UNDERSTANDING THE OFFICE OF 'ELDERSHIP" IN SHORT! (474 hits)
THE OFFICE OF THE ELDER: The Local Church under God's ordained and Scripturally qualified Elders. The Government is indeed upon "His shoulder" Isaiah 9:6. But we see that God has set in the Church government, I Corinthians 12:28. The shoulder is part of the body, nearest to the head.
INTRODUCTION TO ELDERSHIP: So government in the Church is nearest to Christ the Head. Government is a gift of God to certain individuals set in the Church.
This has to do with Eldership especially who are called upon to rule in the Church, I Timothy 5:17; Romans 12:8; Hebrews 13:7, 17, 24.
Government in the early Church was first through Christ, then the twelve, and then after that through Eldership and Deacons, as the need arose.
A study of the New Testament clearly shows that there are two offices set by God in the Church for the rule and service of His people. These two offices are ELDERS and DEACONS. The first pertains to ruling, the second serving.
It should be recognized that there are basically two schools of thought pertaining to Eldership. One view holds that there are no Elders apart from or outside of the fivefold ministry of Ephesians 4:9-11. The other view holds that there are Elders who are not of fivefold ascension-gift ministries. It holds that all ascension-gift ministries are Elders, but not all Elders are ascension-gift ministries. However, both schools of thought hold that ascension-gift ministries are Elders. All agree that these ministries should have the qualifications of Elders. Judas was a Bishop/Apostle, yet lost his ministry through transgression Acts 1:20. Peter was an Apostle yet also and Elder, I Peter 5:1. The 24 Elders, or at least 12 of them are accepted, generally speaking, as apostles. Thus they are Elder/Apostles Revelation 4:4. John the Apostle was also an Elder II John 1:1; III John 1.
Many times people become 'an offender for a word," Isaiah 29:21. Words such as Bishop, Elder, or Deacon have been misunderstood and misapplied and associated with some bad experience and thus people are robbed of the truth of these words. - i.e. Bishop-Episcopalian Church/ Order of the Bishops, Archbishops, or Pope, or Cardinals, Roman Catholic Church, or Episcopal Church. - i.e Presbyterian-Eldership, with four courts of Law, from (a) The Elders of the Local Congregation, and (b) Presbytery of Pastors only, and (c) The Synod and (d) the General Assembly of Elders. - i.e. Deacon Board Control with power to "hire and fire" and or else belittle in some Churches as to their ministry. - i.e. Apostolic-fivefold ministries of Ephesians 4:11.
Thus fear or failure rob God's people of accepting God's order in the New Testament. Hence the need of Jeremiah 1:10 in principle in order to receive ministry as God wants Matthew 10:40-42. We bind those we do not receive as to reward of their labor.
Archbishop Danette M. Scott, Ph.D. A Ray of Hope Ministries Christian Center Sr. Pastor/Founder www.AROHMCC.org
