Part III

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 15

 

New Testament Church

Leadership Roles

 

 

I

n order for the Church to be built from house to house according to an underground pattern, we need to take a fresh look at the Scriptures for a clearer understanding about church leadership. For example, since it has been so widely accepted throughout the world that the normal way to build the church is to find a pastor, a building, and to start filling the pews, this philosophy has also influenced our understanding of church leadership.

 

Apostles and Elders

When we study the Scriptures and look closely at the New Testament, we do not see a pastor-building mentality. Instead, we see two basic groups of governmental leaders who oversee and serve the churches who meet in homes and gather together corporately at the temple, or the school of Tyrannus (see Acts 19:9), or wherever else they can find to meet. Apostles and elders comprised these two groups of leaders found in Acts 15:4:

And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them.

Paul and Barnabas were having some problems with Jewish converts who were placing restrictions on the Gentile believers. Paul and Barnabas were convinced that these teachers from Judea were teaching a doctrine that was not according to faith, and that it would greatly hinder the work of God. So Paul and Barnabas went up to Jerusalem.

This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question (Acts 15:2).

It is interesting that after they shared their testimonies with the church, they then met with the leaders of the New Testament church--the apostles and the elders:

The apostles and elders met to consider this question (Acts 15:6).

It is clear that the apostles were not necessarily the original twelve (although some of them were probably involved), but they met with the "new” apostles and the elders of the church. James appears to be the one who gave oversight to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. He seemed to be the apostle who was responsible for the decision-making process. The next step was to send out men from their company to the Church throughout the known world, exhort them, and teach them:

When they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me” (Acts 15:13).

Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers (Acts 15:22).

As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey (Acts 16:4).

Regardless of the terminology that today's church uses for leadership, there is a need for local leaders (elders) and leaders who have a larger sphere of spiritual responsibility (apostolic overseers). Paul the Apostle wrote to Titus and exhorted him to appoint elders in every city on the island of Crete.

The reason I [Titus] left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you (Titus 1:5).

In order to see the Church built from house to house in the nations of the world, we have come to believe that we must allow the Lord to raise up among us those with an apostolic-type ministry (those who oversee larger areas) and elders who serve in every city (local area).

 

Apostles

According to the New Testament, apostles are "foundation layers.” These apostles also seemed to be gifted to give spiritual counsel, admonition, and oversight to local leadership teams. Many of Paul's letters serve as an example of the apostolic ministry that the Lord had given to him.

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:10-11).

Bill Scheidler, in his book The New Testament Church and Its Ministries, gives the following insights on apostles:

The word "apostle” (Greek--apostolos) literally means "one who is sent forth.” The word "apostle” was often used in the classical Greek world. It was used to refer to an emissary or ambassador; to a fleet of ships or an expedition sent forth with a specific objective; to the admiral who commanded the fleet or the colony which was founded by the admiral. If a fleet of ships left Rome with the purpose of establishing a new colony somewhere, all of these were called apostles--the fleet, the admiral, the new found colony.

The particular truth that is emphasized by this usage is the relationship of those who were sent to the sender. All of these, the admiral, the fleet, and the colony that was formed, represented a true image of the one by whom they were sent. In other words, they were faithful to transmit or reflect the intentions of the sender (Hebrews 3:1). The primary attitude of a true apostle, then, must be faithfulness.1

An apostle, then, is one who is sent forth with authority, who faithfully represents the purposes and the intentions of the sender. There are at least 23 different apostles mentioned in the New Testament. There are also various types or classes of apostles and apostolic ministry mentioned in the Bible. For example:

 

1.Jesus Christ was and is the chief apostle.

Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess (Hebrews 3:1).

 

2.The twelve apostles of the Lamb

The original twelve apostles are unique. No modern-day apostle can ever take the place of the original 12. (See Luke 6:12.)

The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (Revelation 21:14).

 

3.The James-type apostle

James gave oversight to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. He seems to have basically stayed in one location.

When they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me” (Acts 15:13).

The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present (Acts 21:18).

4.The Paul-type apostle

Paul was a traveling apostle who had been given authority and responsibility by the Lord for churches in various parts of the world.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:1).

It appears as if Paul was not necessarily recognized by every church as an apostle. He was, however, recognized by the churches that the Lord gave him spiritual responsibility for. He told the Corinthian Christians that his sphere of authority and responsibility included them.

We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you (2 Corinthians 10:13).

 

5.The Timothy-type apostle

Timothy was sent by Paul for apostolic ministry to the Corinthian church. Although Paul was the "senior” apostle, the Corinthians also saw Timothy as having an apostolic ministry that would be used of the Lord to give them direction and guidance.

For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church (1 Corinthians 4:17).

Paul sent other men who served on a team with him to fulfill an apostolic role in certain situations, just as he sent Timothy to Corinth. As I mentioned earlier, Paul sent Titus to Crete. Epaphras was used of the Lord to start the church in Colossae. To our knowledge, Paul never had the opportunity to go to the Colossian church personally. Nevertheless, he was still given apostolic authority from the Lord for this work. Epaphras also worked with Paul to oversee this work.

Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured (Colossians 4:12).

 

6.Those involved in apostolic-type ministry

The 70 who were sent out were involved in apostolic-type ministry. Those within a small group or house church who have a God-given ability to plan ahead strategically for new groups to be birthed in your city may have a "seed” of apostolic ministry developing in their lives.

For a complete listing and examples oftypes of Modern-Day Apostles, see Appendix C at the end of this book.

I grew up with the ability to play the guitar, but it was not until I was 16 years old that I actually started to practice and learn how to play. There are many future apostles in our midst today. They are presently being trained and groomed by the Holy Spirit to fulfill key roles in the Kingdom of God in the future. An apostolic call is not something we do because we think it sounds exciting. This gift is received from the Lord, and He will develop it. We believe the Lord will raise up modern-day apostles to train and develop future apostles.

Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was (Romans 16:7).

Our current understanding is that the Lord will call many apostolic-type overseers from the church that He is building in this generation to serve His people. Some will serve the church in the local area and help to oversee dozens of congregations and house church networks and hundreds of small groups and house churches. Others will go to the nations of the world to help establish and oversee new works. Some will do both.

True apostolic overseers will have a father's heart for those whom the Lord has placed within their sphere of spiritual responsibility. Paul told the church of the Thessalonians:

You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed--God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.

As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us (1 Thessalonians 2:5-8).

The person with a true apostolic ministry will respond to those within his care in the same way that a father will respond to his married children. He has authority because he is a spiritual father. However, he is careful to use that authority in a way that will undergird the local elders and the local church.

Some persons may be involved in more than one role at the same time. James and Peter seemed to be both apostles and elders (see 1 Pet. 5:1).

 

Elders

When believers are sick, they are instructed by the Scriptures to call for the elders of the church. James seems to be referring to the local elders.

Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord (James 5:14).

Paul gives clear qualifications for the appointment of elders in
1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9:

The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless--not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is 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 (Titus 1:5-9).

In the New Testament, we see elders being appointed by those who give them apostolic oversight. Paul instructed Titus to appoint elders in Crete. We are told in the Book of Acts that Paul and Barnabas ordained elders in every church. The qualifications for elders are mostly character qualifications, not abilities. The only ability that is mentioned in the two lists mentioned in Scripture is the ability to teach.

Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust (Acts 14:23).

Serving as an elder in the local church is both a privilege as well as a serious responsibility. Kevin Conner, in his book The Church in the New Testament, says:

If any man desire, "reach out after, long for, to covet, to stretch oneself” the office of a bishop, he should seek to qualify. It speaks of a deep inward drive or impulse to equip oneself for the ministry of an elder. It is a "good work” (1 Timothy 3:1). An excellent task. It is not a desire for a title or office position, but work! Matthew 23:1-12; Job 32:21-22. Not flattering titles. The office is work! As long as one is functioning in the office and working he is such. It is not holding titular power, or power of a title.2

It is our understanding that local elders serve and oversee God's people meeting in a given area. A primary responsibility is to serve and equip the small group leaders and house church leaders. They are also responsible before the Lord for equipping and encouraging of believers locally.

New Testament Elders Are Often
Called "Pastors” Today

The senior leader of a local church or house church network, along with his leadership team, must have a pastor's heart for the people in the congregation. However, the primary gift the Lord places within him may not be that of a pastor. He could have a leadership gift, or an apostolic gift, or maybe a combination of various gifts. We think that the term "senior elder”or "lead elder” and a "team of elders” may be more accurate to describe the leader of a congregation or house church network and his leadership team.

Nevertheless, you probably noticed that we used the term "senior elder” and "local pastor” interchangeably. Despite the fact that, for simplicity, we often call the senior elder of our congregations a "pastor,” we realize that he may not have a pastoral anointing. If a senior elder does not have the gift of a pastor, the key is to have another person with a pastoral anointing as a vital part of that leader's team so the people will be cared for pastorally.

The role of the senior elder or local pastor in a cell-based church is to equip believers to do the work of ministry in small groups. House church network overseers train leaders to make disciples and lead house churches. This is quite different from our traditional thinking about the leader of a local church. The image of the pastor in today's church is that of a jack-of-all-trades: he is supposed to be a professional who can preach, visit the sick, balance the church budget and offer every other type of spiritual service one can think of. In contrast, the focus of local church leadership in the New Testament was on training believers for the work of ministry and overseeing that work so the believers could minister effectively in small groups and house churches.

Simon and Andrew were fishermen who used nets to catch fish:

Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men” (Mark 1:17).

One of the "nets” the Lord has given us as we fish for men is small groups and house churches. Since all nets get worn and torn, they must be mended so the fish will not be lost through the holes. Who mends the nets? We believe the majority of net-mending is done by the leadership teams (elders and/or pastors) as they serve local congregations and house church networks.

The responsibility of the local pastor or house church network leader is not to sit behind a desk. His job is to spend time with the people. He builds (mends) relationships by praying, working, and spending time together with the people he serves. Local pastors go from home to home praying with small group leaders and house church leaders and helping them to hear from God a strategy for their small groups and house churches. This helps to ensure that there are no holes in the "net,” so that no fish are lost, and so that new "fish” can be caught.

The elders also have the task of releasing the fivefold ministry (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers) to equip and encourage the believers within the congregations and house church networks where they serve. Many times, elders also function in the fivefold ministry. We'll be talking more about this in the next chapter, and you can read more about the role of elders in a book I co-wrote with three friends in leadership, entitled The Biblical Role of Elders in Today's Church.3

 

God-appointed leadership

We see in the Scriptures that God appoints leadership over various spheres in His Kingdom. God uses these leaders to make decisions that affect those whom they serve. These leaders are called by the Lord to lead through servanthood. For example, husbands and wives are appointed by the Lord to give leadership to their families. God speaks to the family through the father and mother who serve in leadership in the home. The husband is appointed by God as the head of his household, yet he leads as a team with his wife. He is called to lay down his life for his wife and children. A wise father and mother will listen to their children before making decisions that will affect them.

In the church, God is raising up teams of elders and teams of apostolic leaders who will pray and work together. As these teams walk together in unity and listen to the wisdom of God that comes from those whom they serve, there should be clear headship among each team. There is headship in every realm and sphere of God's Kingdom. This person serves as the "primary vision carrier” for the group he is leading.

Both the Old and New Testament give numerous examples of this leadership principle. The Scriptures tell us in Numbers 27:16 (NKJV), "Let the Lord . . . set a man over the congregation.” Although Moses worked closely with a leadership team (Aaron and Miriam), he was clearly anointed by God to lead the children of Israel. In the New Testament in Acts 13:13, we read about Paul and his party who were involved in establishing churches. In Acts 15:13-22, when the apostles and elders gathered together to make a doctrinal decision in the early church, after a time of discussion, James made the judgment as to what the decision should be. The other apostles and elders and the church confirmed the decision. Leadership in both the Old and New Testament did not work alone but with a team of leaders who served with them. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in every church (see Acts 14:23).

It is amazing what the Lord will do when a team of people are willing to pray together and work as a team in complete unity and yet recognize godly appointed leadership among them. We use the analogy of a head and shoulders and body regarding church leadership. Psalm 133 gives a clear understanding of how head and shoulders and body leadership and decision-making works.

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows His blessing, even life forevermore (Psalm 133:1-3).

The head of every team needs to be properly attached to the shoulders (the others on the team) through a God-ordained relationship of trust and affirmation. If the head moves too far from the shoulders (by not honoring the team) or if the head is forced down (by the team not honoring the head), the body experiences a pain in the neck. If the head is appropriately attached to the shoulders (through relationship, trust, servanthood, prayer, and proper communication), and the shoulders support and affirm the head, the oil of the Holy Spirit will run down from the head to the shoulders to the body. As these servant leaders dwell together in the unity of Christ, God will command a blessing, as indicated in Psalm 133.

 

Decision Making

We believe that leadership teams should strive to get the mind of the Lord together through prayer and consensus whenever possible. However, there may be times when a consensus cannot be reached.

Although we should always try to reach complete agreement on every decision, we should not be bound by the need for unanimity. We call this "avoiding the rule of the negative.” That is, if five on the team agree and one disagrees, under unanimity, the negative would carry the decision. This is spiritually dangerous. The entire team must clearly recognize the primary leader of the team, and after prayer and discussion if the team cannot come to complete agreement, he makes the decision. James the apostle had the same role in Acts 15. It is important to say, however, that the team leader should have recognized spiritual fathers in his life for accountability and to avoid the potential of autocratic leadership.

These leadership principles apply to any sphere of church leadership--the corporate church, the local congregation, the house church network, or the small group and house church. A wise leader of a congregation or house church network will always desire to involve his whole leadership team in decision-making. As the senior elder or senior pastor, he is responsible to discern what the Lord is saying through the team serving with him. The senior leader will assume his God-given leadership role and discern whether a consensus has been reached. If a decision must be made and there is not a complete consensus, the senior leader, after considering the input from each team member, needs to make the decision. However, the senior elder has final authority, not absolute authority. If there is conflict or an impasse in decision making, apostolic overseers of the family of churches should provide an outside court of appeal for the senior elder and his team.

Although the final decisions affecting the local church or house church network are usually made by the eldership team, we should not forget that the wisdom of God is often evident in God's people in the church or house church network. Church leaders are also encouraged to draw from this wisdom before making decisions.

 

Experience God's Blessing

We have come to believe that regardless of the terminology the church at large uses today for leadership, there are local leaders (elders) and leaders who have a larger sphere of spiritual responsibility (apostolic-type overseers). We are confident at this time that both are needed in order to effectively reach an entire area for Christ. We further believe when a new church begins, it is necessary to allow time for growth before these two levels of leadership are established. It is spiritually healthy, though, for the leaders of the new church or house church network to be receiving input and counsel from a person or persons who have an apostolic call.

In the next chapter, we will look at two dead traditions I call the "holy man myth” and the "holy building myth” that plagues much of the church today and can hinder Christ's work. These two myths must be exposed and destroyed in order for the church of the 21st century to experience the endtime harvest the Lord has promised.

 

 

Questions for Practical Application

1.What are the scriptural responsibilities of apostolic overseers and elders?

 

2.Give a few examples from the Bible of the different types of apostolic ministry.

 

3.How can decisions be made in a godly way according to a biblical pattern found in Acts 15?


Chapter 15

1. Bill Scheidler, The New Testament Church and Its Ministries (Portland, OR: Bible Temple Publishing), 88.

2. Kevin J. Conner, The Church in the New Testament (Portland, OR: Bible Temple Publishing, 1989), 110.

3. Larry Kreider, Ron Myer, Steve Prokopchak, & Brian Sauder, The Biblical Role of Elders in Today's Church (Lititz, PA: House to House Publications, 2012).

Last modified: Thursday, August 9, 2018, 1:01 PM