Particulars
of Christianity:
312
The Church Ethic
Apostolic
and Eldership Functions
in Acts and the Epistles
Introduction
& 3 Models of Church Gatherings and Leadership
Examining the Models
Examining the Models
Conclusions and Study Expectations
Examining Church Gatherings
in the Gospels
The First Supper, Jesus'
Specific Instructions, Conclusions
Survey of Post-Ascension
Church Gatherings
Apostolic and Eldership
Functions in Acts and the Epistles
1 Corinthians 1-10 &
Introduction to 1 Corinthians 11-14
1 Corinthians 11-13
1 Corinthians 14
1 Timothy 2:12, Conclusions
on Women in Church Gatherings
Conclusions: 1 Corinthians
14, Church Gatherings & Leadership
Examining
Apostolic and Eldership Functions in Acts and the Epistles
Before
we leave our examination of church gatherings and leadership
in the Book of Acts, there are a few additional, important
points that we should make. In the final chapters of Acts,
beginning with Paul’s second missionary journey, Luke continues
to provide indications and confirmation of the importance
of teaching in the apostolic ministry and in the church in
general.
For
instance, in Acts 18:11, Luke explains that Paul stayed in
Corinth
teaching them for a year and a half (Acts 18:1, 11). The only
instance of a church meeting in these chapters is found in
Acts 20:7-9.
Acts 20:6 And we sailed away from Philippi
after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.
7 And upon the first
day of the week, when the disciples came together to
break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart
on the morrow; and
continued his speech until midnight. 8 And there were
many lights in the upper chamber, where
they were gathered together. 9 And there sat in a window
a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep
sleep: and as Paul
was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell
down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. 10 And Paul
went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said,
Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. 11 When he therefore was come up again, and had
broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even
till break of day, so he departed. 12 And they brought the
young man alive, and were not a little comforted.
Here
in this passage, Luke records that Paul and the disciples
in Troas gathered together
on the first day of the week for the breaking of bread. Three
times in this segment of chapter 20 the text notes that Paul
spoke for a long time. So once again we have confirmation
that having a single person dominate the church meeting through
teaching was a characteristic feature of the early church
gatherings (at least when an apostle was present.) And once
again we have another meeting in which not everyone participates
or shares equally and in which there is no segment of musical
worship, no skits, and no poetry. And we still have no indication
of a new non-apostolic meeting format.
As
Luke continues to chronicle Paul’s stops along this second
missionary tour, later in chapter 20 we come to additional
relevant statements as the Ephesian elders meet with Paul
before his departure from Miletus. This passage provides
additional indications regarding the role and function of
the elders in the absence of apostolic leadership.
Acts 20:15 And we sailed thence, and came
the next day over against Chios; and the next day
we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyllium; and
the next day we came to Miletus. 16 For Paul had
determined to sail by Ephesus,
because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted,
if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost. 17 And from Miletus
he sent to Ephesus,
and called the elders of the church. 18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the
first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have
been with you at all seasons,19 Serving the Lord with all
humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which
befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: 20 And
how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you,
but have shewed you, and
have taught you publickly, and from house to house, 21
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance
toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And
now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall
befall me there: 23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in
every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. 24
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life
dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy,
and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus,
to testify the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And
now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching
the kingdom of God,
shall see my face no more. 26 Wherefore I take you to record
this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
27 For I have not shunned
to declare unto you all the counsel of God. 28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to
all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you
overseers (1985), to feed the church
of God,
which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29 For I know
this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing
the flock. 30 Also
of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things,
to draw away disciples after them. 31 Therefore
watch (1127), and remember, that by the space of three
years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word
of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you
an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. 33 I have
coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. 34 Yea, ye yourselves
know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities,
and to them that were with me. 35 I have shewed you all things,
how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and
to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is
more blessed to give than to receive. 36 And when he had thus
spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all. 37 And
they all wept sore, and fell on Paul’s neck, and kissed him,
38 Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that
they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him
unto the ship.
We
should take note of several important statements from this
lengthy passage. First, we must again note that there are
multiple elders said to exist in the Ephesian church community,
not just a single elder. This contradicts the Psuedo-traditional
model’s notion of church leadership vested in a single head-pastor.
Second,
Paul speaks of how he taught them publicly and from house
to house. So, we have here another indication that the church
meetings, which took place from house to house, were characterized
by teaching (at least when an apostle was present.)
Third,
and most significantly, Paul’s comments here are informative
about the role and function of the elders in the church, including
church gatherings. As such, starting with this passage in
Acts 20, we will now begin to connect what we’ve learned from
the historical narrative of the early church from the gospels
and the Book of Acts to what we learn from the New Testament’s
discussion of church gatherings and leadership throughout
the epistles. In doing so, we will survey the remaining scriptural
information on the topic of how the apostles understood and
presented the role and function of elders in the church. We
will be able to answer with finality such questions as whether
the apostles intended for the elders to be their successors
who would inherit the apostolic function and format for conducting
church gatherings or if the apostles instead saw the function
of the elders as entirely distinct from the apostolic role
of dominating church gatherings through the teaching of the
Word. And we will be able to see if there are any indications
or instructions for a new mode of church gatherings and leadership
given by the apostles to the elders.
All
of this will be accomplished by looking at how the New Testament
writers used terminology in their discussions and descriptions
of the role and function of the elder/overseer in comparison
to their descriptions of the role and function of the apostles.
As
we start, we return to Acts 20, where Paul is speaking to
the elders of the church at Ephesus.
We note that in verse 28, Paul tells the elders to take heed
over the flock over which the Holy Spirit made them overseers.
Paul then tells them to feed the church of God. In verse 29-30, Paul adds that after
he departs wolves will enter into the flock and speak perverse
things to the flock. And after informing the elders of this,
Paul again tells them to watch (verse 31).
Paul’s
comments here fit very well with our assessment from Acts
14:23 that the elders were appointed to fill a need created
by the absence of the apostles. However, here in Acts 20,
we gain further insight into how the elders were to fill that
need. As Paul states, after he departed men would come to
teach the church (the flock) false doctrine.
Peter
speaks similarly of false teachers entering into the flock
in 2 Peter 2:1-2. Notice that just like Paul in Acts 20:29,
Peter uses the phrase “among you” to designate a time when
he himself is not present. Here are the two passages side
by side for comparison.
2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets
also among the people, even as there
shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring
in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought
them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which
the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers (1985), to feed the
church of God, which he hath purchased with his
own blood. 29 For I
know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter
in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also
of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things,
to draw away disciples after them. 31 Therefore
watch (1127), and remember, that by the space of three
years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
Likewise,
Peter’s words to the elders in his first epistle mirror Paul’s
words to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20 (immediately above).
1 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and
a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker
of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed
the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight
(1983) thereof, not by constraint, but willingly;
not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being
lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the
flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear,
ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
According
to both Paul and Peter, the elders were the safeguard to protect
against the infiltration and spread of false teaching. How
were they to accomplish this task? Paul and Peter provide
the answer. The elders were to keep the churches in sound
doctrine by watching and taking oversight of the flock. But
how did elders (also called overseers, bishops, or pastors)
oversee the flock? One hint comes from Peter’s first epistle,
where Peter refers to himself as an elder and then refers
to Jesus Christ as the Chief Shepherd. John similarly introduces
himself as an elder in his final two epistles.
2 John 1:1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that
have known the truth;
3 John 1:1 The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
And
in Acts 1:15-26, Judas’ position (which was filled by Matthias)
is referred to as that of an elder or bishop.
Acts 1:20 For it is written in the book
of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man
dwell therein: and his bishoprick(1984) let another take.
Peter
even refers to Jesus as both Shepherd and Elder (or Bishop)
in his first epistle.
1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going
astray; but are now
returned unto the Shepherd (4166) and Bishop (1985) of your
souls.
The
Greek word translated “bishop” in this passage as well as
in 1 Timothy and 1 Titus is the same word that is translated
“overseers” in Acts 20:28 (above) when Paul speaks to the
Ephesian elders. It is the Greek word “episkopos,” Strong’s
number 1985. Of course, Peter is not saying anything new about
Jesus in this epistle. Jesus refers to himself as the good
shepherd in John 10:11, 14.
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd (4166): the good shepherd (4166) giveth his life
for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not
the shepherd (4166), whose own the sheep are not, seeth the
wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf
catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth,
because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14
I am the good shepherd (4166), and know
my sheep, and am known of mine.
The
word that Jesus uses for “shepherd” is the Greek word “poimen”
(Strong’s number 4166). It is the same word Paul uses in Ephesians
4:11, where it is translated as “pastors.”
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles;
and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors (4166) and teachers (1320); 12
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come
in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son
of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature
of the fulness of Christ: 14 That
we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro,
and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the
sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they
lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love,
may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even
Christ: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together
and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according
to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh
increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
And
similarly, in his epistle James refers to himself among the
teachers of the church with the same word for “teacher” that
is coupled in Ephesians with the term “pastors.” It is the
Greek word “didaskalos” (Strong’s number 1320.)
James 3:1 My brethren, be not many masters (1320), knowing that we
shall receive the greater condemnation.
Paul
does the same in his two letters to Timothy, referring to
himself with this Greek word for teacher that he identifies
in Ephesians with the term “pastors.”
1 Timothy 2:7 Whereunto I am ordained
a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ,
and lie not;) a teacher (1320) of the Gentiles in faith
and verity.
2 Timothy 1:11 Whereunto I am appointed
a preacher, and an apostle, and
a teacher (1320) of the Gentiles.
So
far, we are seeing the following terms used as synonyms. The
Greek term “episkopos” is sometimes translated as “bishop”
and at other times translated as “overseer” and it is applied
to both apostles and elders. The term “elder” itself, which
is the Greek word “presbuteros,” is applied to both apostles
and the local church leaders appointed in each city by the
apostles. Likewise, the term “episkopos” meaning “bishop”
or “overseer” and the term “poimen” meaning “shepherd” are
both applied to Jesus and to local elders. And lastly, as
we will see below, the term for “teacher,” which is used side
by side with “poimen” in Ephesians, is also applied to both
elders and apostles.
From
the interchangeable usage of all these terms, two interesting
facts emerge. First, that these terms (bishop, elder, overseer,
and pastor) are synonyms for one another. Second, and more
relevantly to our study, the New Testament describes the role
and function of the apostles using the same descriptive terms
as it uses to describe the leadership role and function of
Jesus. But more importantly, the New Testament also uses these
exact same descriptive terms to describe the role and function
of the local elders. This bears gives strong indications that
the apostles themselves understood that elders had a function
and role in the church that was similar to their own.
Moving
forward, in order to understand how the elders were supposed
to fill the need in the churches that was created by the absence
of the apostles we simply need to understand how the apostles
themselves acted as elders and how the apostles, the elders,
and Jesus Christ oversaw God’s flock.
How
did Jesus oversee God’s flock? He cared for it by giving it
God’s commands, by teaching it God’s ways. Matthew 6 explains
this concept, which Peter references in his epistle.
Mark 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out,
saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them,
because they were as sheep not having a shepherd:
and he began to teach them many things.
1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd (4166) and Bishop (1985) of your
souls.
Jesus’
response to observing that the people were as sheep without
a shepherd is to teach them. And we have seen from our survey
of the gospels how Jesus’ teaching dominated the time he spent
together with his disciples (and the crowds.) So, Jesus oversaw
the flock by teaching them. He did not oversee the flock by
letting them each share equally with one another as they gathered
together.
In
accordance with this, beyond proper character and behavior
one of the qualifications of elders (or bishops) was that
they had to be able to teach.
1 Timothy 3:1 This is a true saying,
If a man desire the
office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2 A bishop
then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant,
sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3 Not given to wine, no
striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler,
not covetous; 4 One
that ruleth (4291) well his own house, having his children
in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule (4291)
his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
Titus 1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled,
not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to
filthy lucre; 8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good
men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9 Holding
fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may
be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the
gainsayers.
In
these passages Paul provides instructions to Timothy and Titus,
both of whom were elders according to the early church historians.
Paul instructs these men to appoint elders (or bishops as
they are called here in this passage.) In Timothy, Paul even
compares the elder’s role as the father over his household
to his own role in the church (Ephesians 6:4). In fact, Paul
had specifically left Titus in Crete
to ordain elders in each city just as he himself had done
in Acts 14:23. (Note that in Titus 1:5 we have another indication
that there were multiple elders appointed in every city and
not just a single elder appointed in each city.)
Titus 1:5 For this cause left I thee in Crete,
that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting,
and ordain elders in every city, as I
had appointed thee:
Along
similar lines, Paul instructs Timothy to find faithful men
who will be able to teach the Word of Christ after Timothy
and when Timothy himself is not present. This sounds very
much like when the apostles appointed elders to carry on in
their absence.
2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same
commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others
also.
Again,
we see the same themes present in each of these passages.
The theme is that elders (bishops, pastors, overseers) are
to oversee and protect the flock from the infiltration of
false doctrine. Furthermore, Ephesians 4:11, Paul couples
the term “poimen” or shepherds with the term “teacher.” Once
again we see that the elders’ prevention of the false doctrine
is through teaching sound doctrine. Thus, elders follow the
same pattern that Jesus and the apostles established by leading
and teaching God’s flock during their gatherings. And as we
demonstrated earlier, Jesus and the apostles’ pattern was
one in which one or two speakers dominated the focus of the
meeting.
Furthermore,
we do have some direct indications from Jesus that he would
appoint people to serve in this capacity while he was away.
We have already seen how before he ascended, before he left
the church, Jesus appointed the apostles to serve in overseeing
the church after His ascension through the teaching of the
word. From the quote in John 21 below, we can plainly see
that Jesus even equated this teaching and oversight role to
concept of shepherds feeding a flock, a role that both Peter
and Paul specifically pass on to the elders using the exact
same terms in 1 Peter 5 and Acts 20.
John 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again,
Peace be unto you: as
my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22
And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and
saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever
sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose
soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake
unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and
in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of
the world. Amen.
John 21:15 So when they had dined, Jesus
saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou
me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest
that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He
saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas,
lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest
that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He
saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas,
lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him
the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord,
thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus
saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
1 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and
a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker
of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed
the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight
(1983) thereof, not by constraint, but willingly;
not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being
lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the
flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear,
ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which
the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers (1985), to feed the
church of God, which he hath purchased with his
own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departing shall
grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing
the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise,
speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
31 Therefore watch
(1127), and remember,
that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every
one night and day with tears.
Similarly,
as we saw earlier, Jesus taught the disciples that he would
appoint some of his servants to manage his household while
he was away.
Matthew 24:45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler
(2525) over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh
shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make
him ruler (2525) over all his goods. 48 But and if that
evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his
coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants,
and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that
servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him,
and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him
asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites:
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Luke 12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his
lord shall make ruler (2525) over his household, to give them
their portion of meat in due season? 43 Blessed is
that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler (2525) over
all that he hath. 45 But and if that servant say in his heart,
My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants
and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46 The
lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not
for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will
cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the
unbelievers.
The
word for “ruler” that occurs in both of these passages is
the Greek word “kathistemi” (Strong’s number 2525). It means
to “to set, to place, to put, to set one over a thing.” It
denotes “to place one in charge of something, to appoint one
to administer an office or duty.” Here, Jesus plainly uses
this word to speak of appointing one of his servants over
the other servants in his household. And according to Christ,
that servant’s duty is “to feed them” and “to give them their
meat in due season.” We have already seen this metaphor of
“feeding” God’s house used to refer to the teaching of the
word. So, again Jesus is presenting the idea that there will
be those who will be “over” God’s house whose responsibility
is to “feed” or teach them His word. And we see that these
persons were appointed specifically to carry out this duty
while Jesus, the master of the house, is away.
Consequently,
we learn that in his absence, because he was leaving, Jesus
Christ sent out the apostles as the Father had sent him. And
in doing so, Jesus, the Apostle, the Chief Shepherd, commanded
the apostles to teach all that he had taught them. And we
have seen them doing so in the church gatherings that are
recorded for us in Acts.
So,
when Jesus was unable to be present with his disciples at
their gatherings and to teach them in person, he appointed
the apostles to continue this role and function. Later the
apostles encounter the same situation. They will not be able
to be present continually at church gatherings in every community
of believers. They will not be able to continue to lead and
teach during these meetings. So, what do the apostles do?
They do as Jesus had done. They appoint or ordain elders to
continue the work of overseeing the churches just as they
had done and just as Jesus had formerly done at gatherings
through leading and teaching the word.
Paul
commands this very thing to Titus in Titus 1:5. Paul uses
the same Greek word that Jesus used to for the servant who
is “made ruler” over the household while the master is away
and who is supposed to “feed” God’s word to the other servants.
Below, Paul follows these instructions from Jesus when he
himself instructs Titus to “ordain elders in every city.”
Titus 1:5 For this cause left I thee in
Crete, that
thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and
ordain (2525) elders in every city, as I had appointed
(1299) thee:
The
word “kathistemi” is being used in these passages to indicate
someone being given the role of performing a particular function
that is not equally shared by all of God’s people. Incidentally,
in Hebrews “kathistemi” is also used of the high priest.
Hebrews 5:1 For every high priest taken from among men is ordained (2525) for
men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer
both gifts and sacrifices for sins:
Hebrews 7:28 For the law maketh (2525) men high priests which have infirmity; but
the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh
the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.
Hebrews 8:3 For every high priest is ordained (2525) to offer gifts and sacrifices:
wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat
also to offer.
But
since Paul applies a word (“kathistemi”) that refers to the
ordaining of Old Testament priests to the appointment of elders
in Titus 1:5, how can Frank Viola confidently deny that elders
were ordained or appointed into a hierarchical role or special
function within the church and suggest instead that they were
merely “recognized” for work they were already doing? In the
quote below Viola argues that since Hebrews indicates the
Old Testament priesthood is gone, therefore, there are no
longer any special roles or functions in the church and instead
every member of the church functions equally.
The
modern-day pastoral office has overthrown the
main thrust of the letter to the Hebrews – the ending of the
old priesthood. It has made ineffectual the teaching of
1 Corinthians 12-14, that every member has both the right and the privilege
to minister in a church gathering. It has voided the message
of 1 Peter 2 that every brother and sister is a functioning
priest. Being a functioning priest does not mean that
you may only perform highly restrictive forms of ministry
like singing songs in your pew, raising your hands during
worship, setting up the PowerPoint presentation, or teaching
a Sunday school class. That is not the New Testament idea
of ministry! – Frank Viola, Pagan
Christianity, Chapter 5, The Pastor: Obstacle to Every-Member
Functioning, pages 136-137
As
we have seen, Viola is simply wrong here. By applying the
same word for “ordain” that was used of the Old Testament
priests to refer to the appointment of elders in the church,
Paul’s idea carries with it hierarchical roles and special
functions for elders/overseers. And as we saw earlier, the
notion that every believer is a priest in no way denies that
there are special roles or functions among the priests.
Again,
in the quote below, Viola argues that elders were not appointed
into special roles. (Notice, that Viola is again proof-texting
the verses given that he merely cites them without providing
their text, without discussing their context, without demonstrating
that they are related. Instead, he assumes that just citing
these verses proves his point against his opponent’s position.)
Strikingly,
only three passages in the New Testament tell us that elders
were publicly recognized. Elders were acknowledged in the
churches in Galatia
(Acts 14:23). Paul and Timothy acknowledge elders in Ephesus (1 Timothy 3:1ff). He also told Titus
to recognize them in the churches in Crete
(Titus 1:5ff.). The
word ordain (KJV) in these passages does not
mean to place into office. It rather carries the idea
of endorsing, affirming, and showing forth what has already
been happening. It also conveys the thought of blessing. Public
recognition of elders and other ministries was typically accompanied
by the laying on of hands by apostolic workers. (In the
case of workers being sent out, this was done by the church
or the elders). In the first century, the laying of hands
merely meant the endorsement or affirmation of a function,
not the installment into any office or the
giving of special status. Regrettably, it came to mean
the latter in the late second and early third centuries. –
Frank Viola, Pagan Christianity, Chapter 5, The Pastor: Obstacle to Every-Member
Functioning, pages 123-124
Elders
exist in the church before
they are outwardly recognized. Apostolic endorsement
merely makes public that which the Spirit has already accomplished.
The laying on of hands
is a token of fellowship, oneness, and affirmation. It’s a
profound error, therefore, to confuse biblical recognition
with ecclesiastical ordination. – Frank Viola, Reimagining
Church, Appendix, Objections and Responses About Leadership,
page 290
Note
that one of the three passages that Viola himself mentions
in the first quote above is Titus 1:5. As we have said, this
very passage speaks of the “ordination” of elders using the
same Greek word that is used to refer to the installation
of the Old Testament high priests into their special function,
special role, and hierarchical office. As such, how can Viola
argue that elders weren’t “appointed” or placed into a special
role? Viola’s argument essentially is that unlike Old Testament
priests, elders are not appointed to special functions. However,
the New Testament use of “kathistemi” in reference to the
ordination of both Old Testament priests and elders contradicts
Viola’s argument directly. It seems that Viola should not
only have studied the New Testament historical narrative,
but also its linguistic usage. If he had he would realize
that it is simply not possible to argue against the idea of
elders having a special role or function in the church any
more than we can argue that high priests didn’t have a special
role in Old Testament or that apostles didn’t have a special
role in the New Testament.
At
this point, perhaps Viola might argue that we are proof-texting
by relating three disparate and unrelated verses from Hebrews
(Hebrews 5:1, 7:28, and 8:3) to Titus 1:5. But are these passages
unrelated? Consider that all four verses discuss the appointment
of persons into a special role and special function that is
not in general shared by all believers. And all four passages
use the same Greek word when doing so. Viola himself even
relates these passages when he contends that in contrast to
the Old Testament priesthood, which Hebrews dismantles, elders
had no special function in the church. Viola’s argument depends
on connecting passages in Hebrews, which discuss the Old Testament
priesthood to passages like Titus 1:5, which discuss the appointment
and function of elders. Since, Viola himself connects these
passages, he cannot object to our doing so in examination
of his own claims.
Similarly,
in three places Hebrews refers to “those who rule over” others
in the churches.
Hebrews 13:7 Remember (3421) them which have the rule (2233) over you, who have spoken
unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering
the end of their conversation. 8 Jesus Christ the same
yesterday, and to day, and for ever. 9 Be
not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For
it is a good thing that the heart be established with
grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have
been occupied therein.
Hebrews 13:17 Obey (3982) them that have the rule (2233) over you, and submit (5226)
yourselves: for
they watch (69) for your souls, as they that must give
account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief:
for that is unprofitable for you.
Hebrews 13:24 Salute all them that have the rule (2233) over you, and all the saints.
They of Italy
salute you.
Here
in Hebrews 13, in the context of warning them about false
doctrine, we see Paul telling his readers to remember or be
mindful of those that rule over them who speak the word to
them. In verse 7, we see that “those who rule” speak the word
to the church. And in verse 17, we see that they watch over
the church. (It is also worth noting that this language seems
remarkably related to Acts 20 and Peter’s first epistle, in
which Paul and Peter speak of elders as “watching” to safeguard
the church against “false doctrine.”)
The
word translated as “rule” in this passage is the Greek word
“hegeomai” (Strong’s number 2233.) It is the same word used
in Matthew 2:6 to refer to Jesus’ rule as “Governor” over
the flock of Israel as its shepherd. The word translated
as “rule” in Matthew 2:6 is the Greek verb “poimaino,” Strong’s
number 4165. It comes from the Greek noun “poimen” (Strong’s
number 4166), meaning “shepherd” or “pastor,” which is used
in Ephesians 4:11 and which is synonymous with overseer elsewhere
in the New Testament.
Matthew 2:6 And thou Bethlehem,
in the land
of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor (2233),
that shall rule (4165) my people Israel.
“Hegeomai,”
which is used in these three verses from Hebrews, is also
used in Acts 7:10 to refer to Joseph’s appointment over all
of Pharaoh’s house.
Acts
7:10 And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and
gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of
Egypt;
and he made (2525)
him governor (2233) over Egypt
and all his house.
In
this passage, in his speech, Stephen couples “hegeomai” with
“kathistemi” to speak of Joseph’s being “made ruler” over
all of Pharaoh’s house. Stephen here parallels Jesus’ own
remarks from Matthew 24:45-51 and Luke 12:42-46 to convey
the idea of a servant being appointed over the house of his
master.
From
all these passages, the pattern is very clear and very apparent.
The conclusion is unavoidable. All alternatives are shown
to be without biblical support.
To
understand how the elders were overseers of the flock we must
simply recognize how the New Testament used this terminology
and applied it to the apostles and to Jesus Christ himself.
Oversight and feeding the flock largely involved the ministering
and teaching of the word of God when the church gathered together.
And we have only seen one model for how this was conducted.
We have repeatedly seen Jesus and the apostles dominating
the church gatherings through teaching the word. We have not
seen a single instance of church meetings in which everyone
shared, spoke, and participated equally. And throughout the
course of New Testament history after Jesus’ ascension, after
Pentecost, or even later in the lives and ministries of apostles
like Peter and Paul, we have seen no indications that this
model would be changed or did change.
Instead,
in their discussions, descriptions, and instructions about
elders, the apostles use the very same terminology that they
applied to their own role and function in the church. They
use terms like “ruler,” “rule over,” “oversight,” “feed the
flock,” “shepherd,” “teacher,” “elder,” and “bishop.” They
make no distinction between their own role and function in
the church and that of the elders they appointed after them.
Instead, they directly and repeatedly apply their same role
and function to the elders.
Elders/Overseers Continued the Role and Function
of the Apostles in the Church
As
we have already seen, the New Testament indicates that elders
took over the post of leading the church in the absence of
the apostles. However, a few texts remain that we might examine
in this study. The first text that we might look at is Matthew
18:17-19, which we looked at in our survey of the gospels.
At the time we noted how Matthew 18 contradicts the Pseudo-traditional
model’s notion of single-headed leadership because Matthew
18 instead places leadership of the church in the hands of
a group of individual who together share authority. We left
it to be explored further whether Jesus’ instructions in this
passage would be altered later in the New Testament. By comparing
this passage’s relationship to 1 Corinthians 5 we will find
further evidence that no alteration was ever made.
Matthew 18:15 Moreover if thy brother
shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between
thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained
thy brother. 16 But if he will not hear thee, then
take with thee one
or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every
word may be established. 17 And
if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the
church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto
thee as an heathen man and a publican. 18 Verily I say
unto you, Whatsoever
ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever
ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19
Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth
as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done
for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together (4863) in my name, there
am I in the midst of them.
Here
in Matthew 18, we have Jesus giving authority to his apostles
to excommunicate persons who are violating his teachings.
Jesus clearly has future gatherings of his followers in mind
in this passage. First, in verse 17, he instructs that the
final step is to bring an unrepentant brother before the church,
or assembly. Second, in verse 20, we have Jesus stating that
when two or three are gathered in his name he is there among
them. The Greek word for “gathered together” is “sunago” (Strong’s
number 4863.) We know that this “gathering” refers to church
assemblies because Jesus makes this remark right after stating
that two or three witnesses must bring the offending brother
before the church. And third, we should also note from verse
20 that Jesus’ instructions were for a point in time when
he would no longer be physically present among them.
In
1 Corinthians 5, we have an instance in which Jesus’ instructions
in Matthew 18 are being practiced in the Corinthian church.
1 Corinthians 5:1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you,
and such fornication as is not so much as named among the
Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. 2 And ye
are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath
done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For
I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged
already, as though I were present, concerning him
that hath so done this deed, 4 In
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together
(4863), and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that
the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your
glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven
leaveneth the whole lump? 7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that
ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with
old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness;
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company (4874) with fornicators:
10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world,
or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters;
for then must ye needs go out of the world. 11 But now
I have written unto you not to keep company (4874), if any
man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous,
or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner;
with such an one no not to eat. 12 For what have I to
do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them
that are within? 13 But them that are without God judgeth.
Therefore put away
(1808) from (1537) among yourselves that wicked person.
Here
in this passage, Paul describes how a member of the Corinthian
church community was in violation of Jesus’ teaching regarding
fornication (verse 1.) Paul is clear that the Corinthians
must put this man out of their church fellowship (verses 11-13.)
The fact that Paul is discussing church gatherings is clear
from this passage. He mentions the need for them to purge
themselves in the context of the Passover meal in verse 7.
The Passover meal was the meal Jesus celebrated with his disciples
the night of his betrayal and arrest at the Last Supper. It
is the meal that our Christian communal meal is based upon.
And in verse 11, Paul states that they are not to eat with
such a person (in this case, a man committing fornication.)
But
even more relevant are Paul’s comments earlier in this chapter.
In verses 3-5, Paul specifically instructs the Corinthians
that when they are gathered together they should put this
man out of their fellowship. This can be seen explicitly in
verse 4. There are several important things worth noting from
this. First, the Greek word for “gathered together” in verse
4 is “sunago” (Strong’s number 4863.) This is the very word
Jesus used in Matthew 18:21 when he provided the apostles
with the very instruction for excommunication that Paul is
carrying out here and requiring the Corinthian church to follow.
(This same word “sunago” is used in Acts 4:31, Acts 11:26,
Acts 13:44, Acts 14:27, Acts 15:6, Acts 15:30, Acts 20:7,
and Acts 20:8 to refer to church gatherings.)
Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled
together (4863); and they were all filled with the Holy
Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Acts 11:26 And when he had found him,
he brought him unto Antioch.
And it came to pass,
that a whole year they assembled themselves (4863) with the
church, and taught much people. And the disciples were
called Christians first in Antioch.
Acts 14:27 And when they were come, and had gathered (4863) the church together (4863),
they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how
he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.
Acts 15:6 And the apostles and elders came together (4863) for to consider of
this matter.
Acts 15:30 So when they were dismissed,
they came to Antioch:
and when they had gathered
(4863) the multitude together (4863), they delivered the epistle:
Acts 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together
(4863) to break bread, Paul
preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and
continued his speech until midnight.
Acts 20:8 And there were many lights in
the upper chamber, where
they were gathered together (4863). 9 And there sat in
a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen
into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from
the third loft, and was taken up dead.
Second,
Paul’s instruction that the Corinthians cast this man out
of their fellowship when they have gathered together perfectly
follows Jesus’ instruction that they are to bring such a person
before the church. Third, we should notice that Paul states
in verse 4 that casting this man out of fellowship is done
in the power of Jesus Christ. This again seems to be another
reference to Matthew 18, which established the protocols for
excommunication and which states that it was by Jesus’ authority
that the apostles were to bind and loose sinful brothers.
Consequently, the Corinthian church is acting in accordance
with that authority and carrying out those instructions from
Christ.
Fourth,
we might take note that in following up on this matter in
his second letter, Paul makes another comment that is similar
to statements made by Jesus in Matthew 18.
2 Corinthians 2:3 And I wrote this same
unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them
of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all,
that my joy is the joy of you all. 4 For out of much
affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved,
but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly
unto you. 5 But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved
me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. 6 Sufficient
to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted
of many. 7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather
to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps
such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. 8
Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your
love toward him. 9 For to this end also did I write, that
I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all
things. 10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive
also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it,
for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;
Specifically,
we take note of Paul’s statement that whatever the Corinthians
forgive, he too forgives in the person of Christ. This parallel
Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:18-20 where he states that whatever
the apostles loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Of course,
in the context of excommunication “loosed” means “forgive.”
And “in heaven” here is a reference to Christ who would be
in heaven after his ascension while the apostles were carrying
out his instructions. (Once again, here we notice the familiar
theme that apostles were to carry on Christ’s function when
he was no longer physically present and elders were to carry
on the apostles’ function when they were no longer physically
present.)
Matthew
18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever
ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever
ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19
Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth
as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done
for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together (4863) in my name, there
am I in the midst of them.
Fifth,
notice is that Paul’s remarks in 1 Corinthians 5:3-4 echo
Jesus’ own statements in Matthew 18:20. When discussing the
process of excommunication in the church, Jesus says that
when just two or three are gathered “there am I in the midst
of them.” Similarly, when discussing excommunication, Paul
not only says that he is “absent in body, but present in spirit”
but also that when the Corinthians are gathered together,
his spirit and the power of Jesus are present with them. There
is no doubt that Paul is borrowing from the language of Jesus’
teaching on excommunication.
But
why is this relevant to our study? What do Matthew 18 and
1 Corinthians 5 have to do with the role of elders in the
church when apostles weren’t present? The answer is this.
Matthew 18 clearly establishes that the authority to excommunicate
was given to the apostles to conduct after Christ’s ascension
when Christ was no longer present Himself. 1 Corinthians 5
clearly shows that the authority to excommunicate which was
given to the apostles had been given to the Corinthian church,
when the apostles themselves were not physically present.
It is apparent then that this practice and authority for excommunication,
which was an act carried out at a church gathering, was transferred
by the apostles to the church communities.
To
be fair, there is no mention in 1 Corinthians 5 of the Corinthian
elders specifically. And it is true that in1 Corinthians 5,
Paul intended for a larger body of the church beyond just
the elders to gather together for the purposes of excommunication,
but the same is true in Matthew 18. In Matthew 18, Jesus refers
to the church assembly as well as the two or three apostles
who were charged to lead the process of excommunication. And
yet we know that Matthew 18 places the authority and responsibility
of conducting the excommunication with the apostles, not with
the entirety of the church that they were to bring the offending
brother before. Similarly, we can have just as much confidence
that it was the Corinthian elders that lead the church gatherings
and conducted the excommunication procedure before the whole
church in Corinth.
At this point what biblical motivation would we have for assuming
otherwise when doing so would be contrary to such a comprehensive
body of scriptural information on the topic of the function
of elders during church gatherings?
But
there is still an even clearer indication from the New Testament
that the elders inherited the apostles’ leadership function
in the churches and church gatherings when the apostles were
not present. In our article entitled “Church Authority and
Leadership Conditional,” we examine the significance of Paul’s
statement regarding bishops/elders in 1 Timothy 5:17.
1
Timothy 5:17 Let the elders (4245) that rule well
be counted worthy of double (1362) honour (5092), especially (3122) they who labour in the word
and doctrine.
The
context of this remark is the distribution of the church’s
regular collection, which helped in part to support the needs
of widows in the church, as we have already seen in Acts 6.
Acts 6:1 And in those days, when the number
of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of
the Grecians against the Hebrews, because
their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
As
we have previously learned from our survey, the early church
community shared their possession in order to support each
other’s material needs (Acts 2:44-45, Acts 4:34-37). In 1
Timothy 5, Paul is discussing this same subject, taking care
of widows and providing for the church.
1
Timothy 5:5 Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate,
trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers
night and day. 6 But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while
she liveth. 7 And these things give in charge, that they may
be blameless. 8 But if any provide not for his own, and
specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith,
and is worse than an infidel…16 If any man or woman
that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let
not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are
widows indeed. 17 Let the elders (4245) that rule
well be counted worthy of double (1362) honour (5092),
especially (3122) they who labour in the word and doctrine.
18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that
treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his
reward.
In
the midst of his discussion Paul states in verse 17 that the
elders were to receive a double portion. Viola explains in
his book, Reimagining Church, that this passage does not indicate that
elders held special roles in church leadership.
The
elders were not regarded as religious specialists, but
as faithful and trusted brethren. They were not clergy, but self-supportive
family men with secular jobs (Acts 20:17, 32-35, 1 Tim.. 3:5,
7; Titus 1:6; 1 Peter 5:2-3). Because
of their tireless labor, some elders received double honor
from the church. But double honor is just that – extra respect.
– Frank Viola, Reimagining Church,
Chapter 9, Reimagining Oversight, page 179
Again,
those elders who serve
well are to receive more honor – or greater respect. –
Frank Viola, Reimagining
Church,
Chapter 9, Reimagining Oversight, page 179
Viola
is missing something very important to this passage and very
significant to the role and function of elders when apostles
were not present. As
we explain in greater detail in our article, the significance
of this statement is often overlooked. But the fact is that
the double portion designates something very specific. It
is not simply the idea of “greater honor” or “extra respect”
as Frank Viola mistakenly asserts. Rather the giving of the
double portion is the biblical way of identifying an heir
or successor (Deuteronomy 21:17, 2 Kings 2:9). Under Old Testament
law, the oldest son received a portion of his father’s inheritance,
which was twice the size of the allotments given to the other
children. In short, the double portion was the way of denoting
which heir among all the heirs was the ranking and successor.
Another
example that comes from the Old Testament involves Elijah
and his successor Elisha. 1 Kings 2:7 describes how “fifty
men of the sons of the prophets” accompanied Elijah and Elisha
on the day when Elijah was to be taken away into heaven. Yet
it is only Elisha that walks alone with Elijah. In verse 9,
Elisha specifically asks to be given a “double portion” of
the prophetic spirit that is upon Elijah. Why? Contextually
it is clear. There are many “sons” or heirs of the prophets,
but Elisha wants to inherit Elijah’s rank over them after
Elijah is no longer physically present. Verse 15 records that
Elisha’s request is granted and that the “sons of the prophets”
recognized that Elisha had inherited Elijah’s rank and bowed
down to him. Once again, we can see that the idea of a double
portion denotes who had rank among the “sons” or “heirs” left
behind when a leader was no longer physically present.
While
Frank Viola fails to take this critical information into account
or is perhaps completely unaware of it, Paul undoubtedly was
not. If Paul had simply meant “more respect” why did he use
the word “double?” This is not incidental. In 1 Timothy, Paul
is discussing the distribution of material goods to support
the needs of the community. In doing so he states that the
“elders” who “rule well” and “especially those who labor in
the word and in doctrine” receive a “double honor.” If Viola
believes this “double portion” is simply added respect he
is either being naïve or he is just wrong.
In
saying that the elders were to receive a double portion, Paul
is referencing this Old Testament code in order to identify
that when the apostles were gone, the elders were the successors
of the apostles and they inherited the apostles’ rank over
the rest of the sons and heirs. Notice also from the text
that Paul specifically designates that this applies to elders
who labored in the word and in doctrine. Paul here unequivocally
confirms our assessment that the elders were appointed in
order to fill the need created by the absence of the apostles.
In locations or times when the apostles would not be present,
the elders were to take up the apostles’ role in the leading
and conducting of the church meetings through the teaching
of God’s Word. And in so doing, the elders were overseeing
the flock and protecting God’s people from the infiltration
of false teaching just as Jesus and the apostles had done
before them.
Therefore
Frank Viola is wrong to conclude that the elders (or presbyters)
were in violation of the New Testament church model when they
acted as the apostles successors and dominated church gatherings
as the apostles had. Instead, as Paul himself indicates, the
elders who functioned as the apostles’ successors in the local
churches were right to do so. Therefore, it is Viola who’s
got this wrong, not the first century elders.
Church
leadership began to formalize at about the time of the death
of the itinerant apostolic workers (church planters). In the late first and early second centuries,
local presbyters began to emerge as the resident “successors”
to the unique leadership role played by the apostolic workers.
This gave rise to a single leading figure in each church.
Without the influence of the extra-local workers who had been
mentored by the New Testament apostles, the church began to drift toward the organizational patterns of her surrounding
culture. – Frank Viola, Pagan
Christianity, Chapter 5, The Pastor: Obstacle to Every-Member
Functioning, page 110
Consequently,
according to the New Testament, but contrary to Viola’s model,
elders (or overseers) were the successors of the apostolic
leadership role in the church communities.