Elders

Part 7 - Servants of the Spirit

Several years ago another pastor asked me to write an article on the question: For whom does the pastor work? Good question. I expand the answer to include all the elders as we continue our look at Acts 20:28. "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28).

As Paul speaks to the elders of the church at Ephesus, he makes some important that answer the question. We'll look at them in successive lessons. This time we zero in on the truth that the Holy Spirit places elders in office. Paul is clear. Pastors and ruling elders, serve as overseers and shepherds as a result of the work of the Holy Spirit. This means that when congregations elect their elders and pastors, in accordance biblical directions and using the biblical criteria, both the elders and the congregation have the assurance the Holy Spirit placed the elected men in office. This should be a source of great encouragement to all.

Since the Holy Spirit does place pastors and elders within congregations, these pastors and elders have a primary responsibility to God in the performing of their duties. The world may consider a call a contract and the pastor a person operating under contract. The government may consider a pastor an employee and mandate withholding taxes. From the divine perspective, the pastor is a shepherd appointed by the Spirit and responsible to God. Hebrews 13:17 exhorts, "Obey your leaders and submit to them for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you." Church leaders work for God and give account to God for their ministries" (italics added).

There is another facet of this truth. Although Presbyterianism may have been the genius behind representative government in the United States of America, the representative model should not be carried into the church. Pastors and elders are not representatives of congregational constituencies on the Session. It is not the place of the pastor or elders to argue the case of one faction of the body or another. As we have seen, elders must shepherd all the flock.

In fact, elders do not primarily represent the people at all. Rather, they represent God in the midst of the people. They are ambassadors for Christ. They represent and actively model the rule of Christ among God's people. The Session is simply that, a session. The term refers to the ruling leadership capacity of the elders. When a court is in session, the judge makes rulings affecting the lives of those who stand before the court. Christ sits on His heavenly throne as ruler and judge. We call His rule and reign His session. The elders siting together as the local church court the Session. The Session exercises the rule of Christ in the congregation.

The authority of the Session is ministerial. The session exercises its power by word and example, by teaching the Word of God, living out the precepts of the Word of God, making decisions based on the Word of God, and giving counsel as outlined in the Word of God. It is this implementation of the Word of God, accompanied by the Spirit of God, which brings the effective rule of Christ into the congregation. This is how Christ has determined to exercise His office as King. It is in and through the elders. Elders and congregations need this perspective.