This past week, Nancy and I were traveling in PA, and we had stopped for lunch at a little diner. While there, we were discussing where to go next, and since we didn’t have any good maps, we were somewhat frustrated. Then I remembered that I have a little program on my phone that finds restaurants, hotels, gas stations, and concerts. So I turned it on, it thought for a minute, and then on the screen there came up a very detailed map of the area, and right in the middle of the map was a little blinking light. I showed it to Nancy and said, “Guess what that little blinking light is? It’s this phone!” Does anybody else find that a little bit scary?
There is a reason these phones are called “smart” phones (my phone contains more computing power than the entire NASA program of 1969 when we landed men on the moon!), but sometimes they are a little bit too smart for my comfort – and this was one of those times! I found it very unnerving that there was a satellite out there somewhere that could pinpoint, to an intersection, the location of my telephone. That is a level of involvement in my personal life that is too close for comfort.
Technology really is a wonderful thing, but in the wrong hands, that technology can have very bad consequences. The scary thing about technology is that it has become predictive.
This morning we are going to be spending our time looking at Someone who has a level of knowledge about you, and a level of involvement in your personal life, that is going to blow you away. If you are impressed by what a smart phone can do, or what Google or Pandora Radio or Amazon can do, wait until you see what Psalm 139 teaches us about God’s involvement in your life.
In Psalm 138:8, David says, “The Lord will accomplish what concerns me, your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting, do not forsake the works of Thy hands.”
There are three distinct clauses here, and I want us to look at each of them very briefly as an introduction to Psalm 139.
“The Lord will accomplish what concerns me.” Note the tone of certainty here. There is not a hint of question in David’s assertion. “The Lord will accomplish what concerns me.” There are at least two other passages that teach this idea, the first in Jer. 29:11. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not calamity, to give you a future and a hope.” In the NT, we read in Phil. 1:6, “For I am confident of this very thing that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
The point of these passages is that God has a plan for your life, and He will bring it about. Both the good and the bad are a part of the plan. We need to be careful not to make the mistake of thinking that God’s plan is working when my life is running smoothly, and that God’s plan has gotten off course when my life is full of difficulty. That isn’t the way it works. “The Lord will accomplish what concerns me.” What this means in everyday language is that there is nothing random or arbitrary about your life.
So in the first phrase, we see what God is going to do. In the next phrase, we see how God is going to do it. David goes on to say, “your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting.”
I want us to think first about that word “lovingkindness.” It isn’t a part of our normal vocabulary, is it? The KJV uses the word “mercy,” “Your mercy, O Lord, is everlasting” which is a legitimate translation, but our perception of mercy is not nearly broad enough to encompass the meaning of the Hebrew word. “Mercy” in English is “not giving someone what they deserve,” which is true of God, but we limit mercy to a judicial / legal context. The Hebrew word here is much broader and entails the concept of faithfulness, especially faithfulness to the covenants God established with Abraham, Noah, and David.
This is why the ESV translates it as “your steadfast love, O Lord, is everlasting.” The word conveys not only kindness, and mercy, and love but also faithfulness to a promise. The point David is making is that the plan God is working out in your life is going to be carried out within the context of love, and kindness, and mercy.
This is an important point for us to remember because many times we have the misperception that our setting in life is outside of, or beyond the scope of God’s love, or God’s mercy, or God’s kindness. But this phrase tells us otherwise, doesn’t it? “Your steadfast love is everlasting, O Lord.” One of the surprising things I have learned in the prison ministry is that many of those men there have learned the truth of this, and many of the men in the prison church will tell you that prison is the best thing that has ever happened to them. It was actually an act of God’s kindness, even God’s mercy to them, that brought them to a conviction and sentence.
So as we follow the flow of thought in this verse David starts out by telling us what God is going to do, in the phrase “the Lord will accomplish what concerns me.” Then we have how God is going to carry out His plan for our life by telling us it will happen within the context of love and mercy. And finally, we have David’s plea in the phrase, “do not forsake the work of Thy hands.”
The reason I am calling this a plea from David is because God’s plan for our lives often involves difficulty if not outright hardship, pain, and even suffering. David knew a lot about things of this nature, and this is often where we find ourselves when God’s plan for our lives takes a turn in a direction we don’t want to go.
I remember Elisabeth Elliott telling about her conversation with God right after her second husband had been diagnosed with cancer. They were leaving the surgeons office and he had just described the hideous surgeries he was going to have to perform, and EE’s question to God was, “Again?” In other words, “I’ve already lost one husband, am I going to lose another one?” When we find ourselves at this point in God’s plan for our lives, we can identify with David’s plea, “do not forsake the work of thy hands.”
And it is at this point that we come to Psalm 139. It is like the Holy Spirit gave David a microscope and the ability to peer into God’s invisible workings in your life. And it is a sight to behold! Let’s just skim through the first six verses and note how God’s knowledge of us, and His involvement in our lives is so much deeper, even intrusive, that most of us are aware of.
1 & 2 O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me. 2 Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar.
David’s point here is that God is aware of the mundane (“sitting and rising”) as well as the profound (“you understand my thoughts from afar”). The significance of God’s understanding your thoughts from afar is seen in that when a husband and a wife have been together long enough, they eventually get to the place where they can somewhat read each other’s minds. They can tell what the other person is thinking. But they can only do that when they are close enough to each other to see the face. God doesn’t have that limitation. He “understands our thoughts from afar.”
3 Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down, and art intimately acquainted with all my ways.
I want us to think about this word “scrutinize” for a moment (the KJV uses the word “compasseth”). The Hebrew word for “scrutinize” has the idea of “measuring,” but with the ultimate emphasis on comprehensive knowledge. Here’s how it works. How many of you are familiar with the old carpenter’s adage, “measure once, cut twice?” What’s the point? Before you commit to making a cut, you better measure, and then measure again. And if you are working with mahogany, or teak, you better measure one more time just to make sure. So the idea of scrutiny grows out of this activity of careful measuring. And when you are scrutinizing something, the net result is that you end up with a comprehensive knowledge of the subject.
Think about the the difference between having a “comprehensive” knowledge of something, and a “working” knowledge of something? For instance, I have a “working” knowledge of plumbing, but certainly not a comprehensive knowledge. The same with carpentry and mechanics. That old saying “a jack of all trades and master of none” fits me well.
David’s point is that God’s knowledge of us is not a working knowledge! It is a comprehensive knowledge, based on His scrutinizing of our lives.
4 Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, Thou dost know it all.
This verse is telling us that God’s knowledge of me is not limited to my ability to express / articulate my need. Several years ago we were babysitting several children for a couple of days, and one of the children had some kind of condition where she would become extremely agitated and incommunicative. When she got like this she would moan and groan and gasp and writhe – obviously in great distress – but she couldn’t talk. And one night at bed time, she was having one of these times and I remember saying to her over and over, “I want to help you, but you have to use words.”
David’s point is that we don’t have to use words! There may be times in our life where we are so agitated or hurt or disillusioned that we can’t even articulate what is on our hearts. That’s not a problem with God! “Before the word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, Thou dost know it all.” The N.T. teaching of this is found in Rom. 8:26 where Paul says “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” So again, we see how incredibly deep God’s knowledge of us really is.
5 Thou hast enclosed me behind and before,
The concept here is complete protection. I really like how the various versions translate this.
“I am shut in by you on every side” BBE
“You surround me – front and back” CEB
“You hem me in, behind and before” NIV
“You go before me and follow me” NLT
David’s point is that when you have protection on one side only, you are still very vulnerable. So God surrounds us! And then note what David says. Not only is God completely surrounding us, note how close He is to us. “And laid Thy hand upon me.” Have you ever noticed how comforting touch is?
Something I have learned about painting houses is that the higher up I go, the less comfortable I am standing on a walk board. I don’t mind being on a ladder because I hold on to a rung with one hand and paint with the other, but when you are on a walk board, there is nothing to hang on to! One time I was about 30 feet up painting the peak of a house. I was standing on an 18” walk board, which is more than sufficient – it shouldn’t have been hard for me at all. But I couldn’t hold my paint pot in one hand and paint with the other. I had to keep a finger on the side of the house! And as long as I kept one finger on the side of the house, I could lean out to the side and paint, and reach up high overhead and paint, but the moment I took my finger off the side of the house I felt like I was going to lose my balance and fall.
Which is completely illogical, when you think about it. Having my finger on the side of the house accomplishes nothing in the realm of reality when it comes to protection from falling. If I stumble, that finger on the side of the house isn’t going to do one single thing to help me out. But as long as the touch was there, I felt safe. That is the power of touch. So when David says “Thou has enclosed me behind and before, and laid Thy hand upon me,” he is conveying not only protection but also tangible comfort.
And then in verse six we see David’s conclusion. I really like the way the CMV translates it. “I am blown away by all of this.” By the way, CMV stands for the Contemporary Murray Version, the way the NAS puts it is, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it.” And so as David meditates on the level of God’s knowledge of him, and the depth of God’s involvement in his life – it blows his mind. He gives up on trying to wrap his head around it.
Isn’t this an overwhelming answer to the plea of Psalm 138:8 – “do not forsake the work of thy hands”? God’s response is “not only will I not forsake you, I will monitor your most mundane activities, I will predict your very thoughts, and I will comprehensively envelop you and keep My hand on you.”
Are you starting to see that God’s knowledge of and involvement in your life is a little bit deeper than we usually think? In our introduction this morning, I talked with you about how far our technology has progressed, and that it has even become predictive, but warned you that too much personal information in the wrong hands can be dangerous. Isn’t it comforting to know that God knows more about you than Google or Facebook will ever find out? But you don’t ever have to worry about how God will use that knowledge. You won’t ever lose sleep at night wondering about it, in fact, you’ll sleep better!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Church Leadership in the New Testament
Church Leadership in the New Testament
This morning we are going to be doing a quick study of church leadership in the New Testament. Several months ago, the trustees presented a revised constitution to the church that we voted on and approved, and in the near future they will be presenting a revised set of by-laws that we will discuss and vote on as well. One of the matters that is covered in the by-laws is this matter of church leadership, and in particular, what labels should we use to refer to the men who lead this church.
And to start us thinking about this, I have some questions for you. Why am I called a pastor, but in other churches the man filling my role in the church is called “Father?” Why are some men in a church called a “bishop?” Why do some churches have “elders,” and “teaching elders?” Why am I called “Pastor Murray?” Why is Nancy sometimes called “Mrs. Pastor?” What does the word “pastor” mean? Is it biblical? Is it the best word to use to describe my function. Let‟s see if we can answer some of these questions this morning.
Let‟s start by looking at 1 Peter 5, and what I want to show you is that there are five different words used in the NT to describe male leaders in the church, the first one is found in 1 Pt. 5.
1. Elder – 1 Pt. 5:1
Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
presbuteros – emphasis on age, wisdom, and maturity.
2. Deacon – Phil. 1:1
Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:
diakonos – emphasis on physical ministry to the body of Christ.
3. Overseer (the KJV uses the word bishop) – 1 Tim. 3:1
It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.
episkopos – emphasis on oversight and superintendence.
4. Pastor – Eph. 4:11
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers
poimen – emphasis on shepherding, tending, protection.
5. Teacher – James 3:1
Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment.
didaskalos – emphasis on instruction.
Summary: according to what we have just seen, there were five specific leadership roles in the New Testament Church: elder, deacon, overseer, pastor and teacher. I don‟t think every church had one of each, and there is evidence that some of these roles overlapped. For instance, in Eph. 4:11 shows us that the concept of pastor and teacher was a dual role. In Col. 1 Paul refers to himself as a diakonos.
What I want us to do now is look at a very instructive passage in Acts 20 where you see three of these words used in the same paragraph to describe the same group of men. In verse 17 we read, “And from Miletus [Paul] sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders [our word presbuteros – what is the emphasis on? wisdom, age, and maturity – it was a clearly identified, select group of men] of the church. And when they came to him, he said to them . . .” From verse 18 through 35 Paul leaves his parting challenge with these elders.
Now, in verse 28 he says, speaking to this group of elders, "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers [episkopos – oversight, superintendence], to shepherd [poimein – tend, protect] the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”
What do we see from this passage? First of all, we see that the “elders” and “overseers” refer to the same person, and secondly, we see that their responsibility is to shepherd. What this means is that the label to use for these men is “elder,” and the functions they perform are twofold: oversight and shepherding. So remember that the label is “elder” and the functions so far are “oversight” and “shepherding.”
Now, there is a third function an elder performs, and that is found in Eph. 4:11 and James 3:1 where we read that God has graciously given “teachers” to His church. In Eph. 4:11 we have the idea of the “pastor – teacher,” and in the James passage we have the admonition not to be too eager to become a teacher in the church because of the additional accountability you incur.
Summarize: so do you see that elder, overseer, pastor, and teacher are all synonyms for the same group of men. Only one of the terms (elder) is a label; the other terms (overseer, pastor, and teacher) are all functions. You can‟t “elder” a church, but you can “oversee / pastor / teach” a church.
Now, let me give you a curious note about elders: the word “elder” is used as a singular noun only four times in the NT.
“Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis . . .” 1 Tim. 5:19
“. . . as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ . . .” 1 Pt. 5:1
“The elder to the chosen lady . . .” 2 John 1:1
“The elder to the beloved Gaius . . . “ 3 John 1:1
Otherwise, the term “elder,” used in connection with the local church, is always used as a plural. Fifteen times the male leadership of the church is referred to as “the elders.” A quick sampling includes:
Acts 14:23 – “when they had appointed elders for them in every church . . .”
Acts 15:2 – “go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders . . .”
1 Tim. 5:7 – “Let the elders who rule well be considered . . .”
Titus 1:5 – “I left you in Crete that you might . . . appoint elders in every church.”
James 5:14 – “Call for the elders of the church . . .”
1 Pt. 5:5 – “. . . be subject to your elders . . .”
Now, something significant that I want to point out to you is that never once do you see the term “pastor” as a singular noun in the NT, as in “the pastor.” It is seen only once as a plural noun, in Eph. 4:11; and there, the context is the universal church, not the local church. One of the gifts God has given “the church” is “pastors.”
Where then does the idea of “a pastor” as the head of the church come from?
Turn with me to 1 Tim. 3:14. In these verses we have Paul‟s purpose for writing to Timothy, and he says, “I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; but in case I am delayed, I write so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”
Paul‟s intent / purpose in these two letters to Timothy was to give Timothy instructions on how a church was to function. This is why we have extended sections dealing with
prayer in the church,
the role of women in the church,
qualifications for bishops (church leaders),
qualifications for deacons (church leaders),
how to care for widows in the church,
the function of elders (church leaders),
In other words, 1 and 2 Timothy is all about what a biblical church should look like. But these aren‟t the only books in the NT that address this issue, because the letter to Titus contains the same basic information. Look with me at Titus 1:5.
“For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set in order what remains, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you.” And as you read further through Titus you see many parallels to the letters to Timothy.
Now, here is my point. I‟m trying to answer the question, “Where does the idea of a pastor (as opposed to a group of men) as the head of a church come from?” and the answer is that when Paul was writing to a church to give them instructions on how they should function, he sent those letters to an individual, not to a board. Timothy and Titus were the acknowledged human leaders of the church in Ephesus and Crete.
In addition to this, when the Apostle John wrote to a group of churches in Asia Minor, he addressed his message to “the angel” of the various churches. In Rev. 1:20 we read "As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. Then when you go into chapters 2 and 3, each section dedicated to a church starts with the phrase, “to the angel of the church in ________________.”
The word used here can be translated as either “angel” or “messenger,” and the context indicates that this “angel” was the human leader of the church. So the point is that when John had a message to communicate to a church, he did not write to a board, or a group of men, he wrote to an individual.
This is where the idea of “a pastor” comes from. But understand that it is a role. It is a function a man fulfils in the church. Technically, it shouldn‟t be used as a label. Now, is it wrong, or unbiblical to refer to me as Pastor Murray? Not at all. That is the role I fill in this church. But what am I? I am a presbuteros (elder) who episkopos (oversee), diakonis (serve), poimein (shepherd), and didaskolos (teach).
Summary: By far, the term used most often to describe the leadership of the local church is “elders.” And the fact that it is most often plural (15 out of 19) is significant. What this tells us is that it is the plurality of godly leadership in a church that provides the most comprehensive care and the most balanced leadership.
Now, what about deacons? In the New Testament, deacon refers to the men charged with the physical dimension of church ministry. Most Baptist churches mistakenly label these men as trustees. But when you study the scriptural accounts of how the work was carried out in the early church, you see there is a clear division of labor between spiritual ministry and physical ministry. We see this most clearly in Acts 6:1-6.
Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. 2 And the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. 3 "But select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. 4 "But we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word." 5 And the statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. 6 And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.
Something interesting about this passage is that none of the terms under discussion are found in this passage, but what we do see is that there is a clear difference between “serving tables” (v. 2) and the “ministry of the word” (v. 4). The parallel between the work to which the apostles wanted to limit themselves, and the work of the elders / overseers / pastors / teachers is very obvious -it is the “ministry of the word.” What that leaves is the “serving of tables,” or the physical ministry of the church.
The word “deacon” (diakonos) means “one who executes the commands of another.” It is often used to refer to a servant, as in Mt. 22:13 – “Then the king said to the servants (diakonois), „bind him . . .‟” Mt. 20:26 – “It is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant (diakonos).” John 2:5 – “His mother said to the servants (diakonois) „Whatever He says to you . . .‟”
Several times diakonos is translated as “minister” showing the spiritual dimension of the word. Col. 1:25 – “Of this church I was made a minister (diakonos) according to the stewardship from God . . .” Eph. 6:21 – “Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minster (diakonos) in the Lord.” Mt. 4:11 – “Then the Devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister (diakonoun) to Him.” His qualifications for the position are listed in 1 Tim. 3, but how he actually serves the church is found in how the word is used throughout the NT.
So that is a summary of what the NT teaches about church leadership – two clearly defined roles that overlap from time to time. What does all this mean for us? How closely do we want our church to follow the model for church leadership established in the New Testament? In a couple of months, you will be voting on a new set of by-laws that reflect this understanding. I look forward to your feedback and questions.
This morning we are going to be doing a quick study of church leadership in the New Testament. Several months ago, the trustees presented a revised constitution to the church that we voted on and approved, and in the near future they will be presenting a revised set of by-laws that we will discuss and vote on as well. One of the matters that is covered in the by-laws is this matter of church leadership, and in particular, what labels should we use to refer to the men who lead this church.
And to start us thinking about this, I have some questions for you. Why am I called a pastor, but in other churches the man filling my role in the church is called “Father?” Why are some men in a church called a “bishop?” Why do some churches have “elders,” and “teaching elders?” Why am I called “Pastor Murray?” Why is Nancy sometimes called “Mrs. Pastor?” What does the word “pastor” mean? Is it biblical? Is it the best word to use to describe my function. Let‟s see if we can answer some of these questions this morning.
Let‟s start by looking at 1 Peter 5, and what I want to show you is that there are five different words used in the NT to describe male leaders in the church, the first one is found in 1 Pt. 5.
1. Elder – 1 Pt. 5:1
Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
presbuteros – emphasis on age, wisdom, and maturity.
2. Deacon – Phil. 1:1
Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:
diakonos – emphasis on physical ministry to the body of Christ.
3. Overseer (the KJV uses the word bishop) – 1 Tim. 3:1
It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.
episkopos – emphasis on oversight and superintendence.
4. Pastor – Eph. 4:11
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers
poimen – emphasis on shepherding, tending, protection.
5. Teacher – James 3:1
Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment.
didaskalos – emphasis on instruction.
Summary: according to what we have just seen, there were five specific leadership roles in the New Testament Church: elder, deacon, overseer, pastor and teacher. I don‟t think every church had one of each, and there is evidence that some of these roles overlapped. For instance, in Eph. 4:11 shows us that the concept of pastor and teacher was a dual role. In Col. 1 Paul refers to himself as a diakonos.
What I want us to do now is look at a very instructive passage in Acts 20 where you see three of these words used in the same paragraph to describe the same group of men. In verse 17 we read, “And from Miletus [Paul] sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders [our word presbuteros – what is the emphasis on? wisdom, age, and maturity – it was a clearly identified, select group of men] of the church. And when they came to him, he said to them . . .” From verse 18 through 35 Paul leaves his parting challenge with these elders.
Now, in verse 28 he says, speaking to this group of elders, "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers [episkopos – oversight, superintendence], to shepherd [poimein – tend, protect] the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”
What do we see from this passage? First of all, we see that the “elders” and “overseers” refer to the same person, and secondly, we see that their responsibility is to shepherd. What this means is that the label to use for these men is “elder,” and the functions they perform are twofold: oversight and shepherding. So remember that the label is “elder” and the functions so far are “oversight” and “shepherding.”
Now, there is a third function an elder performs, and that is found in Eph. 4:11 and James 3:1 where we read that God has graciously given “teachers” to His church. In Eph. 4:11 we have the idea of the “pastor – teacher,” and in the James passage we have the admonition not to be too eager to become a teacher in the church because of the additional accountability you incur.
Summarize: so do you see that elder, overseer, pastor, and teacher are all synonyms for the same group of men. Only one of the terms (elder) is a label; the other terms (overseer, pastor, and teacher) are all functions. You can‟t “elder” a church, but you can “oversee / pastor / teach” a church.
Now, let me give you a curious note about elders: the word “elder” is used as a singular noun only four times in the NT.
“Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis . . .” 1 Tim. 5:19
“. . . as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ . . .” 1 Pt. 5:1
“The elder to the chosen lady . . .” 2 John 1:1
“The elder to the beloved Gaius . . . “ 3 John 1:1
Otherwise, the term “elder,” used in connection with the local church, is always used as a plural. Fifteen times the male leadership of the church is referred to as “the elders.” A quick sampling includes:
Acts 14:23 – “when they had appointed elders for them in every church . . .”
Acts 15:2 – “go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders . . .”
1 Tim. 5:7 – “Let the elders who rule well be considered . . .”
Titus 1:5 – “I left you in Crete that you might . . . appoint elders in every church.”
James 5:14 – “Call for the elders of the church . . .”
1 Pt. 5:5 – “. . . be subject to your elders . . .”
Now, something significant that I want to point out to you is that never once do you see the term “pastor” as a singular noun in the NT, as in “the pastor.” It is seen only once as a plural noun, in Eph. 4:11; and there, the context is the universal church, not the local church. One of the gifts God has given “the church” is “pastors.”
Where then does the idea of “a pastor” as the head of the church come from?
Turn with me to 1 Tim. 3:14. In these verses we have Paul‟s purpose for writing to Timothy, and he says, “I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; but in case I am delayed, I write so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”
Paul‟s intent / purpose in these two letters to Timothy was to give Timothy instructions on how a church was to function. This is why we have extended sections dealing with
prayer in the church,
the role of women in the church,
qualifications for bishops (church leaders),
qualifications for deacons (church leaders),
how to care for widows in the church,
the function of elders (church leaders),
In other words, 1 and 2 Timothy is all about what a biblical church should look like. But these aren‟t the only books in the NT that address this issue, because the letter to Titus contains the same basic information. Look with me at Titus 1:5.
“For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set in order what remains, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you.” And as you read further through Titus you see many parallels to the letters to Timothy.
Now, here is my point. I‟m trying to answer the question, “Where does the idea of a pastor (as opposed to a group of men) as the head of a church come from?” and the answer is that when Paul was writing to a church to give them instructions on how they should function, he sent those letters to an individual, not to a board. Timothy and Titus were the acknowledged human leaders of the church in Ephesus and Crete.
In addition to this, when the Apostle John wrote to a group of churches in Asia Minor, he addressed his message to “the angel” of the various churches. In Rev. 1:20 we read "As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. Then when you go into chapters 2 and 3, each section dedicated to a church starts with the phrase, “to the angel of the church in ________________.”
The word used here can be translated as either “angel” or “messenger,” and the context indicates that this “angel” was the human leader of the church. So the point is that when John had a message to communicate to a church, he did not write to a board, or a group of men, he wrote to an individual.
This is where the idea of “a pastor” comes from. But understand that it is a role. It is a function a man fulfils in the church. Technically, it shouldn‟t be used as a label. Now, is it wrong, or unbiblical to refer to me as Pastor Murray? Not at all. That is the role I fill in this church. But what am I? I am a presbuteros (elder) who episkopos (oversee), diakonis (serve), poimein (shepherd), and didaskolos (teach).
Summary: By far, the term used most often to describe the leadership of the local church is “elders.” And the fact that it is most often plural (15 out of 19) is significant. What this tells us is that it is the plurality of godly leadership in a church that provides the most comprehensive care and the most balanced leadership.
Now, what about deacons? In the New Testament, deacon refers to the men charged with the physical dimension of church ministry. Most Baptist churches mistakenly label these men as trustees. But when you study the scriptural accounts of how the work was carried out in the early church, you see there is a clear division of labor between spiritual ministry and physical ministry. We see this most clearly in Acts 6:1-6.
Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. 2 And the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. 3 "But select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. 4 "But we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word." 5 And the statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. 6 And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.
Something interesting about this passage is that none of the terms under discussion are found in this passage, but what we do see is that there is a clear difference between “serving tables” (v. 2) and the “ministry of the word” (v. 4). The parallel between the work to which the apostles wanted to limit themselves, and the work of the elders / overseers / pastors / teachers is very obvious -it is the “ministry of the word.” What that leaves is the “serving of tables,” or the physical ministry of the church.
The word “deacon” (diakonos) means “one who executes the commands of another.” It is often used to refer to a servant, as in Mt. 22:13 – “Then the king said to the servants (diakonois), „bind him . . .‟” Mt. 20:26 – “It is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant (diakonos).” John 2:5 – “His mother said to the servants (diakonois) „Whatever He says to you . . .‟”
Several times diakonos is translated as “minister” showing the spiritual dimension of the word. Col. 1:25 – “Of this church I was made a minister (diakonos) according to the stewardship from God . . .” Eph. 6:21 – “Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minster (diakonos) in the Lord.” Mt. 4:11 – “Then the Devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister (diakonoun) to Him.” His qualifications for the position are listed in 1 Tim. 3, but how he actually serves the church is found in how the word is used throughout the NT.
So that is a summary of what the NT teaches about church leadership – two clearly defined roles that overlap from time to time. What does all this mean for us? How closely do we want our church to follow the model for church leadership established in the New Testament? In a couple of months, you will be voting on a new set of by-laws that reflect this understanding. I look forward to your feedback and questions.
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