by Jon Burnett
In Acts 14:23 Paul and his immediate followers appointed elders over every church (or congregation) whom "they committed to the Lord in whom they had believed." In Titus 1, the young preacher was told to �put what remained in order� and �appoint elders in every town� (verse 5). Elders were always appointed in a plurality in the New Testament church. There is not a single case in the Bible of one elder, bishop, or pastor having sole authority over a congregation. Clearly elders had an important role in the New Testament church and no one person could truly handle the responsibilities of the office alone. Such prominence in the office of elder is seen when Paul calls to speak with the elders at Ephesus in Acts 20:17.
In the New Testament two Greek terms are applied to the office of elder: episkopos (translated overseer or bishop) and presbuteros (translated elder). These three English words however represent one, not three offices that relate to us the proper role of the elder. Elders were to be appointed from the experience men of a congregation to oversee the work of the church in that place.
Elders are told by Peter to �shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight� (1 Peter 5:1). Paul told Timothy that an elder is to �care for God�s church� (1 Timothy 3:5). An elder is the �steward of God� (Tit 1:7), and is to �give instruction in sound doctrine and also rebuke those who contradict it.� (v 9) In Acts 20:28, Paul told the elders at Ephesus to �Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock�to care for the church of God�.
As elders, these men must shepherd the flock, oversee the work of the church, serve God, care for his church, instruct in sound doctrine, and rebuke false teachers. But in all of this, elders are to be responsible only for their own congregation (i.e. �the flock of God that is among you�). No elder has inter-congregational authority, only Christ possesses that (Eph 1:22).
So, what are the qualifications of this position? Just as Christians have various rites of passage into Christ�s kingdom, what must an elder do to be deemed worthy of the honor of this position? In 1 Timothy chapter 3, these qualifications are listed at length, as well as in Titus 1. Without these qualifications, anyone could be an elder: a recent convert, a bum, a false teacher, a divorced man, a woman, a child abuser, a Grinch, a bad father, a malevolent bench-warmer. But because of these qualifications, only true godly men may be appointed to this office. Not everyone can be an elder, only those who show themselves worthy of the position and its qualifications.
No �pastor� led the church at Jerusalem, but rather a council of elders (1 Tim 4:14). No �bishop� ruled Gentile Christendom; elders oversaw each individual congregation (Tit 1:5). No women governed the church but rather men who were �the husband of one wife� (Tit 1:6) who managed �his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive� (1 Tim 3:4). Just as in other matters of the church and our individual lives, we must respect God�s will on the office of elders, submitting ourselves to God and drawing near to him to be cleansed (James 4:7).