5:1-4). This is our battle, and if you cannot see that, I believe you are more affected by our time and place than you realize." If this was true in 2019, and it was, how much more pressing is the issue today? But again, the need to be ready to give account, which leads to my last point. (If you say but non-elders have that authority as well, you would be right!) In fact, the US government was designed to operate on mutual skepticismbranches of government looking out for their own power and being in tension. Hell trust that they have faithfully followed the biblical steps that precede public discipline. Love for the watching world, because it lets the church speak clearly about what Christianity looks like. They further explain that the apostle Paul clearly teaches that people who live in this way will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. He will submit to them by trusting them. On the one hand, it would not edify the congregation to air out all the details, and doing so may unnecessarily aggravate the erring member. Further, it is to use their authority toserveandbuild upthe congregation by being a source of help to them in their Christian lives, while always upholding the reality that true maturity in Christ comes as people are encouraged and empowered to make their own decisions (rather than being told what to do). 6:1, Jude 23). But what about voting no? What the church says goes. The limited nature of elder authority is rooted in the reality that all people have equally been created in the image of God and that there is therefore no elite class that has been specially designated with making peoples decisions for them and infringing on their conscience. This is not at all the Roman Catholic idea of excommunication, where its argued that through excommunication the church is actually consigning someone to hell. Instead, he will demand a full accountdetails of specific incidents, transcripts of the elders conversations with the individualor else he wont go along with it. More information is available on our Privacy Policy. From all we can see, you are a Christian. For this reason also, church officers deserve special honor in the church. Because the right to freedom and self-direction arise from the fact that we are all equally created in the image of God, then it is not only wrong for the government to assume ultimate authority over an individual; it is also wrong for anyone in the church, such as elders, to assume that they have this role and type of authority. Sometimes people think the best posture for a church is to act as a check to the elders, to hold their feet to the fire. Beyond this, there are specific Scriptural teachings on the nature and limitations of authority in the church. King Jesus hasnt left his embassy without instructions on how its to organize itself and operate. We have argued that church officers command authority because Jesus has delegated His authority to them. Note: I originally wrote this post a few weeks ago, in partial response to everything that was going on at Mars Hill. Yet lording it is exactly what the Pharisees were doing, keeping the people in subjection under them. And it is to point people to righteousness chiefly through influence (not authority) by means of teaching the word of God clearly, accurately, and with passion. 1. The Hebrew word for elder means "beard," and literally speaks of an older person. The decision to excommunicate must finally be theirs. So each member at my church currently holds 1/423 of responsibility for making sure the gospel is faithfully preached. Give Today. Thats the keys.[1]. In every act of discipline, the goal is repentance, so a church should never excommunicate a professing Christian who professes repentance for a particular sin. Now, when it comes to church authority, here is the important thing to recognize: This truth regarding the limited scope of authority for human government does not go away in the church. In addition to these points, we would remind people of key qualifications from an earlier elders' paper on authority in the church: 1. However, as Protestants, we are not immune from accepting over-reaching authority in our churches, either. Men set apart by God to preach the Gospel proclaim Gods Law and call men to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Do not allow the church to treat elders disrespectfully. This is a pretty simple point, but crucial one, and if you get it, itll answer a thousand questions all at once regarding how the church is supposed to be organized and operate. Good intentions do not justify over-stepping God-ordained limits on authority.). Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, andYOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. Scripture therefore calls all Christians to submit to the leaders of our churches (Heb. But that is a completely unbiblical view. They think its mean, or its purpose is to humiliate and embarrass. 2. 5:17). We know that is Christ. Recent controversies in the evangelical world have shown that Protestants are not immune to falling into an unbiblical understanding of the nature of pastoral and elder authority. Otherwise, while we may live in a nation where we arenow free from the tyranny of the state, we are ripe to have that tyrannyreplaced by the tyranny of a church. In fact, if church elders do not recognize thattheir authority over an individual also has God-given limitations,we are in a much worse position than if we were the victims of political tyranny. As a postscript, here is what I think is the root issue at Mars Hill. 1. Elders are the designated leaders of the church, and the flock is entrusted to them by God. It may be frustrating to some, because theyll think its a failure of the kind of robust congregationalism they want. Paul commanded the Corinthians to put away that wicked person, implying that he should be outside the church.3 If nothing else has worked to bring him to repentance, he must be expelled to preserve the purity and unity of the church. Historic Protestant statements of faith open this up. The pastor's authority in Presbyterian polity is an authority shared with all the elders and exercised jointly through the Session and the other courts of the church. What are the Scriptural foundations for this limited nature of elder authority? (Hebrews 13:17 ) The church has the authority to carry out Christ's commandments with respect to her mission. Nor does it mean hell never ask questions. They are not to lead for the pay or the reward but because of their desire to serve and shepherd the flock. It is another thing to give him up. That is certainly part of it, but there is more. But what does it mean for a congregation to submit to its elders when the congregation itself holds final authority? Put simply, King Jesus has given all local churches two thingsthe keys of the kingdom, and elders to lead and teach how to use them. If you were to attend the church I pastor, among the first things youd hear is our service leader say, Welcome this gathering of Third Avenue Baptist Church. The language there is important. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. At the end I will also tip my hand and say what I think the root issue atMars Hill was. If votes are unanimous, they chalk it up to apathy in the congregation or, worse, intimidation by the elders. The worst kind of no vote is the kind where a person doesnt really want it to failbecause consequences would be too big or whateverbut votes no anyway to make a statement and just relies on the rest of the church to pass it. It exceeds the limits on authority that God has granted to the government of his church, and for that reason (along with objections to the official Roman Catholic doctrines on foundational issues such as justification by faith alone, the Mass, and others) I am not a Catholic. "I wish I had BYU-Pathway when I was a returned missionary and going back to school," Elder Valenzuela recalled to BYU-Pathway Worldwide students during a devotional broadcast on Tuesday, July 11.. Members of the Church are blessed to have resources to . Here Stott gives us the first principle of the nature of elder authority:it is limited. In other words, true leadership is about seeing yourself as equal with the people you lead, and building up their self-direction from a posture that seesthemas better thanyou. A building made out of living stones, a body with its members, a flock of sheep. Juan Sanchez serves as senior pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church in . Especially, but not only those who preach and teach. As they serve, the people of the congregation are admonished to know (or recognize) them because of the work they are doing (I . The elder was failing to recognize that when the Scriptures say things like submit to your elders (Hebrews 13:7) it does not mean this in an unlimited sense any more than submit to the government (Romans 13:1) is meant in an unlimited sense (see above). But that kind of attitude makes church disciplineand many of the churchs other responsibilitiesvirtually impossible. This is my personal website where I blog on four of my favorite topics: theology, apologetics, culture, and living in New York City. This is not to deny that some authority attaches to the ministry, but ratherto define and limit it(e.g., 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; 1 Timothy 3:5; Hebrews 13:7). Only the Word of God hasauthority. This is no small thing, and even if local churches dont have the authority to send the unrepentant to hell, when it hands down that kind of considered judgment, it ought to make a person fear King Jesus himself will one day say, I never knew you.. authority as an elderper se. Instead of a community beautifying the gospel in unity, this sullies the church's witness before a watching world. But theres also another kind of protection, a defensive one. It also says elders are to do their work always remembering Jesus obtained these people for himself with his own blood, that he identifies with them, and to abuse them is to abuse him. Remember what Jesus said about the Pharisees: They sit on Moses seat a place of honor they do not deserve They love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. (Matthew 23:4ff). It is the leader knows best paradigm rather than the leader exists so unlock potential paradigm. Live in peace with one another. Instead of considering this question in the abstract, lets do it in an actual setting you may encounter. It is to use their authorityto protect church members freedom of conscience and self-direction in opposition to any who would seek to come in and violate this and l0rd it over their people. True biblical leaders have to lead from the bottom, not the top. But I think unless Driscoll recognizes this about the real nature of biblical leadership, he will never be able to come to terms with what happened. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me. Here God Incarnate speaks with Divine authority calling men and women to come to Him, submit to Him, and learn from Him. This would include the handling of finances within the church ( Acts 11:30 ). Editors note: This article has been compiled from sermonnotes and a transcript. But in order for them to exercise that responsibility in a submissive manner, a congregation needs to trust its leaders. The authority of elders, like the government, is a limited authority, not an absolute authority. Or, as Paul tells the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:28, "The Holy Spirit has appointed you . When a church brings someone into membership, they are saying, Yes, you seem to understand the gospel and really believe it; you seem to be submitted and united to Jesus. This is a kind of offensive protection, marking out boundaries on the front end. A church shouldnt exercise discipline for things like pride, but only outward, visible sins. So theyre recommending that the church act to exclude this individual from membership and to pray for his repentance and restoration. In the video below, Juan Sanchez discusses why a plurality of elders is not only biblical but practically necessary in periods of trial or persecution. Therefore, it makes sense for the elders to be the primary group who work behind the scenes to address sin issues in the congregation. In our day and age, its at least mildly controversial to say the local church isnt just a voluntary association of Christians, or a resource center for your Christian life, or a means of fellowship that youre free to take advantage of if you want. Ultimately it is his authority. Is There Such a Thing as Church Authority? I hope what follows will be helpful to you in understanding better why the church is so important, not just to you as an individual Christian, though thats true, but in the working out of Gods purpose in the world to create a new holy nation centered on his Son. This is how people mature by using their own judgment and making their own decisions. Love for Jesus, because we take his honor and reputation seriously. The power of the keys is the authority to protect the church and its witness, and to extend the reach of Jesuss kingdom. 6. Consider a case of church discipline. Should we cavil at it and downplay the weight of our office? 13:17). The Christian Church is a Heavenly society and it is no exception. The authority of the keys is most frequently seen in the preaching of the Gospel. In a state of cultural disarray, elders provide necessary stability so that the members can do the work of the ministry. The elders have no authority to make any laws for the church. It is not a question of having the best seats in the sanctuary, nor a question of having someone open the door for the elders to enter (although that may be part of it.) 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Pet. It happens when leadership is seen as chiefly about exercising authority and control over people even if done with good intent! So in this article, what Im going to do isquote a few sentences from Stott, make some comments, quote the next few sentences from Stott, make some comments on those, and so forth. How do the officers of Christs Church exercise the authority of the keys? It stems from the fact that we are all in the image of God (Genesis 1:27; 9:6; James 3:9), and allequallyin the image of God (Job 31:13-15; 34:19; Proverbs 22:2; Ephesians 6:9; James 2:1-13). There can even be some theology behind thattheyre fallen and sinful, and so, like the US government, we need checks and balances to keep them from going off the rails. The relationship between a church and its elders should be one of trust, not skepticism. Elders bear authority over Jesus's church only to the extent that they teach, obey, and enforce Jesus's word." 4 Elders lead by standing before their congregation on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ and proclaiming his rule, his truth, and his commands. We who are called to submit to our elders should be willing to follow them without having all the answersjust like we follow the Lord who appointed them. But note especially (which is my main point) that this is an accountabilitytotruths that already exist, being taught in Scripture, not an inventing of truths or rules beyond the Scriptures that people then have to follow. Authoritarian leadership exists whenever the leader sees himself or herself as having more authority over the people they lead than they really do. They are not lawmakers or dictators. On Preaching Prophets (Preachers Talk, Ep. John 21:15-17 Though church discipline is always a heavy and sad action, its an action ultimately born of love and aimed at the good of the person being disciplined. One helpful way to understand authority is to see its use as falling into one of two categories reflecting its nature. (Some might, finally, object that perhaps this person was seeking to date a non-Christian; from everything Ive read on this case, that doesnt seem to be the case; but even if it were, the elder should have appealed to Scripture not his own [non-existent!] Attacks upon authority are rampant across the Western world and have been for generations, so none of us has any difficulty understanding why this pastor answered as he did. Lets look at each individually. This is true of the authority elders hold in a church. The whole story of the Bible is the story of how God would restore those two offices by sending someone who would act as king and as priest in all the ways Adam failed. They must bring all irresolvable cases of unrepentant sin to the congregation for a final decision. What then are we to make of Jesus prefacing the Great Commission by declaring all authority had been given to Him in Heaven and on earth? It is a responsibility, but its also an authority, a right given to us by King Jesus. Because people are in the image of God and have theGod-given(not government-granted, but God-given) right to freedom, government does not have unlimited rights over a person. An unsubmissive member wont be satisfied with the seemingly sparse details the elders have provided. 60), On the Strategic Value of Missions Work in Global Cities, with Scott Logsdon and Will Sutton (Missions Talk, Ep. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. The Gospel preacher commands men and women to repent and believe so that, through his preaching, God Himself commands men and women to repent and believe. We are eager to declare our Lords authority over the Church. One reason we know this is because, for example, the apostle Paul addressed his letters to the congregation, not the elders. (Matthew 16:18-19). Cookies enable you to enjoy features such as social sharing. (John 14:1), Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. How does an individual local church go about using these keys and exercising this authority Jesus has given? All elders who lead well deserve double honor. Although elders are recognized by the congregation through a vote, they do not derive their authority to teach and oversee from the congregation but from God. which ends up puttingthe leader in a special elite class, and therebydiminishing the followers. What we tend to leave off is the foundation of Jesus Commission: All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth,. When an elder in the church (or anyone at all) seeks to require a person to do or believe something in their personal lives that the Scriptures do not require, they have overstepped their authority and set themselves up as a lord over that person. Now, the real tricky question is this: How much does the congregation need to know in order to legitimately exercise their authority in a matter of public discipline? My knowledge doesnt give meanyauthority. Yes, of course. And finally, if they still refuse to repent, we expel them from the church, following the Lords command: Let them be to you as the heathen and the tax collectors. In His time, heathen and tax collectors were not regarded as members of the Lords people. Yes, today and always, there has been much abuse of this authority, but our Lord knew there would be abuse when He delegated His authority to church officers. You can find him on Twitter at, On Preaching Prophets (Preachers Talk, Ep. But elders lead the church as it uses them. As church officers undertake our work today, we must beware of the forces arrayed against our faithful accomplishment of the duties God has delegated to us. First, it is clear that local church members should have involvement in selecting those who lead them. He insisted that in the church he was founding such titles were not to be used: But you are not to be called Rabbi, for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. Third, included in this authority to direct the affairs of the church is the authority of church discipline. We can sometimes fall into what can be called (alluding back to the analogy of the Papacy)a functional Roman Catholic view of authoritywhen it comes to church elders. The elders are ultimately accountable to the congregation, and thus ought to see themselves and operate as servants in the fullest sense of the word. Nothing can exist without having two sides. (Acts 2:38-40), At deaths door, the Philippian jailer cried out to Paul and Silas, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?, and they responded by commanding him, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.. 4. To get right to it, God gave Adam a certain job in Eden, a certain office that he was to carry out. (Hebrews 13:17 ), But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Paul talks about it in 1 Corinthians 5, where Paul says to remove the sinful man, judge him, cleanse him out, even purge himamputate him from the body like a gangrenous limb. For example, if a member starts sleeping with his mother-in-law (as happened in 1 Corinthians 5), the church has the right to exercise church discipline if that person does not repent. My experience doesnt give meanyauthority. It is one thing to expel a man from the church. I havenoauthority. In case you're just tuning in, a good in-house conversation among complementarians is going on between John Piper, Thomas Schreiner, and Andrew Wilson over whether or not women can teach in a church gathering under the authority of the elders. Do you see the dilemma? (1Thessalonians 5:12-13). This is why no national border or program of persecution and suppression will ever stop the church in its work of proclaiming the gospel and making disciples. There is no standard recipe for how to do this. A full answer might differ from case to case, but heres a crucial part of it: trust. Church discipline too often confuses people. So we need to understand what type of authority elders reallyhave in the church, and what it truly means to not be domineering. It is never authoritarian to the extent that someone attempts to dominate anothers mind, conscience, or will. They are not placed in their position by the popular vote of the people, but by the sovereign act of the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28). Where you have a church in the Bible, you have elders. And there are at least two remedies to that. Its little wonder, then, that the first thing were told about the first church in Jerusalem is they were continually devoting themselves to the Apostles teaching.1. For instance, the Heidelberg Catechism asks the question, What is the office of the keys? Here is the answer: The preaching of the Holy Gospel and Christian discipline; by these two the kingdom of heaven is opened to believers and shut against unbelievers. The elders cannot simply announce that they have excommunicated so-and-so. Not all elders are trustworthy! More information is available on our Privacy Policy. Only Scripture has authority. Article 09.30.2016 In our day and age, it's at least mildly controversial to say the local church isn't just a voluntary association of Christians, or a resource center for your Christian life, or a means of fellowship that you're free to take advantage of if you want. And when they do exercise authority, it is to be within the God-ordained limits that weve seen above. Bobby Jamieson (PhD, University of Cambridge) is an associate pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC. Practically, this works out in the mechanism of elders recommending and the church voting. Article 02.26.2010 As in every age since the first century, there is today a variety of opinions regarding the proper organizational structure of the church. The pastor (literally, "shepherd") is the human head of a church. If the congregation as a whole is the final court of appeal, what does it mean for a church to submit to its leaders? This isnt terribly controversial, but notice I called evangelism an authority, not just a responsibility. 05.22.2015. Further, it is the best check against abuse of power; accountability to some higher group, for example, would create a disconnect with the needs and concerns of the congregation. For if we think that the authority of government is limited, but the authority of elders in the church is not (based on a misunderstanding of passages like Hebrews 13:7), we have simply replaced one form of tyranny for another. Godwantsindividuals to make their own decisions in areas where his Word has not said that there is only one particular choice that can be made. The church has been entrusted with the Word of God. As the leaders of congregations, elders have many duties. This second point restates the first, but it bears repeating. Most recently, he is the author, with Tyler Wittman, of Biblical Reasoning: Christological and Trinitarian Rules for Exegesis (Baker Academic, 2022). With the authority of our Lord, the Head of the Church, we bar them from the loving fellowship of Gods people around the Lords table.

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