In this episode, Arnie and Fred complete their discussion on overseers in the local church. We note that Christ is the overseer of men's souls, and no human archbishop or chief bishop ever appears in the Scriptures. We begin talking about those who are referred to as elders in the local church. We note that these two terms are referring to the same individual. We look at the term elder and what it indicates and implies of the individual seeking to serve the assembly in that capacity. The term elder appears throughout the New Testament in many different contexts. We examine those examples. We will have to complete our discussion of elders in the next episode. We will include a discussion of pastors and shepherds at that time also. Take about 30-minutes to listen in on what we have to say. Have your Bible handy so you can verify what we are saying. There is a transcript of this Buzzsprout episode for your convenience.
In this episode, Arnie and Fred complete their discussion on overseers in the local church. We note that Christ is the overseer of men's souls, and no human archbishop or chief bishop ever appears in the Scriptures. We begin talking about those who are referred to as elders in the local church. We note that these two terms are referring to the same individual. We look at the term elder and what it indicates and implies of the individual seeking to serve the assembly in that capacity. The term elder appears throughout the New Testament in many different contexts. We examine those examples. We will have to complete our discussion of elders in the next episode. We will include a discussion of pastors and shepherds at that time also. Take about 30-minutes to listen in on what we have to say. Have your Bible handy so you can verify what we are saying. There is a transcript of this Buzzsprout episode for your convenience.
This is a presentation of the Woodland church of Christ meeting at 3370 Broad Street in Sumter, South Carolina. We meet for worship on Sunday at ten thirty am and five thirty pm. We meet for bible study at nine thirty am on Sunday, and seven pm on Wednesday. If you have questions or comments on this lesson, you may email them to Fred Gosnell at fgosnell@ftc-i.net Or to Arnie Granke at agranke440718@twc.com.
Arnie:Good afternoon. This is Arnie Granke and Fred Gosnell. And this is what does the Bible say? Our program is brought to you by the church of Christ at Woodland in Sumter, South Carolina. We're about two miles east of the main gate to Shaw Air Force Base. And sometimes military personnel are there on temporary duty maybe even on a permanent change of station and we would certainly welcome you to come and worship with us and, and to study the Bible with us. And sometimes people come into Sumter, to sightsee and we hope that while you're in town that you'll drop by Woodland, on the Lord's Day or on Wednesday and be with us in the evening. And we have an opportunity to meet you and study with you as as well. Fred, we were we've been talking about those who watch over the the flock, those that are referred to as overseers. They, the King James Version calls them bishops, and they're not bishops. The word means an overseer, one who watches over. Not one who wears special clothing and, and happens to be a an authority figure in a large church overseeing a particular district or something along that line. They're also not only overseers, but we'll talk a little bit about about those, eventually those that are elders and those that serve as shepherds in in the flock. So So where did we leave off when we were talking about this? Last
Fred Gosnell:Well, Arnie, we had been talking about overseers week, Fred? as those who course as you mentioned, had the responsibility to oversee the local congregation referred to as the flock. And they're also called elders and presbyteros is, is is the word. And Peter talks about that in first Peter chapter five, one through three. He says 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, which is among you taking the oversight thereof, not my constraint, but willingly not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mine. Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. So Peter says, Well, I'm an elder, of course, we know that, to be an elder person had to be married, he had to be the husband of one wife, and and he had to have faithful children. But in this passage, notice, he talks about the elders and of course, these would be older men. They are mature in the faith. And, of course, notice that Peter says elders, the plurality, there has to be at least two in a local congregation. And then he also says, notice, he says, Feed the flock of God, which is among you. So the the word feed is the word that if you see the word pastor, he's a feeder, and he feeds the flock, which is notice that says, that's among you. He doesn't have any responsibility to do his work in a flock that he's not a member of. And then it says, taking the oversight thereof and there's our word for, for for well translated bishop But he's an overseer and he has the oversight thereof. So overseers are also called elders. They're the same individual. It's just a term just describing their condition so to speak, they're older men, and they are mature in the faith and, and they are not young men. They have to be mature. They have to be able to teach, they're apt to teach and, and have the experience to have their family under control, their children under under control, because if he can't teach his own family and, and have them in responsible positions as family members, if he can't do that, then he can't oversee the flock.
Arnie:It might be a good idea for us to actually discuss some of the some of the characteristics and the qualifications of men who serve in, in this responsibilities in a series of lessons as well. Maybe in the in the future, we can, we can do that. Well, I'm looking at Acts chapter 20. And and in the beginning in verse 16. And in this context, Peter, or rather, Paul is completing his third missionary journey, he's heading back to Israel. And he needed to meet with the elders of the church in Ephesus. And so he stopped at another city that was south of Ephesus, and had the had the elders come and meet with him. And this passage tells about about that. And then after they had concluded their meeting, he went on back to Israel continued his journey. So Acts chapter 20, beginning in verse 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, and from my Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. And when they were come to him, he said to them, You know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I've been with you all, all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears and temptations which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews. They kind of ambushed him in a, in a way, and just created as much difficult for him, difficulty for him as they possibly could, and for the church, verse 20, And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and I've taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there, except that the Holy Spirit witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life, dear to myself, so that I might finish my course with joy and the ministry, which I've received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. And now behold, I know that all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God shall see my face no more. Wherefore I take you to record this day than I'm pure from the blood of all men. For I've not shunned to declare unto you, all the counsel of God, Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and unto all the flock over the which the Holy Spirit have made you overseers to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own on with his own blood. So here, he speaks about the elders, again, and and of course, the meeting certain qualifications and and so forth. These were, one of the reasons I think that they were called elders was that that implied their maturity. These are not just young kids that are maybe politicizing, hoping to get to a position of, of recognition or something along that line. And even today, sometimes you find churches electing their their elders, rather than choosing the men who are most mature in the fath, of the most godly who who who demonstrate all of the characteristics that Christians ought to develop in their in their everyday life and meet other qualifications as well. And we'll we, I think we will talk about that sometime. So these are not young men, these are men who, who are serious students of the Bible, they understand what Christians should do and, and what kinds of help they may need. They have experience in life that can serve them in, in guiding a congregation. And so it's appropriate for them to be referred to as, as elders.
Fred Gosnell:Yes. And of course, we've mentioned that they don't, they don't rule in the sense of having authority over the congregation and being able to tell everybody what they need to do. They're there to serve the congregation to guide them. But they don't, that they're not more powerful than anybody there. They're equal to everybody else in the congregation, but they have a service to provide. And and Peter talks about that in First Peter chapter two. He talks about Jesus as being the one that's the overseer of our souls. And of course, there's no there's no human Archbishop or chief bishop or someone that is over somebody else in a position of authority. Peter writes in First Peter two 19 through 25, beginning of verse 19, Peter says, For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently. But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us and example that you should follow his steps, who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth, who, when he was reviled, did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to Him who judges righteously, who himself bore our sins in his own body, on the tree, that we having died to sins might live for righteousness, by whose stripes you are healed. For you are the like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and overseer of your soul. So, so Jesus is, no one takes Jesus' place as, as our shepherd, Jesus is the shepherd. And Jesus is the overseer of our souls. But elders serve the congregation as as servants, to, to guide people in the best they can, according to what the Scriptures say, according what the Lord's word says. And nobody takes over the Lord's responsibility as being the shepherd and overseer of our souls. Elders just serve the congregation, through their maturity and their experience, that they can guide people and give them suggestions on, on how they ought to handle certain situations, because they've already been through those kinds of things. And so that's their job as elders, as older, mature men in the faith that, that one can go to and get guidance from based on their, their experience.
Arnie:Yeah, and I think, I think maybe another benefit from using the older men would be that they don't have as great family responsibility as younger men who are starting a family, they've got young children to, to guide, they have to have to earn a living and, and put food on the table and, and all of that they have responsibilities in their marriage. And, and so so it's more of a burden for a younger man, that he's just not capable of, of handling and handling all of his responsibilities. And at the at the same time, it probably doesn't have as deep an understanding of God's word as, as older men would. Those responsibilities are pretty much past when you're talking about men that are up in their 50s and 60s and, and so forth, and at the same time, they've gotten an awful lot more experience in the world and, and in their, in their marriage as well. So elders is is the second term. The overseer was the first term for men in this responsibility. Elder is is the second. And interestingly, I think you mentioned the word, presbyteros,, it being the Greek word that is used for that. You may notice that the the word presbyteros sounds an awful lot like the Presbyterian. And that's where the Presbyterian church got their, their name from that word, just as the episcopas being the the overseer. The Episcopal Church got their name took their name from, from that word as as well. So an elder is is an individual, he's actually a presbuteros and Luke chapter 15 is a is a passage that uses a similar similar word talks about the family of the of the prodigal son. Of course, the the prodigal son, you recall had left had had wanted all of his inheritance, and then had left and had wasted the the inheritance and was in a difficult situation and decided to return back to his to his family and his own. So Luke 15, beginning in verse 25. Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew nearer to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, Your brother has come and because he has received him safe and sound your father has killed the fatted calf. Well, the the word that we're looking at here, the the presbuteros is actually the word for the older son. And so it's not just a not just a religious word that relates to some kind of an officer in the church, but it relates to a lot of things that are older. And I think you've got a passage open there, Fred, that you're looking at that does that.
Fred Gosnell:Yes. And, of course, this is the situation where they had brought a woman to Jesus, and they said she was caught in adultery, and John Eight, seven through 10. So when they continued asking him, they were asking him, what does Moses say were supposed to do here. So he raised himself up and said to them, He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first. Of course, that was the punishment for adultery was stoning. Verse eight, And again, he stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it being convicted by their conscience went out one by one, beginning with the oldest, even to the last. And Jesus was left alone and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised himself up and saw no one but the woman, he said to her Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you? And of course, they had all left. But notice that they all left and it says there beginning with the oldest and that's our word for presbyteros. So, of course, what this teaches us is just because one is old, does not necessarily mean that they're going to make good decisions. They, sometimes they don't. So an elder in the church has to be a faithful man, and one that is executing his responsibilities faithfully. So in this case, the oldest that's our word, he was the first one that left, his conscience was convicted, because he was not without sin he recognized that.
Arnie:Being, being a part of that crowd, it almost looks like if Jesus hadn't been there and said, what he said the old man may have thrown the thrown a stone as well. Yeah. So it's an older man, he's senior, he has, it implies that he has a lot of experience and a lot of maturity. And very often, you know, we think of we think of older men as being more dignified, sometimes. I think dignity may be an implication of that that word. And certainly his responsibility and fulfilling that would be a part of that. Interestingly, you see, elders, or older men appearing in a number of passages of Scripture, such as Matthew chapter 16. And there were there was the principle, I guess you'd really say the Supreme Court of Israel was the the Sanhedrin back in Jesus time and even before that. And so there were jurists that sat on that, on that court very much like our own Supreme Court, for example. But Matthew chapter 16, and verse, verse 21, Jesus. From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders. And that's the presbuteros, the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised the third day. So they were in fact, the Sanhedrin jurists that he was going to be facing there. And so well, that's really all I had to say about that.
Fred Gosnell:Okay. There's, well, the term is used, and again, for older individuals, in Luke seven, one through three. Now there it says, Now when he concluded he, Jesus, concluded all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum, and a certain Centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. So when he heard about Jesus, He sent elders of the Jews to him pleading with him to come and heal his servant. And of course, this was this was a Roman centurion, a Roman military man. And he recognized who Jesus was. So he sent these elders and that's our, that's our term, presbyteros. These are older men of the Jews to him It doesn't I'm not sure whether they were of the Sanhedrin or just older Jewish men. That's what it says.
Arnie:Maybe they need administered the city or something.
Fred Gosnell:Yes. And so those were the ones that he sent to Jesus. Of course, they would be older men. And he was thinking that these would be ones that perhaps Jesus would listen to, him being a Roman soldier. He didn't feel like he was the one that should be asking Jesus and of course, he was a Gentile. And he sent these older Jews to talk to Jesus and get him to come and heal this servant that he that was dear to him.
Arnie:A couple of passages are actually used in the Bible speaking about elderly, older individuals. And in First Timothy Chapter, chapter five, beginning in verse 20. Paul said, Do not rebuke an elder man, but exhort him as a father and the younger men as brothers, older women, as mothers, younger women as sisters. In both cases, in in verse one and verse two, talking about the men and the women, the same word is is used presbuteros, and then then also in Acts chapter, chapter two, where aged persons are are talk about. Peter is is speaking here on the day of Pentecost, and he's actually he's actually quoting from the book of Joel in Joel chapter two, beginning in verse, verse 28, and he says it in verse 17 of Acts two, It shall come to pass in the last days says, God, That I will pour out of my Spirit on all flesh, your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. So in a in that case, as well, that's presbuteros too.
Fred Gosnell:Yes. And sometimes it refers to to the ancestors and Jesus has a discussion with the Pharisees here in Mark seven five through eight. Says, Then, the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, ancestors there, But eat bread with unwashed hands. He answered and said to them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites as it is written, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, and in vain they do worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandments of God, you hold the tradition of men. So they were holding the authority to do things, not based on what God said in His Word, but based on the tradition of the presbuteros of the elders, that would be their, their ancestors. This is the way they did it. So this is the way we ought to do it. But Jesus said, No, that's not what God said. He said, You're following the tradition of men and the commandments of men, not not the commandments of God, you've you've laid those aside.
Arnie:Well, in Acts chapter, chapter 20, beginning in verse 15. Luke is the writer of the book of Acts, and he's with Paul in in a lot of his travels throughout Western Asia and Eastern Europe. And so he's the one who's recording all of this information. And as they're returning from this third missionary journey in Acts chapter 20, beginning in verse 15, Luke says, The next day we came, we came to Miletus for Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia, where he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible on the day of Pentecost. From Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called for the elders of the church. And when they had come to Him, he said to them, You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, serving the Lord with all humility, with tears and trials, which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews, how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to the Jews and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And see now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that change and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy. And the ministry, which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify of the gospel of the grace of God. And indeed, now I know that you all among whom I have gone, preaching the kingdom of God will see my face no more. Therefore I testify to you this day, that I'm innocent of the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare to you, the whole counsel of God. 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 disciples after themselves. Therefore watch and remember, that for three years, I did not cease to warn everyone night and day, with with tears. I just want to want to note here that in this passage, all the three, all three words, for individuals who have this responsibility appear in this passage. They're almost synonymous except for they show different aspects of the same character. Verse 17, speaks of of them as elders of the church, in verse 28, we see that the overseers are there and and what are the overseers to do? To shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His with his own blood. So all of these terms appear and while they point to different aspects of the of the same individual, the same responsability is is under consideration there. Well Fred. I'm looking at the clock here and I see that it's time for us to say goodbye. So, Lord willing, we hope that you will tune in again next Lord's day. And we'll continue along this thread of thought and hope that you'll be with us. Have a good week.