Authority and the Church

This is Part 5 (of 7) in my series, Kingdom Principles: Authority

As I said at the beginning of this series, “When I sat down recently to work on [the Kingdom Principle of Authority], I realized this is much bigger than I thought – it runs like the mighty Mississippi through the Scriptures!” And the waters seem to get deeper as I move through my posts. I confess, I’m merely skimming the surface.

Keys of the Kingdom - For a brief explanation of the keys see below¹

Bishops & Elders

Acts 14:23 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.

The Scriptures make it clear that God has established order and authority in the church, and that this is under the guidance of the elders in each local church. Ordained them elders in every church indicates a plurality of elders in every church.

Acts 20:17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.

This was Paul’s farewell and final charge to the Ephesian church. He spoke to them of his ministry as an example for them and their ministry (18-21), what awaits him in Jerusalem (22-24), that he will not see them again (25-26), that he has declared unto them all [or the whole] the counsel of God (27), this is their charge to keep and declare The Faith.

20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

The two words used for church leadership are used in Acts 20: presbyteros and episcopos. Presbyteros is elder, an older man; because in those days old age implied wisdom and experience. Elders in the church were the more knowledgeable and mature men. Episcopos is bishop or overseer, a man charged with the duty of seeing that things to be done by others are done rightly; they are the guardian of souls, one who watches over their welfare; the superintendent, head or overseer of any Christian church.² 

What is the task of the bishop? Take heed to all the flock and feed the church of God. He continues his charge in 29-31: After my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch.

In the Introduction, I pointed out that it is the purpose of God that those in authority should provide protection and provision for those they have authority over. Here we see that the elders oversee and feed the church, and keep an eye open for danger.³

In 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, Paul gives instructions about bishops/elders

1 Timothy 3:5 For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? Take care of the church of God. What does it mean to take care of the church of God? See that the Word is faithfully and correctly taught; the Faith is protected, preserved, and passed on; the Sacraments are faithfully administered; the saints are cared for and disciplined when necessary; the sick and shut-ins are visited; the gifts are exercised correctly; and so on.

Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

The bishop/elder must hold fast sound doctrine, protect the faith, and be able to teach and defend the faith from error. 1 Timothy-Titus are full of advice for church leaders.

Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. [see also v 24]

The elders have the rule over us, that is authority. What are elders authorized to do? Watch for your souls. That’s caring for the church, protecting and providing. The word for watch means to be sleepless, keep awake, watch; to exercise constant vigilance over something (an image drawn from shepherds).² The elders watch over the church as those who must give an account of their charge. They are watching to make sure we are properly and fully taught the Word, to guard against error, and to encourage and guide growth in grace.

Those in authority protect and provide. Those under that authority are to submit and obey them. They have been entrusted with our souls, and we submit to their authority, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. God holds them accountable for how they cared for what God entrusted to them (our souls), and we must give account for our submission to them.

1 Peter 5:1-5

1 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:

2 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;

3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 

4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

The elders are to feed the flock of God (the Word, the Faith etc) and exercise oversight. Let me repeat, those in authority are to provide and protect. Peter stresses this is not tyranny, Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock. The church is the flock and the elders are shepherds; Jesus being our chief Shepherd. Yes, the elders rule and have oversight, but their attitude is to be, Follow me as I follow Christ. Amen!

If the elders take oversight, what is the responsibility of the church? Submit yourselves to the elders. Arrange your life under their authority, and follow their example.

For a brief word about deacons see below⁴

 

NEXT: Authority in the Home

 

¹ The keys of the kingdom of heaven refers to the power to bind and loose, to forgive sins or retain them. In Matthew 16:18-19, the Lord gave them to Peter, whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. In Matthew 18:15-18 he gave them to the church. In John 20:22-23, he gave this power to all the apostles, Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. In 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 we see Paul instructing the Corinthians to deliver an unrepentant brother to Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. I believe this is the exercise of the keys of the kingdom. The Church has authority to do this. See also 2 Corinthians 10:8 and 13:10 for Paul’s Apostolic authority.

² Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon

³ In the beginning, bishop and elder were synonymous (see Acts 20, Philippians 1:1, Titus 1:5,7). By 100 AD local church elders had decided to elevate of their number to a leadership position and declare him Bishop. The office of bishop slowly developed from that point.

⁴ Acts 6:1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

We see that in the early days of the church, food and goods were gathered and shared with those in need. Deacons were chosen and ordained [see 1-7] to take care of this daily ministration. In other words, they were given authority to gather and distribute. Now, every believer was free to share with any he or she met in need, but this was obviously an organized ministry of the church, and these deacons were in charge of it.   

(I find it very interesting that the Greek word for ministration is diakonia, which is part of the family of words that includes the word for deacon, diakonos. A diakonos is a person who is in charge of diakonia. Just a fun side trip!)