Ⅳ
In the church God’s authority is expressed and represented by the apostles and elders—12:28; 1 Pet. 5:1-3:
A
God has appointed elders and apostles to be the authority in the church—1 Cor. 12:28; Acts 14:23.
B
Apostles and elders have no authority in themselves; they have authority only as they stand under the authority of the Head; they exercise authority in the church by representing the authority of the Head.
C
In order to manifest His authority in the church, God appoints elders in every local church to represent His authority—v. 23; Titus 1:5:
１
In the universal church there is the office of apostleship, which gives the apostles the position and the right to appoint elders for the administration of the local churches—1 Cor. 12:28; Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5.
２
The Holy Spirit was one with the apostles in their appointment of the elders, and the apostles did this according to the leading of the Holy Spirit—Acts 20:28.
３
The authority of the elders is for representing and expressing God’s authority—1 Pet. 5:1-3.
４
The main responsibility of the elders as overseers is not to rule but to shepherd, to take all-inclusive tender care of the flock, the church of God—Acts 20:28.
５
The scriptural principle with regard to eldership is plurality; with the plurality of the eldership, there is no definite leader, and the unique headship of Christ is regarded, preserved, and respected—14:23; Titus 1:5.
６
In the church life we need to obey the ones leading us and submit to them (Heb. 13:17); if we cannot submit to God’s appointed deputy authority, we cannot submit to God.
Morning Nourishment
1 Cor. 12:28 And God has placed some in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then works of power, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.Acts 20:28 Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among whom the Holy Spirit has placed you as overseers to shepherd the church of God, which He obtained through His own blood.
In the universal church there is only one office—the apostleship. Paul refers to this office in Romans 1:5, where he says that he had received “grace and apostleship unto the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles on behalf of His name.”
Only the apostles have the position and right to appoint elders in the local churches. It is important for us to see this so that we may abandon hierarchy and any kind of organization. In the New Testament we see God’s way to establish the churches and to carry them on. God’s way is that in the universal church there is the one office of apostleship. This apostleship gives the apostles the position and right to appoint the elders for the administration of the local churches. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 2158-2159)
Today’s Reading
Acts 14:23 tells us that the apostles “had appointed elders for them in every church.” In Titus 1:5 Paul says, “For this cause I left you in Crete, that you might set in order the things which I have begun that remain, and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you.” We would emphasize the fact that “in every city” here compared with “in every church” in Acts 14:23 indicates that the jurisdiction of a local church is that of the city in which it is located and also that in one city there should be only one church…. To establish elders in every city is to establish elders in every church.In the church certain brothers serve as elders. In the first local church, the church at Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), there were elders taking care of the government of the church (Acts 11:30; 15:2, 4, 6, 22; 16:4; 21:18). Eventually, elders were appointed in every church. Thus, there were elders in the church in Ephesus (Acts 20:17). The New Testament reveals that the elders were not voted in by their congregations, but were appointed by the apostles according to their maturity of life and were charged by the apostles to care for the leadership and the shepherding in the churches.
The elders…bear the burden of shepherding the local church. The local church is like a flock, and the elders are the shepherds to shepherd this flock, taking care of the situation of the flock and meeting the needs.
In Acts 20:28 Paul charges the elders of the church in Ephesus “to shepherd the church of God.” The main responsibility of the elders as overseers is not to rule over but to shepherd, to take all-inclusive tender care of the flock, the church of God.
According to 1 Peter 5:2, the elders are not rulers but shepherds. Shepherding is a proper care exercised over the flock. The flock needs to be cared for, protected, led in the right direction, and brought to a place where they can eat and drink. This is shepherding.
In 5:2 Peter does not tell the elders to shepherd their own flock; he charges them to shepherd the flock of God…. Therefore, the elders should not consider the church in which they are taking the lead as belonging to them…. The church is called the church of Christ, the church of God, and the church of the saints (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 1:2; 14:33). But the church is not the church of the apostles or the church of the elders. Because the church is composed of the saints, it is the church of the saints. Because the church has been redeemed by Christ, it is the church of Christ. Because the church has been regenerated by God, it is the church of God. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 2159-2160, 2163)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1956, vol. 2, “Three Aspects of the Church, Book 3: The Organization of the Church,” chs. 2, 4, 6