The Christian elder in the first century church had responsibility to serve under Christ’s authority, caring for the people of Christ, providing Godly conflict resolution, decision making, teaching, preaching, administrating, praying, serving the sick, and diligently working up a Christ-like sweat while seeking the good of Christ’s people. 

Last post we began to discuss how the New Testament speaks about elders. This discussion was prompted by a great question during a recent congregational conversation: “What are elders?”

Here in written format I’ve begun to answer that question with a simple survey detailing the instances that the word “elder” comes up in the four Gospels and the book of Acts. Today, our discussion moves from the mostly narrative driven accounts of the Gospel and Acts, to the letters written by various Apostles to individuals, and churches in the rest of the New Testament. I’ll continue with the “survey” format, simply citing a passage and giving a brief statement.

In 1 Timothy 4:14 the Apostle Paul was writing to his “true son in the faith” (1:2). As Paul gave instructions to Timothy, he presented a reminder about Timothy’s own ministry which began with the involvement of elders. From this we see that elders are involved even in the training and launching of others into Christ-honoring ministry:

4:14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. 

Later on in this same letter to Timothy, Paul describes the work of Christian elders (5:17), the compensation of Christian elders (5:18), dealing with accusations against elders (5:19-20), and strictly forbids any sort of preferential treatment towards elders (5:21).

5:17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” 19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. 20 But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. 21 I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism. 

Timothy wasn’t the only person the Apostle Paul wrote to regarding Christian elders. Titus was one of Paul’s missionary team who was given instructions regarding Christian elders. His task was to carry out the work of appointing Christian elders in the church at Crete. We see included in Paul’s initial instructions to Titus a reminder of his mission to appoint Christian elders (1:5), and a description of qualifications accompanied by reasons for these qualifications (1:6-9).

1:5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. 6 An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.

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