BEN F. VICK, JR.
One of the characteristics of the church in the New Testament is that each congregation was to have a plurality of men serving as elders or overseers. They are called bishops, pastors, or shepherds and presbyters. Luke records that Paul and Barnabas, on the return trip of their missionary journey, “they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.” (Acts 14:23.) Also, Paul charged Titus, “For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:” (Titus 1:5). When Paul wrote this, there was only one congregation in each city. It was not a plurality of elders overseeing a plurality of congregations. When Paul was at Miletus, he called for the elders of Ephesus to meet him. He did not call one elder of the church; he called for the elders, plural.
It is clear from the pages of Holy Writ that the responsibilities to oversee and feed the church of God belong to the elders or bishops of a congregation. Paul said to the elders of Ephesus: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28.) Notice that Paul said, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves….” He was addressing all the elders of Ephesus. Peter wrote, “The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.” (1 Pet. 5:1-3.) The elders, plural, are delegated authority to oversee and feed the flock of God.
One of the charges against a congregation’s having a located preacher is that he becomes a “one-man-pastor system.” I have always tried to avoid such a charge, though I have been falsely accused of such. This is an indictment of the preacher and the elders who allow that to happen. A preacher can be guilty of pressing his opinions to the point of causing trouble in a congregation. As Paul said to Timothy, every preacher needs to “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.” (1 Tim. 4:16.)
It is also the case that one man in the eldership can dominate the other elders because of his personality. I have seen and heard of this happening. It is as much contrary to the Scriptures for one elder to rule a congregation as for the preacher. Again, I repeat, it is a plurality of men meeting the qualifications who are to oversee the flock. Having a plurality of men leading the flock allows for checks and balances. One man’s opinion may not always be the best. If two men always see things alike, there would not be a need for one of them.
When one individual dominates, the problem is twofold. Whether he is serving as a preacher or an elder or serving as both, the dominant man needs to be aware of his influence. He must be careful not to push his views to cause a rift. A second part of the problem is that the elders should speak up if they disagree with the one’s opinion. Once the eldership has reached a decision, all the elders and all members are to comply.
When others refuse to stand up to one man, they are a part of the problem. I know of a situation years ago where a Diotrephes in the eldership wanted to appoint another man to serve as an elder so he could break the tie and get rid of the preacher. The elder announced one Sunday morning without the other elder’s approval, that brother So-in-So would be an elder that evening if there were no scriptural objections. When I learned of this, I told the other man serving as an elder that he was wrong and should have spoken up right then objecting to such a rush job. Can you believe that?
The shepherds of a congregation only make decisions in the realm of judgment. Elders have no authority to go beyond what is written (Gal. 1:6-9; Rev. 22:18-19). They may delegate specific responsibilities to others, such as, opening and closing the building, what class material to use, teaching and preaching, etc. Though elders are to be able to teach, it does not mean that they must do all the teaching. It does not mean they cannot hire a man to preach.
Recently I listened to a sermon in which a brother said that for elders to say that men must wear a coat and tie to participate in a leading role in the services is to make a law that God did not make. The elders here at Shelbyville Road have suggested that men who serve in a leading way in worship wear a coat and tie. Do elders have the scriptural right to make such a suggestion? They certainly do. They are to make decisions only in the realm of judgment. Thayer defines the Greek word (ἐπίσκοπος) for bishop or overseer as “a man charged with the duty of seeing that things to be done by others are done rightly, any curator, guardian, or superintendent.” The elders or overseers are to see that things are done decently and in order (1 Cor. 14:40). Whether one agrees with this judgment by the elders is not the point.
Further, this same preacher said that for elders to say that only the King James Version is to may be read in Bible classes or worship is to make a law that God did not make. W. L. Totty used the King James Version, but he would sometimes quote from the old American Standard. But do the elders have the right to limit what versions will be used in worship and Bible classes? They certainly do. Otherwise, every version in the world would be used. Suppose elders did not designate the version or versions to use? What would prevent one from using the New International Version, a Calvinist Bible, or the New World Translation, used by the Jehovah’s Witnesses, or some other far-out version or paraphrase?
During the Covid issue over the past two years, elders were not wrong to ask the members to wear a mask to benefit all. They had the scriptural right to make that ruling. And all members, because they are concerned for each other, based on Romans 14 and Hebrews 13:17, should comply.
One man in the eldership has no more authority than any other church member. It is the elders who have delegated authority. The writer of Hebrews said, “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.” (Heb.13:17.)