Biblical Elders Series | The Role of Elders

Notes

Opener

“When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that person is crazy.” - Dave Berry

Perhaps in every good leader there is an element of crazy. On the one hand to be a Biblical elder and to do what we are doing with church planting you need an element of crazy running through your veins and really FAITH… that looks at hard situations and goes “With God, Possible! Let’s do it!”

On the other hand when it comes to Biblical elders we aren’t left the whims of man or the tossings of the sea with our many ideas we have the Word of God to build on in regards to what is Biblical Elders. Today we are talking about “The Role of Elders” and we dive into what exactly it is that an Elder does.

Main Text

Titus 1:5–11 (NASB95)

5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, 6 namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. 7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. 10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.

Point 1 | Elders are not a royal priesthood

Notice right off the bat that three of these titles are mentioned in our passage today. Another reason why Titus is such a fitting book of the Bible to teach us about Eldership. Before we say what Biblical Elders are we are going to say what they are not. We are going to dismantle some ideas today. Ideas that I think influence all of us in someways.

Notice it says in verse 5 “appoint ELDERS in every city”. In verse 7 it switches term without skipping a beat, you may not have even noticed it did it: “For the OVERSEER must be above reproach”. And then finally the last title, “as God’s STEWARD.”

All of these descriptive titles reference the same position! There is no tiered hierarchy found in local church leadership in the pages of Scripture. Elders (πρεσβύτερος) and Overseer (ἐπίσκοπος… what the KJV translates as Bishop) reference the same role in this passage. 1 Peter does something similar with the term Elders (πρεσβύτερος) and the call to “Shepherd” (ποιμαίνω) in Peter 5. All these terms reference the same position. That means there is no biblical distinction between what we call in modern terms “Pastor” and “Elders”. One is not an “ordained minister” and the other a “non ordained lay leader”. There is no distinction in office. Wearing a white collar around your neck, dawning a preistly robe, or carying religious elements doesn’t change any of that either.

You may be saying to yourself are you getting rid of the “ministry” or “priestly” aspect and saying all the work in the church is “common” and not sacred. Not at all! But I am saying there is no division in your church leadership of this kind. They are called by God, chosen, and installed. But they all ARE.

The Church is a royal preisthood

While the leaders are called to this particular office that doesn’t mean the rest, the many, are not called to minister. Men, women, young and old alike are as 1 Peter 2:9 so beautifully puts it:

1 Peter 2:9 NASB95

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

So we are all called to ministry. My favorite passage on this is probably Ephesians 1:22-23

Ephesians 1:22–23 NASB95

22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

John Stott so beautifully summed up the idea here. The Church, the people of God created in Christ, is the fullness of God because Christ fills the Church!

In 1 Timothy 3 after laying out the standards of the overseer he says, the Church, the people of God found in Christ, are the pillar and support of the truth. It is not the leaders who are the pillar and support of the truth… but all of us. The leaders simply lead in that.

We all minister. We all make disciples. We all do our part. Each uniquely placed and fashioned in the body. The question of eldership is a simple question of who are your leaders. There are some special resonsiblities that come with that. But if you think that means the rest of us get passive. The rest of us are just ministered to and not ministers you have missed the whole picture of what the church is. The leaders job is to release the many to all the many forms of ministry available to them. The leaders are not doing their job if they are doing all the ministry. They are only leading if you all are being equipped, each one uniquely, to walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel. To love your families well. To love the people God has put in your life well. To use and grow your giftings. To live sacrificially. To love our enemies. To embrace the Kingdom of God whole heartedly to the glory of our great God and Savior.

One of the passages that paints this picture the most beautifully is Acts 6. While the apostles had a duty with establishing sound doctrine and to prayer they need others to step up and minister to the the physically needy. They chose Stephen and Phillip and 5 others. They were full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom it says. Stephen would go on to proclaim the excelencies of God and become the churches first martyr. He was the first one to fulfill the call of discpleship, to take up His cross and follow in the foot steps of His Lord. When they were putting Him to death it says this:

Acts 7:55 NASB95

55 But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;

Pur Savior who had SAT DOWN at the right hand of the magesty on high who had accomplished what he came to do was standing. Jesus stood up. The victorious conquering King who had conquered the powers and principalities stood up. Something great was about to happen. You have to stand up for this. What was it.

And I just want to submit this to you… it wasn’t a leader he was standing up for. Sure he was a leader in his willingness to serve and his example. But I mean he didn’t possess the office of leadership but of service. He was the least. yet he knew just like everyone else he was called to be a Kingdom worker. The things that we get excited over “promotions” at work are not the things Jesus gets excited about. He gets excited when he sees humility, faithfulness, boldness, and a servants heart.

We are all in this together friends.

Or what about the Samaritan woman? After encounter the Lord Jesus Christ what did this woman who was living in sexual immorality have to offer the Kingdom. She only had one thing at the point in time. Only one thing. Do you know what it was? Her testimony. and she runs to her village and says, “here is a man who has told me everything i have ever done wrong… this couldn’t be the Christ could it?” And for this reason she is called the first evangelist.

Friends eldership, pastors are not a royal priesthood. We are a royalpriesthood. Your elders, who are given charge over you in the Lord, simply lead us in holding fast to Jesus. This changes the paradigm. I no longer come to church to be ministered to. I am the church. We are the church. and the leaders are equpping me to do the many things God has called me, and we, to do for his Kingdom.

Some distinction

Now there can be some distinction.

1 Timothy 5:17 NASB95

17 The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

You can have a lead elder, first among equals, who works especially hard at preaching and teaching. Peter also, was a first among equals. You also not only can have differeent giftings in your eldership team you NEED different giftings in your eldership team. Just like you need them in the body at large. So gifting will distinguish these elders as well. We are not carbon copies. All Elders are though to be imitators of the Chief Shepherd but not have all the giftings of the Chief Shepherd.

So what do we learn? No Christian can sit idely on the sideline. No Elder can step into this role and sit comfortably on the sidelines. All Christians have the the hogh and noble calling of priestly duty if you will of pouring out a life of service to God on the alter. All Elders have the high and noble calling of being a shepherd, a pastor, an elder, an overseer in the household of God taking on the full mantle of this responsibility.

This elders job isnt to be the priesthood but to build the priesthood of all believers.

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Point 2 | Elder, Overseer, Steward

Again these three words are used in the span of 3 verses.

“Appoint Elders” in verse 5.

“The overseer must be above reproach” in verse 6.

And also in verse 6 he calls him “God’s steward”.

Let’s talk about what these three words mean.

Elder | πρεσβύτερος

The term can mean “older, old, or elder”. It does in the NT refer to those are advanced in age. And we have lost, not all of this but alot of this in our culture, a respect for those older and significantly more advanced in years than ourselves. The Bible has a high respect for our elders by age both men and women:

1 Timothy 5:1–2 NASB95

1 Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, 2 the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity.

This is a blanket rule Paul is giving Timothy. Notice some correction is needed but that doesn’t mean respect goes out the window. We need to respect the older generation. And notice the family language being used. This is something you are going to see alot of in the “household of God” as Paul likes to call it.

But the term elder also references an office. It doesn’t necesitate age for that office but they can’t be a “new believer”. The idea is quite simple. Take men who lead their families well and put them in a possision of leadership so they can lead God’s family, or the “household of God”, the church.

Listen to 1 Timothy 3:4-5 as it talks about elders

1 Timothy 3:4–5 NASB95

4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),

So an elder doesn’t necesarily have to be old in age but does have had to walk down the road of Christian maturity and been proven faithful in character and conduct.

The term Elder has significant Biblical roots as well. It is a term used throughout the Bible. But perhaps one of the most important is Numbers 11:16-17

Numbers 11:16–17 NASB95

16 The Lord therefore said to Moses, “Gather for Me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and their officers and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. 17 “Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit who is upon you, and will put Him upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bear it all alone.

Elders is a plurality in the NT. That is why you can’t have a single Pastor as CEO making all the decisions. But isn’t this a beautiful picture: “they shall bear the burden of the people with you.” ah yes music to my ears.

I am thankful for the men we are appointing elders and no doubt more to come. Sawma, Jonathan, and Thomas that they are great burden bearers.

So a new testament elder in the church is not merely a leader but a spiritual leader who has walked the road of the Christian faith himself. Has a proven track record that demonstrates he will be able to help others also.

Elders are men

Now listen this next part is really important and is probably the most controversial part of todays message. Notice I have been referencing men as elders. I have been doing that not because I have an agenda here but for one simple reason. That is what the Scriptures do with perfect consistency. For a 21st century indivudal looking at the lingo of Scripture it can be quite offensive to our modern ears:

Passages like 1 Timothy 2:11-12

1 Timothy 2:11–12 NASB95

11 A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. 12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.

and then three verses later after further explanation saying:

1 Timothy 3:1 NASB95

1 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.

and of course the reference to New Testament elders through the N.T. is males. Jesus followed the same example of male leadership without exception. What our us modern Christian’s to do with these passages? Get rid of them? Try to explain them away? What happens most often is probably just ignore them.

Before I answer that question let’s re-examine where we are at. We have already laid the foundation that the church as a whole, men and women (as joint heirs in Christ), young and old are THE CHURCH which is the fulness of God because Christ fills the church. We have already established that the leaders in the church, the elders, don’t do all the ministry. But they are minsitering to the many so they can be realsed to minister to others. So let me just speak to the ladies for a minute and say if you hear a “no” today I hope you don’t hear I am not supposed to do ministry. Romans 12:1-4 is everybit yours as it is any brother whether it be Peter or Paul themselves. You are called to as part of the Royal Priesthood of believers do your priestly duty and present your life on the alter as a living and holy sacrifice to King Jesus. and if you don’t do that you are not living out your calling to Honor your Great God and Savior as a bleiever… as a blood bought Saint. Further more if the woman don’t we are failing as a church to live out our calling.

Let me ratchet it up one notch further. Every believer has limitations in ministry. Me, as a Pastor as an elder, I have more limitations on me because of the office. There are things I have to give up just because I am in the minsitry. I have higher standards of how I interact with the oposite sex. There are ministries in our church that not only I am not gifted to perform but it would be morally wrong for me to be part of. We all have limitations.

Let me ratchet it up even further. The Bible teach that men and women collectively bear the image of God.

Genesis 1:27 NASB95

27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

As I said when I preached on marriage it was not good when man was alone but when Eve came along and it was Adam and Eve, man and woman it was very good!

The same is true in the Body of Christ. The Church is the fulness of God because Christ fills the church and that doesn’t happen unless Women are playing their part and ministering in ways ONLY they can… as spiritual and natural mothers, as sisters and so on and so forth.

In fact and this is very interesting. When you look at the list of qualifications for enrollment of woman as widows to be supported by the church (using the same word “honor” as it does for elders in that same chapter referencing pay) the list of qualifications are higher than the list of qualifications for elders 2 chapters earlier in 1 Timothy 3. Now the reason for that is one is toward the end of their earthly faith walk and the other are toward the beginning of their role as leader. But here is what I want you to see is both ministered. In different ways. In unique ways. In complementary ways. to the glory of God.

God is not fully glorifed unless men and women take up the mantles of their calling. The image of God is not fully revealed unless both do this. And in the church is not being the fullness of God in Christ unless both men and women do this. Again to be the leader is not to be the one who does all the ministry but equips and guards the church so it collectively can be that pillar and support of the TRUTH.

But then of course we are left with the question of why? And if, as we know that woman are perfectly cable in the ministry and even commanded to engage in it, why put a restriction in these areas? I think Jesus has the best answer for this which he gives regarding a marriage question he is asked in Matthew 19. This is particularly helpful because the Creator of marriage and family is also the Creator of the Church and calls it His HOUSEHOLD and us His Children. This family business is God’s.

Jesus says,

Matthew 19:4 “…He who created them from the beginning made them male and female.”

In other words maleness and femaleness doesn’t just have to do with obvious distinctions between the sexes but in honoring the CREATOR and His order.” Family is His thing and cannot be reordered at man’s wims. The Church is God’s thing… His precious thing bought with the precious blood of Christ. It can’t be merely made and fashioned however we want.

A local church that doesn’t have Biblical Leadership and in fact would build in such a way to defy the Scriptures seems hard pressed to me on how it would justify its existence over say any man made organization. If you aren’t going to yield

I think fellow Christians who disagree with me on this matter are sincere, devout, and sensible people. I welcome your feedback. There is much more I could say about this. But just know I wouldn’t hold such an unpopular opinion if I wasn’t convinced the Word of God taught this very thing.

Me and my wife live in a “complementarian” marriage. We have mutual love and respect for one another. I have said many times through the year when I am off working regular 9-5 jobs or even now pastoring that I think my wife does the greater work. One day in eternity as we sit at the Lord’s table me and my children will still speak of her work… no one will ever utter the words “Microsoft, Azure, or Virtual Machine.” So being the leader isn’t be the greatest. At the same time if I didn’t man up and take responsibility for my family as the head of the home and accountable to God for them in so many ways I would be spiritually harming my family.

Many men have used their posision of power to do harm. Abuse and vilence and simple old fashion self seeking. But the solution isn’t less men or neutermen or to pretend there are no differences between the sexes… God’s solution, through the redemptive work of Christ, is better men. He is in the business of REDEMPTION! Men that don’t put themselves first. Men that laydown their rights, their pride, and their life for the betternment of others put in their care.

Overseer | ἐπίσκοπος

This term (coming from BDAG) means guardian, overseer, or supervisor. It simply means leader. The KJV translates it “Bishop” which sounds super spiritual but it was a common word in their day. David Pawson says the term has been found referencing the leader of a job sight. It was used generally like the term supervisor or leader is used today. I love this term. Because it is simple. What do elders do? They lead. That is what they do. To be more specific the government of the church rests on their shoulders. We will talk about what this primarily means in a minute as it is directly connected to verse 9 “the faithful word”, the “teaching”, and “sound doctrine”.

Now notice they are not the owner but the overseer. They are the supervisor not the builder.

Steward | οἰκονόμος

Craig Keener says this of the term: ““Stewards” were household managers, often slaves or freedmen, accountable to the master for how they handled his property;

Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (Tt 1:7). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

This is important. In the Kingdom of God leaders are not about proping themselves up. They are about pushing others toward Jesus. They are getting low and helping others succeed. a Steward by definition is not the owner. Who is the owner of God’s household? is it not God? Is it not Christ?

Hebrews 3:4–6 NASB95

4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. 5 Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; 6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.

The Leader, the Elder, the Steward doesn’t walk into God’s household plop down in the lazy boy while everyone else does all the work. No the Steward gets busy honoring and working for the Master of the House Jesus Christ.

Bryan McCrea who was the church planter who founded this church familly from DAY 1 built this church so it wouldn’t all revolve around him. The very first meeting we had in his house once they moved up here I actually led the Bible study at. He was that committed to it. And that is part of the beauty of being on a mission as a local church. That we not only have a heart to reach our cities but we want be a church planting church. it changes your mindset being on mission. you recongonize your obvious limitations and create a strategy for the we and not just the me all to the glory of the ONE who died for us.

Point 3 Elders are not the final authority in the Church

Elders are charged with governing authority in the Church but their authority is only exercised rightly in and as much it is built upon the Word of God. This is actually in our text today.

Titus 1:9 NASB95

9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

Paul uses there terms alot in the pastoral epistels. He uses the word 9 times, 4 of them in Titus, this three chapter book. He references “teaching” 10 times. He references “The Word of God” or “The Word of Truth” or “The WORD” 7 times.

We get insight into the specificity of what this means in 1 Timothy 6:3

1 Timothy 6:3 NASB95

3 If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness,

What is the “the teaching”, what is the sound doctrine, what is the faithful Word? It is the Gospel… the goodnews of the life, death and resurrection handed down through the Apostles. In short it is our New Testament Scriptures.

Remember the early church from day one “devoted themselves to the Apostles teachings” the Scriptures tell us. Many years later Jude would say:

Jude 17 NASB95

17 But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,

This theme is throughout the New Testament.

Elders don’t get to make up sound doctrine. They don’t get to hold fast to whatever they want to. Their duty is to properly interpret and understand the New Testament Scriptures… chiefly the things about Christ.

Believe and obey them as an example. If an Elder will not believe and obey them then he is a worthless leader. he can only at best amount to a self promoter.

He authoritatively teachers, instructs, and helps others do believe and obey the Scriptures.

If you have come to me for advice my favorite thing to do is to open up our Bibles and for you to see it in the Scriptures yourself. because I don’t want to be “another opionion in your life”. I want you to see Scriptures and believe and obey them. and I hope I can be an example of how I have done that. and when i don’t i can be an example of following their example of humbling myself and repenting and moving forward.

But the word of God is paramount. It is everything. because it all center on the person of Christ. The New Testament Scriptures contain the revelation of the revelation of the fulnnes of Grace and Truth, Jesus Christ. Only with the Apostolic teaching as our rock will we even begin to fulfill our calling as the church to put Christ on full display to a lost and dying world.

It is the job of Elders by the model of their life and the instruction of their lips to double down the great purpose of the Church which is exalting Christ, His glorious work on the cross, His resurection from the dead and all the many implications of it.

The minute it stops being about Christ it undermines its very existence.

I onetime had a friend, who I will gracisously allow to remaine nameless, who bought a brand new circular saw. We brought it back to his house for a projectand i go “be sure not to cut the cord when you...” and in that very moment he cuts the cord.

What makes an Elder a good Elder isn’t that he has the best opinions, the best ideas, is the smartest, the most creative etc etc etc. It is one simple thing. Does he hold fast to the “faithful word”. Is ge giving people the Scriptures? Is he getting them to focus on Jesus?

When you look at the Great commision in Matthew 28 it is all about Jesus:

Jesus Himself gives the charge.

He does so with “all authority in heaven and on earth” as the rissen Messiah

The chief inaugurating Act of conversion centers on the cheif work of the messiah

and what remains for the Christian is really simple, “to teach them everything Jesus has commanded”

and who is with us to the end of that? Jesus

The second our leaders get off mission of being obbsessedly focused on Christ, based on the rock of His Word, we get off mission.

One time in Bible College we had a lady that we had ministered to in government housing where we had this ministry to childeren. She put faith in the Lord at one of our events. and she was in a very rough marriage and wanted to know if she had biblical grounds for divorce. These kind of topics are obviously hot topics to this day and in BIble College you don’t shy away from those. But we as young, unmarried college students were wise enough to know dealing with a broken marriage was a little bit above our theological pay grade. So what we do. We got an elder. we got a pastor from the local church who was also one of our favorite professors at the college. and I got to go with him as he had this conversation with this godly woman who was new in her faith.

And you might think this brilliant man gave this inspiring lecture. Maybe preached her a seven series sermon. maybe talked about his vast life experience. He didn’t do any of that. He instead said okay grab your bible. open up to this passage. he had her read it. Now you tell me what that means? He then began to ask her questions to guide her through it to make sure she was properly approaching the text. And here is the buty of the conversation when she was done she wasn’t left with do i take “dr so and sos advice or not”. She was left with do I hear and act on the words of Jesus or not. Do you see how authority works in the church? Do you see how we have to appeal to Scripture. Scripture is to be believed and obeyed… nothing else falls into the category.

Now when people defy the AScripture Elders do get the unpleasant job of church discipline. But the beuaty of dealing with messy situations in the church is we have an UNLIMITED supply of Grace. Do you know what happens when someone repents? We forgive. We have an unlimited supply of gracve secured by the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus is not only forgiveness for my sins against God He died for the “sins fo the world”. He paid the price for the sins done against me and you. The cross is grace for our lives and our relationships. What powerful grave. what good news for the church and all the conflict borthers and sisters have knowing we have one great God and Savior, The Lord Jesus Christ, who purchased us for Himself. WHo has made us children of God. Who has made us brothers and sisters.