Introduction: two extremes: one man rule (either as pope over whole Christian world or one man rule in local church) or majority rule (in which a 12 year old member has as much voting power as mature Christians).

I. New Testament church

A. In doctrine, authority only in the apostles in the NT: cf. Mt 28:19; 16:19; 19:28; Acts 2:42; 1 John 4:6.

B. In everyday affairs, authority only in the elders: cf. Acts 14:23; 20:28.

C. Cf. the family: authority only in the Bible (Psalm 119:105; Acts 5:29); in everyday affairs, authority only in the father (Ephesians 5:24; 6:1).

II. Attempts to nullify the authority of elders:

A. "The Greek word for authority is never used to refer to elders." Reply: do I need to know Greek? If so, most of the world is doomed. Also one could say that the Greek word for authority is never used to refer to fathers, but other words are used (Ephesians 6:1; 1 Timothy 3:4; Proverbs 13:24), and so other words are used to refer to the authority that elders have (1 Timothy 5:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; Hebrews 13:17).

B. "Elders do not have an office," but 1 Timothy 3:1 says they do, where the same word is used in Acts 1:20 of the apostles. If the apostles had an office in the church, so do the elders.

C. Some use ridicule, "We have developed an ‘eldership.’ We have invented a whole fleet of ships." But the word for eldership is in the word "presbytery" in 1 Timothy 4:14, and translated as "the body of elders" (NIV) or "the board of elders" (NAS, margin).

D. Elders are accidental: "The church existed for along time after Pentecost before we run into elders, and then sort of accidentally." But Titus was left on the island of Crete by an inspired man ordain elders in every city (Titus 1:5).

E. "Elders cannot be shepherds, for "anyone who is a sheep is not a shepherd." Such an argument has to omit Acts 20:28 and 1 Peter 5:1-5 from of the Bible. Yes, elders are under-shepherds under the Chief Shepherd, and at the same time they are his sheep.

III. "To the law and to the testimony" (Isaiah 8:20):

Acts 11:30; 20:28-30; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; 1 Timothy 3:4-5; 5:17-19; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:1-5.

O, FOR THE LIFE OF AN ELDER!

It is said that in the business world more and more of the executives are taking some "soothing lotion" for their ulcerated stomachs. The reasons given for this is labor management problems, keen competition, high overhead, etc. While our sympathy for our friends of the business world is in order, we wonder what would happen to them if they worked in the circumstances that most elders do in the church of Christ.

What would happen if they had to try to please two hundred people, yet knowing all the time that they must first please God? That they were never able to see all of their workers on the job at the same time? That a slight headache or "company" justified a worker taking a day off without letting them know? That rain or threatening weather kept a third of their workers at home? How would they feel if their workers only worked if they felt like it, and then (being kindly questioned about phases of their work), would immediately show their temper and threaten to quit? When slightly dissatisfied with some minor thing in the company, they would quit and become a member of some other company? That after they had committed themselves for several thousands of dollars worth of work during the year, only a few helped and stood by them. That their business was the largest in the world and yet it was financed only by free will offerings?

These things may be on the border of fantasy to our business men, but they are realities to elders in various congregations. It takes a very strong man spiritually and physically to be an elder of the Lord’s church. Paul tells us how we can make their work easier:

TO THOSE WHO SERVE

To the elders, we extend our deepest love. For sacrifices that you make, we thank our God above. You may not know we realize the heartaches that you bear. When one has drifted from the fold, because he did not care. An elder has no part-time job, no two weeks off with pay, for when you serve the church, it’s every hour each day. So at night before I sleep I kneel and humbly pray, "Oh! Lord, they’re men and need your help, walk with them through each day" (Tom Parks, Guthrie, Oklahoma.)