This is part one of a series on this subject. Click here for Part Two
Churches have deacons. The position of deacon is an “office” (as it were) in the church. That seems easy enough to see from the New Testament (check out Acts, 1 Timothy and Titus). Churches also have pastors. The office of pastor is variously named and translated as elder or bishop. This office is also found in the New Testament.
There is a debate that starts at this point: Is there another kind of elder? Is there another office of elder besides the one we think of when we think of pastor? Some churches believe in deacons, teaching elders (pastors) and ruling elders. I was once in such a church, and I have much respect for a few denominations that hold to that view.
For me, however, a helpful PhD thesis from Southern Seminary (Merkle’s book, The Elder and Overseer) points to a better synthesis of the biblical data. He argues that there is only one office of elder in the church (the office we often associate with pastors) and not two kinds of elder offices (the so called ruling elder and the teaching elder). A wonderful summary article of Merkle’s research (written by Merkle himself) can be found on Mark Dever’s web site. The article is: Hierarchy in the Church? — see especially (namely) his discussion of 1 Tim 5:17.
In some denominations, the ramification of having two kinds of elders means that there are then two kinds of ordination: one that is easier for the ruling elder, and one harder for the teaching elder (who often has to pass Greek and Hebrew exams). In the case of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church where I came from this also meant that pastors (aka teaching elders) were not members of local congregations. Teaching elders are not members of the local churches where they worship and serve, but are members of a group called the presbytery.
That seemed odd to me (I don’t recall reading that in the Bible). Well, that was a first clue for me that something was missing in the whole system of elders.
Different ordinations for two kinds of elders was odd, and then different membership regulations for teaching elders vs. ruling elders was odd. These two oddities together signified to me that the Presbyterian system of authority (rulers in the church) was divergent from the New Testament documents and patterns.
Merkle’s book chronicles the whole debate. It shows how the “two elder” system is defended and then offers some real analysis of the different verses used by the various camps.
I believe there is only one kind of elder as per the New Testament data. The idea of creating an additional elder office (the “ruling elder” office) such that churches have deacons, teaching elders and ruling elders, seems like a big conclusion based upon scant data.
I must stress that this is an in-house debate. Good Christians disagree on this point. It is worth discussing (hence the above link) with all charity and grace.
Steve Rives
Eastside Church of the Cross
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