The Role of Elder in the 1st Century

Main Idea

Elders are the functional leaders of the church.

If you have visited churches other than your home church, odds are, you have encountered a variety of ways a church can be governed:

There is the CEO model, where the Senior Pastor is the top dog and holds all of the power.

There are congregational-led churches where the entire church body collectively decides what happens.

Churches can also govern themselves with only Deacons, who function as the servants and the decision-makers

And then there is the Elder model, where the division of duty is split between two leadership offices: The Deacons who serve and the Elders who govern.

I’m sure every version is represented in this room, so this is yet another reason why this is the perfect time to be in Acts 6. This allows sharing how Ashe Alliance is governed and diving into the biblical reasons why we govern the way we do.

Outline

I - The Biblical Model of Elders

II - Elder as Shepherd

III - Elder as Overseer

IV - Elder as Elder

Recap

Acts 6:1–7 ESV

1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

As we discussed last week, the apostles found themselves in over their heads in the management of the practical needs of the growing church. When it came to their attention that the Hellenistic Jewish widows were being overlooked, they devised a plan to divide their duties.

The servant leadership would delegate to the Deacons, which would free them up to better focus on:

a. spiritual oversight - they asked for men of good repute to be brought to them. They appointed the 7 to the task and commissioned them with prayer and the laying on of hands.

b. Leadership through prayer to align with God’s will

c. Leadership through preaching (or proclamation of the word)

This was the task Jesus gave them, and they wanted to devote their full attention to it. This is the beginning of what we now call Elders. This is the church's leadership office to lead and guide it. Jerusalem had the twelve apostles to guide them, but we will soon see the need to establish other Elders in other towns.

I - The Biblical Model of Elders

Reviewing the early church is another excellent reason to begin a church plant. As the narrative of the Book of Acts unfolds, we get to see how other churches are established. The first twelve chapters follow Peter and the church's growth in and around Jerusalem, but in chapter thirteen, Luke details Paul's missionary journeys. During his travels, we see a pattern emerge as churches are established. Wherever churches were present, so were Elders. Paul made a habit of building/encouraging the church and establishing Elders.

Here are a few examples:

In Acts 11, Paul and Barnabas were given relief aid by the churches in Jerusalem and Antioch to give to the Elders in Judea.

In Acts 15, after Paul’s first missionary journey, he returns to Jerusalem, where the apostles and Elders had to discuss requirements for Gentile believers.

In Acts 20, Paul meets with the Ephesian Elders, whom he spent time with on a previous trip.

In each instance, the Elders were the decision-makers and the ones to manage the news or aid. That is because as the church grew beyond the spiritual care of the twelve apostles, they needed to establish the same leadership pattern of Acts 6 in all the churches. The Deacons are the Servant Leaders, and the Elders are the Spiritual Leaders. We saw that confirmed in the opening of the letter to the Philippians. That is also why these two offices have qualifications because God wanted trustworthy and qualified people leading His church. And 2,000 years later, that remains the same.

But, it isn't easy to see the biblical model of Elders in its fullness if you don’t also look at how they functioned. Are they the Spiritual Leaders and Decision Makers? Yes, but that is not all they do. There is much more to being an Elder, and that is what we will spend the rest of our time reviewing.

II - Elder as Shepherd (Pastor)

poimainō, the verb form of the noun for “pastor”: poimēn

The first duty of an Elder is shepherding, which is also a function of the Pastor. For instance, this Greek word is used in Eph. 4:11 for Pastor:

Ephesians 4:11 (CSB)

11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,

Jesus uses this shepherding language and analogies as he commissions Peter, telling him to feed and tend to the sheep:

John 21:15–17 (ESV) 15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

So, an Elder is a spiritual leader who has the congregation's spiritual growth close at heart, just like a shepherd cares for the sheep under his care. Like Deacons tend to the practical and physical needs of the people, Elders tend to the spiritual needs of the people and ensure they get the necessary food, which is the Word of God.

III - Elder as Overseer (or Bishop)

episkopos

Secondly, an Elder is an Overseer. Bishop is also used here, but don’t let that throw you. The function is the same. They are in charge of, oversee, and manage the flock. They are stewards of God’s household and people. In his letters to Timothy and Titus, Paul asks that they continue the pattern and establish Elders in each town where a church is birthed.

Titus 1:5–7 (ESV) 5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain...

And this office is modeled after our Great Shepherd - Jesus:

1 Peter 2:25 (ESV) 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

If you noticed, the titles here are being used interchangeably. In 1 Peter, we see Jesus being our shepherd and overseer, our poimēn and episkopos. That is what he is for us, and as you will see throughout this sermon, that is what Elders are commanded to be.

Likewise, the language in Titus ties together two words that are used interchangeably. As Paul directed, Titus was instructed to appoint Elders in each town and then explained some qualifiers because the Overseer has to be above reproach. The established presbuteros (which we will get to in just a moment) is an episkopos who must be above reproach.

In these few verses, we can see the three key titles used interchangeably to describe the office of an Elder: poimēn, episkopos, and presbuteros. Pastor (or Shepherd), Overseer, and Elder.

And, as you probably noticed, Paul gives a list of qualifications for the Elder, all of which line up with what we saw for Deacons.

• Above reproach

• Husband of one wife

• Children who are believers and in good standing

• Not arrogant

• Not quick-tempered

• Not a drunk

• Not violent

• Not greedy

Why? Because they are God’s stewards. They have delegated authority to manage God’s house and his People. This is a big job that must be given to a qualified man who lives his life in a manner that is above reproach or in a way that no one can say a truthful slanderous word against them. The role is this serious.

IV - Elder as Elder

presbuteros

This is the word for Elder. It can mean an elderly person (and is used that way in scripture), but it is also used to identify a church leader, as we saw in Paul’s instructions to Titus, and in the way we will see him also use with Timothy. Peter uses it the same way as he charges fellow Elders in much the same way as Jesus charged him:

1 Peter 5:1–2 (ESV) 1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elderand a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;

Here are those three words again (in verb or noun form): Hey, you… fellow Elders… be sure to shepherd the people and eagerly oversee them faithfully and in a trustworthy manner. So one is mainly a title, and the other two are also titles but are functions. Elders oversee as stewards and give spiritual care as shepherds.

Paul paints the same picture as he instructs the Ephesian Elders in Acts 20:

Acts 20:25–32 (ESV) 25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 27for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 32And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Again, Paul uses the Shepherding analogy in how he instructs the Elders to continue the work of the office.

The shepherding responsibilities are to:

• Lead

• Feed

• Care

• Protect

…the flock of God whom he obtained with His own blood. That is a heavy mantle and very different from what we saw with the Deacons.

We also have another list of qualifications that Paul gives to his other protege, Timothy:

1 Timothy 3:1–7 ESV

1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

Again, many of these qualifications are the same as what Paul told Titus and what he listed for Deacons:

• above reproach

• husband of one wife

• sober-minded

• self-controlled

• respectable

• not a drunkard

• not violent (but gentle)

• not quarrelsome

• not a lover of money

• manage his household well, having controlled and submissive children

• well thought of by outsiders

In one way or another, these are the same requirements we have already seen. However, there are additional qualifiers here that aren't found in Tutus or for Deacons:

• hospitable

• able to teach

• not a recent convert

At first glance, these might not seem like significant additions, but when you think about it, they play a more important role than you might think. Hospitality speaks to their ability and innate desire to care for others. If you are hospitable, you are welcoming, attentive, and desire to draw people in. That’s an excellent quality to have in a leader. Then, we are told that an Elder cannot be a new Christian and must be capable of teaching. How can you spiritually care for others if you are a spiritual infant who also needs to be cared for? It can’t happen, no matter how much real-world experience that person might have in leadership.

This is the core difference between Deacons and Elders. While they both must be above reproach and conduct themselves accordingly, a Deacon doesn’t have to teach and, by association, doesn’t have the requirement of aged faith. Why? Because their primary purpose is to serve practical needs, proclaiming the gospel in their service to others (like Jesus came to serve us).

Elders, on the other hand, must have enough knowledge to teach others, and that comes through years of experience, study, and spiritual growth. You must be able to chew the meat and not just drink the milk.

This also carries weight when considering who can serve as an Elder. This will inevitably lead to the question of whether or not women can be Elders. This is where, if we aren’t careful, we can allow the appeasement of our 21st-century culture to color the way we read scripture. So, as I did last week, I ask that we all be unified in our desire to be faithful to the scriptures and not become divided over secondary issues, though this is a pretty significant one.

Can women as pastors?

In short, no.

But let me explain further.

1. Teaching implies authority, and Paul clearly forbids women from teaching or having authority over a man. He says this just one chapter earlier:

1 Timothy 2:12–13 ESV

12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve;

2. A qualification of an Elder is to be the man of one wife. And while that qualification does apply to Deacons, it applies to the male Deacons, but there are also requirements for women in the same passage.

3. There is no qualification for women or wives of Elders as we see for the Deacons. It only applies to men, and there are no examples of female Elders in scripture (like we did see for Deacons - Phoebe).

4. Male headship honors the distinguishing between the gender roles that God has established. To clarify, men and women are equal in value and worth but are given different (but complementary) roles and functions. This is one of them.

This is why, when there is a division of duty between Deacons and Elders, we can have Deaconesses who lead by serving and maintaining this type of distinction. Deacons are not required to teach, which does not put them in a situation where they would be in danger of violating 1 Tim. 2:12.

And, if that isn’t as clear as you would like it to be, then Paul reiterates the rulership of Elders in the same letter:

1 Timothy 5:17 (ESV) 17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

The Elders who rule, preach, and teach… That is delegated authority in its most explicit terms.

Lastly, as an act of spiritual care and oversight, Elders are the ones who are called upon for healing:

James 5:14 (ESV) 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

This again reinforces the function of an Elder as a Shepherd and Overseer. They are the ones to pray for healing over the sick person.

Conclusion

So, as we read Acts 6, we get the opportunity to see the foundation for this office being laid. The apostles delegated duties, so they could lead spiritually and devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word. As the story progresses, we see other Elders established in Jerusalem, and we see Peter call them co-Elders or ones who carry the same responsibility as him in that role.

And, as we read the entirety of the New Testament, we get to see how this office unfolds and matures into a leadership role that functions as a poimēn, episkopos, & presbuteros, a spiritual shepherd, a ruling Steward over God’s house, and an authoritative teacher that longs to see God’s people fed and flourish.