McCurley JKI Video Biblical EldershipL1 L6 en

VIDEO LECTURE SERIES
Biblical Eldership
by Rev. Robert D. McCurley, ThM
Lecture #1
Introduction
John Knox Institute of Higher Education
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Visit our website: www.johnknoxinstitute.org
Rev. Robert D. McCurley, ThM, is minister of the gospel at Greenville Presbyterian Church, in Taylors, South Croli-
na, USA, a congregation of the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing), Presbytery of the United States.
www.greenvillepresbyterian.com
Cover image: “The Ordination of Elders in a Scottish Kirk,” 1891, John Henry Lorimer
Biblical Eldership
1. Introduction
2. The Office
3. Qualifications
4. More Qualifications
5. Doctrine
6. Shepherding
7.
8.
9.
Biblical Eldership VIDEO LECTURE SERIES
Lecture #1
Introduction
Throughout history, great institutions have come and gone. We read of the rise and fall of one
great nation after another. When they rise to their height of power, they seem invincible, even as if
they will remain forever. But then they fall and disappear from the earth, only to be read about in
history books. We could say the same about wildly successful businesses and companies, as well as
powerful and influential families with international influence and connections. They all follow the
same course. Only one kingdom remains truly permanent and indestructible. Only one institution
endures through all the ages, while everything else withers and dies, and that is the church of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said himself, in Matthew 16:18, “I will build my church; and the gates of
hell shall not prevail against it.” It endures throughout time and all of eternity. God reveals that the
church is the central institution in the world, in history, and therefore, in our own understanding.
One important component in the design of Christ’s church was his appointment of church
government and church officers, including men to serve as his representatives, and as helpers
to the edification of his people. That includes Elders, which is the subject of these lectures. An
Elder is an extremely high calling. A man can have advanced academic degrees in science, or hold
political office, or serve as a CEO1 of a giant corporation, but being an Elder is a far higher calling.
Why?—because it is devoted to what matters most, and what lasts forever. Well, what exactly is
it that endures forever in both time and eternity?—well, three things: the kingdom of Christ, the
Word of God, and the souls of men. Elders pour the investment of their lives into precisely these
three things. This is a truly glorious calling, and this should increase our excitement about all that
we will explore in these lectures.
In this module, or course, we are concentrating our attention on the New Testament office of
Elder. In the opening two lectures, we will consider the biblical foundations underneath the office
of Eldership. In the middle lectures, we will explore what the Bible teaches about who an Elder
is—the Elder’s qualifications, his doctrine, and his role, and related matters. In the final lectures,
we’ll consider what an Elder does—the practical outworking of his responsibilities in the life of
the church. Now while it may be tempting to move immediately to the practical matters, we will
not proffer from that instruction without understanding the biblical weight that lies behind it. We
need the whole counsel of God, and the scriptural principles behind the Eldership to inform and
influence a right understanding of the Eldership. Their function must flow from God’s design.
1. CEO stands for Chief Executive Officer.
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In this lecture, we begin by exploring the biblical truth that the church of the Lord Jesus Christ
is a kingdom. We will consider her King, the kingdom itself, and the government of that kingdom.
This is fundamental to a right understanding of the place and pursuits of an Elder within Christ’s
design of his church.
And so we begin, first of all, with the King. We learn throughout our reading of Scripture that
God’s plan of redemption in history reveals his intention to save a people for himself, as a means
of displaying his own glory. He has erected a kingdom in the world that serves as the habitation
of God. So that is essential to our understanding some of the salient features of how God designed
the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. So you open your Bible, and the book of Acts provides us with
God’s inspired record of the early history of the church. And the New Testament epistles supply
details of God’s instructions about the life and function of the church under the New Testament.
But beginning with the Old Testament, remember that at the heart of the promise to King David
were three things: a mediator from the seed of David, the covenant of grace establishing the bond
of God, and a kingdom representing God’s throne and reign. Well, in the Old Testament period
of the divided kingdom, we read of one king, after another, after another, after another. And each
time, we’re forced to conclude, he’s not the one; he’s not the great king that is promised. Another
and greater king is still coming. In other words, we are left waiting and looking, until at last, Christ
appears in the pages of the New Testament, as the true and ultimate heir to David’s throne. Christ
is the only King who is truly after God’s own heart, because he is the divine Messiah. He would
succeed in bringing about God’s dominion, where Adam originally failed, and all the kings of
Israel failed. We see this in the ascension of Christ foretold in Daniel 7, verses 13 and 14, where
it says, “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of
heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was
given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should
serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom
that which shall not be destroyed.” Jesus applies this text to himself in the Gospels. Earlier, in
Daniel 2, God describes the kingdom of Christ in a dream to Nebuchadnezzar. We read in Daniel
2, verse 44, “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall
never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces
and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” These texts in Daniel 2 and Daniel
7 stand behind Christ’s great commission, wherein he calls us to take the gospel to the ends of the
earth, and to disciple the nations, in Matthew 28, verses 18 to 20.
Well, this Old Testament history supplies the background for the theme of the kingdom in the
New Testament. Christ’s kingdom excels all others, because Christ the King excels all others. He is
the King of kings. His kingdom will extend throughout the earth. We read, in Revelation 11, verse
15, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he
shall reign for ever and ever.” You read of the ultimate success of the gospel among the nations and
the description of heaven, in Revelation 21:24, where it says, “And the nations of them which are
saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.”
So Solomon’s original prayer remains the heart cry of every true Christian—1 Kings 8, verse 60,
“That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else.” And
Psalm 67 remains our constant song. Well, this sets before us the preeminence of Jesus Christ—he
is the King. At the center of the nature of the church is the New Testament doctrine concerning
the headship of Jesus Christ. We read about this in Colossians 1, verse 18; Colossians 2, verse 10;
Ephesians 4, verse 15; Ephesians 5, verses 23 and 24; and elsewhere.
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The head of the church is not the Pope of Rome, who is a usurper and enemy of Christ. Nor is
any earthly monarch, or president, or any other civil magistrate the head of the church. Christ is
the only King and Head of the church, and all authority and power belongs to him. All that we are
to believe and do regarding doctrine, and worship, church government, and the Christian life, must
be derived from his authority alone, communicated to us in his Word.
So first of all, we see that Christ alone is the King of glory, and the only Head of his church.
Our eyes must always be fixed upon him, our ears must always be attentive to his words, if our
feet are ever to be directed into his ways. This is our fundamental starting point in understanding
the Eldership.
So first of all, we have the King. Secondly, we have the kingdom. A king presupposes a
kingdom over which the king reigns. Well, what exactly is that kingdom? It is Christ’s church. We
read of the fruit of the gospel, in Colossians 1, verse 13, “[God] hath delivered us from the power
of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” Christ is erecting a kingdom
in this world for his own name and glory. Jesus himself calls his church “the kingdom of God,”
in Mark 4, verses 26 and 30, for example. It is also called “the kingdom of Christ” (Ephesians
5:5). It’s called “the kingdom of heaven,” Matthew 13, in several places. Paul says that this the
kingdom that Christ will deliver up to his Father at the end of time. First Corinthians 15, verse
24 says, “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the
Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.” This is why the opening
of Westminster Confession, chapter 25, paragraph 2, defines the visible church as, “The kingdom
of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no ordinary possibility
of salvation.”
Well, we need to define then the distinction between the invisible and the visible church, which
is an important point of theological terminology. We’re not talking about two different churches—
there’s only one church. Rather, we are looking at the one church from two different angles. The
invisible church is all of the elect for all of time. The visible church is all professing believers
and their children, to whom are given the ministry, and oracles, and ordinances of God. While all
within the visible church enjoy precious privileges, not all are necessarily born-again. We see this
distinction throughout both the Old and New Testaments. For example, Romans 2, verses 28 and
29, “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in
the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit,
and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”
Well, to his visible church Christ gave officers, and ordinances, and sacred institutions for the
gathering and joining together of the saints. Ephesians 4, verses 12 to 15, teaches us that Christ
gave all of this “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be
no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight
of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love,
may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.”
God’s purposes in history center on the redemption of a people for himself. God provided his
Son as the foundation upon which the church is built, so that it might serve as the habitation of
God. We sing about this, in Psalm 118, verses 22 and 23, “The stone which the builders refused is
become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.” We
read of the fulfillment of this, in Ephesians 2, verses 20 to 22, “And are built upon the foundation
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of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the
building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are
builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” So God dwells in his church, and he
manifests his presence there. First Corinthians 14, verses 24 to 25, describes the experience of an
unbelieving visitor to the public worship of God. It says, “There come in one that believeth not, or
one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: and thus are the secrets of his heart made
manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a
truth.” The church—Christ’s kingdom—exists for the display of Christ’s glory—Colossians 1:18,
“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead;
that in all things he might have the preeminence.” We cannot abandon the biblical doctrine of the
church or what the Bible teaches about church government without impugning Christ’s honor.
Well, all of this makes crystal clear that the church is not a practical human convention. It
is not just a practical way of organizing God’s people in fellowship. It is the divine institution
established by God for the advance of his cause, and the display of his glory in the world. And he
has blessed that. We read in places like Acts 2, verse 47, “And the Lord added to the church daily
such as should be saved.” Consequently, the Bible does not permit believers to jettison, or detach
themselves from his visible and divinely-appointed church. The Belgic Confession, Article 28,
says this rather pointedly. It says, “We believe, since this holy congregation is an assembly of those
who are saved, outside of it there is no salvation, that no person of whatsoever state or condition
he may be, ought to withdraw from it, content to be by himself; but that all men are in duty bound
to join and unite themselves with it; maintaining the unity of the Church; submitting themselves
to the doctrine and discipline thereof; bowing their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ; and as
mutual members of the same body, serving to the edification of the brethren, according to the
talents God hath given them.”
Well, we have a King, we have a kingdom. Thirdly, we have the government of the kingdom.
Just as a king presupposes a kingdom, so too, a kingdom presupposes a government of that
kingdom. Christ provides divinely-appointed church government in the Scriptures. God has
appointed different structures of authority in the world, each with its own symbol of authority. So
you have the state, and it has the symbol of the sword. You have the church, and it is given the
symbol of the keys—the keys of the kingdom; and the family, that is, family government, you have
the symbol of the rod for discipline. Well, we’re concerned in this lecture with the government of
his church. And just as with the ordinances of worship, so too, the structure and organization of the
church is not left open to human innovation and creativity. It is unlawful for us to create such, or to
add or subtract from what he has sanctioned. This appointment remains Christ’s prerogative alone.
As Head and King of the church, Christ has prescribed a specific church government, and we are
not free to depart from his appointment. Rather, we can only receive what he sanctions, and obey
what he commands. All of the authority lies with Christ.
This can be seen in considering what the Bible says about the authority of the church, and
church power itself. Think about it—the source of authority is Christ alone, as the Head of the
church. The standard of authority is the Scripture alone, not the church or its traditions. So then,
what power does the church have? That is to say, what power can officers in the government of
Christ’s kingdom exert, in the exercise of their responsibility? Well, in brief, the Bible tells us a
handful of things about the nature of church power.
It tells us, first of all, that it is declarative, not legislative. And so, by declarative, we mean that
the church is able to come and say, “Thus saith the Lord.” The church is to uphold God’s Word.
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The church does not have legislative power. It cannot fabricate new laws or new ordinances of
worship, or new doctrines, or new rules that we are to follow. It merely has to declare what God
has said.
Secondly, it is also ministerial, not magisterial. By ministerial, we mean it is given for service—
it’s given for serving the flock. It’s not magisterial, it’s not given to lord it over God’s flock. So
Peter makes this clear in the opening verses of 1 Peter 5, where it says we’re not to lord over God’s
heritage.
Thirdly, this power is spiritual, not physical. So it pertains to matters that relate to the soul,
and so on. It is given the keys of the kingdom, which exercise spiritual power, but not the sword,
for example, which applies to the body—things like capital punishment and things like that, that
godly states should uphold.
Fourthly, it is judicial or disciplinary. So it includes this element of exercising discipline within
the appointed ordinances that God has given. We’ll come to that in a future lecture.
Lastly, it is not discretionary—church power is not discretionary. The church is to consult the
Scripture. It is not left to freedom of choice or judgment in matters of faith and doctrine.
Well, within these parameters, the exercise of church authority under Christ reflects real power.
It is the power of Christ mediated through the representatives Christ has ordained to serve him.
Jesus says, in Matthew 16, verse 19, “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven:
and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose
on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” It is, however, a derived power from Christ, not inherent power
residing in the church itself or its officers.
Well, all of this brings us to the question of what Christ the Head appointed and sanctioned for
church government. He has ordained a specific church government for his people, through which
his authority is exercised. We see that we are obligated to submit and follow the pattern he has
instituted in the Scriptures. So the question, of course, then comes: What does the pattern include?
What has he appointed or sanctioned? What is the church government that is given to us in the Holy
Scriptures? Well, in the next lecture, we’ll begin to answer these kinds of questions, by turning our
attention to some of the details of the government of Christ’s church, including the offices that he
has prescribed or appointed. Part of that divine pattern includes Christ’s appointment of Elders in
his church.
But in this opening lecture, we’ve established that the church is Christ’s kingdom. In starting
here, we begin by putting Christ first, and giving him all the preeminence that belongs to him. We
cannot do otherwise. He truly is the only Head and King of the church. And everything else about
the church begins with him and flows from him.
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Biblical Eldership
Lecture #2
The Office
Biblical Eldership
1. Introduction
2. The Office
3. Qualifications
5. Doctrine
6. Shepherding
7.
8.
9.
Biblical EldershipVIDEO LECTURE SERIES
Lecture #2
The Office
Most people enjoy stories of powerful kings, beautiful castles, and vast kingdoms. We find
awe-inspiring the accounts of heroism of knights and generals, and victories and defeats. And
it is intriguing to trace the tangled path associated with the rise and fall of these great men. But
Christians know that the great men of this world are not the main focus of history. History is God’s
story, and he has placed at the center of his story his King and his kingdom. That means that men,
both great and small men, are measured by their attachment to Christ, and service to his interests.
Psalm 2 speaks about the “kings of the earth” setting themselves, rulers taking counsel “against the
LORD, and against his anointed” (verse 2). But God answers them, “Yet have I set my king upon
my holy hill of Zion” (verse 6). And all men are called to “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice
with trembling” (verse 11).
Those who come by saving faith to Christ are enlisted as good soldiers of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Within the Lord’s spiritual army, he has assigned different roles within the ranks. That
includes officers in his church, who are called upon to advance the interest of Christ, by serving
the edification of precious souls. This lies at the center of what matters most. Everything in the
world ultimately revolves around the advance of Christ’s glorious kingdom, through the unfolding
of God’s plan of redemption. Everything in history serves God’s gospel purpose.
In this module, or course, we are considering what the Bible teaches about the New Testament
office of Elder. In the opening two lectures, we’re exploring the biblical foundations that are
underneath the office of the eldership. In the remaining lectures, we’ll delve into the details of the
calling, function, and practical outworking of what it means to be an Elder. In the previous lecture,
we learned that Christ is King of his church. His church is the realm of his redemptive kingdom,
and he has divinely appointed a government for the church in his Word. In this lecture, we narrow
our scope to consider the citizenry of this kingdom, and the offices he prescribed to serve and lead
that citizenry. And so we’ll begin first of all, with the citizens of the kingdom.
Elders are called to serve souls. So the church must be comprised of people over whom the
Elders exercise oversight, shepherding, and governance. The necessity of membership in the church
flows from what we have seen about the nature of the church. Some have insisted that church
membership is nothing more than an extra-biblical invention, without any warrant in the Word
of God; or that at the very least, the use of a communion role or membership role is a pragmatic
concession that can be ignored. But as we will see, being a Christian in the Scriptures includes
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admission into a visible body, with the ministry, doctrine, ordinances, discipline, organization, and
authority entrusted to it by God. Consider the biblical warrant that we find in Acts and the epistles.
I will mention numerous passages of Scripture, which I strongly encourage you to write down and
look up. It’s important that our consciences are grounded in the Scriptures themselves.
First of all, we see that members of the church were baptized and added to a local, visible
church, and required to be committed to it. We see that in Acts 2, verse 41 and verse 47. We see it
in Acts 4, verse 4; chapter 6, verse 1 and verse 7; chapter 16, verse 5; 1 Timothy 5, verse 9; and we
could go on. And of course, there were others at the time who refused to join the church. We see
that in Acts 5, verse 13. A public profession of faith was mandatory. Jesus made that clear already
in Matthew 10, verses 32 and 33.
Secondly, the members of the church could be numbered, or counted, and were thus visible and
distinct. Now, whether they’re counted on paper or counted on fingers doesn’t matter. But we see
that they were counted: Acts 1, verse 15; Acts 4, verse 4.
Thirdly, there was a repeated New Testament distinction between those who were outside, from
those who were inside. Think of Colossians 4, verse 5. So mere attendance at the public assembly
did not qualify, because the apostles even made the distinction in those gatherings. I mean, you
think of 1 Corinthians 14, verse 23, it speaks about those coming into the worship who were from
outside. The Bible also speaks about the household of faith, as distinguished from the world, in
Galatians 6, verse 10. And membership in a household is obviously basic to the whole concept.
Fourthly, there was a distinction between those who were under the rule and oversight of the
Elders who were responsible to know and care for them. Elders did not have authority over any
and all persons, but over a select group of people—so Hebrews 13, verse 7 and verses 17 and 18;
1 Corinthians 16, verse 16; and a whole string of other passages. Think, for example, in 1 Peter
chapter 5, verse 3: klerōs, the Greek word, means “assigned by lot.” So there were people that were
assigned by lot to their Elders. Acts 20, verses 28 and 29. Paul’s speaking there to the Ephesian
Elders, and he speaks about taking heed to the flock, and that means, in that passage, knowing
whether one of the flock is attacked by wolves or not. Hebrews 13:7 shows that Elders are held
accountable for specific saints entrusted to their oversight.
Fifthly, church discipline involved being taken away from among you, to use the language of
1 Corinthians 5, verse 2—you see the same thing in Matthew 18—which would be impossible if
there was no distinct membership from which to be taken away. Those who repented could also be
reinstated, as you see in 2 Corinthians 2, verses 6 and 7.
Sixthly, members travelling to areas where they would be unknown were given letters of
reference and commendation. You see that in Acts 18; you see it in Romans 16; 2 Corinthians 3
and 8; Philemon; 3 John; 1 Corinthians; and it goes on and on.
Seventhly, the biblical titles for the church would not make sense without membership in
Christ’s visible church. Think of the language of the church being a house, or a body, or a building,
or a family, a kingdom, a city, a flock, branches that are a part of a tree, a community, and so on.
Eighthly, the church has a responsibility to verify or falsify the credibility of a person’s claims
to be a Christian. After all, the man in 1 Corinthians 5 still thought of himself as a Christian. You
see similar things in the writings of John, in 1 John 1, verses 5 to 10; and chapter 2, verses 9 and 10.
Lastly under this point, we stated in the previous lecture that the church consists of professing
Christians and their children. This truth flows from the household principle that you’ll observe
throughout the Old Testament and into the New Testament. God deals with his people as
households. And so, you have Noah, who was a preacher of righteousness and a man of faith—
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he and his household are brought into the ark. That’s early in the book of Genesis. But then you
go through—Abraham, who’s given blessings as a believer and privileges that are given to his
household, his children, and so on. We could march are way all the way through the Bible and
observe this household principle. You’ll notice, for example, the reference to household baptisms
in the New Testament. About one quarter of the baptisms mentioned were household baptisms,
paralleling the pattern of circumcision in the Old Testament. Both baptism and circumcision share
the same significance and meaning, which includes, among other things, incorporation into the
visible people of God. Both are a sign and seal of the covenant of grace which accompany the
promise of believers and their children. Just as the Lord’s Supper replaces the Passover, so baptism
replaces circumcision. Neither circumcision or baptism presume that the child is regenerated, but
they seal the promise and reflect the substantial privileges of membership in the visible church. A
thorough exposition of the biblical doctrine of infant baptism, of course, is beyond the scope and
time we have in this lecture. But the point—the point we need to understand—is that the children
of those in the congregation are also members of the visible church, as baptized members of the
congregation. As Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 25, paragraph 2, says, “The visible
church”—and it goes on—“consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion,
and of their children.” And so, we’re thinking about the citizens of the kingdom, or the members
of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Secondly, we can then turn our attention to the officers. So the word “officers” refers to those
who occupy a divinely-appointed position of authority, trust, and service within the church. Christ
ordained church offices so that, in the words of 1 Timothy 3, verse 15, “Thou mayest know how
thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar
and ground of the truth.” Well, in this module, we’re focusing on the office of ruling Elder. After
the expiration of the offices of apostles and prophets, the Lord appointed three primary offices, to
continue until the end of the age. The first was that of ministers—gospel ministers or pastors. Christ
calls ministers to the primary responsibility of preaching and teaching, and the administration
of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Their office includes the responsibilities of
an Elder, who share with the ruling Elders the responsibility of government, shepherding, and
overseeing the flock. Peter, who was an apostle, as well as a minister, also still referred to himself
as an Elder. You can look at 1 Peter 5, verse 1 and following. But the minister also has a distinct
calling, ordination, and gifts connected to the ministry of the Word. First Timothy 5, verse 17, says,
“Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in
the word and doctrine.” So you have this class of Eldership, which includes both ruling Elders and
the office of the gospel ministry. Westminster Larger Catechism, Question #158 says, “By whom
is the word of God to be preached?” The Answer is, “The word of God is to be preached only by
such as are sufficiently gifted, and also duly approved and called to that office.” You can see that in
Romans 10, verse 14 and 15; Ephesians 4, verses 11 and following; 2 Corinthians 5, verse 20; and
other places. So that’s the first office, the gospel ministry or pastors.
The second is the ruling Elders, and here we will only touch on a simple overview, because
the remainder of this module will be devoted to discussing the details of the office of ruling Elder.
But Christ calls ruling Elders to serve as overseers in shepherding the flock of God. We see this
in 1 Timothy 3, verse 5; the passage we just mentioned in chapter 5, verse 17; 1 Thessalonians
5, verse 12; Hebrews 13, verse 7; verse 17; verse 24. And you’ll notice something here. And this
is important, if you’re studying the Scripture carefully. There are two terms. There is the term in
Greek, episkopos, which is the term for “overseer,” sometimes translated “bishop;” and there is
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the Greek term, presbyteros, which is the term for “Elder.” And you’ll see that these two—overseers
and elders—don’t refer to two separate offices, but are synonymous for the same office. You say,
well, how do we know that for sure? The answer is, because they are used interchangeably in the
New Testament. So an example would be Titus 1, verses 5 to 7. There, Titus is appointing Elders
in Crete, and they’re also described as overseers. Or, you can think of Acts 20. There’s Paul, when
he comes to meet with the Ephesian elders, he calls them together—verse 17—as Elders, but then
in verse 28, he refers to them as overseers. And so, the same people are given two different titles.
We can give other examples of this, but you’ll notice the point, that Elders are both called bishop
or overseer, as well as Elders. And Elders have responsibility for shepherding, for oversight, for
rule, for governance, as watchman, providing protection, care, feeding, and consoling the Lord’s
people.
Both minister and Elders serve with complete equality. So there’s no hierarchy in matters
related to governing, ruling, and overseeing the flock—1 Peter 5 makes that clear. So collectively,
as a body, pastors and Elders, who are all within the class of Elders, they have authority to exercise
church discipline—1 Timothy 5, verse 20; and to resolve conflicts—you see that in Acts 15. They
do so in the authority of Christ, an authority that is for edification, as 2 Corinthians 10, verse 8
says, “For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for
edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed.” And so it includes the exercise
of real authority for the eternal good of souls. Hebrews 13:17 says, “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: for that is unprofitable for you.”
So we have the office of the gospel ministry, we have the office of ruling Elder. Thirdly, we have
the office of deacons. These were appointed for the purpose of tending to the practical works of
mercy and compassion. You’ll see how they come into existence in Acts 6, verses 1 and following,
and you’ll see more about them in 1 Timothy 3, verses 8 to 13; and references in places like
Philippians 1:1, and elsewhere. Well, these responsibilities would include the physical, material,
and financial care of widows, orphans, and others in need within the church. In tending to these
practical needs, they thereby free the Elders to focus their attention on spiritual needs.
In all three offices, like all positions of authority, they are given for the sake and benefit of those
committed to their care, and not for the benefit of themselves—not for self interest. Again, Peter is
really pressing this very point when he writes, in 1 Peter 5, verse 1 and following. Well, this places
the proper biblical emphasis on being servants of the people. So we can distinguish biblically
between Scriptural authority and authoritarianism. So biblical authority would be positions of
authority that God gives for the benefit of those who are under the authority. Authoritarianism
can be defined in at least two ways. 1) It oversteps the parameters God has given for it. So all
authority is derived—it’s not inherited. God’s the one with ultimate authority, and he draws the
circle—the parameters for how that authority is to be exercised. When we exceed those parameters,
it’s no longer a biblical use of authority, but it’s authoritarianism. 2) The other thing that makes
authoritarianism distinctive is that is it not viewed in terms of service. So you think, magistrates
are to serve the people—Romans 13. We have seen the same with regards to Elders. You see the
same with regards to husbands, and fathers. They’re to serve and care for the people under them.
Their authority is not for themselves, but for the benefit and privileges of those under them. So
when a person uses their authority for themselves, their own interests, and their own rights and
way, they are now transgressing God’s law, and they’re exercising authoritarianism, rather than
biblical authority.
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Well, another thing that we need to touch on is that no one has the right to take upon himself
an office. So a man can’t appoint himself to office in the church. This comes out in reference to
Old Testament, even to Christ in Hebrews 5, verse 4. We see it in John 3, verse 27; Romans 10,
verse 14 and following—how can they go, unless they’ve been sent by the Lord?—and places like
2 Corinthians 10, verse 14; chapter 11, verse 12 and following.
So there are two biblical principles that must both be applied and upheld in the election and
ordination of officers in the church. So we’ve said, men can’t appoint themselves. Well, how does
it happen then? What has God said in his Word? First of all, men are to be examined by those
who will ordain them. In 2 Timothy 2, verse 2, it speaks about having received, we’re to commit
that unto faithful men. Or you think of 1 Timothy 3, verse 7; verse 10; chapter 5, verse 22; and
elsewhere. So existing Elders are responsible to protect the flock from false teachers and false
leaders. And so, as a consequence, those men need to be tested, they need to be examined. Paul
tells the Ephesians elders that in Acts 20, verses 28 and 31; 2 John 10 says the same thing. And so
there must be qualifications of piety and doctrine that God has prescribed, and it’s necessary for
the other Elders to assess whether those qualifications of piety and doctrine are met. And we’ll be
considering those qualifications in a couple of lectures to follow.
So the first principle is that men must be tested, examined, and proved by Elders. Secondly,
men must be selected by popular election among the members of the congregation. You see this
in Acts 1, and Acts 6, and Acts 14, verse 23. In other words, no officer can be forced upon a
congregation without their consent. You can’t have a ruling body of Elders who say, “Well, we’re
going to make this man Elder,” and then just force him on the people, no. The members must see
his gifts, and desire for the man to serve them in this capacity. So both of these biblical principles
have to be upheld. The Lord uses both of these means: both the overseeing body and the members
to guide the commission of men into office.
Furthermore, we should remember, in terms of the structures of government, that there is a
privilege of appeal to higher assemblies of Elders, and a right of government by them. So, you
have a local body of Elders, and a problem arises that can be appealed to a larger body of Elders.
You see that happening in Acts 15—that’s what’s taking place there. So at the local level, you have
what we call a “session” or “consistory”—those are the Elders in a local congregation. But then
beyond that you can have what we call a “presbytery” or a “classis.” And this is Elders made up
of numerous sessions in a given geographical location, who work together in overseeing the flock.
And then, above that you can have a “synod” or a “general assembly,” and this would include all
the Elders from all the presbyteries or classis in a given denomination.
Well, what do we see here? We see how the Lord is putting the pieces together. There are
people that gathered together that comprise a congregation—there’s a constituency, a citizenry,
membership within the church that has to exist first. And then the Lord has appointed in the
divinely-ordained government of his church officers—ministers, elders, and deacons—to serve his
people in ways that are edifying. We’re focused in this course, of course, on the office of ruling
Elder.
So in this lecture, we’ve considered the biblical warrant for membership, the biblical warrant for
officers in the church of Christ. Now that we’ve laid some foundational truths, we must go on to
explore what the Scriptures teach about the Elder’s calling, function, and practical responsibilities.
So in the next lecture, we’ll turn our attention to the biblical qualifications for the office of ruling
Elder, and we’ll consider that over two lectures. What godly character and spiritual gifts does God
require for a man to be called to serve in this office of Elder?
5
Biblical Eldership
Lecture #3
Qualifications
Biblical Eldership
1. Introduction
2. The Office
3. Qualifications
5. Doctrine
6. Shepherding
7.
8.
9.
Lecture #3
Qualifications
When an employer needs to hire new personnel, they often advertise the job opening with a
description of what the job entails, and qualifications necessary to be selected for the position. A
person interested in the job would fill out an application, and include their credentials, training,
work experience, and related matters, in order to demonstrate their competency and qualifications
for the position. We would not expect anything else. If a person applies for a job as a skilled stone
mason, but they’ve never used a chisel, or built an intricately interwoven wall on a slope, we would
rightly consider them unqualified for that role. The same could be said for a person applying for
upper management in a company, who has never even led a small team or overseen any projects.
Well, if that is true with regards to worldly employment, how much more for service in Christ’s
kingdom? We should expect that the Lord would provide criteria and qualifications for men to
serve as Elders in Christ’s church. And that is exactly what he does in the Scriptures.
In this module, we’re considering what the Bible teaches about the New Testament office of Ruling
Elder. In the previous two lectures, we’ve considered some biblical foundations regarding Christ’s
headship over the church, his divinely prescribed government for the church, and the offices he
appointed to serve in those governmental structures. In this lecture and those that follow, we will
turn our considerations specifically to the office of Ruling Elder itself. In this lecture and in the
next lecture, we’ll begin with the biblical qualifications that the Lord requires in them who are
called to serve as Elders.
Well, first of all, we’ll speak about this calling. First Timothy 3, verse 1, tells us, “This is a true say-
ing, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.” Remember, the word “bishop”
could be translated “overseer.” That’s the meaning of the Greek word. And as we saw in the last
lecture, the words “elder” and “overseer” are synonymous in the New Testament, describing the
same position with two different words. Paul states here that the desire to serve in this capacity is
a good desire—a desire to be engaged in an important work on behalf of the Lord and his people.
What follows, in 1 Timothy 3, verses 1 to 7, as well as in Titus 1, verses 5 to 9, are God’s biblical
requirements to qualify for this service.
But before we turn to those details, we should ask to whom this applies? The answer is that these
qualifications apply both to the office of Ruling Elder and the office of ministers, who also serve
as Elders. Remember that Peter, who was an apostle and minister of the gospel, calls himself a
“fellow elder,” in 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 1 and following, which shows clearly that the apostles
1
were also Elders, or overseers. So the qualifications that we’re going to look at in 1 Timothy 3 do
not apply only to pastors or ministers, but also to Elders, because if the qualifications of 1 Timothy
3 or in Titus 1 are not the qualifications for the office of Elder in the church, then what are the qual-
ifications for this office? Why would Scripture give the qualifications for deacons and ministers, as
if that’s all that’s being referred to, and who were also Elders, but not give any qualifications for
the office of Ruling Elder, especially since the office of Elder is one of the most important special
offices for the well-being of the church. Clearly, the qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 3, verses 1 to
7, apply to all Elders, both to the ministers of the Word, and the other Ruling Elders who shepherd
with them the flock under their care.
Furthermore, you’ll notice at the beginning of these qualifications, in 1 Timothy 3, verse 2, Paul
uses the word “must.” So the word “must” means that these qualifications are essential. “A bishop
must be blameless.” They’re essential. They’re not merely helpful guidelines. All of these qualifi-
cations are mandatory. They are requirements which God has laid down for the office of Elder in
his church. No man may be an Elder in the church of God, unless he meets all of these qualifica-
tions. Christ determines the criteria, as Head of his church. It’s the church’s God-given duty to re-
ceive and follow what he prescribes, which includes keeping all unworthy men out of the office of
Ruling Elder and minister. The church must uphold the honor of Christ, and ensure that the church
is edified for greater peace, purity, and unity. We need to give careful attention and diligent care
to understanding precisely what Christ had specified as qualifications for Elder. In what follows
here, and in the following lecture, will be a study of the details laid down in 1 Timothy 3. So let’s
consider then the qualifications for the office of Elder.
First of all, the first qualification is that a bishop or overseer “must be blameless”—verse 2. By
“blameless,” the Scripture does not mean that a man must be sinless in order to be an overseer in
the church of God. To be blameless is to be above reproach. No one should be able to lay a charge
against an Elder and make it stick. This is true, it’s true that a man is blameless when a man’s words
and conducts conform to the holy commandments of God in Scripture, so that he can’t be justly
accused of living in flagrant disobedience to God’s standards of holiness. The Scripture says that
Job “was perfect”—which can be translated blameless—“and upright, and one that feared God,
and eshcewed evil”—or shunned evil (Job 1:1). We should be able to say that about every Elder in
the church. The overseer’s reputation should be above reproach. No one should be able to attack
him or reproach him because of his sins, whether in speech, conduct, or doctrine. Every Christian,
of course, sins, and will never be without sin until death. But an overseer or Elder must maintain
a good name of walking in faith and repentance without sinful scandal in his life. There should be
no question as to the integrity of his upright character. An Elder must be of mature integrity before
God and men, so that he is without reproach. Otherwise, he cannot be a godly example to those
under his care in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, and purity. And any man who does not
live a consistent godly life does not meet this qualification, and should not be an Elder.
Well, what exactly does that look like? What does a blameless reputation and character look like?
The subsequent qualifications address specific areas in which the Elder must be above reproach.
And so that brings us, secondly, to the fact that he must be a “husband of one wife”—again, verse
2. Well, first of all, this means that an Elder must be a man. Only a man can be a husband of one
wife, which precludes women from this office. In God’s order, men are appointed to lead. Later, in
the qualifications, we learn that an Elder must be apt to teach. But Paul said a few verses earlier,
in chapter 2, verse 12, “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but
to be in silence.” We see something similar in 1 Corinthians 14, verses 34 and 35. So we learn that
2
only men may be Elders.
But then he also must be the husband of one wife. So contrary to the teaching of the Roman Cath-
olic Church, it is not required that officers in the church remain unmarried, or that they be celibate.
Hebrews 13, verse 4 says, “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers
and adulterers God will judge.” But we are told that an Elder must only have one wife. Well, does
this mean that a man must be married to be an Elder? Or does it mean that if he is married, he must
be married to only one wife? Well we know from 1 Corinthians 7, verses 8 and 9, that the Apostle
Paul, who wrote both 1 Timothy and Titus, was unmarried. He tells us that. So this requirement
clearly means that if a man is married, or has been married, he must not have had more than one
wife in God’s sight. So this is an expressed prohibition of polygamy for an Elder. And especially at
the time when Paul was writing, some men had more than one wife. The New Testament confirms
God’s command, from the time of creation, that a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave
unto his wife, and the two shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24).
Well, it also raises other practical questions. For example, with regards to divorce, those who di-
vorce their wives unbiblically—without just grounds—and marry another woman, then there’s a
problem, because before God, they have more than one wife at the same time, contrary to God’s
law. And therefore, they may not be officers in the church. If a man has an unbiblical divorce, and
he is remarried without biblical grounds, the Bible says that’s adultery, and it is equivalent to not
being married to one woman. So the point here is that the Elder must be blameless with respect
to the law of God concerning marriage and matters of divorce and remarriage. If a man can just-
ly—that is, keeping the precepts of Scripture—put away his wife with the approval of God, and
remarry, then he is still qualified to hold office as an Elder, because he’ll have a biblical divorce and
remarriage. Paul is not barring from office absolutely anyone who is remarried. I mean, if a man’s
wife dies, and he marries another, he is still qualified to be an Elder in the flock of God, because he
only has one wife before the sight of God.
So whether married or unmarried, the Elder must be an example to others of faithfulness and chas-
tity in obedience to the seventh commandment. A married Elder must be faithful to his one wife as
long as she lives. Sexual immorality and marital infidelity cannot be tolerated among office bearers
in the church. If there are two or three witnesses that a man has committed such sins, he may not
hold office in the church. Well, Paul assumes that the Elder will normally be married, and that’s
generally the case, both for office bearers and with people generally. Though to some, it is given to
be unmarried, and given the gift of celibacy, even what Jesus describes as eunuchs for the sake of
the kingdom of God, or by birth, or by an act of men, in Matthew 19, verse 12.
So it’s important to know what the law of God forbids and allows concerning marriage, divorce,
and remarriage. In some cases, that will determine whether a man who aspires to the office of min-
ister or Elder has only one wife or not. Men who are unfaithful, or who divorce unlawfully, who
marry unlawfully, or who do not shepherd their wives as they ought, should not become overseers.
The office bearers of the church ought to live in the married estate in holiness and obedience to
God, as an example to all the flock. And of course, their experience as head of their own home will
be useful in their oversight of their congregation.
The third qualification is that an Elder must be vigilant—vigilant or temperate, we could say.
So this is actually the first in a series of three character traits. And the Greek word can mean
“clear-headed,” “self-controlled,” “moderate,” “frugal,” “sober-minded,” “prudent,” “reasonable.”
Vigilant is at the beginning of a list of qualities that have to do with the general character of an El-
der’s behavior and of his attitudes. This qualification means to be watchful. To be vigilant is to be
3
on guard against turning aside from the truth of the gospel of Christ. And so the idea here is that we
must pay attention, be serious, thinking clearly. We must be able to give diligent heed to the truth
of God’s Word. An Elder must be on guard, just as a shepherd has to watch against threats to the
sheep, so the Elders have to be equipped to watch for wolves and anything that might endanger his
flock. That means the Elder has to have a sound mind. He has to discern the times, and to discern
truth from error, and to discern the needs of his own flock. He must watch carefully over his own
life, and his own heart, so that there’s not all sorts of sins that arise there. He has to also have the
maturity and experience of exercising his senses to discern between good and evil, as Hebrews 5,
verses 12 to 14 say. This character trait is really central to the work of the office of Elder. You can
read about it in Paul’s charge to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20, verse 28 and following. And Elder
who is not vigilant over his own life, both in private and in public, will not be able to be vigilant
and watchful over the care of God’s people. So he has to keep the Lord always before his eyes, and
his law always upon his heart, in order that he might be vigilant in caring for the flock.
The fourth qualification is to be sober, and this is very closely related to the previous qualification
of being vigilant. The Greek word here can mean “prudent,” or “thoughtful,” or “self-controlled.”
The word refers to wisdom, to good sense, to a sound mind, to good judgment. Whereas the previ-
ous qualification of vigilance entails an Elder being clear-headed and of sound mind in order to be
alert and watching himself and the flock, this qualification of sobriety is that an Elder must have
wisdom in order to exercise good judgment. So it’s really impossible to overemphasize that an
Elder must be guided by wisdom in his work. He must have good judgment in dealing with people
and their problems. He must be reasonable and sympathetic, and yet serious and straight forward.
As we’ll see in a future lecture, one of the tasks of an Elder is to judge in disputes and in the ex-
ercise of church discipline, and this requires wisdom and seriousness. A judge has to be in control
of himself, not given to prejudice that might cloud his thinking or affect his discernment. A person
who is unstable, who is without wisdom, without sound judgment, who is not sober or able to deal
with issues, does not meet this qualification.
The fifth qualification is “of good behavior,” and the Greek word means “respectable,” or “hon-
orable.” His life must be in order. A man with bad behavior cannot be respectable or honorable.
A respectable man deserves to be treated with deference, and esteem, and honor, and high regard,
because of his qualities and his decent character.
The sixth qualification is “given to hospitality.” And really, this is the first of two abilities or gifts
that God requires of an Elder or overseer in the church. The Greek word for “hospitable,” is a
compound word, consisting of two parts. The first part of the word means, “one who loves,” and
the second part of the word means “a host.” So an Elder must be one who loves to be a host. Now,
being a host does not necessarily involve providing a meal for guests. It’s a means by which we can
use whatever our gifts are to minister to others in the body of Christ. And so, hospitality is sharing
what God has given us with other Christians for their edification and mutual encouragement. That
may be having people stay in our home, or come to a meal in our home, or a whole bunch of other
ways in which we care for them. It’s the friendly and generous reception and treatment of guests
and strangers. The passage in 1 Peter 4 teaches that being hospitable is one way we are to express
our love for the people of God; something we’re to do cheerfully and willingly. So every Chris-
tian must be hospitable, but especially an Elder in the church. An overseer is to be an example to
the people of God. And the Lord has given Elders for the edification of his church. Elders should
therefore be willing and glad to share their gifts with others, especially those under their care. That
could mean providing food or lodging, or using one’s place for meetings, or even making oneself
4
available for visitors, or in providing counsel and other things. But Elders are not to be cold toward
strangers, but warm, and gracious, and friendly, and kind, seeking to meet their needs in a way of
showing love and compassion to them. And so the Lord provides us with this qualification of being
given to hospitality in caring for the needs of those entrusted to us.
The seventh qualification is to be apt to teach. Now there is a difference between teaching and
preaching. Elders are to be apt to teach—all Elders. But minister are also called by Christ to
preach. In the New Testament, teaching is a much broader activity than preaching. Preaching is
the public proclamation of the Word of God. All preaching, of course, should teach the congre-
gation, but teaching includes many things that are not preaching. The man born blind taught the
Pharisees about Jesus, in John 9, verse 34. Jesus taught us that the Holy Spirit would teach us all
things—John 14:26. Paul says that he taught in Ephesus from house to house—Acts 20, verse 20.
Paul commands all believers to teach one another “in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs”—Co-
lossians 3, verse 16. Paul tells the Thessalonians to stand fast, to hold the traditions that they had
been taught, “whether by word or epistle”—2 Thessalonians 2, verse 15. Well, teaching someone
by writing a letter is not preaching. When Paul says, in 1 Timothy 2, verse 12, “I don’t permit a
woman to teach,” he’s not referring exclusively to preaching. When Hebrews 5, verse 12 says that
“By this time, you ought to be teachers, and instead you need someone else to teach you the first
principles of the oracles of God,” it doesn’t mean that all believers should be preachers. Further-
more, parents teach their children, and teachers teach their students, and none of that teaching is
preaching. So my point is simply that teaching is not equivalent to preaching.
An Elder may be skillful in teaching, and not called or able to preach. And so, within the Reformed
churches, we’ve always insisted that the preacher of God’s Word should be able to read the orig-
inal languages in Greek and Hebrew—the original languages in which the Bible was written—so
that he can rightly divide the Word of truth. Well, Ruling Elders do not need to meet this standard,
because they’re not ordained to preach the Word of God and to administer the sacraments. And so,
the requirement of Scripture for every Elder is not that he be able to preach, but that he be skillful
in teaching. And the Greek word here is used two different times in the New Testament. The other
place is in 2 Timothy 2, verses 23 to 25. And that passage is not about preaching the Word of God,
but about patiently, humbly correcting those who oppose sound doctrine, by teaching them the
truth. And Timothy is to do this, rather than embroiling himself in foolish and ignorant arguments.
Well, we see the same thing in the qualifications for Elder given in Titus 1, verse 5 to 16. An Elder
must hold fast the faithful word, according to the teaching that he has received. Why? So that he
may be able to both convict and exhort those who speak against the truth by sound instruction.
Well, we know that those who are going astray, and have come to the point where they’re speak-
ing against the truth, and they’re subverting whole households, and so on, they need more than
just public preaching. That’s still important for them to hear, but if that were all that was needed,
there would be no need for the Elders to visit people in their homes, just as a shepherd goes after
straying sheep. No, there are times where Elders come alongside and sit people who are straying
from the truth, and sit them down and help instruct them in the ways of the Lord’s Word. This is
the work of watching over the flock, shepherding them, so that they remain in the truth, and aren’t
destroyed by wolves and false teachers. So Elders go and seek them out in order to restore them,
and exhort them, and teach them the truth. And the Elders are to teach and exhort the faithful sheep
who aren’t wandering so that they don’t go astray. In order to do this, an Elder needs to know well
what the Scripture says about doctrine and life. He needs to be able to discern error in doctrine or
error in life, to show a man his error from Scripture, and to teach him the truth in a simple way.
5
That doesn’t require the gifts necessary for preaching, or even for public speaking. Yet, that is the
essence of the work of a shepherd, overseeing the church of God, which is purchased with His
own blood, and that is the most essential part of ruling in the church. And so an Elder may be won-
derfully gifted, and he can one-on-one instruct precious souls, or he can meet in threes and fours
with people in order to lead them in the truth, and be perfectly qualified, and be exemplary in his
service.
But this in no way denies that God has gifted, called, and set apart some men to preach his Word.
And so Paul commanded Timothy, “Preach the word”—2 Timothy 4, verse 2. Jesus, and the apos-
tles preached the Word. The truth is that some Elders rule, and there are some Elders who both rule
and labor in the Word, in the work of preaching, and the sacraments—1 Timothy 5, verse 17. Such
men are called “ministers of the word,” or “pastors.” God hasn’t called all Elders to preach, but he
has gifted some ministers for preaching, and these he calls to that work.
And so the congregation must call men to work according to the gifts God has given them. God
calls all Elders to rule, to shepherd, to oversee, to watch for and care for the church. They all share
in a parity, in plurality, in equality that responsibility. And the Elder’s rule, all that goes with it, in
its very nature, involves teaching. So that’s why the Scripture requires that an Elder must be apt
to teach. To rule over the people of God is not merely to set the times of when worship services
will be held, but to encourage and exhort God’s people to believe and live according to the Bible,
and to convict those who stray from the truth. That requires skill in teaching people privately in
patience and gentleness. And Elders need to make sure that the congregation not only hears the
preaching, but also is living in obedience to God’s Word, and he should be able to exercise himself
accordingly.
Well, this gives us some of the qualifications in 1 Timothy, chapter 3. So in this lecture, we’ve
considered some of those biblical qualifications for being an Elder in Christ’s church, and it brings
us about halfway through the list of qualifications. In the next lecture, we’ll turn our attention to
the remaining qualifications that are specified in 1 Timothy 3, and in Titus 1. And once we have
explored the qualifications, we will take up the responsibilities that God commits to Elders in his
church.
6
Biblical Eldership
Lecture #4
More Qualifications
Biblical Eldership
1. Introduction
2. The Office
3. Qualifications
5. Doctrine
6. Shepherding
7.
8.
9.
Lecture #4
More Qualifications
We all recognize the important relationship between responsibilities and qualifications. In
order to assume responsibility for a task or role, we must be qualified to do so, otherwise the out-
come could be disastrous. I have no training in civil engineering. If I were assigned responsibility
to design a skyscraper, it would be ridiculous, because I am not qualified for such tasks. Well, in
this module, or course, we’re considering what the Bible teaches about the New Testament office
of Ruling Elder. God specified in his Word certain criteria that must be met, in order for a man to
serve as Elder in Christ’s church. In this lecture, we continue to explore those qualifications, which
are recorded in 1 Timothy 3, and also in Titus chapter 1.
So first of all, biblical criteria. Before we return to our consideration of 1 Timothy 3, we should
step back, and place this teaching within the broader context of the calling and qualifications of
Elders. While some of 1 Timothy 3 touches on matters of gifts—for example, Elders must be apt
to teach—it primarily focuses on the graces of an Elder—his character, life, godliness, maturity,
and experience. The overarching qualifications can be really organized under three general heads.
So first of all, we have the Elder’s graces. An Elder must be godly, and mature in his life
and character, and this, of course, is the focus of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Secondly, we have
the Elder’s doctrine. He must know, believe, hold fast, and defend the apostolic doctrine of the
Scriptures. We’ll be taking up this topic in the next lecture—the fifth lecture. Thirdly, we have the
Elder’s gifts. So he must also be equipped by God with the spiritual gifts or abilities necessary for
the office of Elder. This includes skills with people: leadership, communication, decision-making,
and many other related matters. This aspect will be the focus of really the remainder of the course,
lectures 6 and following. So when we use the word “qualification” in both the previous lecture and
this one, we’re intending the qualifications of life and character as specified in 1 Timothy 3. So
now we will resume our consideration of this passage. We left off with being apt to teach, and so
let’s consider some of the further qualifications that are given.
Next in that passage, we’re told that the Elder is not to be “given to wine” (verse 3). This could
be translated “not be given to much wine.” So a man who is given to much wine drinks too much
wine. In the words of Proverbs 23, verse 30, he tarries long at the wine. That includes a man who
has occasional bouts of excessive drinking, as well as the man who regularly drinks too much
alcohol. In that sense, he is enslaved to drinking. Such a person is not qualified to be an Elder
in the church. Paul does not say, in 1 Timothy 3, verse 3, that an Elder must not drink any wine.
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Those who require Elders to abstain from drinking any wine or alcohol on the basis of this verse,
have actually twisted the qualifications to say something that it does not. We know from the rest
of Scripture that God gives us wine, which makes glad the heart of man—Psalm 104, verses 14
and 15. Jesus used wine as one of the elements of the Lord’s Supper, and we are to continue using
wine in the Lord’s Supper until Jesus returns. But a little later in 1 Timothy—the same book—Paul
tells Timothy, “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake, and for
your oft infirmities”—chapter 25, verse 23. The Scripture expresses the covenant blessing of God
in this way. It speaks about honoring the Lord with all of our possessions, and with the first fruits
of our increase, so that our barns will be filled with plenty, and our vats will overflow with new
wine—Proverbs 3, verses 9 to 10. So wine is one of God’s good gifts, and it is to be used for the
glory of God. In this verse, the Lord of the church disqualifies from the office of Elder anyone who
is given to much wine, that means drinking excessively—being a drunkard. Because Scripture
condemns drunkenness, saying that no drunkard will inherit the kingdom of God—1 Corinthians
6, verses 9 and 10. And so in general, an Elder must not let wine or alcohol govern him, but must be
able to use wine wisely—in moderation for the glory of God. And so, although wine is specifically
mentioned in the text, the principle here applies, of course, really to any food or drink which can
have mastery over a man, especially those sorts of things that would impair a man’s judgment, and
his ability to control himself and his speech. So addiction to wine disqualifies a man from office. A
man who becomes drunk fails to meet this qualification. And really, no believer, but especially no
Elder, because he is to be an example, should be drunk with wine. Rather, as we are told elsewhere
in Scripture, Christians should be filled with the Holy Spirit. And so, an Elder is one who uses his
abilities to rule wisely before the Lord, to the glory of God.
The next qualification that’s given is that he is to be “no striker,” the passage says. So the Greek
word means “a violent man.” We have the same word in Titus 1, verse 7. Such is a man who strikes
or smites another person. Well, this is clearly referring to men who strike others out of anger.
They’re not qualified, such men, to hold office as an overseer in the church. Neither anger nor
violence should characterize an Elder. He’s not to be one who strikes his family or people outside
the family. The only exception, of course, which the Bible specifically permits would be things
like lawful self defence, or it would include punishment by civil magistrates, and discipline by
parents. But God forbids men, out of anger and fits of rage, to strike out against other people in an
argument, or in a fight. The Lord abhors this violence. An Elder is to have control, self-control over
his mind, and emotions, and his body, so that he is not given to these fits of swift anger. It means
that he should be gentle, and peaceable, and able to say the things that need to be said without
breaking out in violence. So we recognize that this is a qualification. A man who is physically
abusive to other people is disqualified from the office of Elder. This is true with regards to both his
mouth as well as his tongue. He needs to be controlling himself and his emotions.
The next qualification that is given to us is that an Elder is not to be “greedy of filthy lucre.”
So in the Greek language, Paul uses a compound adjective composed of two words for “shameful
gain.” So he’s not to be given to shameful gain. That’s anything that a man gets by dishonest means,
or which is itself shameful or wicked. Peter says the same thing when he’s addressing the Elders
in 1 Peter 5, verse 2. He exhorts the Elders to beware of dishonest gain. He’s saying that a man’s
motivation to serve as an Elder should not be to achieve dishonest gain. He should not seek to exalt
himself by using his position among the flock of God. He should not try to garner to himself power
and control or authority. His desire should not be to puff himself up with pride or prestige, but his
motivation should rather be for the benefit and edification of the people. So a man’s motivation
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should be driven by an eagerness to serve Jesus Christ and to further his kingdom. And this is
applied both to money and material goods, as well as things that are related to them. A man who
just wants wealth should not be an Elder. It disqualifies him if his goal is to use his office as Elder
as a means to get money, or power, or control, rather than to glorify God and to edify his church.
The eleventh qualification—combining the ones that we heard in the last lecture, and the ones
in this lecture—the eleventh qualification is that an Elder must be patient. That means gentle, or
yielding, or kind. Paul describes gentleness in reference to our Lord Jesus Christ, in 2 Corinthians
10, verse 1, and he pleads with the Christians in Corinth “by the meekness and gentleness of
Christ.” James, as well, tells us that “the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable”
(James 3:17). It’s a gentle wisdom. Gentleness, of course, should characterize every Christian.
Paul speaks, in Philippians 4, and he says, “Let your gentleness be known to all men.” But he
singles out gentleness, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as a necessary quality for
an Elder. So in contrast to what we heard in the previous couple of qualifications, in contrast to
being violent, or in contrast to seeking after shameful gain, an Elder is the opposite. He is to be
gentle, not abrasive, not caustic, not oppressive. If you look at 1 Peter, chapter 2, verse 18, Peter
sets a contrast between those who are gentle, and those who are harsh. A man who makes others
endure grief unnecessarily lacks this important qualification for the office of Elder—influence how
he treats the flock of God. He needs to be forbearing, and patient in his spirit toward all, especially
in the midst of difficulties, and conflicts, and disputes, and opposition. There needs to be a maturity
that can avoid strife, rather than fueling it. A man, after all, can be very jealous for the truth of God,
but end up offending people by his manner, being caustic and harsh. Or, they may lack a forbearing
spirit, and easily get offended by what others say or do. And a gentle man, a qualified Elder is not
going to be easily provoked; he’s not going to be thrown off course by things that others say. And in
the midst of difficult circumstances, that gentleness will manifest itself. And so the Lord provides
us with this important qualification. A man who loses his forbearing spirit and gentle manner when
there is conflict and controversy ought not to be an overseer or Elder.
The next qualification is that an Elder is not to be “a brawler.” So this is the fourth negative
requirement in verse 3, if you’re following along. So it follows the positive requirement that an
overseer or Elder be gentle. There are actually three closely-related requirements in this verse,
which all have to do with a man’s disposition. And the particularity in this area shows the
importance that God places on the necessity of an Elder having a right attitude, a right disposition.
So this could be translated, “not quarrelsome,” it means, “not given to disputes or quarrels or
strife.” It means that one does not have a sinful hatred toward other people for any reason, and one
does not speak evil of others or hold grudges against them. Such a man is not inflated in his own
ego and pride, thinking that he’s better than others. All of these sinful things show that a man has a
quarrelsome spirit. A man who lacks this qualification will be regularly finding fault with all sorts
of people, continually picking apart what they say and do, and will always have some contention
with someone. So he’ll find it hard to get along with his fellow Elders, and he’ll find it hard to
relate to many of the people in the congregation. He’ll have many grievances and quarrels. He’ll
always be finding something that’s not right. Well, such a disposition not only is miserable, it’s
also very troublesome with regards to the execution of duties as an Elder. So, rather than being
always disgruntled, an Elder should be peaceable, and conciliatory, and he should be esteeming
others higher than himself, and he should be forbearing. It’s typical for all of us who want to find
something wrong in someone else. But a man who is truly qualified for the office of Elder has to
overcome those sinful tendencies by the grace of God, and unless he does so, he shouldn’t bear
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office in the church. Now, some might be thinking to themselves, Well, what does this mean? It
does not mean that an Elder ought to ignore sin or cover over every sin, claiming that he’s avoiding
all contention. No, there’s place and indeed a duty to address sin. We’ll come to that in a future
lecture. But his disposition should be one that is winsome.
The next qualification is that an Elder is not to be covetous. We’re still in verse 3. And a literal
translation of this word is “not loving silver.” “Not covetous” means not loving silver. Since silver
was commonly used as money in Paul’s day, we don’t restrict the word to its literal meaning, but
it means “not loving money.” Loving money means pursuing it, and serving it, and placing one’s
confidence in it, and loving it. To think that life consists in the abundance of possessions and
wealth is to love money. To live as if money was, in fact, the most important thing in life is to
love money. Paul warned Timothy that those who are in heavy pursuit of riches are going to fall
into temptation and a snare. He tells us that “the love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy
6:10). And so, loving money and pleasure, all of these things compete with loving God. And loving
God is the first and great commandment, as Jesus tells us in Matthew 22, verse 37 and following.
There are those who are unstable, and they twist the Scriptures, and they’ll say that it is wrong for
Christians to have money at all, or to have more than the bare necessities of life. But the Scriptures
don’t teach that at all. They teach that a good increase and wealth are blessings from the Lord, with
we honor him. We have that in Deuteronomy 8, and Deuteronomy 28, and Proverbs 3. The love
of money is not the same as people having a certain amount of wealth under the blessing of God.
The point with regards to Elders is that they must love God above everything else. Why? Because
you can’t serve both God and mammon. You’ll either love the one and hate the other, or vice versa.
We have to love God above all else, and the wealth he gives us we use for his kingdom and glory.
Well, the fourteenth qualification, “one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in
subjection with all gravity.” And so, here the Lord tells us that there’s a contrast in comparison.
If a man doesn’t rule well in his own house, how will he ever rule well in God’s house, in the
church of God? This is verses 4 and 5. And this is the first of three lengthy requirements which
conclude this list of qualifications. While most of the requirements concern a man’s character, this
is one of the few that require certain abilities. You’ll know that one of the main responsibilities of
an Elder is to take care of the church of God. We’ll address that under a future lecture regarding
shepherding. In order to be qualified to take care of the church, a man has to first know how to
rule his own household. And really, an Elder has to first be able to rule himself well. That’s part of
what the previous qualifications were addressing. That’s the foundation for good government—
self government. A man who doesn’t rule himself well, but seeks to rule others, or expects them to
come under his government, is a hypocrite. But it goes on to say that an Elder must rule his wife
and children well, having them in subjection, and obedience, and submission, according to the law
of God. In other words, there must be reverence, there must be honor, respect, good order in the
home. An Elder must govern really all that belongs to his household. I mean, this could include
servants, and employees, and property, and his business affairs, and so on. He has to demonstrate
that he has the ability to run his own affairs properly—that he has good judgment and discipline.
Because if this is deficient, a man will not be able to take care of the church of God. He’ll lack
the ability, and he’ll lack the respect and authority that are necessary. So the argument is from the
lesser to the greater—from the lesser responsibility to the greater responsibility. If a man is faithful
with a few things, he’ll be put in charge of greater things. Think back to the parable that Jesus
gives, in Matthew 25, verses 14 to 30. Before a man can be trusted to care for the church of God, he
has to rule his own house well—himself, his family, his daily affairs, and so on. If his children are
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unfaithful, or insubordinate, or lead scandalous lives within his home, or if his wife is rebellious,
then he’s not suited to be able to govern the church of God. All of this demonstrates experience,
doesn’t it? That a man has been tested, and demonstrated through experience his ability to govern
other souls.
Now these passages don’t speak about children that are outside of his home. “As for me and
my house, we shall serve the LORD”—Joshua 24:15. And so it’s not speaking of children who
have grown up, and got married, and have their own families. That’s not under the oversight, the
authority, the governance of a man in his own home. Nor is the passage requiring, of course, that
all of his children be converted. That’s something that only a sovereign God can do. But whether
converted or not, they’re to be kept in good order, and in submission to their father, and submission
to the standards of God’s own law.
The next qualification is that an Elder is not to be “a novice.” He is not to be—literally, the word
means “newly planted.” So you can have people who are newly planted in the church of the Lord
Jesus Christ. They’re newly converted. They’re new Christians, if you will. Well, Paul says that
this is also a qualification. If a new convert were to be made an Elder, he would too easily become
puffed up. He’d become proud, conceited, as Paul says. You could say that his pride would blind
him to the truth, and give him poor judgment. A further indication of the meaning of this word is
given in that consequence, one may “fall into the condemnation of the devil”—in verse 6. The new
Christian who suddenly received the responsibility of watching over the congregation, teaching,
and ruling in the church could easily become proud, and easily slip into false self-confidence. It
takes God’s grace—it takes the help of the Holy Spirit, with the Word of God, to sanctify a sinner.
And so humility, and wisdom, and self control, and all of these things that an Elder needs—these
things don’t just come overnight. They’re a part of growth and maturity. It takes time to learn
and practice these things, to mortify, to kill the deeds of the flesh, and to grow in the fruit of the
Holy Spirit. And so, Scripture teaches that God sends us trials; he sends us chastening, in order
to work these things in his people. But a new convert doesn’t have all that experience. They have
to move from the milk of the Word, to solid food, or the meat of the Word—we see in Hebrews,
chapter 5 at the end. He needs to be a mature Christian before he can be an Elder in the church.
And so we recognize that this is the danger. In 2 Peter 2, verse 4, God speaks about how God cast
the angels who sinned down into hell, delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for
the judgment. God condemned the devil to everlasting punishment. Paul is saying that pride leads
to destruction. This isn’t the same as speaking about a man’s age. Because you can have an old
man who is newly converted, and a relatively younger man can have actually have many years of
maturity in the Christian life. Whether young or old, one who is a new Christian should not be an
Elder. A man’s maturity as a Christian is important for the office of Elder, more important than his
age in years. And even understanding human abilities, and learning—these things are not sufficient
of themselves to qualify a person who is a novice, who is newly converted, in the office of Elder.
It would be a disaster, as we’ve seen, leading to pride, and leading ultimately to the condemnation
of the devil. And it takes time before a younger congregation may have men that are qualified to
be Elders. And we need time also to see some of that maturity in the faith before they’re called to
be Elders or ministers of the Word of God.
Well, the sixteenth qualification is that “he must have a good report of them that are without;
lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil” (verse 7). So Paul begins here a new sentence,
but he’s connecting it closely to the preceding verses, in order to make crystal clear that this is also
a necessary qualification for being an Elder. A man who is qualified as an Elder has to live in such
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a way that even unbelievers, so even those outside the church, give a good testimony concerning
him. They may not share his faith, but they should be forced to acknowledge that he is an upright
and wise man, that he behaves himself honorably, that he’s innocent of scandal in daily life, and
so on. In other words, an Elder can’t be a hypocrite, who does one thing and says another thing; or
speaks one way around Christians, but doesn’t walk worthy of that calling in his daily affairs. After
all, an Elder often spends many hours at work with unbelievers. And so their assessment of him is
important. They may hate Christ, and they may hate his Christianity, but they shouldn’t be able to
prove any just charge against him. His character is to be above reproach. You’ll remember Paul’s
language, in Colossians 4:5, when he talks about us walking in wisdom towards those that are
outside. Well, if an Elder doesn’t have a good testimony among unbelievers who know him, he’s
in danger of falling into reproach and the snare of the devil. This is the reproach for misconduct.
Unbelievers can heap insults and disgrace upon a man who behaves improperly. And that, in turn,
has an impact upon the church itself, because they’re not just reviling the man, they’re also going
to end up blaspheming Christ, and disregarding his church as a result. And unbelievers are often
looking for an occasion to mock Christ and his church. And so we have to beware of this, of falling
into the snare or trap of the devil, falling into these sorts of serious sins. And so there’s many other
things that could be said with regards to this business of the snare of the devil. A man without a
good testimony from those outside has a divided heart. He’s not serving the Lord with his whole
soul, and the church shouldn’t trust him to lead and shepherd the sheep as a consequence. We need
men who are faithful. We need men who are sincere. We need men who set their hearts on the
honor of Christ, both secretly and publically, both in the church, and in the world. We need men
who will stand for and defend the truth as it is in the Holy Scriptures, and stand against those who
oppose the truth. So here, hypocrisy is something that must be avoided. A man who acts at work
and in his business dealings, all that he does there is important—it’s an important indication of who
he is, and it’s a qualification for his office. And so, the Lord says, let this kind of man be beyond
reproach, that he is not in the danger of being entrapped.
Well, this has been a long list of qualifications. And in this lecture, we’ve completed our
consideration of 1 Timothy 3 on the qualifications and godly character in the life of an Elder. In
the next lecture, we we’ll turn our attention to the Elder’s doctrine, as we will see what he believes
and how he holds the truth is also an indispensible part of his office.
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Biblical Eldership
Lecture #5
Doctrine
Biblical Eldership
1. Introduction
2. The Office
3. Qualifications
5. Doctrine
6. Shepherding
7.
8.
9.
Biblical Eldership
Lecture #5
Doctrine
As we cast our eye over the landscape of the world, we discover places where the church once
thrived, but are now devoid of any gospel witness. Some of the places mentioned in the New Tes-
tament illustrate this reality. Paul, Timothy, Apollos and others served a vibrant church at Ephesus,
but now that location represents a spiritual wasteland. In other parts of the world, the landscape is
littered with churches still, churches that once bore a bright witness to the gospel, but now, though
the churches still exist, they have long since abandoned the truth of Scripture in their pulpits.
They’re a hollow shell of their former glory.
In the opening of the book of Revelation, Christ calls his churches “candlesticks,” and tells
us that he himself walks among them. He is present in the assembly of his people. The church
functions as a light set upon a hill shining amid a dark world. But the light of a church can go out.
Christ can remove the lampstand, the candlestick, of which he warns us in Revelation 2 and 3.
Places that formerly knew the presence of the Lord can have “Ichabod,” which means, “the Lord
has departed,” written over their door. Well, history testifies to this danger. The pressing question
is, why does this happen? How do godly churches become places where the gospel and truths of
Scripture are no longer believed, loved, and preached? In many cases, the answer is actually quite
simple. Men, specifically Elders in the church, failed to keep their promises. Well, what do I mean
by that?
Historically, in Presbyterian and Reformed churches, when Christ sets apart Elders to serve in
his church—they’re elected by the congregation, and ordained, and installed—upon entrance into
their office, they pledge themselves by vows to uphold the whole biblical doctrine contained in
the confessions and catechisms of that church. They are bound by God and conscience to assert,
defend, and maintain these precious truths of Scripture. But pressures arise, so to modify and
adjust their commitments. New ideas emerge claiming fresh insight and new light that call for
abandoning adherence to former truths. Men begin to loosen their grip on old truths, in favor of
the trends currently in vogue. The change takes place in their mind before it is manifest in their
mouth. Silence ensues. Old truths remain in the vows, but men stop proclaiming them. Then they
start contradicting them. Finally, they abandon them altogether. They entered the eldership with
one set of vows, and while in office, they broke their promises and betrayed the trust given to them.
Well, what does this teach us? It underlines the importance of biblical doctrine, and specifically
what an Elder believes and teaches. Elders must be men who hold to sound doctrine, sound biblical
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doctrine, with an unwavering devotion.
In this module, we are considering, as you know, what the Bible teaches about the New Testament
office of Ruling Elder. In the third and fourth lectures, we addressed the biblical qualifications that
the Lord requires in men who are called to serve as Elders. In this lecture, we continue our focus
on the office of Ruling Elder itself, exploring what the Bible teaches regarding an Elder’s doctrine.
So first of all, Holding Fast to Sound Doctrine. The Bible speaks directly to an Elder’s doctrine
in connections with their qualifications. In a lengthy section from Titus chapter 1, verse 9 through
chapter 2, verse 1. Paul says, in Titus 1, verses 9 to 11, “Holding fast the faithful word that he”—
that is, the Elder—“has been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to
convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they
of the circumcision: whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things
which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.” Notice that it speaks first of “Holding fast the faithful
word.” Paul himself, an example of a godly Elder, could say at the end of his life and ministry, that
he had “fought a good fight” and “kept the faith”—2 Timothy 4:7. He preserved and maintained
the truth. “Holding fast” means holding on for dear life with all of our force and strength. If a father
hikes through the mountains with his child, he may hold loosely the child’s hand, until the child
begins to slip. Then he will grip it tightly, perhaps with two hands, because the life of the child
is precious to him. Or you can think of two young people fighting over a rope, pulling from both
ends. The opposition of the other person causes them to grip tighter and pull harder. So it is with
biblical truth. An Elder must squeeze tightly the truth, refusing to have it taken away from him.
But an Elder must hold onto the truth with both their head and their heart. They must know
well the biblical basis for the doctrines they believe, but even more, they must love and cherish
that truth with their heart, as something precious to them. Why? Because it is God’s truth. As Paul
said to the Galatians, they were to be so confident in the truths of the gospel of Holy Scripture
that even if an angel from heaven were to contradict them, they would not let the truth go. Samuel
Rutherford, a godly theologian from the seventeenth century, said, “Serve Christ; back him. Let
his cause be your cause. Give not a hair breadth of truth away, for it is not yours but God’s.” God
and his truth are faithful, omnipotent, wise, pure, searching and good. You know that “faith cometh
by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Souls depend on the truth of Scripture, on sound
doctrine for conversion and sanctification, for comfort and holiness. We will die, but God’s truth
will never die. And it will continue to be preached and vindicated for as long as the world lasts.
And so, Elders must hold it so that it is not ripped from their hands, or their hearts, or their heads.
They’re to hold fast to sound doctrine. All the temptations of danger, or power, or popularity, or
subtlety must not move them. If the Elders do not hold fast the sound doctrine, then how will their
people maintain it?
Notice that Paul says to hold fast, “as he hath been taught.” So Elders must first learn sound
doctrine, know sound doctrine, maintain sound doctrine, in order to be able to teach sound doctrine.
Elders must study to show themselves approved as students of the Word of God, and this requires
diligence and hard work, and this is also a privilege. They’ve been entrusted with a treasure worth
far more than gold and silver. Seeing the value of true doctrine will prevent the neglect of it. The
appetite to feed on God’s Word must grow, and not be satisfied with the minimal amount of light that
we already have. And this can begin with the aid of studying faithful catechisms and confessions
of faith which serve as a great tool in the systematic instruction of what the Scriptures teach us.
But the aim is faith. The aim is mixing our hearing with faith, receiving the engrafted Word with
meekness, believing and loving it. Otherwise, we can be in danger, as Paul says, of “ever learning,
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and never coming to the knowledge of the truth.” In order to be teachers—which Elders are, as
we’ll see in the future lecture—we must first be learners. Eager learners actually make excellent
teachers. And do not entertain excuses and objections at this point. Some say that they do not have
the time. They don’t have time to read. They don’t have time to study. But people always do what
they want. They find time for what pleases them. The problem is changing what we actually want.
We see the value of sound doctrine, and we’re to be holding fast to that sound doctrine.
Secondly, we’re to be Handling Faithfully Sound Doctrine. In Titus 1, verse 9, Paul goes on to
say, “that he”—that is, the Elder—“may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince
the gainsayers.” You see here part of the purpose of holding fast the truth. You must first have the
truth, in order to use the truth for the benefit of souls. This exhortation is really twofold. First,
Elders must confirm the truth from the Bible, in order to skillfully persuade them of the truth. But
secondly, they must be prepared to contradict error—to confront it, to oppose it, to refuse it, and
to silence false teaching. Recall that when Nehemiah was building the walls of Jerusalem, his men
had in their hands both a sword and a trowel. They were both defending God’s people, and building
the walls of Zion.
The passage speaks about exhorting. “To exhort” means to provoke, to stimulate, to insight,
to challenge people to the practice of truth. Paul speaks of “sound doctrine,” that is, wholesome
doctrine, as you see in 1 Timothy 6, verse 3, “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to
wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according
to godliness.” So sound doctrine is wholesome doctrine, doctrine that is according to godliness,
food that nourishes the soul with spiritual health. It is a great sin to mix Scripture with foolish
vanities and errors. Remember the language of Hebrews 4, verse 12?—“For the word of God is
quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder
of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of
the heart.” And this requires a reverent handling of Scripture, not a flippant, not a casual approach
to it, as if it was not a weighty matter. It’s the most weighty matter. To believe what is false is
a serious sin. People think that sins in their life, their actions are one thing, and somehow they
think that the sin of believing what is false is a lesser sin. It’s not, and this is important for Elders.
But exhortation also means to stir up people to taste the sweetness of good doctrine. Wholesome
doctrine must always be joined to exhortation, the practical application of the truth to the heart
and life. And what are the consequences? Well, ultimately, heaven and hell. Those who do not feel
the force of truth now will be faced with its reality in a lost eternity. Elders watch for souls. And
beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings
The Elder’s doctrine—sound doctrine—will meet with opposition—opposition from Satan,
and sins, seducers within the church, and the world outside of the church. Wolves come into the
church with unsound doctrine—false teaching. Paul describes them as gainsayers—those who
deny and contradict, and resist the truth. They’re not just indifferent to the truth, they’re bold
in falsifying Christ’s message, in open war against it. They won’t endure having sin exposed,
and their lusts curbed. They may be as irritated as Ahab was by Micaiah, in constant danger of
“grievous wolves,” as Paul calls them, “speaking perverse things,” and imposing falsehood. He
warns the Ephesian Elders, in Acts 20, of this. We see it in Galatians 1, and the book of Jude, and
2 Peter 3. In the Old Testament there were false prophets; in the New Testament there are false
teachers. Paul warns of those who teach the doctrines of the devils—1 Timothy 4:1. He says, “For
the time will come they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap
to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth”—1
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Timothy 4, verse 3. So the Elder’s sound doctrine involves spiritual warfare. Disputation and
debate over the truth may arise. We’re told of Paul, in Acts 17, verse 17, “Therefore disputed he
in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them
that met with him.” The same was true of Apollos, in Acts 18, verse 24, “And a certain Jew named
Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.” It
goes on to say, “For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures
that Jesus was Christ.” But remember the qualifications we learned in a previous lecture—an Elder
must contend for the truth without being contentious. He must maintain a dogmatic adherence to
the truth without having a dogmatic disposition. He should set forth biblical arguments without
being argumentative. Second Timothy 2, verses 24 to 26, “And the servant of the Lord must not
strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose
themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and
that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his
will.” So there’s holding fast the truth, and then there’s rightly handling that sound doctrine.
Thirdly, we have The Heritage of Sound Doctrine. Notice that the particular emphasis in this
context in Titus 1 is placed on maintaining the apostolic truth that both Timothy and Titus have
received. When he’s writing to Timothy, he forewarns that “perilous times” would come—chapter
3, verse 1. One mark of those fast-approaching times was that men would “resist the truth”—
chapter 3, verse 8. This included professing Christians who would “not endure sound doctrine,”
and “turn away their ears from the truth”—chapter 4, verses 3 and 4. Even as the apostle wrote,
some of his fellow co-laborers were abandoning that truth. You see that in chapter 1, verse 15, and
chapter 4, verses 14 and 16. Timothy’s attachment to the truth was indispensible for both Timothy
and the church he served. Paul said to him, in 1 Timothy 4, and verse 16, “Take heed unto thyself,
and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them
that hear thee.” Elders are held accountable for faithful doctrine. This is repeated over and over
through first and second Timothy, and Titus. Paul tells Timothy, in 1 Timothy 1:3, to charge these
men “that they teach no other doctrine.”
Well, historically, the church has done this through the Elders’ explicit commitment, by vows
to uphold orthodox creeds, confessions and catechisms. The English word for “creed” derives
from a Latin word credo, which means “I believe.” So a creed is simply a statement of what
we believe the Bible teaches. Similarly, the word “confession,” like the Belgic Confession, or
Westminster Confession of Faith. “Confession” means “an acknowledgment.” So a confession
of sin, for example, is an acknowledgment of our sin, or saying about our sin what God says
about it. Likewise, a confession of faith is an acknowledgment of true doctrine, or saying the
same thing about doctrine as what God says in the Scriptures. Well, as you can see, creeds, and
confessions, and catechisms, they refer to the same thing—authoritative documents that affirm the
true doctrines taught in the Bible, and that therefore distinguish those true doctrines that we must
believe from false doctrines we should reject. The word “orthodox” means “straight thinking” over
against crooked thinking. So orthodox doctrine refers to true biblical doctrine upheld by the true
church throughout the ages. So creeds and confessions provide a foundation for church unity built
upon the uniformity of true doctrine. Amos 3, verse 3 says, “Can two walk together, except they be
agreed?” We must be unified in the truth of God’s Word. First Corinthians 1, verse 10 says, “Now
I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing,
and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind
and in the same judgment.” This language of having the same mind, and speaking the same truths
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occurs repeatedly in the New Testament. Romans 15, verse 6, “That ye may with one mind and one
mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Well, creeds and confessions provide a standard for testing faithfulness to the Scripture. If a
person says, “Well, I believe the Bible,” well, what do you believe about the Bible? What do you
believe the Bible teaches? What do you believe about what the Bible teaches on this particular
point, and this particular point, on specific doctrines? Creeds and confessions provide a standard,
whether they’re actually holding faithful to the Scriptures. This is important—it’s important that
creeds find their place in the church. Second Timothy 2:2, “And the things that thou hast heard
of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach
others also.”
It’s also important for our message outside the church. Jesus says, “Go into the whole world,
and disciple the nations, teaching them everything I’ve commanded you”—Matthew 28, verse
19 and following. Creeds and confessions are important for examining new ideas and doctrines
that arise. First Thessalonians 5, verse 21 says, “Prove”—that is, test—“all things; hold fast that
which is good.” So these creeds and confessions, they strengthen clarity, and conviction, and
commitment to biblical truth. In 2 Timothy 1:13, we heard, “Hold fast the form of sound words,
which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” And so there’s this heritage
within the church, the heritage of sound doctrine, and the obligation from one generation, to the
next generation, to the next generation to pass along, and to preserve or maintain that same body
of biblical truth. In the language of Jude verse 3, to “earnestly contend for the faith which was
once delivered unto the saints.” And so, the Lord has given to Elders this responsibility, to pledge
themselves to maintaining the purity of biblical doctrine, in their office as Elder, in the church of
the Lord Jesus Christ, and to ensure that those who follow them are bound by conscience to do the
same.
At the beginning of this lecture, we said that one of the reasons that the church goes by the
wayside is because men did not keep their promises. If godly Elders would keep their promises to
maintain biblical doctrine we would continue to see the church flourish.
Well, in this lecture, we’ve considered the importance of an Elder’s doctrine. The church
needs faithful men, dependable men, who will keep their promises, and persevere in maintaining
biblical truth in the church. In the next lecture, we will turn our attention to the responsibility of
shepherding, in the office of Ruling Elder. This constitutes one of the chief duties of every Elder—
shepherding the flock of God.
5
Biblical Eldership
Lecture #6
Shepherding
Biblical Eldership
1. Introduction
2. The Office
3. Qualifications
5. Doctrine
6. Shepherding
7.
8.
9.
Lecture #6
Shepherding
Perhaps you’ve been out in the countryside and seen on a distant hillside a man tending a flock
of sheep. If not, you may have seen a picture of such a scene. A shepherd, or sheepherder, is a per-
son who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. In times past, he could have been seen with
a shepherds crook in his hand—a strong, multi-purpose stick or staff often fashioned with a hooked
end. He would use this tool to guide and protect his sheep. Shepherding is among the oldest occu-
pations in the world. The duty of shepherds is to keep their flock intact, protected from predators,
and guided. His responsibility is the safety and welfare of the flock. In our own day, some flocks
may include as many as a thousand sheep. A shepherd will graze the animals, herding them to areas
of good forage, and keeping a watchful eye out for poisonous plants. Shepherds sometimes work in
groups, either looking after one large flock, or each bringing their own and merging their responsi-
bilities. Well, this is a striking picture, and as you know I’m sure, it’s a familiar image in the Bible,
which often speaks of sheep and shepherds, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
As we will see in this lecture, it is an important concept for understanding what the Bible teaches
about Ruling Elders. So, in this module or course, we’re considering what the Bible teaches about
the New Testament office of Ruling Elder. In the previous lecture, we considered the importance
of the Elder’s doctrine. In this lecture, we’ll turn our consideration to the Elder’s role and respon-
sibility in shepherding the Lord’s people, the flock of Christ.
We begin, first of all, with the Chief Shepherd. One of the most popular Psalms throughout history
has been Psalm 23. It begins, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want”—I shall not lack or be
in need. The imagery of a shepherd conveys many precious ideas. Shepherds lead, and feed, and
defend, carry, nurture, heal, and provide for their sheep. This demonstrates tenderness and care.
Christ himself is the Shepherd of his people. He is called “the Good Shepherd.” Elsewhere he’s
called “the Great Shepherd,” or, “the Chief Shepherd.” And his people are called “his sheep,” “his
flock,” “his fold.” We sing in Psalm 95, verse 7, “For he is our God; and we are the people of his
pasture, and the sheep of his hand.” David, who wrote Psalm 23, was chosen to be king out of the
sheepfold—he had been a shepherd. Psalm 78, verses 70 and 71 say, “He chose David also his
servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: from following the ewes great with young he brought
him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.” David took what he learned among his
flock and carried that with him in shepherding Israel. In doing so, he prefigured Christ, who was
a shepherd King. This demonstrates, doesn’t it, that rule is for the benefit of those we are serving,
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which we’ll explore further in a moment. But we see, first of all, Christ sets the pattern. He is the
Chief Shepherd. Christ is described, for example, in Psalm 80, verse 1, “Give ear, O Shepherd of
Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.”
Or, in Isaiah 40, in verse 11, “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with
his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”
The Old Testament tells us how God brings his people up out of Egypt, guides them through the
wilderness for forty years, and leads them safely into their own land. Listen to how Psalm 77, verse
20 describes it: “Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” Like a
shepherd, God was personally present with his people. He protected his people, and provided for
his people. He fed them. He healed them. God guided his people to fertile pastures. Think of the
language of Exodus 15, verse 13, right after they cross over on dry ground: “Thou in thy mercy
hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy
holy habitation.” The Lord was tender, nurturing, gentle with his people—Hosea 11, verse 4: “I
drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke
on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.”
In all of this, you may have noticed, when we were mentioning Psalm 77, verse 20, that God shep-
herded his people through Moses, the human leader he appointed to shepherd. And Moses sought
the Lord for a successor when he came to the end of his life. He spoke of the one “which may go
out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may
bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd”—
Numbers 27, verse 17. So, the Lord, the Chief Shepherd, shepherded his people through human
servants that he appointed. Well, this brings us to our next point.
Secondly, we have undershepherds. So, in the New Testament, one of the ways that the Lord shep-
herds his people is through the care of Elders, who are undershepherds, that is, shepherds under
Christ himself, who is the Chief Shepherd. God promised that all the way back in Jeremiah 23,
verses 3 and 4: “And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven
them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will
set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed,
neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.” Or as he said earlier in Jeremiah 3, verse 15: “And I
will give you pastors”—the word can be translated “shepherds”—“according to mine heart, which
shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
So then, turning to the New Testament, we’re led to anticipate that the Lord is going to do this, that
he’s going to provide shepherds. And lo, and behold, that’s in fact what he does. Peter writes to
the Elders, in 1 Peter 5, verse 2, “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight
thereof, not by constraint, but willingly.” Or think of Paul, who’s speaking to the Ephesian Elders,
in Acts 20, verses 28 and 29. He says, “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. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter
in among you, not sparing the flock.” Both of these passages are addressed to Elders of local con-
gregations. They’re called to shepherd the flock of God. Remember Jesus’ words to Peter, which
further reinforced this responsibility. Remember, three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved him?
Three times, Peter replied, “Yes, Lord, thou knowest I love thee.” And three times, Jesus charged
Peter to care for his sheep, feed his lambs—John 21, verses 15 to 17. This refers to the care shep-
herds show sheep—feeding them, tending them, guiding them, protecting them. And that is exactly
the kind of care Elders are to give or provide for the people. Elders are to feed their people with
2
the Word, exhorting them in sound doctrine, as we heard in the last lecture, proclaiming to them
the whole counsel of God. But Elders are also supposed to guard their people—guard them against
false doctrine, and against those who would lead them astray. Elders are to lead their people by
providing a godly example themselves that the people can follow. They’re to be equipping the peo-
ple for service in the church of Jesus Christ, as Ephesians 4, verse 12 tells us. And Elders would be
wisely directing the affairs of the church. So Elders are to care for the people by tenderly providing
whatever counsel, help, or encouragement they might need.
And this is important, because this, actually, is the primary task of Elders. Their primary responsi-
bility is to shepherd their people. And as you can see, that means Elders must care. They must care
deeply. They don’t just care about their people, they care for them. In order to do so, they must
know them. They must know, not just their name, but their circumstances, and their needs, and
their struggles, and all of the other things that may be of aid or help to them. Elders are to seek them
out, to show initiative, to be following up and be inquiring about the state and souls of their people.
They’re to give their people what their souls need. Even when the people themselves don’t know
what they need, maybe even don’t want what they need most. Elders are to serve their people with
biblical love. In all this, Elders reflect Christ, the Chief Shepherd. So Paul exhorts church leaders,
“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the
weak, be patient toward all men”—1 Thessalonians 5, verse 14. That kind of person-by-person
care is exactly what Christ promises to do for his people, when he pledges to seek the lost, to bring
back the stray, to bind up the injured, and to feed them all with his Word—Ezekiel 34, verse 16.
And so Elders, like Christ the Chief Shepherd, must engage in this sort of self-sacrifice for the
sheep. And that concept of self-sacrifice is important, because there’s a big difference between
a shepherd and a hireling. A “hireling” is a person who’s hired to care for the sheep. They don’t
actually care for the sheep. The hireling doesn’t have a sense of ownership. He works for his own
benefits, for pay or whatever, not for the benefits of the sheep. Consequently, what happens? When
difficulties arise, the hireling will abandon the sheep rather than to place himself in harm. Jesus ac-
tually spells all this out, doesn’t he, regarding himself, in John 10, verses 11 to 15: “I am the good
shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the
shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth:
and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling,
and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.” Elders
engage in self-sacrificial care for the Lord’s people. They invest their whole being into the well-be-
ing of these precious souls, and they will pay whatever cost is required in order to care for, feed,
tend, and protect the flock of God. And so, secondly, we see something about the undershepherds.
But then, thirdly, we’ll speak about shepherding visits, or home visitation. When Paul was ad-
dressing the Ephesians Elders, in Acts 20, in verse 20, he speaks about “how I kept back nothing
that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house
to house.” He goes on, in verse 31, and charges them, “Therefore watch, and remember, that by
the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.” Well, following
Paul’s pattern, the Elders in Christ’s church historically have engaged in visiting the families of
the flock. So this involves in person, face-to-face, specific care for individual souls. This is beyond
the public and pulpit ministry of the pastor. In the sixteenth century, there’s a document called the
[Scottish] Second Book of Discipline. It was a document describing how the church would be
run during that period. And in chapter 6, paragraph 5, it says this, in reference to Elders, “As the
3
pastors and doctors should be diligent in teaching and sowing the seed of the word, so the elders
should be careful in seeking the fruit of the same in the people.” It’s actually a beautiful picture. In
the pulpit, the seed sown into the soil of men’s hearts; the Word is being sown into their souls. And
the Elders are to be found among the flock, coming in and out among them, and seeking the fruit of
that good seed, to be able to nurture it, and to water it, and to prune it, as it were, and to care for it.
One of ways in which this is carried out is by being with the people, being with them in their own
space. So shepherding visits, or visiting people’s homes as Elders, has one aim—the aim is to
serve them. The aim is to care for them. So the Elders don’t come for a visit in order to engage in
interrogation or to do other such things. The aim is actually to serve them. It’s also not just a social
visit either. There are lots of other opportunities within the life of the church to engage in social
visitation. But with a shepherding visit, it’s actually a stated time for Elders to come and to, as it
were, serve the people, to provide help to their souls, to show individual interest in their particular
needs, their specific needs. And so, that’s done by addressing their specific questions. What ques-
tions do the people have? What is it that they are struggling with? What areas do they need helpful
counseling regarding their circumstances? What questions do they have about the sermons they’ve
heard, or about things that are happening in the church? What help do they need with regards to
their marriage, or their children, or their witness at work, and many other things? The people will
come with their questions, and you’re able to actually give them tangible, productive help that will
be very meaningful to them.
Now, the frequency of how often Elders visit can vary, depending on the needs of the congregation,
the size of the congregation, the number of Elders, and so on. But maybe even in some congrega-
tions, there’s one stated visit a year. In our own congregation, it ordinarily happens twice a year.
And this, of course, is in addition to other visits. When emergencies arise, and there’s a crisis, a
family may call one of their Elders and say, “This difficulty has come up, and I need help. I need
some counsel.” And that’s important. We need to be prepared to help people when they need it
most. What I’m describing is in addition to that. So, this is a stated visit. Think in terms of doctors.
If you get really sick, you might have to go to the doctor in order to get help with your sickness.
But then there are what we sometimes call “well visit” appointments, when you’re going to the
doctor just as a routine, and they’re checking your vital signs, and your temperature, and they’re
asking questions about how you’re doing. That sort of check up. They need those as well, as Elders.
And so, as I said, the pattern is not a social visit, that there’s an intention, a purpose in the visit.
And that should be explained to the people ahead of time, that the Elder’s coming, and he’s there to
serve you and to care for you, and to explain what the visit will look like, and to really ask them to
prepare. Because the more prepared the people are, the more productive the visit will be. So an El-
der may come, and he may open the Bible and read a passage of Scripture, and ask them things that
they specifically need prayer for. That’s a good way to begin the visit. But then we can go on, and
ask how things are going. Are they regular in family worship? Do they need help in understanding
how to implement that better? Are the children learning their Catechism, or Scripture memory?
And it’s not so much to quiz them as to encourage them. So you find out what the children have
been working on, in order to give them an opportunity to express themselves. This encourages,
and strengthens, and fuels the fire in the things that they’re doing well. And so it provides these
sort of opportunities. So the components of a visit can vary, but usually it would include reading
the Bible, maybe a brief word of exhortation, praying for specific things, asking them what kinds
of concerns they might have—concerns about the church, questions about sermons that they’ve
heard, things about their job, their family, their future; helping take the Word of God and apply it to
4
the specifics, the particulars that they are facing. And so, this is a way of shepherding, in fact, the
only way in which shepherding takes place, but it does provide one concrete, practical mechanism
for implementing shepherding of the flock within the eldership.
And it may that be in some congregations, you would divide the congregation, the number of fami-
lies, into different groups, into districts, Elder districts. So that one particular Ruling Elder is given
a special responsibility for one group, and another for another group, and so on and so forth. All of
the Elders collectively, including the pastor, have responsibility for the whole, but this division of
labor can be a good way of making sure that no one is overlooked.
Well, the benefits for this, for a well-organized pattern of faithful Elder visitation, are numerous.
For one, it strengthens the role of the eldership. People become much more aware of the fact that
the church is actually governed by a plurality of men, not just one man, not just the minister who’s
standing in the pulpit. They realize that all of these men are given responsibility to care for their
souls, and that they all stand together behind the teaching of God’s Word in the church. You’ll also
note that where there is a well-organized system of house visitation, the Elders can often become
aware of potential problems before they become serious. So rather than waiting until everything
blows up, they’re actually able to help people—to come alongside, lovingly, and tenderly, to ad-
dress problems before they become worse. And, when there is regular visitation, there’s at least
one opportunity—once a year, twice a year, however often it’s being done—for the members to
express any concerns that they may have about what’s going on in the church. So, rather than keep-
ing that to themselves, or just talking to others, they’re able to express that to those who are given
oversight. And this helps the Elders to be able to see and address potential problems. It also ensures
that those who might otherwise tend to be neglected—so those on the periphery of the congrega-
tion. Those who tend to be neglected are shown by the Elder visits that they are valued as members
of the church. Often we see how people come away so significantly encouraged and comforted,
when they wouldn’t have been otherwise, because they realize how important their place is in the
church, how much they are needed, and how much their life, and testimony, and fellowship, and
words of encouragement mean to others.
Now, this is true for every congregation, not just established congregations, and larger congrega-
tions. Wherever there are sheep, wherever there’s a flock, there needs to be person-to-person shep-
herding. And that means, even at the beginning of a church planting situation. It’s important that it
be implemented there. And early on, there may not be many Elders, or any Elders at all, perhaps.
But as soon as possible, when Elders are placed in the congregation, it’s necessary for sharing the
shepherding work with the pastor who’s laboring among them.
But in addition to all of this, one of the other benefits is found in what it does for the Elders them-
selves. There are many joys in seeing the fruit and growth of the members, things you wouldn’t
have heard about that the Lord’s doing in their life, and ways in which they’re making progress,
victories that the Lord’s given them. And the fact is that in many ways the Elders themselves grow.
In the exercise of their gifts, in the shepherding of God’s people, the Elder grows in maturity, and
grows in spiritual depth, and even grows in doctrinal knowledge, and in pastoral skill, as they
faithfully care for the duties of the flock. Those gifts have to be exercised, and the more it’s done,
the more equipped the Elder is to skillfully care for souls. That increase of experience aids them.
And of course, it has many other influences upon the congregation, including, for example, at-
tendance at public worship services. And here you are, visiting them in their home, on their own
turf, in their own circumstances, but that sort of investment often has an influence on their own
attendance at the public services under the preaching of God’s Word, and so on. This patient Elder
5
visitation is an important part that encourages people not to neglect “the assembling of themselves
together, as is the manner of some,” as Hebrews 10:25 says.
So visitation forms one practical component, to ensure that shepherding and care of souls remains
a priority in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We will go on to speak in future lectures about
other ways in which this is pursued.
Well, in this lecture, we’ve considered the biblical basis for the whole idea of shepherding. And
we’ve seen that the Lord Jesus Christ himself is the Chief Shepherd, that we’ll never understand-
ing shepherding until we see what Christ himself does on behalf of his flock. And then we’ve seen
that the Lord has provided human instruments through which he carries out that shepherding, in
the office of Ruling Elder, that the best Ruling Elder is the one who best mimics and reflects the
example of the Lord Jesus Christ himself, in order to tend to the flock of God with tenderness, and
with care. So shepherding is a primary responsibility of the eldership. We’re going to go on in the
lectures that follow, to look in detail at other specific areas of role and responsibility that fall to the
office of Elder.

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© 2023 by John Knox Institute of Higher Education

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© 2023 by John Knox Institute of Higher Education

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© 2023 by John Knox Institute of Higher Education

Visit our website: www.johnknoxinstitute.org

© 2023 by John Knox Institute of Higher Education

Visit our website: www.johnknoxinstitute.org

© 2023 by John Knox Institute of Higher Education

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© 2023 by John Knox Institute of Higher Education

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