We have started a series of posts on the elders of the church. There were several reasons for this. In short, the goal of this series on elders is to think biblically about elders.
In this series, we are looking at picture words. We think in pictures, and God has revealed truths in pictures for us. The biblical titles for elders give us pictures to understand their roles in the church.
The first picture word is the word “elder.” This is the most commonly used word for this New Testament office. This is the English translation of the Greek word presbuteros. It is easy to see where the Presbyterian denominations have derived their name. The word simply means “elder.” It can refer to older men in general as in Titus 2:2. It can also refer to an appointed leadership position in the church (Acts 15:22, 20:17; 1 Timothy 5:17; Titus 1:5; James 5:14).
The word “elder” refers to maturity. Older men are elders in their physical maturity. The church elders are spiritually mature leaders.
The leadership of mature men is not new to the New Testament. In Old Testament Israel there were elders who were responsible for leadership and judgement (Exodus 12:21, 19:7, 24:1-18). We see this in Exodus 18:21-23. In that context Moses’ father-in-law advises Moses to appoint able and trustworthy men as chiefs to help rule Israel.
The appointed elders of the New Testament church are men who are spiritually mature. This is clearly seen in their qualifications in Titus 1:6-9 and 1 Timothy 3:1-7. They live as examples to the rest of the church family (Titus 2:7-8). They hold firm to the trustworthy word of the Gospel, discerning truth from error, teaching healthy teaching, and rebuking those who speak against it (Titus 1:9). The elders are spiritually mature men who lead and protect the church in word and by example.
These men also appear in teams. In Acts 14:21-23, Paul and Barnabas returned to the churches they had previously planted. They appointed elders (plural) in every church (singular). Each church had a team of elders. In James 5:13-18, sick believers are told to call for the elders (plural) of the church (singular) to have them pray for them. So, the New Testament has a principle of team leadership.
The word “elder” gives us a picture to understand this office’s role in the body of Christ. The elders are a team of spiritually mature men who lead and protect the church of God with the Word of God and by example.
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