Acts 20:17, plurality of elders.
v. 17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.
When in Miletus, Paul called the
elders (plural) of the church of Ephesus to meet him. Again, in verse 28, he
called them plural overseers. Plurality of elders = pastors plural instead of a
pastor singular in local congregations. This is demonstrated in Acts and the
New Testament through biblical practice and theological significance. In the
New Testament, elder, bishop and pastor is one office/function. The New
Testament documents a plurality of elders, with the consistent use of the word
“elders” (plural) and the word “church” (singular).
Biblical practice.
There were multiple leaders ordained in
the churches in Derbe, Lystra, Iconium,
and Antioch (Pisidia), Acts 14:23 – And when they had ordained them
elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the
Lord, on whom they believed. Paul and
Barnabas ordained elders in every church in Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and
Antioch. Nothing indicates any one of the elders is different from the others.
This they did in each place. This they did without electing or ordaining one
elder in charge over the others.
There were multiple leaders in the church
at Jerusalem, Acts 15:4 – And when they were come to Jerusalem, they
were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared
all things that God had done with them. With the church and the apostles, the elders (esp. 2, 4, 6,
22-23) deliberate the question “except ye be circumcised ye cannot be saved.”
No one elder is distinguished from another, but mentioned as a body or group. After
discussion, James takes the lead in closing the session, giving his “sentence”
(judgment).[i]
For elders in Jerusalem, see also Acts 11:30; 16:4, and 21:18.
There were multiple leaders in the church
at Ephesus, Acts 20:17ff. – And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called
the elders of the church. Paul
called the elders of the church of Ephesus to meet him in Miletus. He addresses
them equally, as a body, exhorting them to feed the flock over which the Holy
Ghost made them overseers. He met with them all, taught them all, exhorted them
all, warned them all, and prayed with them all. No one is drawn to the forefront
for special charges or recognition.
There were multiple leaders the church
in Philippi, Philippians 1:1 – Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ,
to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and
deacons: The church at Philippi
has plural elders. Paul and Timothy write to the saints at Philippi. Bishops
are addressed, but no one more than the others.
There were multiple leaders in
Thessalonica, I Thessalonians 5:12-13 – And
we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you
in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for
their work’s sake. And be
at peace among yourselves. Those that labour among and are over this
congregation are “them” plural. None “over them” more than another, or one to
be esteemed more than the others.
There were multiple leaders in the churches that Timothy was to teach, I Timothy
5:17 – Let the elders that rule well be
counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
Those who “rule well” are plural in number. This is general instruction to
Timothy to teach others, but the practical application will be plural elders in
a singular church. Who is going to count them worthy of double honour? Who is
going to not muzzle them? Who is going to hear accusations? Who is going to
rebuke them? The local church.
There were multiple leaders in the
churches in every city in in Crete, Titus 1:5 – For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order
the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had
appointed thee: Paul left Titus in Crete, one purpose of which was for him
to ordain elders in every city.
The use of “them” in Hebrews 13:7, 17
agrees with the concept of plurality of elders – Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you
the word of God... Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they
watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with
joy, and not with grief. “Them that have the rule over you”
are described in a plural manner. The writer does not say that one should rule
more or to watch more or that one is to be obeyed more or remembered more.
There were multiple leaders in the
churches to which James was writing, James 5:14 – Is any sick among you? 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:
The sick call to themselves the elders of the church. The author delivers
a general rule. In real-life situations, the singular sick person will call
elders plural. While the lack of plural eldership in a local congregation might
not make that impossible, it mitigates against this being readily followed as
normative.
There were multiple leaders in in the
churches to which Peter was writing, I Peter 5:1-3 – The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a
witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that
shall be revealed: 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; neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. Peter
exhorts the elders plural to freely feed and oversee the flock (church) of God
to which they are attached.
The
consistency of record speaks volumes. Other less significant mentions of elders
in the churches, or other passages that might apply to the subject are: Acts 11:30,
16:4, 21:18 (elders in Jerusalem), Acts 13:1 (prophets and teachers in Antioch
Syria), Ephesians 4:11 (pastors and teachers, plural), I Timothy 3:1-13
(qualifications of bishops and deacons); I Timothy 4:14 (the presbytery, a
plurality of elders); Titus 1:5-9 (qualifications of elders/bishops), and III John 9-10 (one who desired preeminence condemned).
The evidence constitutes a biblical case of the practice of the early church,
as taught and instructed by the apostles. The consistent pattern in the New
Testament is that each church had elders/pastors plural.
One exception?
Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14 –
“Unto the angel of the church of ______
write…” A common view is that the “angel” of the church signifies the (singular)
pastor. If this is true, it is an exception to the other cases noted. Several
possibilities exist, including the fact that angel in its simplest meaning
(i.e., messenger) is simply the messenger from or to the church in each of
these places. The old English Baptist preacher Hanserd Knollys contends that angel
could be used figuratively as a collective noun representing the elders of the
church (especially since this is a book of signs and symbols). Nevertheless, it
the main burden is for those against the plurality of elders to show why their
interpretation of “angel” is not consistent with the rest of the New Testament.
Biblical principle.
Theological significance supports
pastor plurality, harmonizing with the practice of the New Testament churches. The
Lord Jesus emphasized the ideal of equal Christian servants. Although “the
princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion” Jesus told the apostles “it shall
not be so among you” (Matthew 20:25-27). But Jesus called them unto him, and
said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and
they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among
you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And
whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant... Jesus himself
sets the example, having come to serve rather than be served (Mark 10:41-45). See
also Luke 22:24-27. The local church is a body in which each member is
indispensable (I Corinthians 12:12-31), and Jesus Christ is the one and only
head of the church (Ephesians 1:22).[ii]
Elders are not authoritarian dictators, but placed in submission under the Head.
The sheep are the Lord’s and the pastors are to feed them (John 21:15-17; Acts
20:28). Elders ought to take the servant’s part (John 13:14), give preference to
others (Romans 12:10), and be mutually accountable to one another (James 5:16).
Pastors (Elders) – yea, every member of a congregation – serve in community
rather than isolation (Hebrews 10:24-25; John 13:35).
The concept of one person “in charge”
comes from the world’s standard more than from the New Testament. Elders may move
differently as “leaders” by exercising their different spiritual gifts and
having them recognized by the church. There is a distinction between assigned
leadership and natural leadership, that is, gifts and calling (cf. Acts 9:15).
When the church at Antioch set apart Paul and Barnabas, they did not put one
“in charge” over the other. See Acts 13:1-4. The church set them apart to the
work to which God had called them. God obviously had a special calling for the
Apostle Paul. However, there was no contrived authority under which Barnabas simply
acquiesced to whatever Paul wanted. See Acts 15:36-39. On the other hand, the
apostles in relation to the early church occupied a special place not held by
any church officers today. Among equals there may be differing gifts and differing
amounts of experience, but the plural elders are of equal standing.
If isolated from other scriptures, some practices and principles might be explained differently that plurality of elders. However, if we rightfully expect the same practice to prevail in all the churches (I Corinthians 7:17; 11:16, 23; 14:33; I Thessalonians 4:1; II Thessalonians 3:6, et al.), the same explanation is reasonable in all cases.
[ii] A single pastor (or even plural pastors) is not the head of the church. There is one head, that is Jesus Christ. See Matthew 21:42; Ephesians 1:22; and Colossians 1:18, for examples.
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