The Work Of Elders
Volumes have been written on the qualifications of and work of elders. It may seem superfluous for me to try to add to what has already been said upon the subject but it is still a very vital one and has a tremendous effect upon the welfare of the church of the Lord. Because of its vital importance, I feel not the slightest hesitancy in adding to what has already been said.
It is sometimes hard for us to keep from getting one-sided upon a Bible subject, especially if it has been a controversial one. Too, if the subject is one which involves a work to be performed by men, one is likely to become too practical in their approach to it and fail to be governed by the scriptures, or to fail to realize that the scriptures give the standard to be applied to human beings.. Also there is the inclination to allow things which have been practiced in the past to become precedents for future practice. In the remarks which we shall make upon the subject, we shall try to recognize these principles and approach it with the determination to get at the truth of the matter. To be able to arrive at the truth, we must first set aside anything and everything which has been done since the days of the apostles and make sure that those things do not become a precedent in our thinking. We must recognize the fact that in our teaching and approved practice of the apostles in regard to the subject are infallible. Still, we must approach it from a practical standpoint, realizing that we are dealing with a matter of fallible men following an infallible pattern.
There are two passages of scripture upon which our remarks will be based. They are found in Acts, chapter 20 and I Peter, chapter 5. "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." Acts 20:28. "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;" I Peter 5:2. We shall consider other passages in connection with these, but these will be the center of our remarks.
Qualifications
The qualifications of elders are seen in the first passage of scripture, in the words, "the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers". How did the Holy Spirit make them overseers? Did He single out each individual and cause him to be selected as an elder? Surely not, because if this were the case, we find no record of it. But if this were not the case, how else could the Holy Spirit have made them overseers other than to have given the qualifications by which they were to be selected. We do have a record of this in I Tim. 3 and Titus 1. To possess these qualifications does not require infallibility in either teaching or practice. Peter, who stated that he was an elder, (I Pet. 5:1) made a mistake in practice and was corrected by Paul (Gal. 2). Peter was infallible in teaching because he was an apostle but not because he was an elder. An elder is not infallible in teaching because Paul spoke of those who "of your own selves (elders) shall men arise, speaking perverse things," Acts 20:30. However, a man who will not correct the mistakes he makes in teaching or practice or one who habitually makes such mistakes, should not continue to serve as an elder. While an elder is not infallible as an elder, we certainly do not hold with the reasoning (?) of some that just any Christian should have the qualifications of an elder so therefore just anyone may be selected as an elder. If the qualifications, as they are given by the Holy Spirit, do not set an elder apart from the average member of the church, then why were they given?
It is not possible to separate the qualifications of elders from the functions of elders. This is true because it can be seen that every qualification is essential to the proper function of an elder. Some today seem to have the idea that the eldership is a special distinction conferred upon certain men because of their own goodness. If it were not for the work they were ordained to perform, there would be no purpose for them. This brings us to a consideration of their work.
Scope Of Work
The scope of the work of elders is seen in. "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers" and "feed the flock of God which is among you". What is the scope of "all the flock" of the first passage. It cannot have reference to the church in the universal sense. If that had been the case, there would have been no need for the selection of but one set of elders for the whole church, that is, the church in the universal sense. But we find that elders were to be appointed or ordained in "every city". Tit. 1:5. This passage confines the function of an eldership to a specific locality. Then again we find that elders were ordained in "every church". Acts 14:23. This limits the function of elders to a specific group of people. But Peter said, "the flock of God which is among you". This confines the function of elders to a specific group of people of which the elders are a part. So, what do we have? We have revealed in the inspired word of God the function of a set of elders confined to a particular locality, limited to a particular group of people vet including all that are in that particular group. The failure on the part of men, down through the history of the church, to realize and recognize this fact, has been responsible for a major part of the departures and apostasies in the church.
There are two reasons for the disturbance and unrest which prevail in the church in this generation. Both of these reasons relate directly to the matter under consideration. First, elders are concerning themselves with and seeking to function in matters on a universal scale and of a church universal scope. This is, of course, apostasy within itself and a departure from divine truth. This is true because. as we have abundantly pointed out. if the scriptures limit the function of elders to a specific group then to disregard those limitations is apostasy. Second, since elders are concerning themselves with matters of universal scope, it is an evident fact that they are neglecting to function in the God-given work, in the God-appointed scope allotted them in the word of God. I am hardly convinced that men, who are departing from the truth, are doing much anywhere in teaching the truth.
Nature Of The Work
The nature of the work of elders is seen in, "all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God" and "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof". Feeding the flock of God, of course, has reference to spiritual feeding. To feed the church is to teach the church the word of God which is the spiritual food. In this particular part of our study, there are two things involved. They are the food and the act of feeding — the thing taught and the act of teaching. In making our accusation against some elders for neglecting the flock, while to some extent it may involve both of these things, it involves primarily the food or the thing taught. In some places the church is being taught almost anything and everything except the truth. The elders in those places could not afford to teach the truth because, if they did, the church would know that they, the elders, had departed from it. Not only will these elders not teach the truth themselves, but they will not allow anyone else to teach it. We know this to be true because it has been demonstrated by elders who have meetings scheduled with preachers who will preach the whole truth yet the elders cancel the meetings for 'fear they will teach the whole truth.
When some force attacks the teaching in the church, it is striking at the very core and heart of the church. This would be true of any institution on earth. As the teaching is which is done in the church, so will be the church. If the church is not taught the truth, the church cannot be expected to conform to the truth. While there are some in any congregation who will not accept the truth when it is taught, if that which is taught is not the truth, then no one in that church has a "China-man's chance" of being saved from apostasy.
Thus far we have been dealing with teaching or feeding the flock. Now we want to deal with the oversight of the flock. Of what does the oversight of the flock consist? There are some, no doubt, who suppose that this consists of no more than planning and executing a program of work for the church, including of course, the public services of the church. By this we mean the church as such or the church collectively. While there is a distinction to be made between the church collectively and individual members of the church, it does not follow that the flock consists only of the church in the collective sense. The flock consists of the members who compose it. We are convinced that the term "oversight" consists of a great deal more than just the planning of the work as a whole and the public services of the church. It involves the oversight of the lives of those who make up the flock. The teaching is first in order because it determines the life of the member of the church. The oversight involves the life of the member as to the manner in which the life of that member conforms to the teaching.
There are elders who, it seems, are perfectly satisfied with members of the church as long as they will attend the services and contribute to their pet projects which may be some benevolent institution or sponsored evangelistic effort or both. It would matter very little if a member beat his wife, cheated his neighbor or lied to his brethren just so long as he participated in the elders' program. We are not saying that when the individual member of the church does something it is the church doing it. Everybody knows that is not so. But what we are saying is that the elders have the oversight of the flock both individually and collectively.
The work of elders may be summed up in this way. To teach, both by word and example, everything the New Testament teaches relative to the duties and responsibilities of Christian living, both public and private, and endeavor as best they can to prevail upon those under their charge to conform to that teaching.