Why Conferences Of Elders And Leading Brethren?

by J.D. Terrell, Carlisle, U. K. | Category: Topics Of Elderhood Discussion | Jul 1983

Regular readers of Needed Truth will be well acquainted with the theme of the elderhood among God's people in churches of God, one which undergirds the unity of those churches in one world-wide community, the Fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (I Cor. 1:9). It has seemed good to the editors to introduce to our readers a short series of articles on important conclusions which the elders of the churches of God have arrived at over the years in prayerful consideration of doctrinal and practical issues affecting the Lord's people.

By way of introduction something should be said at the outset about the role of elders and the elderhood among churches of God in the New Testament, and which we believe is reflected in the practices and customs of the churches of God in our own day. This magazine has been devoted for nearly a century to the promulgation of these and other important church truths. It will be a familiar fact to many of our readers that the terms "elder" and "bishop" (or overseer) are synonymous in the New Testament and that the elevation of the term "bishop" in the early part of the second century AD to denote a particular hierarchical office relating to churches in a designated geographical area finds no basis in Scripture. To the Philippian church of God Paul wrote addressing "the saints ... with the bishops and deacons" (Phil. 1:1); Titus was instructed to "appoint elders in every city" (Titus 1:5); the apostle Peter wrote to fellow-elders to "tend the flock of God which is among you" (I Pet. 5:2); and the elders of the church in Ephesus were instructed to "take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in the which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops" (Acts 20:28). Indeed, the use of the synonymous terms is well exemplified here where Paul called to him the elders of Ephesus and addressed them as bishops (vv. 17, 28), the latter term being shown in marginal renderings of some versions to mean overseer. It is not difficult to visualize the situation thus indicated-elders (or bishops) in each church of God, who, with the saints around them, relied initially on the verbal testimony and teaching of the apostles for their doctrinal basis as churches of baptized and added believers (Acts 2:41, 42); giving their Spirit-led witness to a largely pagan world as far as the Gentiles were concerned.

It seems clear that there was a strong bond of caring love between the churches and the apostles-elders were diligent to strengthen this vital aspect of their ministry. And so we turn to the New Testament evidence for the elderhood of the early churches being united in their care for the saints,

and the guidance we have for dealing with the kind of problems and difficulties which will inevitably occur among Christians in collective service, and which certainly appeared in the early days of the New Testament churches. It is on these indications in the Word that the churches of God in our own day have sought prayerfully to find their principles and base their practices.

Now there is no doubt that there was given to the apostles, and in this Paul progressively became outstanding, a word of special authority from the Lord. The Ephesian saints were instructed, with regard to their corporate testimony, that they were "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the chief corner stone" (Eph. 2:20). Thus the apostles' teaching (Acts 2:42) established the churches in divine truth, as these able men of God fulfilled the great commission, "teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you" (Matt. 28:20). Two matters require attention at this point. Firstly, that in the nature of the qualification for the apostolic role, that office was bound to pass away. For the men who had accompanied the Lord (Acts 1:21-26), or had seen the Lord (1 Cor. 9:1; 15:7,8) and so been specially commissioned, eventually went to their rest. They left their foundational work behind for the churches of God with their elders and deacons to build upon in their outreaching witness and service. Secondly, we must note the fact that, well before such a situation came about, the very significant gathering of apostles and elders, recorded in Acts 15, took place.

This arose from a far-reaching problem which was troubling the new converts to Christ-the determination of which, if any, of the ritual observances enjoined on the Old Testament Jew, should properly continue to be required of the disciples of the Lord Jesus in the churches (see Acts 15:1-5). A careful reading of Acts 15 will show that the gathered apostles and elders had recourse to frank and open discussion among themselves (v.7); to examination of Scripture (vv. 15-18); to godly submission to the guidance of the Holy Spirit (v.28); and to mutual subjection in the fear of God (vv. 12,25). Furthermore they recorded their conclusions and arranged for these to be conveyed to the churches as decrees to be kept (16:4). The success of the latter (16:5) itself depended upon a recognition by the saints of the divinely ordered nature of the gathering of men of God who reached the decisions involved; and on the god-fearing subjection of many to whom the "decrees for to keep" must have come initially as a real disappointment. We must ask, Is it not surely of great significance that this example of elders (and apostles at that time) conferring together before God on such issues, is given to us even before the apostles themselves had passed away? We might have expected Paul, the emerging leader in teaching matters, to have settled the issues concerned; or the apostles as a group to have sought

to do so. But we find them associating with them a wider group of elders. It is perfectly true, of course, that the conferring in Acts 15 was limited in the circumstances to church leaders from Jerusalem and Antioch, the two major centres of the work of God in that day. But the conclusions were promulgated more widely and a pattern had been set for resolving problems affecting the whole community. How clearly the Spirit indicates in this matter His sovereign will for unity among elders and consequently among the churches; for a divided elderhood cannot but lead to a divided people.

The wider subject of unity of doctrine and practice among local churches of God's people, while integral with the above observations, is one which we cannot pursue in detail now. It features prominently in many of the most important publications of the churches of God, and is shown to rest to a great extent on elders acting unitedly among and between the churches. Examples often adduced are the corporate action of elders in Macedonia and Achaia in appointing a companion for Paul (2 Cor. 8:18, 19; Rom. 15:26); and Peter's instruction to the elders among the flock in a group of provinces (1 Pet. 1:1, 5:1-7). But here we ask particularly for careful attention to the example of Acts 15, for surely this cannot be a matter of minor significance in the early history of New Testament churches. The conclusion reached at that gathering must have proved a strongly cohesive force in the churches, threatened as they were with serious disruption on important issues of doctrine; issues which impinged on deep emotions and strongly felt, though differing, convictions.

It is with such considerations very much in mind that the churches of God today in the Fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, look to regular gatherings of representative elders from their various districts to seek divine guidance for the flock of God on important matters of the 'faith, which call for doctrinal and practical stands among the churches. It is not a question of local church matters being administered through a hierarchy of clergy, as exemplified by the "diocese" and "bishops" of the national established church in Britain. It is an earnest desire to find a God glorifying unity according to a divinely ordered example, all ultimately being dependent on guidance from, and subjection to, the Holy Spirit Himself. Then, by common consent of the elderhood, the overseers of each local church of God will follow through the agreed matter in their own church situation. It is indeed an expression of the same kind of unity which is an essential element in the leadership of a local church if it is to know prosperity and peace.

Turning briefly to another matter which features in the practices of the churches of God today, we add a few words about the role of the group of elders commonly known among the saints in the churches as leading

brethren. Again we must stress that we are not dealing in the churches of God with a hierarchy of authority. Decision making in the area of principles and doctrine mentioned above, rests, in the fear of God and earnest dependence upon the Divine Spirit, with the corporate elderhood who seek to be sensitive to the mind of the saints and to show leadership in due humility. But some initiatives in both spiritual and practical matters have to be considered, and again we look to see what is contained in the New Testament scriptures for our guidance. There were "chief men among the brethren" (Acts 15:22)-and it cannot be too often stressed that they were among and not over. It is clear that this description, obviously including Judas and Silas, did not apply only to apostle. Unless such a recognized situation were to be worked out in the spirit of Luke 22:27-"I am in the midst of you as he that serveth" - it carries all the potential for ill which led the apostle Peter to write to his fellow-elders, "neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock" (1 Pet. 5:3). But, given effect to in the correct spirit, it surely became an important feature of the early testimony that certain men were looked to for an element of leadership beyond that exercised by all the elderhood.

We referred above to initiatives in matters doctrinal and practical, and perhaps the most obvious are those which follow from the matter of conferences of elders. Some brethren have to form a point of reference for such practical matters as agendas and arrangements; and both in the course of, and between, elders' conferences have to give interim counsel and advice. By what name such a group of brethren is known is not of prime importance but obviously they would need to have the confidence of their fellows. They seek to follow in much fear and trembling the scriptural example of vastly greater and abler men of early New Testament days. The leadership role of some of these "chief men" of the early churches emerges clearly in the record of Acts 15 already dealt with above.

These notes on matters which are quite familiar to most in churches of God are set out briefly for the prayerful consideration of readers, who are simply asked to examine them in the light of New Testament example and precept without expecting to find in them something sinister which may suggest some kind of accretion to New Testament teaching for disciples today. Rather have regard, we suggest, to the ways of God down through the centuries and the orderliness which has always characterized His kingdom in all its manifestations. To beloved fellow-saints in the churches of God we would observe that this introduction and the series of articles in following months are themselves a contribution to the vital matter of effective communication between the elders and beloved saints among whom they are honoured to serve.

J.D. Terrell, Carlisle, U. K. | Jul 1983
Topics Of Elderhood Discussion