ELDERS

What is an elder and what is his work in the church.  According to God's New Testament pattern for the government of His church, each congregation is to be overseen by a plurality of Scripturally qualified leaders known variously as elders, bishops, overseers, shepherds, and pastors (Acts 14:23; Acts 20:17, 28; Eph. 4:11; Phil. 1:1).  Though these words all refer to the same body of men, they have different shades of meaning which reflect different aspects of an elder's work.

     The word elder reflects the fact that these men are to spiritually mature Christian men.  This is reflected in the qualifications he must meet to serve the church in this capacity (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Tit. 1:5-9).  For example, an elder must not be a novice or a new convert (1 Tim. 3:6).  The words bishop and overseer reflect an elder's role as a leader and decision-maker.  The original Greek word refers to a superintendent.  Elders are responsible before God to make sure His word is obeyed.  Passages like 1 Peter 5:5, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, and Hebrews 13:17 command the church to honor and obey their elders.  Finally, the words shepherd and pastor reflect an elder's responsibility to teach and care for the flock of God.  The Lord made it plain that true leadership in the church is expressed through service (Matt. 21:25-28; Jn. 13:12-17).  Correspondingly, Peter warned his fellow elders to shepherd the church, but not to abuse their authority and become church dictators (1 Pet. 5:1-4).