Does The New Testament Teach That Elders Have The Rule Over The Flock Of God?
I know a congregation that fired their preacher, "on this wise" -- "The Business Meeting" assembled, considered the matter, with the preacher absent, and decided that he was "making laws where God had made none;" so they fired him, and sent three or four brethren to inform the preacher that he was no longer in their employ. I had worked with this church for about 25 years before that; so I'm fairly well acquainted with them. I think the preacher was preaching the truth to them; but they fired him. Where is the Scripture that tells the business meeting to feed the flock of God and take the oversight of it?
The New Testament does contain the following passages: Acts 20:28; 14:23; 1 Timothy 3; Titus 1; Peter 5:1-7; Hebrews 13:7 and 17. I think these Scriptures mean something.
But this organization was intended for Christians; not sinners. It will work successfully only when the elders are Christians and the members of the "flock of God" are all together trying to carry out 1 Peter 5:5-7; Philippians 2:3-8; and Ephesians 4:1-3, etc.
If 1 Peter 5:2-7 and Ephesians 4:1-3 are truly followed by both elders and the members of the flock of God among them, Hebrews 13:7 and 17 will also be respected by all the congregation. This includes the preacher or preachers in the flock, too.