New Testament Leadership
I want to start this New Testament leadership study with scriptural content that declares the Lord Jesus Christ is the head authority in the church. The Lord Jesus Christ is the head, the Shepherd and Bishop.
1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Colossians 2:9-10 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
Ephesians 1:21-23 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Ephesians 5:23-24 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Hebrews 3:1-6 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Psalm 127:1 Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it:
Throughout the scriptures there is a clear understanding that the Lord builds and feeds the church using men of his choosing, such as is seen in Acts 20:28 when Paul is addressing the elders of Ephesus, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." -Acts 20:28
In the book of John it is written of Peter that Jesus asked him three times, "Lovest thou me?" And as Peter confirmed each time, "thou knowest I love thee", Jesus then replied by saying, "feed my lambs" and "feed my sheep."
Acts 14:23 shows that elders were ordained in every church, "And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed."
1 Peter 5:1-4 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
1 Peter 5:1-4 shows again the elders having a role as shepherds to feed God's flock, or as is common to say, to have a role as Pastors. The verses clearly show also that the elders oversee, not lord over, the churches.
One very important and overlooked teaching, in the book of The Acts of the Apostles and in many of the epistles, is the fact that they had multiple elders rule in the church.
I want to give you, the reader, an opportunity to have the eyes of your understanding opened, as we zoom in on some scriptures that may have never been quite brought into a rightly divided focus before. So let's begin with, who are the elders? Let's look in the epistle to Titus.
Titus 1:4-9
4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain
elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
We can conclude from the epistle to Titus that the elders are the bishops. The terms bishop and elder are both used to describe the leadership of the church.
Next, let's look at some scriptures in the first epistle to Timothy and see what role the elders/bishops have in the church.
1Timothy 3:1-13
1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy
lucre;
9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
1Timothy 5:17
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
We can conclude from these verses that the elder/bishop is one of the offices in the church and that it is an office of rulership. Let us next look again at the first epistle of Peter.
1Peter 1:1
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
1Peter 5:1-4
1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
Peter identifies himself as an apostle in chapter one and as an elder in chapter five. He is writing to those in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, and in chapter five he addresses the elders of those churches. He tells them to feed the flock, to be examples to the flock, and have the oversight, which is acting as bishops or superintendents. Also telling them to be the pastors to the flock because a pastor is defined as a shepherd and a shepherd feeds the flock. We can conclude from 1Peter that it is those holding the office of the elder that oversee and that take on the role of the apostles and the role of pastors.
Now we will conclude with looking at how many elders are in a local assembly of believers.
In Philippi we really don't know how many bishops there were, but we do know it was more than one because they are addressed as the bishops, plural.
Philippians 1:1
1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the thirteenth chapter of the letter to the Hebrews, the writer tells them, to obey them (not him) that have the rule over you. Again, a plural form of leadership is used.
Hebrews 13:7, 17, & 24
7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
24 Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.
Here in Acts 20, we have Paul sending to Ephesus and calling for the elders (not an elder). There were more than one at the church of Ephesus.
Acts 20:16-17
16 For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.
17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.
And in verse 28 we can see Paul, still instructing the elders, tell them that they are the overseers(bishops) and that they need to feed the flock(be pastors).
Acts 20:28
28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Acts 11 shows relief being sent to the brethren at Judaea, and it was sent to the elders of Judaea.
Acts 11:29-30
29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:
30 Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
Again, we see more than one elder at a local church. Also, you can read Acts 6, 14, 15, & 21, James 5:14 and 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 for more multiple elders examples.
Certainly there is no scripture to disallow a single elder to rule in a church, but certainly you can see there is much evidence supporting multiple elders ruling in the churches.
Thank you for reading. May God bless your understanding of the scriptures as you hunger and thirst for it.
- Jason Orndorff
