Choosing Elders, Part 1

In a previous blog, we established the Scriptural pattern of Elder Plurality in the Lord’s New Testament churches. Though it is somewhat uncommon these days, it is the only pattern we find in the churches of the New Testament. 
 
As I said in that blog, one of the functions of an elder is to train up other elders for future generations. In writing to Timothy at Ephesus, Paul told him, “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:1-2). In a sense, an elder (especially a leading elder) should be preparing a church for the time he leaves (by death or otherwise). One of the key ways that he does this is by training other men as elders.  This way, a church is not left without Scriptural instruction when he departs.
 
There does exist a strange view of “the call to preach” today. It’s almost as though this is some secret call between a man and God—sometimes even hinted that there are personal “fireworks” going off inside of a man (think Paul on the road to Damascus, Acts 9). Men often make this secret call known and people are asked to simply accept it—because we wouldn’t want to go against God and all. I’ve heard of men being told to “fight against” such a call, so that you might verify that it’s real. Honestly, I cannot fathom telling a young man to be disobedient to God’s leadership—to fight against it. Nothing in the whole of Scripture would suggest this is good advice. There is a better way.
 
I do want to make a point clear.  Elders do not call other elders into ministry. It is not for your “buddies” in the church. It is not for the most “likeable” in the church.  It may not even be for the most “active” in the church. Ultimately, God is sovereign over this entire process. And, as elders in a local assembly, we are to be aware of what’s going on among the membership. Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus (the same church Timothy is at when Paul writes to him), “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Ephesians 4:11-14).  He gave apostles…He gave prophets…He gave evangelists and shepherds and teachers.  This is God’s work.
 
God’s “call”, however, is not something secret. He may “call” the most unlikely candidate, but this “call” will become readily apparent. That unlikely candidate will soon be verifiable as a most likely candidate. God sovereignly “gifts” men for church leadership…eldership…and that gifting is not hidden from the church body.  It is not secret. It is so apparent to the church that they are asked to approve such a man (1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9). I have often heard an older preacher say, “You know, ole ‘so-and-so’ is a better teacher of the Bible than many pastors I know. He can really take the Word and explain it and apply it to the congregation so that they are truly edified. I thought sure God was going to call him to preach. But, he said God isn’t calling him—so I guess He isn’t.”  In light of the above Scripture, that seems rather odd, doesn’t it? It is God that “gifts” people for “the common good” of the church (1Corinthians 12). Who has gifted such a man as a teacher and a leader? Without question, our sovereign God has done so—for no man could do such a thing on his own. Here’s the kicker though—it was Timothy’s job to notice such a gift sovereignly bestowed by God.  It was Timothy’s duty not only to notice such a gift, but also to encourage men to use such a gift.  It was part of Timothy’s job description, as an elder in Ephesus, to “entrust” gifted men with the duty of teaching the church at Ephesus so that the church could grow.  Perhaps elder plurality is such a rare commodity these days because we have misunderstood what such a “calling” looks like.
 
Let us remember, the church at Ephesus already had plurality in leadership (Acts 20:17-38, 1 Timothy 5:17). So, when Paul instructs Timothy to be on the lookout for gifted men and train them up, he isn’t necessarily suggesting these men would someday be pastors or missionaries—that isn’t the call for every man. Sometimes, God gifts men to serve their lives in their own congregation as teaching elders who may support the efforts of the full-time elders. This was certainly the case at Ephesus. And, if we are seeking to follow the New Testament pattern for church leadership, this will sometimes be the case today. Churches are in great need of supporting elders that are “able to teach others also”.  And, because we have wandered away from this well-lit path, churches are often left without any leadership when a pastor leaves, however that may happen.
 
There is much more to this subject. However, we hope to look at that in a future blog. I do hope this short mini-blog-series is challenging you to look at eldership in a Scriptural way.