ELDERS, GOD'S ARRANGEMENT
Introduction:
1. The Word of God furnishes man all he needs. 2 Tim. 3:16,17.
2. God's ways are always best.
3. God's Word furnishes us a plan of church government.
4. To undertake to improve upon it by re-organization, adding to
or failing to respect God's arrangement for it, is to express
dissatisfaction for God's Ways.
I. USAGE OF THE TERM "CHURCH":
1. Universal -- All the saved are members thereof; one becomes a
member by obedience to the gospel. Acts 2:47.
Members of the ONE BODY: 1 Cor. 12:12,13, 20. Christ the head
How does one become a member of the Lord's Body, the church?
Born into, baptized into -- Rom. 6:3,4; Gal. 3:27.
NOTE: No organization through which to function on a world-
wide arrangement, no earthly head, or central agency.
Can we conclude, then, there is no organization? Oh, no!!
2. Local -- Congregation. God has given us a plan whereby His
family can work and function as a unit.
Only entity known to the New Testament. No organization
larger.
Those who have obeyed the gospel constitute the church in any
given locality.
Through this local arrangement God's family worships and
works; thus each member MUST be associated with and be a
part of a local congregation.
Paul joined himself with disciples, Acts 9:26; 13:1ff;
14:25ff
NO SUCH THING AS MEMBERSHIP AT LARGE.
II. GOD'S ARRANGEMENT for the local congregation.
1. Did God give us the means and information concerning this??
Did He leave it to man's imagination? Just any arrangement??
2. No. God has left us a perfect arrangement. Let's Note it!!!
Jerusalem -- apostles and elders -- Acts 15:6, 22; 15:23.
Acts 14:23 -- Elders in every church.
Acts 20:28 -- Elders in the church at Ephesus.
1 Thess. 5:12 -- Elders in Thessalonica.
Phil. 1:1 -- to all the saints...with the elders and deacons.
Titus 1:5 -- left in Crete....appoint elders in every city.
Evident that Timothy had the same charge.
3. From Acts 14:23, shows elders must be needed in each church.
NOTE: No ecclesiastical diocese or hierarchies, with several
congregations under one central oversight.
NOTE: Each congregation was to have elders.
4. It is better to remain scripturally unorganized than to become
unscripturally organized.
5. Where no men are scripturally qualified there should be those
developing their abilities and working toward that end.
6. God's arrangements are always best, no exception; and one thing
plainly taught is that New Testament churches had elders.
7. THE RESPONSIBILITY AND WORK OF AN ELDER:
(1) To feed the church -- Acts 20:28.
(2) To guard the flock from false teachers -- Acts 20:29-31.
(3) To rule the church -- Rom. 12:8; 1 Tim. 5:17.
"Not as Lord's, but as examples" -- 1 Pet. 5:3.
(4) Tending the flock, "exercising oversight thereof" --
1 Pet. 5:2.
(5) Watching in behalf of souls -- Heb. 13:17.
(6) Holding the faithful word...able both to exhort in sound
doctrine, and to convict the gainsayers -- Titus 1:9.
(7) The requirements of the Holy Spirit for an elder indicate
the responsibility of the office -- 1 Tim. 3; Titus 1.
(These shall be discussed in later lesson.)
8. DEACONS WERE ALSO APPOINTED:
(1) The word "deacon" means: servant, attendant.
(2) Phil 1:l -- Bishops and deacons are distinguished from
the saints in general.
(3) 1 Tim. 3:8-13 -- Especially qualified group indicates a
regularly constituted or established office.
(4) Acts 6:1-6 -- Selected to relieve the apostles of secular
duties and responsibilities in order for them to give
themselves to spiritual matters. (Though they are not
called "deacons" as such.)
Selected by the congregation, recognized by the
apostles. They had a work to perform.
9. EVANGELISTS -- He who preaches the word:
(1) Eph. 4:11 -- definite work.
(2) Acts 21:8 -- Philip the evangelist.
(3) Timothy urged to do work of an evangelist, 2 Tim. 4:5.
10. MEMBERS, serving God under the oversight of the elders:
(1) 1 Pet. 5:1-5 -- Elders to exercise the oversight.
(2) Heb. 13:17 -- "Obey them that have the rule over you,
they watch for your souls." 1 Tim. 5:17-19.
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