WHAT THE ELDERSHIP OWES THE LOCAL CONGREGATION

INTRODUCTION

The concept of spiritual shepherds over the flock of God did not originate in the New Testament

That was a role the priests and prophets played in the Mosaic age, and some of them did not take their work seriously

Jeremiah 23:1–4 ASV

1 Woe unto the shepherds that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith Jehovah. 2 Therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, against the shepherds that feed my people: Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them; behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith Jehovah. 3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 And I will set up shepherds over them, who shall feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be lacking, saith Jehovah.

Jesus alluded to this work and its abuse during His earthly ministry, when, in speaking of the shepherd, He said …

John 10:3–5 ASV

3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4 When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

John 10:11–12 ASV

11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep. 12 He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf snatcheth them, and scattereth them:

From these passages, we learn that the Lord expected His shepherds to do the following:

Keep the flock together in fellowship with God – leading them in the paths of righteousness

Attend to the spiritual needs of the flock with kindness and gentleness

Feed the flock

Strengthen the weak and attend to the sick

Find and restore those who have wandered away and those who are lost

Protect the sheep from evil influences that would harm or destroy them

Lead – not drive – the sheep. The good shepherd is personally acquainted with each sheep, is able to call each by name, and the sheep know his voice and follow.

In this lesson we will explore the responsibilities of the eldership to the local congregation by given attention to:

Designations

Prohibitions

Obligations

DISCUSSION

DESIGNATIONS

PRESBUTEROS

This Greek word is translated most times as “elder,” but once as “presbytery” (1 Tim. 4:14).

Presbuteros is translated as “elder” 67 times, and 16 of those times it has reference the office of the eldership

The translation “presbytery” (1 Tim. 4:14) is used with reference to a combined group of elders over a local congregation

Elders are those who are older in age, older in the faith and spiritually mature.

There are valid reasons why the Lord chose those who are older to be shepherds entrusted with oversight.

Those who are older generally have more endurance, experience, knowledge, maturity, seasoning, self-control, wisdom and wise counsel than those who are younger.

The responsibilities carried in the meaning of presbuteros are:

To give wise counsel

Marriage

Child rearing

Various spiritual concerns

To be a father figure to the young

Leviticus 19:32 ASV

32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man, and thou shalt fear thy God: I am Jehovah.

Proverbs 16:31 ASV

31 The hoary head is a crown of glory; It shall be found in the way of righteousness.

Proverbs 20:29 ASV

29 The glory of young men is their strength; And the beauty of old men is the hoary head.

To be a mighty oak of strength in difficult times

Be stabling influence

Give strength and encouragement

EPISKOPOS

This Greek word is found 5 times in our New Testaments and is translated as “overseer” and/or “bishop” and each time has reference to the eldership, except in 1 Peter 2:25 – where Peter refers to Christ as our overseer or bishop

The idea behind the term episkopos is:

To look out for

To visit

To organize and govern

An episkopos then, is a man charged with the duty of:

Insuring that all things are done in accordance with God’s will

Watching over the welfare of the souls of the local congregation

Overseeing the overall work of the local congregation …

Overseeing, but delegating also

An overseers main focus is the spiritual needs of the people

Also, caught up in the meaning of episkopos is that of a guardian – to take care of, to look out for

POIMEN

This is the most descriptive term in giving us information concerning the work and responsibilities of an elder.

Poimen is and can be translated as shepherd, pastor, tend and feed.

Acts 20:28 … “feed” or shepherd the church of the Lord

1 Peter 5:2 … “tend” or shepherd the flock of God

Understanding what a shepherd did in biblical times will help us to understand to work of elders

A shepherd in a local congregation, then is a:

Ruler

An ancient shepherd would or take charge of the well - being of his flock

New Testament shepherds are to see to the well-being of the local congregation

Guide

In biblical times shepherds would guide its flock in the right direction

Elders, then, are to guide in the paths of righteousness

Protector

A shepherd in Palestine would protect the sheep from wild animals that would kill and harm them

Elders must protect the church from error and evil

Companion

Shepherds were with the flock from day to day

People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care

Feeder

Shepherds in ancient times made sure the sheep had what they need to grow

Elders must make sure that the flock of God is being provided the proper nourishment

The two most fundamental passages concerning what an eldership owes a congregation are found in

1 Peter 5:1–4 ASV

1 The elders therefore among you I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, who am also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according to the will of God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Acts 20:28–32 ASV

28 Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Wherefore watch ye, remembering that by the space of three years I ceased not to admonish every one night and day with tears. 32 And 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 them that are sanctified.

PROHIBITIONS

“Not of Constraint” (1 Pt. 5:2)

An elder should never assume this important work as a matter of compulsion or a burdened sense of duty

One elder once said, “I did not want this work when it was first imposed on me and I still do not want it.”

With an attitude like that he is not qualified to be an elder – nor has he ever been

It is doubtful that he serves at all with that kind of attitude

“Nor yet for filthy lucre” (1 Pt. 5:2)

This has reference to gain by low, base and dishonorable means

This also one of the negative qualifications of an elder – “no lover of money” (1 Tim. 3:2)

An elder is not to be dishonest as he deals with the Lord’s/the church’s money – he is to be a good steward

“Neither as lording it over the charge allotted to them” (1 Pt. 5:3)

“Neither as being lord’s over God’s heritage” (KJV)

Elders are not to be hardheaded business executives who are unapproachable and next to nothing about sympathetic leadership

They are not to run roughshod over the congregation

They are not to be ruthless labor bosses

The are not to be like Diotrephes … 3 John 1:9-10

Elders are to be kind shepherds who lead and protect the flock, because of his love for them

OBLIGATIONS

“Take heed unto yourselves” (Acts 20:28)

This must be done before an elder can be in a faithful position to keep watch over the flock

It is vastly important that he possesses a fervent faith and practice a worthy Christian Walk

He must deny ungodliness, be serous about his work, and be righteous

Everyone who sins blemishes the church, but elders especially bring a major blot on the church when their spiritual garments are soiled

So, the first item of urgent business is to “take heed unto yourselves”

“Take heed…to all the flock” (Acts 20:28)

Elders must make it a point to know the spiritual need of all the members.

Like Ezekiel, they are to be a “watchman”

Ezekiel 3:17–21 ASV

17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. 18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand. 19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. 20 Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thy hand. 21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning; and thou hast delivered thy soul.

Ezekiel 33:1-6

Ezekiel 34:1-6

Hebrews 13:17 ASV

17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit to them: for they watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not with grief: for this were unprofitable for you.

To meet this need they must:

Know the flock

Know the Bible

Know how to deal with people

“Feed the church of the Lord” (Acts 20:28)

1 Peter 5:2 ASV

2 Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according to the will of God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

To “feed” or tend (KJV) means to care for the spiritual needs of the flock

The Greek word is poimen and means to shepherd

Elders must be aware of what is being taught, what materials are being used, making sure sound doctrine is always taught – allowing only the faithful to teach

“Watch” or guard the flock (Acts 20:31)

Paul spoke of wolves coming from within and without who try to destroy the flock

Elders must be alert making sure that sound doctrine prevails – being on guard against false teachers

Elders must not put their heads in the sand

Elders should be so grounded in the faith, that they, at a moment’s notice, can detect that which is false

The elders must expose error and be in opposition to every false way

“Exercising the oversight” (1 Peter 5:2)

This the basic meaning of “overseer” or “bishop”

Elders are divinely charged to oversee the local congregation in all its work

Others may and must do much work in the church – but it must be done under the oversight of the elders

“Examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:3)

Elders should serve as a model or pattern to the church

Elders must be men who say, “do as I do” – but they are those who “say and do not”

Members will not follow where the elders are not willing to go

CONCLUSION

Elders will have to give an account in the Day of Judgment for how they have shepherd to flock of God

Hebrews 13:17