INTRODUCTION

• The bible does not precisely specify how elders were appointed in churches in the New Testament
  • Paul, timothy, and Titus were obviously involved as evangelists in the process
  • However, the Greek word appoint (cheirotoneo) can indicate the raising hands in the process (cheir is the hand)
  • The Book of Acts indicates a congregational role in the process
  • We conclude that the elders and evangelist would be responsible for initiating the process, and would be involved in setting the parameters (biblical and spiritual qualities desired in the elders)
• Two options are possible in the process of selecting elders
  • A “from above” process whereby the elders or evangelists select the elders
    • This process can involve an unhealthy practice whereby elders or the evangelists select only those whom they like or of whom they approve
    • This process also seems to fly in the face of the actions of the church in the Book of Acts, as we shall observe below
  • A system involving a “from below” process
    • The elders or evangelist initiates the process
    • The elders or evangelist teach the biblical and spiritual qualities desired
    • The elders or evangelist set the parameters for the process
    • The whole congregation is involved in nominating and selecting the elders
• Click here for a detailed outline and discussion of the process
• In this process of selecting elders or leaders two critical stages are reached
  • The fist is the Biblical or spiritual evaluation of the nominee to determine whether the nominee is biblically and spiritually qualified to serve as an elder or leader
  • The second is where the congregation determined whether the nominee, although biblically and spiritually qualified to serve as an elder, is recognized by the congregation as a suitable leader of the congregation
• It is the second of these two stages that we are considering at this point
  • Why this is necessary when a nominee may be biblically and spiritually qualified is discussed below under the topic of “Why vote if all the nominated are spiritually qualified?”
• That churches should have elders, bishops, or shepherds (all referring to the same person but emphasizing different aspects of their ministry) is indicated by the teachings of the New Testament such as in Acts 14:23, Titus 1:5ff, and 1 Tim 3:8ff.
• Passages that indicate the spiritual qualities that elders, bishops, and shepherds should have include (but are not limited to)  1 Tim 3:1-13; Tit 1:5-9; 1 Pet 5:1-5; Eph 4:11-16; Heb 13:7, 17; John 13:1-20; John 10:1-19; Matt 20:20-28; Lk 22:24-27.  These texts focus on the spiritual qualities desired in elders
• These texts indicate what kind of men elders, bishops, and shepherds should be
• We need to emphasize that the terms elder, bishop, shepherd are not titles, but descriptive terms of the service and ministry these leaders provide
  • The term elder refers not to age, but to maturity, dignity, and wisdom
  • The term bishop refers to the ministry of overseeing [this term does not mean boss], caring for, looking out for, protecting and guarding the congregation (1 Pet 2:25 Jesus is the “chief shepherd and guardian [overseer] of our souls”)
  • Shepherd refers to the feeding and protecting of the congregation

THE PROBLEM THAT NEEDS DISCUSSING AND CLARIFYING

• There is often a sensitivity regarding voting
  • Voting seems to indicate a human tendency
  • Voting can cause the process to become politicized
• However, Alexander Campbell (Church of Christ teacher and leader in the 1850’s) aptly observed, “Those that are opposed to voting, vote against voting!”
• However, we contend that voting is a biblical concept and practice when correctly understood and biblically and spiritually followed
• Voting is nothing more than a process of making group decisions or indicating  decisions

THE BIBLICAL PROCESS FOR MAKING GROUP DECISIONS WAS OFTEN BY CASTING LOTS

• Esther 9:23-26 – “Haman cast his Pur (Persian for lot), that is his lot, to crush and destroy them (the Jews)” – Haman made decision and made it known
• Prov 16:33 – “The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly from the Lord”
• Casting lots is found more than 20 times in Scripture
  • Some references to casting lots in Scripture
    • Lev 16:8; Josh 18:6-10; 1 Chron 25:8; Neh 11:1; Lk 23:34; John 19:24; Acts 1:26
• In almost every instance the casting of lots involves making group decision and declaring decisions
• The allotment of the promised land was made by casting lots - Josh 18
• There is no question that those casting lots were convinced that God was working through them – Prov 16:33
• At Masada in AD 73 Jewish Zealots decided who would be the last 12 who would finalize the mass suicide before the invading Roman took their citadel fortress.  Those upon whom the lots fell finally killed themselves leaving only two women and five children alive when the Roman armies took the citadel (click here on http://mosaic.lk.net/g-masada.html to go to an account of this fascinating and sad event)

CONGREGATIONAL DECISION MAKING IN ACTS

• We will now  move to the book of Acts and notice three occasions when Christians and the congregation in Jerusalem made group decisions
• Three major texts: Acts 1:15-26; Acts 6:1-7; Acts 15
• Acts 1:15-26
  • The group functioned under the leadership of the Apostle Peter indicating that some form of leadership is necessary
  • There were 120 disciples in the group
  • Peter set out the spiritual qualities necessary for becoming an Apostle
  • The group (they, plural) nominated two men – Joseph and Matthias
  • They ( the group) prayed for the Lord’s choice to be manifest through their action of casting lots (1:24)
  • They cast lots and the lot (selection or decision) fell on Matthias (1:26)
• Acts 6:1-7
  • The church in Jerusalem were experiencing problems in the daily distribution of food to widows
  • The congregation by this time numbered in the thousands
  • The Apostles tell the church to select 7 faithful men who could take care of the problem
  • The Apostles set the spiritual qualities of the men – “of good repute and full of the Spirit”
  • The whole multitude were pleased with the Apostles proposal
  • The multitude chose seven men full of faith and of the Holy Spirit
  • The question is “how did the multitude choose the seven?”
  • Did they take the first seven nominated?
    • Most unlikely!
  • Were there only seven qualified men in the Jerusalem congregation?
    • Most unlikely!
    • Interestingly, the seven chosen were most likely all Hellenistic Jews [by name]!
  • Most likely the church adopted the time proven process of casting lots as in Acts 1:15-26
• Acts 15
  • Paul and Barnabas had encountered opposition form Jewish Christians, originating from Jerusalem, to their gospel message that emphasized justification by grace through faith, and not through keeping the Law of Moses, especially the Law of Circumcision (Acts 15:1ff)
  • Paul understood that if this problem was not solved the Gospel of Christ would be destroyed (Cf.  Galatians, especially 1:8,9)
  • The church in Antioch appointed Paul and Barnabas to go to Jerusalem to resolve the problem (Acts 15:2)
  • Paul and Barnabas and some others meet with the Apostles, Elders, and the whole church to work through a major doctrinal problem (15:4ff)
  • The Apostle Peter led out in the discussion (15:7)
    Barnabas and Paul spoke to the whole assembly of the church (15:12f)
  • James the Just, the brother of Jesus spoke up
  • The solution was made participatively – 15:12, 22
    The Law of Moses would not be bound on Gentile or Jewish Christians, but Gentile Christians were encouraged to respect  the cultural preferences of the Jews (1519ff)
  • The Apostles, elders, and the whole church chose Judas and Silas to accompany Paul on their return to Antioch to report the finding of the meeting to the church in Antioch (15:22ff)
  • The point of this lesson is that even in a major doctrinal decision the whole church was involved in the process of coming to a decision
  • The leadership of the Apostles, elders, and leading men in Jerusalem (James) was respected, but the decision was made participatively
  • The normal tendencies in churches in such matters is to let the elders (or in the Case of Jerusalem, the Apostles) make the decisions, but this is not the most effective way to make such serious decisions

WHY VOTE IF ALL THE NOMINATED ARE SPIRITUALLY QUALIFIED?

• Consider the term elder
  • The term implies that the nominee manifest and provide maturity, wisdom, and dignity are not absolute concepts
  • The are judgment issues
• The concept of leadership is also a judgment issue
  • Some wonderful spiritual men are just not leaders, and yet leadership can develop.
  • The question one must decide is whether the nominee has the potential to become a good leader
• One is not deciding at the point of voting on the basic spiritual qualities of the men as per 1 Tim 3:8 and Tit 1:5
• In voting one is asking the Lord to work through us in the selecting of the elders he has chosen
  • Do we believe this is a human effort or that God is working in and through us?
  • This challenges us to take the process seriously!

A MAJOR CONCERN IN THE PROCESS

• If the congregation adopts this biblical process of selecting elders, the following dangers arise and must be addressed:
  • The process can become a political campaign in which members campaign for someone
    • This must be guarded against and the congregation encouraged no to let the process deteriorate into a campaign
  • The process can be seen as a human endeavor rather than a deeply spiritual one in which God is involved at every step
• The congregation must be led repeatedly during the process in periods of prayer and bible reading and study
  • Sermons and lessons should be delivered emphasizing the spiritual nature of the process

Special times of prayer should be set aside congregationally and privately in which the congregation is encouraged to pray for the process and the individuals involved