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The Work of Elders/Overseers
Introduction: The challenge we have before us is to look at the work of elders from a 1st century perspective and not from a 21st century perspective. And, when we look at shepherds from that 1st century perspective, we must realize that those people already had a long history of spiritual leaders who they recognized as “elders” or “shepherds.” First century people were not ignorant of role of spiritual leaders within the framework of the Israel nation. In fact, in the gospel accounts and in Acts we are repeatedly introduced to the “elders” of the people and Jesus often refers to the leaders of Israel as shepherds – though in a negative sense.
So, there lies our challenge. It is the challenge we have always had, not just on this subject, but on understanding all of the NT.
Job Description: What It Is and Is Not
First, it isn’t that they need to be experts in money management and other managerial capabilities. While few people might actually express these words, it has often become the perception and expectation because of our “corporate-minded” society and the regular appointment of corporate leaders (not that a corporate guy can’t be an elder, but bringing a corporate philosophy into the eldership is dangerous).
In fact, my experience is that some are so accustomed to this pattern that they get frustrated with elders who aren’t using a significant amount of their time making decisions and plans for the direction, growth, and future of the church. That may sound weird to downplay that type of elder, but I would challenge you to find that description of elders/shepherds in either the Old or New Testaments.
I have been with both kinds of elders, and while both kinds are good men, a corporate elder will rarely fulfill Ephesians 4:11-16. The work of shepherding simply takes up too much time.
We will discover in our study that throughout scripture these men are described as teachers, rescuers, and spiritual healers. And I would add, just like me as an evangelist, most of their teaching will be individual, not collective. That is where the hard work is done and the most effective teaching is done.
Now concerning the management style elders:
When we read in Acts 4:34-35 that money was laid at the apostles’ feet and distributed to those who had need, we recognize that there was some general oversight of the spiritual leaders over collected money. Further, Acts 11:27-30 presents a similar scenario when elders of churches oversaw the distribution of money to needy saints within their local church.
However, in Acts 6:2-4 we see these same apostles divesting themselves of the micromanagement of that money. In fact, there has been a general misunderstanding of this text. We read “serve tables” and we think of a waiter, but that is not the idea. In Lk. 19:23, Jesus condemned the slothful man for not putting his money “in the bank.” “Bank” is the same Greek word used in Acts for table. Literally, Jesus said, “you did not put the money “on the table.” Even the origin of “bank” in English is a “flat space; a table.” We refer to the bank along a river in the same way: a flat space. The table where Bankers sat was where money was managed.
This is the meaning of Acts 6. It certainly doesn’t take men with the qualifications listed to simply be “waiters” of tables. In fact, the NKJV refers to these men as being appointed “over this business.” or NASB, “put in charge of this task.” NIV, “We will turn this responsibility over to them.” These “deacons” – special servants – were to manage the money and provisions necessary to provide for a large group of widows.
But why did the apostles divest themselves of this task when the money for the needy had been laid at their feet? Verses 2 & 4 that they needed to devote themselves to the word of God and prayer. In other words, the work of teaching and praying is too important to leave in order to manage the money, and the work of caring for the needy is too important to leave to people who don’t have enough time for it. Both elders and preachers much abide by this principle. Elders who are micromanaging in the areas of money and the physical upkeep of the building are missing this important principle.
This is about understanding our individual talents and roles! I have known some who were the best deacons ever, but had a difficult time transitioning to being a shepherd because they had been accustomed to the physical aspects of the work. But look at it this way: actual shepherding is extremely time consuming. If a man continued to care for the physical part of the work, he would be neglecting his shepherding responsibilities. Consider that just because a man is a good evangelist, doesn’t mean he can be a good shepherd (I would be challenged as an elder, because my desire is to work mostly in evangelism). And just because a man can excel as a deacon, does not necessarily mean he should be an elder. We all have roles we are good at! (an elder is “better” than a deacon or visa versa: Korah!)
“Elders, Overseers”
Long-time Bible students understand that there are actually three words used to describe those who lead the local church: elders, overseers, and shepherds/pastors. I will not take time on this, but you will see the three terms used interchangeably in both 1 Pet. 5:1-4 and Acts 20:17,28. These words are actually his job description. They tell us what he does. Therefore, it is foundational that a man who will be an overseer recognize & understand these terms so he knows his work. A man who is not doing what these terms describe is failing his responsibility.
That brings us to 1 Tim. 3:1 which states, “If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.” Office leaves us with the wrong impression. The Greek refers to a work not a position, like the CEO of a company. The idea is that a man is desiring to work with people and help souls get to heaven. Anyone who thinks of it differently than getting souls to heaven has misunderstood what they are to desire.
When we understand that a man is to aspire to looking out after souls, we know that all Christians are to do the same thing. “Deacons” are special chosen servants, but all Christians are referred to as servants and are to serve. Thus, every Christian should be doing this work. Overseers are those who are especially capable to do this work.
Sometimes it is said that the first qualification is to “desire the office.” Actually, when you understand the work, looking out after the souls of others is not optional for any Christian. A man may not be capable of doing that work to the level of an appointed shepherd, but everyone is to desire this work.
Now let’s consider the word “elder.” Obviously, the word has the simple definition of one who is older. However, it is also obvious that one cannot be an elder just because he got old. There is nothing special about getting old; just about anyone can do it. Instead, the word indicates one who is experienced in both his physical and spiritual life.
Job 12:20 refers to the “discernment of the elders.” Therefore, we are talking about those with good life experience and good common sense.
The gospel accounts repeatedly make reference to the “tradition of the elders” when referring to the former spiritual leaders of Israel. These were men who were stellar students of the word and the greatest of Israel’s teachers. They certainly had been misused and were being quoted as the final authority, but their function helps us understand who they were and what they did. They were Israel’s teachers.
Further, OT elders were heads of great families or clans. They were the ones who “sat in the gate,” who had taught and raised families that continued generations after them. Job makes reference to these kinds of leaders as opposed to other “fathers” who did not become leaders because no one looked to them for guidance or instruction.
In Deut. 31:9, Moses committed the law to the “priests, the Levites, and the elders of Israel.” All of these were charged with teaching the law to the people. Neh. 8:1-8 gives an example of how this happened during the tabernacle festival and illustrates how their primary responsibility was to help the people understand the law.
Finally, elders were “judges” over Israel. Ex. 18:19-22 shows Jethro counseling Moses to choose men to help him judge using the word of God. God counsels Moses to do the same thing in Num. 11:16-17. Thus elders are to be able to take the word of God, make application of it, and lead the people with it.
Titus 1:9-14 reinforces this point. In fact, it is by the teaching of the word of God that false teaching and divisive teaching is to be “silenced.” This passages gives us a snapshot of an elder’s work: “able to give instruction and rebuke those who contradict.”
“Overseer”: This is the word that most likely leads elders to see themselves as “administrators.” But when we look at how the word is used in other places we will get an entirely different picture.
1 Pet. 2:12 the “day of visitation” is the day in which God gives a person the opportunity to be saved. God comes to their aid.
Matt. 25:36 “I was sick and you visited me.” Visited again refers to a person coming to the aid of one who is in need. This is the picture of an overseer.
Heb. 12:15 “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled…” The phrase, “see to it,” is the same for overseer. Here is where all Christians are involved in watching out for the souls of one another.
James 1:27 tells all Christians to “visit” the fatherless and widows in their affliction. Of course, visit does not refer to making a social all, but to coming to their aid. This is what an overseer does in regard to a person’s soul. This is where most of an overseer’s work should be concentrated.
Conclusion: Our summary is that the elder/overseer/shepherd is good at relating to people. He has learned to love people and he has practiced helping people for many years – he has experience. He would know how to help a troubled marriage. He knows how to help a Christian that is struggling with his faith or overcome with a particular sin. Most importantly, he has made deep connections with the people he oversees so that they naturally turn to him when they have personal and spiritual needs. And most importantly, he is able to teach those under his oversight, especially as it pertains to their individual spiritual needs.
Caution: Every man, and that includes every elder, has different talents or strengths. Like every man and woman, every elder will have some talents he will be strong in and some not so strong. That’s why there is a plurality. They work together as a unit, a team. By themselves, they would not be very effective. Very often, our mistake is for us to judge on the talents/strengths that we deem most important, and treat other strengths as less critical or not important at all. Everything God required is important, but if we are not careful we will appoint only one kind of elder (the kind “we” like) instead of elders that complement each others’ strengths and weakness. Cf. Acts 20:28-32
Now, how many of us men think we’ve got this all down pat? All of us can be called to be better, especially in certain areas.
Overseers and “Teaching”
Now, how do shepherds feed the flock? How do shepherds protect the flock? Titus 1:9-11 makes it evident that shepherds do this by teaching. There is no other way they can do it. In fact, as we have seen, whether we are using the term “elder” or “overseer” or “shepherd,” teaching is what each of these terms emphasize.
Are we saying that all overseers must be teachers of the word? Absolutely. There is no such thing as an overseer who is not a teacher. There is no such thing as a shepherd who is not a teacher. There is no such thing as an elder who is not a teacher. If a man is not teaching, he is not an elder, an overseer, or a shepherd. That is how he is defined. That is his job description.
When Paul told Timothy that a man had to be “able to teach,” he didn’t mean that he could do it if he was called on to do so; it meant that he did it. Why do you think overseers were so powerful in the first three centuries? They were the primary teachers and preachers in the churches, to the extent that apostasy even rose up among them.
I heard something from a young preacher recently that I often heard when I was younger but is still a common perception. Referring to Acts 20:28, he stated that God had commissioned the elders to “feed the flock.” Therefore, he continued, “that is why elders hire preachers.” Now whether that is the way you think or not, that is often exactly what is practiced.
Look at 1 Tim. 5:17-18. Again, here is an oft-misunderstood passage. Some suggest that this text tells us that there are some elders who preach and teach and there are some who do not. That is not what Paul is saying. All elders preach and teach. Paul is saying that some do so to the extent that they are “devoted” to it and “labor” at it to the extent that is takes up their “full time.” Note Acts 18:1-5 where Luke shows the difference between Paul teaching every Sabbath and then “devoting himself completely” once Silas and Timothy came.
Further, Titus 1 showed that an overseer is not just someone who can stand up a lead a discussion in a class, but is the kind of teacher that can deal with “those who contradict.” He is capable of handling difficult cases. Cf. 2 Tim. 2:24-26.
And to reiterate, all of this ties in with the picture of fatherhood. This is what good fathers do. They teach their children effectively enough so that they lead them to Christ. This ability is what prepares them to oversee – in the sense of teach – a local church.
Eph. 4:11-12 shows us that the common function of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, is teaching. That is how they equip. It is their prime directive.
One other point on this. Must be careful that we do not think of an elder having authority only in the areas that are not covered by the word of God. Actually, those are the areas they must exercise the most restraint! Their “authority” is in the word of God. Not to say that they ought to be the ones to make the final decision on meeting times, etc., but that they do not become meddlesome or those who micro manage in such a way as to kill initiative. Elders can be the biggest initiative killers a church has. I was recently told about a church where there was a small percentage of the church that had an “ultra-liberal” mindset and another small percentage that had an “ultra-conservative” mindset. The comment was that the elders have spent years catering to these two groups and in doing so have always killed the work of the workers in the church for fear of upsetting the two extremes. The workers are regularly told “no” because it might upset the minority.
Berry Kercheville