then we knelt, they laid hands on us, and commissioned us again to lead through this challenging time. The elders—all of them—stepped up in leadership and cared for their pastors. Right, right?

So—plurality of leadership. In the tradition where I have ministered, officially I have been appointed leader in the church in the sense that my position as lead pastor involved providing leadership. (We’ll get into various church sizes later and how elder roles may differ by size.) But it was also very clear that my life, my doctrine, my character were subject to the elders. Right? They provide the accountability everybody needs.

Now, there are various words used in the New Testament that are associated with “elder.” The Greek word presbyteros(root of “Presbyterian”) is “elder.” “Pastor” (often the role in the church) corresponds to poimēn—shepherd. In most traditions, the pastor is not separate from the elders; the pastor is a teaching elder (we’ll talk about that more). Then there’s episkopos—“overseer” (root of “Episcopal”). It’s often translated “bishop.” Generally speaking, when we read presbyteros, poimēn, and episkopos, the broad agreement is that they refer to the same office of elder (unless you are in an Episcopal polity where “bishop” is distinct). We’re going to look at the role of “overseer” as well as “elder.”

There are two major passages that talk about what an elder has to be. One is Paul writing to his son in the faith, Timothy, who has been sent to Ephesus and is trying to build the church there. Remember: Paul had to run away from Ephesus because there was a big riot—silversmiths tried to push Christians out. Alexander the silversmith stirs up a riot; Paul is taken out of the city to protect him. They were shouting in the stadium, “Great is Artemis (Diana) of the Ephesians,” several thousand people. And Timothy is sent there to build that church.

Abigail:
What a hard place to be sent into.

Bruce:
Right. This is a brave man.

So Paul writes to him—two New Testament letters to Timothy. In 1 Timothy 3, Paul gives a list: “I want you to appoint elders. You’ve got to have elders in the church. It’s not just you.” This is not a one-man show.

Let’s look at 1 Timothy 3:1–7 (paraphrased closely):
Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach; not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well… He must not be a recent convert… He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

When I was recruiting potential nominees for elder, I’d have them read that passage. Many would come back and say, “This is too much.”

So, in the rest of this session—and the next—we’ll walk through what this means: what elders are to be in this position of influence and leadership within the church.

The other major passage is Titus 1:5–9. Paul says (again, closely):
The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town… An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, a lover of what is good, self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Abigail:
Right—so important that people appointed to this position hold the faith firmly and display the characteristics of the Holy Spirit.

Bruce:
Exactly. It’s not just leadership as an activity; it’s leadership by example.

Sometimes that’s a challenge. Years ago, in our denomination’s church-planting work in the western U.S., Henderson (south of Las Vegas) was the fastest-growing area in the country. We decided to plant there—ended up planting three churches (two Korean, one primarily Anglo but multiethnic). As one Korean church grew to establishing a council of elders and deacons, a question came up: “Can an elder also be someone who deals cards at a casino?” The deeper question was: What do elders represent to the community—inside and outside the church?

So Paul is saying: This is important. Let’s look at some of these qualities.

“Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task.” Aspire = reach out after, stretch out to grasp. You don’t appoint people who don’t want it. They should desire it—and desire it enough to know what’s involved and be ready to go through what must be gone through.

Abigail:
Right—look at the list: faithful to spouse, training children, all these things. It’s noble—and hard. It’s something worth reaching after.

Bruce:
It’s challenging. One of my sons-in-law (I have two)—the one who served as an elder in our church—another was nominated last year in his church in the Seattle area. The vetting process was huge: meeting with congregants, hearing views on the church, cultural and political issues—very challenging. At one point he thought, “I’m not sure I want this,” but he felt called. He’s an elder there today.

Sometimes a person doesn’t think of it themselves. More often, it’s: “You have the qualities to be an elder—would you consider it?” And then, with a sense of God’s call, they say, “Yes, I want to be the best elder I can be,” and do what’s needed.

First: Aspire to it.
Next: Above reproach (some translations: blameless). The word means “nothing to grab onto.” If someone critiques your life, what can they seize on? It doesn’t mean you’ve never done anything wrong. I remember a Christian leader who, when insulted, said, “You don’t know the half of it—I’m worse than that. But by God’s grace my life has been transformed.” That was a testimony. Still, the call is: does your present life offer something people can grab to discredit Christ’s church?

In my first church (about 60 people when I arrived), we needed businesspeople in leadership. We encouraged a businessman to stand for elder; he was chosen. Then I began receiving calls: clients felt cheated—houses started but not finished, funds redirected, books a mess. In a small community where we’re trying to lead people to Jesus, that created things to “grab onto” against the church. So: blameless doesn’t mean sinless, but does your current life in Christ avoid ongoing patterns that discredit His Bride?

If you want respect for your actions, your behavior must be above reproach—lives that are peaceful, humble, trustworthy—recognized by others. That should be true for elders.

Next: Faithful to spouse—resolute in allegiance and affection, loyal and steadfast. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve never experienced divorce; the point is: is there a clear, current commitment to your family that people recognize, so those facing family challenges can look to you as an example of faithfulness?

Next: Self-control (sober-mindedness). Many mornings I pray through the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Is that fruit seen in you? Self-control means being governed by your mind and faith—not your passions. Who’s running the ship of your life—Jesus Christ, or the pleasures of the world?

If this isn’t true, it brings disrepute and weakness to the church. Elders should be where people go to learn and see modeled who the Spirit is.

Next: Respectable—orderly, well-disciplined; someone you look up to. I’ve been privileged to work with elders whose lives you just respect—how they love their families, how they care for people around them. Respectable includes reliability, honesty, integrity—what’s your reputation, in life and in business?

That’s the beginning of what the New Testament says we are to be. In the next session, we’re going to dig into the other words Paul uses—“able to teach,” hospitality, gentleness, and more—to say, “This is who you’re going to be.”

We’ll see you then.