Quite simply to listen when they talk, to do what they say, to treat them with distinction. It was not recognizedthat wantingthe good of the church is not by itself enough to clear someone of the charge of authoritarian leadership. They do not see themselves as necessarily smarter than the people they are leading, or lead from a posture of command and control. You can find him on Twitter at, On Preaching Prophets (Preachers Talk, Ep. 2) Rule over the church ( 1 Timothy 5:17 ). So Jesus gives keys to actual assemblies of believers. We know that is Christ. Consider what the Apostle Paul wrote to his younger co-worker Timothy: Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. (1 Tim 5:17). Still, the congregation maintains final authority. My experience doesnt give meanyauthority. There might be more pride in your heart than you realize. So now, join us in exercising this authority and responsibility to protect and extend the kingdom.. Thats the kind of authority elders holdan authority of counsel. It is never authoritarian to the extent that someone attempts to dominate anothers mind, conscience, or will. The True Nature of Elder Authority in the Church Thats why the Bible makes such a big deal about elders needing to be able to teach because thats how elders exercise authority, by teaching the Word and persuading. Essentially, if youre going to vote no, you need to do it with full integrity. Offering counsel on a wide-range of questions from actual readers like you! If the Bible located church authority exclusively in the elders, the idea of submission would be simple: the elders would make the decisions, and the congregation would submit to those decisions. But how much authority should a pastor have in the church? A church usually has more than one elder, with each assigned to assist several church members. It is a responsibility, but its also an authority, a right given to us by King Jesus. The Authority of Elders | New Testament Church The general oversight of the ministry and operation of the church is the responsibility of the pastor and the other elders. First, I want to make the case that the Bible does speak on this topicand it actually says quite a lot. Live in peace with one another. So theyre recommending that the church act to exclude this individual from membership and to pray for his repentance and restoration. Principle 1: Elder Authority is Limited,Not Absolute. The last step Jesus mentions is to tell it to the church, not tell it to elders or appeal to the college of cardinals or to the pope. The Qualifications & Duties of Elders The qualifications for an elder or overseer represent the basic characteristics that are expected of all Christians (1 Tim. As they serve, the people of the congregation are admonished to know (or recognize) them because of the work they are doing (I . Jesus talks about this in Matthew 18, where hes to be treated as an outsider. The church exercises its priestly authority to protect the integrity of Jesuss kingdom through church membership and church discipline. At the same time, Scripture teaches that the congregation as a whole has final authority in matters of discipline (Matt. Do you see the dilemma? Godwantsindividuals to make their own decisions in areas where his Word has not said that there is only one particular choice that can be made. If you were to attend the church I pastor, among the first things youd hear is our service leader say, Welcome this gathering of Third Avenue Baptist Church. The language there is important. There is a real authority in speaking the truth. Even if they think this person needs me to direct them in this way, and it is for their good, it is not really for their good, because it diminishes them as a person and treats them as a less worthy person than the leader. Attacks upon authority are rampant across the Western world and have been for generations, so none of us has any difficulty understanding why this pastor answered as he did. It exceeds the limits on authority that God has granted to the government of his church, and for that reason (along with objections to the official Roman Catholic doctrines on foundational issues such as justification by faith alone, the Mass, and others) I am not a Catholic. For example, when a church refuses to accept into membership someone who rejects the Trinity, they are communicating that what we believe about the Trinity is a very important thing that is a matter of heresy and orthodoxy. So, also, in 1 Timothy, it is the duly appointed elders of the church (not simply men in general) who "teach" and "exercise authority" ( 1 Timothy 2:12 ). Men set apart by God to preach the Gospel proclaim Gods Law and call men to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. In other words, the local church was created by King Jesus himself, commissioned to do a particular thing in the world, and chartered with authority to speak in His name. The images the Bible uses to describe the church point to this togetherness. The first is that King Jesus will set everything right at the end. 18), Understanding the Congregations Authority. But what about voting no? Therefore . Offering counsel on a wide-range of questions from actual readers like you! A church elder holds a position of authority and responsibility in making decisions. As Paul writes in Ephesians 4:11, pastors are "gifts" of Christ to the church. July 10th 2023 Mike Blanton Who is this? The elders are ultimately accountable to the congregation, and thus ought to see themselves and operate as servants in the fullest sense of the word. Who Are the Elders? | Desiring God For if we think that the authority of government is limited, but the authority of elders in the church is not (based on a misunderstanding of passages like Hebrews 13:7), we have simply replaced one form of tyranny for another. Jesus gives authority to the assembled congregation, not to a group of elders or presbytery or bishop or pope. There are many sources we could go to to summarize the biblical view on this (which has always been the historic Protestant view). But it is to say, Were not going to continue to affirm your profession of faith because your life is not lining up with what it means to be a Christian. So we dont affirm your baptism; we no longer welcome you to the Lords Supper. Love for Jesus, because we take his honor and reputation seriously. He insisted that in the church he was founding such titles were not to be used: But you are not to be called Rabbi, for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. This is not to deny that some authority attaches to the ministry, but ratherto define and limit it(e.g., 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; 1 Timothy 3:5; Hebrews 13:7). With the authority of our Lord, the Head of the Church, we come alongside and admonish them. 2:67). In addition to these points, we would remind people of key qualifications from an earlier elders' paper on authority in the church: 1. I havenoauthority in this church, personally. It happens when the leader sees himself as knowing better than the congregation simply by virtue of his position. One of the best is John Stott, who covers this issue very well in a fewsimple but profound paragraphs from his bookChrist in Conflict. In fact, the instructions he gives hold out a form of government we might best call elder-led congregationalism, where the assembled church as a whole holds and exercises the authority of the keys of the kingdom, but is led and taught in that use of authority by its elders. Therefore, Jesus called them hypocrites and warned his disciples against following their example. Elders. The church is led in its exercise of the keys by elders. Beyond this, there are specific Scriptural teachings on the nature and limitations of authority in the church. Elder Valenzuela BYU-Pathway devotional - Church News This is how people mature by using their own judgment and making their own decisions. I reject the supremacy of the Pope, as God has given no person (or even institution) such authority. . Jesus Matthew 21:10-11 Acts 20:28 Shepherd the flock. PDF, ePub, and Kindle files will be sent to this email address. But you dont get to just stand there and assert that for yourself; somebodys got to affirm you really do hold those offices, you really are united to Jesus. By the end we will have a clear outline of the real nature (and limitations) of the authority of elders in the church, to the end that we will know what the Scriptures mean when they say that elders are not to domineer over those they are leading. It just wasnt recognized as authoritarian leadership,because it was seemingly done for the good of the congregation. This is true of the authority elders hold in a church. The authority of elders, like the government, is a limited authority, not an absolute authority. Because people are in the image of God and have theGod-given(not government-granted, but God-given) right to freedom, government does not have unlimited rights over a person. For example, if a member starts sleeping with his mother-in-law (as happened in 1 Corinthians 5), the church has the right to exercise church discipline if that person does not repent. States and parents hold authority of command; they speak, and then they have immediate authority to enforce through sword or rod. To that end, here are seven points regarding the keys of the kingdom, and how local churches exercise authority through their use. Further, it is to use their authority toserveandbuild upthe congregation by being a source of help to them in their Christian lives, while always upholding the reality that true maturity in Christ comes as people are encouraged and empowered to make their own decisions (rather than being told what to do). One reason we know this is because, for example, the apostle Paul addressed his letters to the congregation, not the elders. Leadership and Authority in the Church - Dwell Community Church When a pastor preaches the Gospel, he preaches from the authority the Lord Jesus has delegated to Him for the salvation of mankind, and if he models himself after our Lord and His Apostles, he will do so with command authority. And finally, if they still refuse to repent, we expel them from the church, following the Lords command: Let them be to you as the heathen and the tax collectors. In His time, heathen and tax collectors were not regarded as members of the Lords people. Do not allow the church to treat elders disrespectfully. June 16, 2023. Thats exactly what the first church in Jerusalem didall 10,000 of them met in Solomons Colonnade right up until persecution forced them to scatter, and then they didnt become franchises or arms or campuses of a centralized Colonnade Jerusalem; they became new, fully-functioning embassies or churches of their own. But again, the need to be ready to give account, which leads to my last point. By continuing to use the 9M website, you consent to the use of cookies. Second, it isthe authority of truth. Not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock (1 Peter 5:3). This would include the handling of finances within the church ( Acts 11:30 ). They are not lawmakers or dictators. True biblical leaders have to lead from the bottom, not the top. Elders are authorized to preach and teach the Word, to provide pastoral . Serious sins are those that are uncommon to Christians, those which, either by nature or repeated pattern, cause you to question whether a person really is a Christian who is at war against the flesh. If you elect to vote no, do so with integritybecause you really think this is a bad use of the keys, one worth acting against recommendation of elders and one youre willing to give account to Jesus for one day. But note especially (which is my main point) that this is an accountabilitytotruths that already exist, being taught in Scripture, not an inventing of truths or rules beyond the Scriptures that people then have to follow. Maybe youre right, maybe notbut its wise to be careful. From all we can see, you are a Christian. Elders must earn the respect and esteem of the church by doing their duties well. But its also a certain kind of authority elders holdnot so much an authority of command, but an authority of counsel. It is the elders who lead the church and are responsible for teaching the Word and guiding, admonishing, and exhorting the people . Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. Acts 20:28 1 Peter 5:1-4 Its the church saying to the world, Yes! One helpful way to understand authority is to see its use as falling into one of two categories reflecting its nature. Juan Sanchez serves as senior pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church in . 3. More information is available on our Privacy Policy. (PDF) The Authority of Elders in the NT - Academia.edu What then are we to make of Jesus prefacing the Great Commission by declaring all authority had been given to Him in Heaven and on earth? So then, what else does the New Testament say concerning the authority of church officers? A church shouldnt exercise discipline for things like pride, but only outward, visible sins. Some say the Bible doesnt speak to the question, and so were left to pragmatism (what works); others say it does speak. The elders cannot simply announce that they have excommunicated so-and-so. What Is an Elder in the Church and in the Bible? - Learn Religions Notice, too, local churches dont take this action for just anything. They can recommend and explain, but they cant enforce. Jenna Ellis on Twitter So, all that is why Third Avenue Baptist Church will never be whats come to be called recently a multi-site church. In fact, its whyto be sharply accurate about ittheres really no such thing as a multi-site church, any more than there can be a multi-site building or a multi-site body. But then, note again carefully what Jesus said: heathen and tax collectors. Can you count how many times Jesus spent time with tax collectors calling them to repentance? In the early church, it seems there was a plurality of elders, also called "bishops" or "overseers.". 6. Its why you have places in Bible like Hebrews 13:17: Obey your leaders and submit to them. Or, Acts 20:28 where Paul calls them overseers. Or 1 Peter 5 where Peter says to be subject to elders. All those point to something that is literally together, that has a literal physical geographic location. To work to work to restore someone who is in sin requires spiritual maturity (Gal. The idea is to lead or to . In Christianity, an elder is a person who is valued for wisdom and holds a position of responsibility and authority in a Christian group. Your elders will recognize the honor you give them if they know their flock well. For instance, the Heidelberg Catechism asks the question, What is the office of the keys? Here is the answer: The preaching of the Holy Gospel and Christian discipline; by these two the kingdom of heaven is opened to believers and shut against unbelievers. 1). Theres some real authority in that leadership. If the authority of elders is a limited authority, what, then,isthe scope and nature of their authority? 05.22.2015. I didnt post it, however, because Iwashesitant to speak up about issues at a church where I dont attend. I hope what follows will be helpful to you in understanding better why the church is so important, not just to you as an individual Christian, though thats true, but in the working out of Gods purpose in the world to create a new holy nation centered on his Son. I recently heard of an individual who was dating a certain person. 5. This is my personal website where I blog on four of my favorite topics: theology, apologetics, culture, and living in New York City. 5:17). Nothing can exist without having two sides. But what does it mean for a congregation to submit to its elders when the congregation itself holds final authority? And so the church should "esteem them . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I am the director of career development at The Kings College NYC, co-founder of Whats Best Next, and the author of Whats Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done. For more on these subjects, consider Jonathan Leemans Understanding the Congregations Authority, Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus, and Church Discipline: How the Church Protects the Name of Jesus. Titus 1:5,7 and Acts 20:17,28) or "pastor" (Eph. TGC Course | Basics of Church Eldership - The Gospel Coalition Its designed for checks and balances precisely because the Founders knew the nation was made up of selfish people. But in order for them to exercise that responsibility in a submissive manner, a congregation needs to trust its leaders. In fact, if a church has too many divided votes, it probably needs to get new elders it can trust! Whenever someone leads in a way that doesnt harness and call upon the persons own self-direction and right to governthemselves under God, they are leading in anauthoritarian way. If were to affirm, protect, and disciple one another as Jesus says, and do that with any real knowledge of each other at all, that presumes that well regularly be together in order to build the kind of relational knowledge that allows all that to happen. The Authority of Elders | New Testament Church Instead of considering this question in the abstract, lets do it in an actual setting you may encounter. One example is the institution of the Papacy. My education doesnt give meany authority. The Hebrew word for elder means "beard," and literally speaks of an older person. Godaloneis Lord of the conscience, and the Scriptures alone are the only authority to which we are to give unquestioned allegiance. Now, the real tricky question is this: How much does the congregation need to know in order to legitimately exercise their authority in a matter of public discipline? Eldership In the ChurchWho Can Be An Elder, and How Can They Become Biblical Eldership | Desiring God And when they do exercise authority, it is to be within the God-ordained limits that weve seen above. Rather their place is to see that the perfect law of liberty, which has already been given by the Lord, is kept as perfectly as possible.