Reformation to true New Testament leadership, for ongoing revival

Pt 4 of 5

by Brett Jacobsen

This five part teaching series on reformed New Testament leadership is taken from Brett Jacobsen’s book Heaven's Underground Blueprint which is available here - http://www.christisall.org/hub-book.

Plural Eldership – the key to hierarchy-free local authority

Looking again at our underlying prophetic parallel concerning the church age, we see that it was a team of priests that went ahead of the people into the Jordan River as they were commanded by Joshua. This team of priests is a prophetic picture of our New Testament local eldership, which is made up of a number of leaders rather than a head man. Again we must draw attention to the fact that it was Ignatius and company who introduced the Roman based single Bishop to the church, NOT the Word of God. Just like the plurality of apostleship that Jesus ordained, so is the ongoing local plural oversight a safeguard against human hierarchy and the corruption of man’s control. No one man can rise to the top, calling all the shots, because no one man has cornered the market on hearing from God and neither would one person be right all the time.

The team of priests carried the Ark, a representation of the presence of God, into the river where they remained until all the body had passed over into the Promised Land. In the same way, any true New Testament leader will refuse a head position, and will collectively lay down their own personal life, with the team, to lead the way for the saints to progress into God’s best. Much of what is seen in modern Christendom’s “leadership ranks” is all about the leaders going to the highest of heights rather than pushing the people up as their own feet sink down into the mire of the river banks. There has been such an emphasis on powerful leaders, and a subsequent promotion thereof, that we have grown content with having a few mighty ones go out before us. We need true leaders who will model the way themselves as they encourage the majority through the river and into the Promised Land of the fullness of Christ. Powerful preaching on a stage, with healing and miracles flowing, doesn’t really equip the saints to do likewise, as not everyone has a stage, flashing lights, a band, promotional flyers etc. We need leaders who will show normal people the way to flow daily in the supernatural manifestation of Christ at ground level.

Local elders

Although Israel had its elders at the gates of the city, New Testament eldership is not the official positioning of a person but rather the recognizing of spiritual maturity. Eldership is not a position nor is it a function. The word elder is presbuteros which means a mature-aged person. When used in reference to a New Testament leader, it is speaking of their qualification as an example, because they are proven as spiritually mature. So, while it is a name given to certain leaders it is not a positional title as such. Of course it is not speaking of function, as an elder can not perform eldership on someone.

When Paul told Titus to “ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee” he was not saying to find people and ordain them ‘as’ elders, because he couldn’t make them mature. (Tit 1:5) He was saying to find elders (spiritually mature examples); ‘people who were already mature’ and ordain or recognize them, setting them before the people as proven models of true Christianity.

Because the term elder is not speaking of the operational aspects, but rather the character of the leader, all leaders, including the apostles (sent ones), were called elders as is the case with John and Peter below:

The elder (presbuteros) unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; (2 John 1:1)

The elders (presbuteros) which are among you I exhort who am also an elder (sumpresbuteros), (1 Pet 5:1)

They are among, not over, the church

Peter addresses “The elders which are among you” rather than the elders which are over you. (1 Pet 5:1) This speaks of the nature of true, fruitful New Testament leadership: a team of normal Christians with a noticeable level of spiritual maturity, who are amongst the believers, where they are to be real life examples and equippers.

Elders are ordained by apostles

And when 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)

ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee (Tit 1:5)

How they function

This verse from Peter gives us a good indication of what the roles of the elders were:

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 (katakurieuo-to lord against, i.e. control, subjugate:–exercise dominion over) over God's heritage, but being ensamples (tupos-a stamp, a sampler, a model) to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. (1 Pet 5:1-4)

There are three major directives that apply to all elders as they function in their own unique calling and gifts. Whether local leaders or sent ones, the objective is to:

1. “Feed the flock of God which is among you”

Feeding the infant Christians while teaching them to feed themselves as they mature, always remembering that they are “the flock of God”.

2. “taking the oversight (episkopeo- to oversee; to beware:–look diligently,) thereof”

Overseeing their wellbeing, without force, ensuring not to be “lords over” them, but rather to look out for them.

3. “being ensamples (tupos-a stamp, a sampler, a model) to the flock”

Being a model of Christ, manifest in humanity, for other saints to mimic.

There are two diverse categories that elders will function in; usually it is one or the other, but sometimes it is both. These areas of function are pastoral oversight (elders as overseers) and task-oriented service (elders as deacons).

Elders as overseers

One of the biblical functions of elders is to be overseers of the saints. This refers to the pastoral side of leadership. Remember that this is done by a team, not a single leader. Amongst the local eldership team there would be ones who are more pastorally orientated; these would probably have pastoral and teaching gifts to help them nurture God’s flock.

The word episkopos describes this function of leadership, having been translated by King James as bishop instead of the more accurate description of overseer. We can see by the next few passages that the word elder and overseer are used interchangeably, as they are often speaking of the same person, elder as character, overseer as job description:

For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders (presbuteros) in every city, as I had appointed thee: ….. For a bishop (episkopos) must be blameless  (Tit 1:4-9)

Paul, still speaking of the elders he mentioned in verse five, now calls them episkopos (overseers) in verse seven. He also spoke to the elders at Ephesus in this manner calling them elders in Acts 20:17 and then overseers in verse 28:

And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders (presbuteros) of the church …… Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers (episkopos), to feed (poimaino- to tend as a shepherd, feed, rule) the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. (Acts 20:17-28)   

In both (1 Tim 3:1-7) and (Titus 1:6-9) we see the character requirements of overseers being listed to assure that any who would desire to function as an overseer was to be continually proven as an elder.

Elders as deacons

The other biblical function of elders is to be a deacon; performing ‘task oriented service’. This comes from the word diakonos which speaks of someone who serves or attends. This is by no means the office of door greeter or communion juice dispenser at the local church building, as tradition would have us think. Diakonos is speaking of certain ministry functions that the elders/leaders performed, as well as speaking of the actual person who was performing the task. For example, Paul said to “Archippus, ‘Take heed to the ministry (diakonia) which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it’.” (Col 4:17) He was referring to the task of ministry that God had called him to do as diakonia. Whereas, he said of Phebe:

“our sister, which is a servant (diakonos) of the church which is at Cenchrea: That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer (a patroness, i.e. assistant) of many, and of myself also.” (Rom 16:1-2)

She was a mature elder with a certain service to perform among the saints, and this is why Paul urged them to “assist her in whatsoever business she [had] need of [them]”.

It is a fact that all saints are servants of Christ both positional and functionally. However, the word used to describe that is doulos, which means bond slave. The word diakonos seams to be usually reserved for elders/leaders performing certain ministries.

Paul and Timothy addressed the church at Philippi by saying “to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops (episkopos) and deacons (diakonos).” (Phil 1:1) This verse shows that not all saints are deacons, and also that ‘overseers and deacons are peas in the same pod, both being elders, simply performing different functions’.

Even Paul who was clearly functioning as an apostle was said to have “returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry (diakonia).” (Acts 12:25)

There are many gifts and many ways that would be considered to be diakonos ministry including dispensing food and goods, teaching and organizing, even “church planting”. Most of the deacons would be Eph 4:11 gifted equippers in some way. Although the seven men “of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom” in Acts chapter six were not specifically named as diakonos they well fit the description, as they were proven to be mature/elders and commissioned with a function or task. Of these mature servants we find, Stephen the short-lived reformation apostle, sent to re-lay the foundation of Christ with the Jews. Also there was “Phillip the evangelist, which was one of the seven.” (Acts 21:8) We can clearly see that deacons are elders.

 

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