Should a christian church be ruled by elders or just one pastor? or some bishops?
Often worshippers of churches having pastors discriminate against churches with elders instead of pastors.
Their argument is not a biblical one.
They think that established churches that transmitted the gospel down the centuries cannot be wrong. They cannot be wrong with basics, and fundamentals, such as having a God approved ruling class, consisting a great leader called Rev. "So and So"; a Pastor who is recognised and respected even by secular societies.
(The Bible student need to know that the writer of this article is also an ordained minister/pastor, who is not against churches having pastors and elders overseeing the church body; but against ruling a large congregation, hundreds even thousands, singlehanded. Statistically a pastor can at most take care of 170 Christians. There is need for small groups, pastorship, family groups, cell groups, gathering, fellowship.)
The bible, however, has a very different picture.
Elder (presbuteros) is a word and position frequently mentioned in the New Testament.
The Greek term/word Presbuteros is also used and translated into English as Presbyter.
The Presbyterian Church echos the meaning of the Church of Elders, although it does not mean it this way. It is run by Pastors as teaching elders, with elders as ruling elders. There is normally only one Pastor when the congregation is small. Such Pastors are ordained by a ruling group of people/elders, rather than voted or selected out of the congregation because of good conduct.
The word Overseer (episkopos) is often used in English as Bishop in Roman Catholic and in Anglican circles. The term is used to refer to Pastor in the Protestant world. The office of Pastors (ruling over a local church, unless also hold separate position in Seminaries or in Council controlling certain districts) differ significantly with that of Bishops (ruling over a city or more). In almost no case is a Bishop ruling/looking after a single local church only. A Bishop, therefore, travels from church to church for his duties; but a pastor primarily work and rule over a local congregation.
Big differences of duties behind these titles derived from the same term and position in the scriptures.
Titus (Pros Titon of Paulus) Ch1 vv5-11
In v5, Paul reminded Titus, who could be an apostle as well as an overseer, that he was to set in order what remains, and apoint elders in every city as Paul directed him.
This means that it is within the authority of Titus to set up these elders, who are ligitimate rulers of local churches in every city. Titus actually could and should go from city to city doing this. Such right of action is beyond the authority of present day pastors as we know. Titus was acting like Bishops nowadays, except that he was not restricted by councils of bishops and churches.
This also means that a single person could appoint leaders, bring them to position and power. The concept that church affairs must be authorised by eldership or a group of leaders, representatives falls down like pushes dominoes right here.
v6 goes on to state the requirement of christians being considered to be elders or overseers.
A side issue here is that these elders, pastors, overseers, bishops should be male, husband of one wife, married. No such nonsense of virginity, chastity. No leader should be forced by any regulation to remain single before and while holding office of leadership. They should have ligitimate children as well.
In view of this, Roman Catholic priesthood is certainly unbiblical.
v7 changes the office of eldership to overseer, bringing in a parallel relationship of the two. It is now explaining the job of elders, that they are to oversee church affairs. They are God's stweard.
v9 tells us that elders, without exception, are to hold fast to the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching (imparted to them through the apostles, scriptures). [This is The Teaching of Christ; not just a teaching in the past, or part of a series of teachings.] They are then able to exhort in sound doctrine. That means they are preachers. v9- And to refute those who contradict. This teaches us that christians are not forever to put up with contradiction of sound doctrine, or to speak nothing concerning heresy and contradiction.
Now that the Bible teaches eldership rather than bishops and single person pastor; will God-fearing christians heed scriptures and obey, righting what was wrong?
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