Transcript Slide 1

Why Pastor Rule is Not Biblical
© Brannon S. Howse, 2013
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There are Two Types of Elders:
Elders that are laypeople that are not financially
compensated
Elders that are full time and are financially
compensated so they might serve the church
fulltime
The terms overseer, bishop, or elder are three
different words that describe the same office
The New Testament never mentions a church
with only one pastor or elder
John MacArthur:
The consistent pattern throughout the New
Testament is that each local body of believers is
shepherded by a plurality of God-ordained
elders. Simply stated, this is the only pattern for
church leadership given in the New Testament.
John MacArthur:
Nowhere in Scripture does one find a local
assembly ruled by majority opinion or by a
single pastor…Again and again, reference is
made to a plurality of elders in each of the
various churches.
John MacArthur:
In fact, every place in the New Testament where
the term presbuteros (“elder”) is used it is
plural, except where the apostle John uses it of
himself in 2 and 3 John and where Peter uses it
of himself in 1 Peter 5:1.
John MacArthur:
Nowhere in the New Testament is there a
reference to a one-pastor congregation. It may
be that each elder in the city had an individual
group in which he had specific oversight.
John MacArthur:
But the church was seen as one church, and
decisions were made by a collective process and
in reference to the whole, not the individual
parts.
A church can have a lead teaching elder but the
term Senior Pastor is not found in the Bible and
in fact has more in common with the parish
priest as promoted by the Catholic Church or the
rector in the Anglican Church.
Biblically Based Leadership:
A Survey of the Scriptural Sources for the
Exercise of Authority and Leadership in the
Church:
“The modern title of senior pastor does not
appear in the New Testament nor does its
standing as the senior point of authority within
the church receive any support from the New
Testament. In some ways it appears to be the
evangelical protestant version of the parish
priest in the Catholic Church or the rector in the
Anglican Communion.
Unfortunately neither of these denominations
follows the New Testament model of authority
distributed among a plurality of elders in a local
church, which raises questions about the biblical
ground for the aforementioned offices and their
evangelical protestant counterparts.”
Let me share with you some of the numerous
Biblical passages that describe the plurality of
elders
Titus 1:5:
For this reason I left you in Crete, that you
should set in order the things that are lacking,
and appoint elders in every city as I commanded
you—
Acts 20:17:
From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for
the elders of the church.
James 5:14:
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the
elders of the church, and let them pray over
him, anointing him with oil in the name of the
Lord.
Acts 11:30:
This they also did, and sent it to the elders by
the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
Acts 16:4:
And as they went through the cities, they
delivered to them the decrees to keep, which
were determined by the apostles and elders at
Jerusalem.
Acts 15:2:
Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no
small dissension and dispute with them, they
determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain
others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to
the apostles and elders, about this question.
Acts 15:4:
And when they had come to Jerusalem, they
were received by the church and the apostles
and the elders; and they reported all things that
God had done with them.
I Timothy 5:17:
Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy
of double honor, especially those who labor in
the word and doctrine.
Acts 21:18:
On the following day Paul went in with us to
James, and all the elders were present.
Acts 15:22:
Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the
whole church, to send chosen men of their own
company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas…
Deacons serve under the oversight of the elders
as ministers to the church and for the purpose
of freeing up the elders so they might focus on
teaching and administration
The qualifications for elders and deacons are the
same except for the fact that elders are required
to be able to teach.
1 Timothy 5:17:
Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy
of double honor, especially those who labor in
the word and doctrine.
1 Timothy 3:2:
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband
of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good
behavior, hospitable, able to teach;
2 Timothy 2:24:
And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but
be gentle to all, able to teach, patient
2 Timothy 2:2:
And the things that you have heard from me
among many witnesses, commit these to faithful
men who will be able to teach others also.
2 Timothy 2:15:
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God,
a worker who does not need to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.
There is protection and accountability with a
plurality of elders.
The pastor that wants to have the final may be
revealing that he is:
Prideful
Greedy
Controlling
Hostile to Accountability
Someone with wrong priorities and motives
Not qualified to be an elder/pastor
Someone that has something to hide
A Pastor is not a CEO and is not the head of the
church
Many pastors that reject the Rick Warren model
of a seeker-driven church do however embrace
Warren’s CEO model if they believe in pastor
rule
Elders should do the majority of the teaching in
the church including Sunday school classes.
Elders should have direct over-sight over any
non-elders that are teaching.
Why do pastors reject the Biblical model of
elders?
Ignorance
Pride
Fear of Man
Why do church members reject the Biblical
model of elders?
1. Ignorance
2. Belief they have elders
3. Tradition
4. Politics
5. Wrong Motives: A Small group runs the
church
6. Unity is more important than being Biblical
The Testimony From an Elder on
Moving From Pastor Rule To Elder Rule:
“Immediately following the Senior Pastor’s
departure, the elders gathered for prayer –
repenting of our contribution to this disaster
and asking God to guide us as we sought His
direction from the Scriptures as to the kind of
church that we should be. We clearly
defined what we meant by elder leadership in
the church and used that definition in the
process of hiring our next Teaching Pastor. we
took the title Senior Pastor out of any
communication concerning a vacant
position; and clearly defined who we are as a
church so the next man who stood in our pulpit
would know that he was an elder
among other elders and that WE together will
stand before Christ, to present to Him a faithful
and devoted congregation. Where are we now?
We are a stronger, and unified elder council.
God has blessed us with a gifted Bible teacher
who embraces the biblical definition of elder
leadership in the church…we have a committed
congregation that is enjoying a sweet
season of unity and grace and ministry that is
advancing the gospel. In sum, we are the
beneficiaries of a kind and loving Savior who
took us through a season of much needed
chastisement for His glory so that we would be
His church and not Senior Pastor So-and-So’s
church.”
Acts 20:28-31:
Therefore take heed to yourselves and to 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. For I know
this, that after my departure savage wolves will
come in among you, not sparing the flock.
Also from among yourselves men will rise up,
speaking perverse things, to draw away the
disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and
remember that for three years I did not cease to
warn everyone night and day with tears.