Strauch writes as an elder to other elders, and as a man with extensive experience who seeks to help those with less experience…a particular area of focus is Paul’s knowledge that fierce wolves would soon be preying upon the flock—some approaching from outside the church and some even arising from within it.
There are many passages in the Bible we could go to to learn of the calling, the preparation, and the character of the elder. But it has often struck me that one of the most obvious also seems to be one of the most overlooked—Paul’s farewell address to the Ephesian elders in the twentieth chapter of Acts. Paul could not spare the time to visit the city and the church there, so summoned the elders to him. Knowing that his time on earth was short, he gave them their final charge, their final marching orders. And this is what made up the content of his address. As it happens, this is also what makes up the content of Alexander Strauch’s new book Acts 20: Fierce Wolves are Coming; Guard the Flock.
Strauch has written a number of excellent books on elders and eldership, the foremost being Biblical Eldership which I’ve long recommended as a preeminent treatment of the topic. Some of his other titles such as Love or Die and A Christian Leader’s Guide to Leading with Love hone in on particular aspects of the task of the elder and the life of the church.
