When last we left the book of Ezra, the discussion was focused on several men that were instrumental in the re-building of the temple of God upon return of the exiles from their Babylonian captivity. In particular, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak began the work under the order from Cyrus king of Persia; stopped the work under orders from King Xerxes and Artaxerxes (based on the complaint of the enemies of Judah and Benjamin); and began the work afresh on the order of God through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah which was later ratified and endorsed by King Darius.
In this post I want to look at the political aspect of this account and what we can and cannot take from it in terms of application in contemporary culture. Firstly, the return of the exiles and re-building of the temple was ordered by official proclamation. In the last post we discussed the reason behind this return and how it was nothing short of the miraculous change of heart of the King of Persia, Cyrus himself, by which God brought the return to pass. This point bears further emphasis here, that God detemined in His Sovereignty and timing that the re-building should take place and so He changed the heart of the King to bring that about. So, generally speaking God used those in power to bring about His plan for His people. Can we then make a specific rule then that God works this way all the time? Obviously not. Cyrus was King of Persia, not a Jewish leader. God allowed Nebuchadnezzar to carry away His people into captivity. God also sent Moses to Pharoh and in that case his heart was hardened such that plagues and death forced a ruler whose heart was hardened to relent and release those under his rule albeit reluctantly and who he later determined to seek to re-acquire only to lead his army to ultimate destruction. So what we can say without making errors in specifically limited application is that God Sovereignly works all things according to His own good purposes to accomplish His own ends, which are by definition right and good.
Politically speaking God used a king to release His people so that they could re-build His temple. So what of the stoppage ordered by Xerxes and Artaxerxes? Was God unable to see that one coming? God had brought his people from captivity with orders and supplies so why did His people stop when orders came down from governing authorities? Were God's plans thwarted by a simple decree and disruptive behavior by a small group? Obviously that would be an error in thinking since that sort of description of God does not comport with the rest of Scripture, nor does it acknowledge the many accounts of God Himself fighting the battle for His people, turning opposing forces against themselves and routing whole armies without the loss of even one of His people. Again, we don't want to make a mistake in the particular case, rather we want to see the Truth that is applicable across circumstances. Again, God is Sovereign - it may not seem to make sense to have the work stop, but whether it is obvious to man or not, God is most capable of knowing how things must work such that He receives maximum glory. In this case, the work stoppage brought about two prophets who spoke for the Lord about not only the continued re-building in the absence of permission from ruling authorities, but also regarding the coming Messiah - all of which came to pass!
Finally, and again politically, why didn't Zerubbabel and Jeshua stage a rebellion when word came down that they had been ordered to cease and dissist in their efforts. Why didn't they organize and declare that they were building the temple of the Lord (which He had directed by means of a heart change of previous leadership) and no human king was going to stop the Lord's work and fight to the death to continue working? It seems best to always consider the context and the Truth. In this time, God spoke to the people through the prophets. Cyrus decrees the Israelites be given materials and released to re-build the temple - no problem there. No prophet has spoken, but returning to their land and re-building the temple is a great blessing, so praise God for moving on Cyrus's heart to bring this about. The stop work order comes down from the same authority that decreed the work start. Perhaps confusing and disappointing, but God made a way before and He will do so again. Then the prophets speak. God has said re-build. Now, there is no waiting and no fear of retribution from government. The men immediately begin re-building. Later the records are checked and the re-building is not hindered by government or others, praise God for working this out in His timing. God's people are not called to political activism as a pursuit in order to bring about justice in this world. God's people are called to love God with all their hearts and to love others as themselves, with this love manifested in the bearing of the fruits of the Spirit. This is not to say belivers should not be politically active, but great care should be taken, as with everything else in the life of the believer, that motivations remain focused and pure and that we do not behave as though God is not Sovereign or somehow needs our help to make sure the problems of this world get solved, whether by sit-in, occupation, or armed rebellion. Where the sacred is being profaned, believers must be in opposition even unto personal persecution, without fear, but in much prayer and knowing that God is Sovereign and will bring about all things according to His own good pleasure and for His ultimate glory.
What is the one main idea to take away - God is Sovereign over all things and He knows best how things must come to pass such that His glory is maximized. Let us not presume to need to help out or know better than God. Love and obedience is a great place for us to start, and i'm thankful we can see that even in a book like Ezra written so long ago.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Timothy Update
Things have been busy. That is probably quite common to all and a common refrain in our lives as there are many responsibilities tugging at our time. It has been several weeks since the last post on 1 Timothy. Quite a lot of ground has been covered in that time, from verse 20 in chapter 5 through chapter 6 and verse 2. Again, due to time constraints this post will cover these passages briefly, and possible the discussions spurred on from them is where more considerable time can be taken.
Entertaining an accusation against an elder provoked a discussion that was quite possibly entertaining in iteself. Ultimately the context of the passage and principle presented is for the protection of the elder against slanderous accusations. Also in the comments following the previous post, additional clarification to the word "entertain" brought more light to the imperative not to take to heart accusations brought against elders without witnesses. Obviously the Bible, in this passage which is specifically dealing with eldership, is not advocating a "gag order" on all reports of abuse. In the 1 Timothy church the current elders and membership have a responsibility to look carefully at the man being presented for eldership and his meeting of the clearly written qualifications (both things he must exhibit in his character and things that must be absent in his character) so that such cases would be a great exception. Also in the 1 Timothy church there will be a plurality of elders, such that if a report of abuse did arise the member to whom the accusation was brought can present the accuser to the other elder(s) so that the abuse is not neglected but also not entertained. Verse 20 then moves to what action is taken in the case of legitimately discovered sin in the life of the elder. Public rebuke. That seems harsh in today's moral economy. Think about how many times in your lifetime an elder has been publicly rebuked for sin. What did you come up with? 10 times? 5 times? 2 times? Never? Personally I cannot recall ever having experienced such a public rebuke. Now, I must also explain that until my current 5 year membership I have also never been in a church that was established according to the 1 Timothy church. So it stands to reason that since the leadership was not arranged according to 1 Timothy that church discipline would not be handled according to 1 Timothy. So what? What is missed if sin in not publicly addressed, even among the eldership? Just read verse 20 again - so that the others may take warning. No warnings to the membership regarding discipline and consequences for sin in the church, this is a huge loss. If part of the responsibility of the church is to watch their life and doctrine closely, then what good does it do the body to make things so lax with respect to discipline that there is no encouragement from the church to watch their life and doctrine closely? If relationship with Christ is the most important thing in an individual believers' life how could the church not address through discipline issues that hinder or block altogether growth, worship, adoration of God with those who are living in active disobedience? The church should love them enough to seek reconciliation through discipline, in this case public rebuke even for elders.
Chapter 6 references masters and servants, and in today's common scenario in the United States employers and employees. Very briefly here, everyone for whom God shines the light of Truth into his/her heart lives a certain life in a certain place. Those temporal circumstances may or may not change immediately or over time, but what is significant is that the miracle of a change of heart has taken place. So, one person may have 200 people in his employ when she becomes a believer. The question before her is how will the love of Christ and the change of heart effect her life as an employer (her treatment, her expectations, her demands, her compensation, her attitude toward her employees). Another person may be employed by a great boss, a terrible boss or something in between. The question before him is how will the love of Christ and the change of heart effect his life as an employee (his treatment, his expectations, his thoughts, his attitude, his appreciation toward his employer). Much can be said regarding slavery, the yoke placed on others, and the outworking in a culture with the understanding of the equality of all mankind as image bearers. However, suffice it to say for this post that each person who is brought to a saving knowledge of Christ will be responsible for how he/she worships God in whatever situation they are in or transition into for the remainder of their lives. We are all responsible individually to God for how we behave as disciples of Christ and striving to live in contentment with godliness, which is great gain. Whatever any of our current situation, we can all find something to change so that we can do better at being content and godly right where we are, for His glory.
Entertaining an accusation against an elder provoked a discussion that was quite possibly entertaining in iteself. Ultimately the context of the passage and principle presented is for the protection of the elder against slanderous accusations. Also in the comments following the previous post, additional clarification to the word "entertain" brought more light to the imperative not to take to heart accusations brought against elders without witnesses. Obviously the Bible, in this passage which is specifically dealing with eldership, is not advocating a "gag order" on all reports of abuse. In the 1 Timothy church the current elders and membership have a responsibility to look carefully at the man being presented for eldership and his meeting of the clearly written qualifications (both things he must exhibit in his character and things that must be absent in his character) so that such cases would be a great exception. Also in the 1 Timothy church there will be a plurality of elders, such that if a report of abuse did arise the member to whom the accusation was brought can present the accuser to the other elder(s) so that the abuse is not neglected but also not entertained. Verse 20 then moves to what action is taken in the case of legitimately discovered sin in the life of the elder. Public rebuke. That seems harsh in today's moral economy. Think about how many times in your lifetime an elder has been publicly rebuked for sin. What did you come up with? 10 times? 5 times? 2 times? Never? Personally I cannot recall ever having experienced such a public rebuke. Now, I must also explain that until my current 5 year membership I have also never been in a church that was established according to the 1 Timothy church. So it stands to reason that since the leadership was not arranged according to 1 Timothy that church discipline would not be handled according to 1 Timothy. So what? What is missed if sin in not publicly addressed, even among the eldership? Just read verse 20 again - so that the others may take warning. No warnings to the membership regarding discipline and consequences for sin in the church, this is a huge loss. If part of the responsibility of the church is to watch their life and doctrine closely, then what good does it do the body to make things so lax with respect to discipline that there is no encouragement from the church to watch their life and doctrine closely? If relationship with Christ is the most important thing in an individual believers' life how could the church not address through discipline issues that hinder or block altogether growth, worship, adoration of God with those who are living in active disobedience? The church should love them enough to seek reconciliation through discipline, in this case public rebuke even for elders.
Chapter 6 references masters and servants, and in today's common scenario in the United States employers and employees. Very briefly here, everyone for whom God shines the light of Truth into his/her heart lives a certain life in a certain place. Those temporal circumstances may or may not change immediately or over time, but what is significant is that the miracle of a change of heart has taken place. So, one person may have 200 people in his employ when she becomes a believer. The question before her is how will the love of Christ and the change of heart effect her life as an employer (her treatment, her expectations, her demands, her compensation, her attitude toward her employees). Another person may be employed by a great boss, a terrible boss or something in between. The question before him is how will the love of Christ and the change of heart effect his life as an employee (his treatment, his expectations, his thoughts, his attitude, his appreciation toward his employer). Much can be said regarding slavery, the yoke placed on others, and the outworking in a culture with the understanding of the equality of all mankind as image bearers. However, suffice it to say for this post that each person who is brought to a saving knowledge of Christ will be responsible for how he/she worships God in whatever situation they are in or transition into for the remainder of their lives. We are all responsible individually to God for how we behave as disciples of Christ and striving to live in contentment with godliness, which is great gain. Whatever any of our current situation, we can all find something to change so that we can do better at being content and godly right where we are, for His glory.
Monday, February 20, 2012
A Report From Abroad
We had a wonderful report Sunday morning from our team that went to Colombia for a short term mission project back at the end of 2011. It was a real blessing to hear the team, from youngest to oldest, speak of how God had taught and moved them about the real physical, emotional and spiritual needs abroad. Each team member expressed the humbling nature of going to serve and seeing in person both that there are needs worldwide and that God is moving worldwide.
Personally, the richest portion of the testimony was hearing of how the family that once was present as a local member of our body and is now a foreign member of our body, serving full time in Colombia, is impacting lives in another culture. God is receiving glory because this family is not impacting lives by pressing American culture on the people, but rather living a Godly life in the midst of these peoples and preaching Christ crucified and raised from the dead and discipling through biblical teaching applied in daily life applications. Something as simple as asking a local man to consider taking his son with him to work on a side job in a culture where boys do not interact with their fathers as they are often left to grandparents for their daily training can change a generation.
We need to teach sound doctrine, we need to preach the gospel, we need to care for the needs of the hurting, we must have the strength and ability that comes from a Sovereign God so that He is glorified in all things. I am so thankful for the testimony of faithful brothers and sisters, for those willing to serve both at home and abroad, for a loving God that turns the hearts of a sinful nature to Himself and uses those sinners to accomplish great things for His glory. May we all continue in the faith, hold fast to the Truth, love God with all our being, love one another, and live according to the purpose for which we were created, for God's glory as we proclaim the gospel and live lives according to the calling for which we have been called as God gives us strength.
Rich blessings and much love to our brothers and sisters around the world, and to our dear friends in Colombia.
Personally, the richest portion of the testimony was hearing of how the family that once was present as a local member of our body and is now a foreign member of our body, serving full time in Colombia, is impacting lives in another culture. God is receiving glory because this family is not impacting lives by pressing American culture on the people, but rather living a Godly life in the midst of these peoples and preaching Christ crucified and raised from the dead and discipling through biblical teaching applied in daily life applications. Something as simple as asking a local man to consider taking his son with him to work on a side job in a culture where boys do not interact with their fathers as they are often left to grandparents for their daily training can change a generation.
We need to teach sound doctrine, we need to preach the gospel, we need to care for the needs of the hurting, we must have the strength and ability that comes from a Sovereign God so that He is glorified in all things. I am so thankful for the testimony of faithful brothers and sisters, for those willing to serve both at home and abroad, for a loving God that turns the hearts of a sinful nature to Himself and uses those sinners to accomplish great things for His glory. May we all continue in the faith, hold fast to the Truth, love God with all our being, love one another, and live according to the purpose for which we were created, for God's glory as we proclaim the gospel and live lives according to the calling for which we have been called as God gives us strength.
Rich blessings and much love to our brothers and sisters around the world, and to our dear friends in Colombia.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
A Changed Heart and Some Persevering Men
I felt compelled to spend February in the book of Ezra and so I have been reading daily through the short 10 chapter book concerning the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem in Judah following the return from captivity in Babylon (among other things). There is a wealth of issues to cover, so i'll take them as time permits in brief and hope that you will be encouraged from the reading of them to read through Ezra yourself, and be blessed.
Just two quick points today. The first is a phrase that reaches out and slaps me across the face every time it appears in scripture. I'm speaking here of the first two verses of the book:
"In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing:"
Wow, it's amazing every time. Cyrus king of Persia ruled over all the exiles from Jerusalem, taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzer, and had no intentions of letting them go back home. Then something happened, no less than a miracle. God, in keeping with what He spoke through Jeremiah, moved the heart of Cyrus. Then the king sent them back home, and not only sent them back but sent with them silver and gold, goods and livestock and freewill offerings the temple in Jerusalem that was yet to be rebuilt. So we see several things here. God is not sitting up in heaven, having wound up the universe, just sitting back letting things happen as they will. He is intimately involved. You know, like what is written in Colossians 1:17 "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Not sitting back watching, but Sovereign over and in control of all things. All things that God has said will come to pass - will come to pass. Also, only God can change hearts. Many fine arguments can be made to make someone consider changing their way of thinking about a certain topic, but no amount of human effort can bring about a change in another's heart. This is a possible source of error for many people who rigorously pursue apologetics. Obviously there is nothing wrong with study, with discovering the wealth of resources and evidences of God's existence in all aspects of human existence and with making arguments for God among people who do not believe. However, we must be so very careful not to become so proficient in making arguments for God that we put ourselves in the place of God - believing that it is the argument and the arguer that turn people to God, moving to the place where we devote all our time to arguing for God that we neglect a relationship with God, spending a larger percentage of our time reading what other people say about God than we do reading what God Himself has revealed in His Word. I thank God for the surge in interest and captivation by a new generation who have the largest abundance of resources in the history of the world at their fingertips, but we can have all that and still go astray. Let us never forget that our commission from God is not to make converts, but to make disciples, and that only God can move the heart of man. So we study to show ourselves approved, we stand up for the Truth and pray that God will have mercy and extend His grace to those He places before us, that He will shine the light of Truth into their heart that they may believe and confess in the Son and be set free so that we may have the privilege of continuing the process of discipleship all for His glory.
Second, we must persevere. Paul speaks of finishing the race and keeping the faith as he implores Timothy to press on toward the prize. We see in the first few chapters here an example of this lived out and recorded for our edification. Consider Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak:
"When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled as one man in Jerusalem. Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel...Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation...though the foundation of the Lord's temple had not yet been laid...Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They hired counselors to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia...As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimsai the secretary and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop. Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of of the reign of Darius king of Persia. Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, helping them." (Ezra 3:1-5:2)
So much to say here so I will continue on this theme next time, but notice two things now. First that these two men are mentioned by name as leading the building effort based on the decree of Cyrus king of Persia, whose heart was turned by the Lord, were forced to stop by the people of Israel who petitioned the then king Artaxerxes, and resumed the effort with the proclamation by the prophets of God (Haggai and Zechariah). These two men persevered. What an encouragement to us, that although there will be times when people (even the people of God) set themselves to discouraging and frustrating God's will that ultimately what God has decreed will come to pass. It is reasonable to believe that the reason Zerubbabel and Jeshua did not lose heart and fall away is because they were not looking to their plan or their efforts. How easy it would have been when the decree came down from King Artaxerxes to have exclaimed, "Oh no, our plans have been thwarted, why oh why did you stop us, Lord. All we wanted was to rebuild your temple and worship you as you've commanded us to do. We built the altar and offered sacrifices and yet you have abandoned us!" Their confidence must have been in something beyond themselves. It is also reasonable to believe that their confidence was in their Lord, not themselves. They began building based on the decree by King Cyrus, but not because he decreed it. Cyrus decreed the people be allowed to return and rebuild the temple. Zerubbabel and Jeshua first built the altar and offered sacrifices to God, before setting the foundation for the temple. There was something beyond King Cyrus driving these men, the God that moved the King's heart. This is also why the men did not wait for another King to give them permission to return to building, the prophets of God spoke and they went back to work. They served God, they placed their confidence in God, and God was with them. More on these men and the prophets of God next time.
Just two quick points today. The first is a phrase that reaches out and slaps me across the face every time it appears in scripture. I'm speaking here of the first two verses of the book:
"In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing:"
Wow, it's amazing every time. Cyrus king of Persia ruled over all the exiles from Jerusalem, taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzer, and had no intentions of letting them go back home. Then something happened, no less than a miracle. God, in keeping with what He spoke through Jeremiah, moved the heart of Cyrus. Then the king sent them back home, and not only sent them back but sent with them silver and gold, goods and livestock and freewill offerings the temple in Jerusalem that was yet to be rebuilt. So we see several things here. God is not sitting up in heaven, having wound up the universe, just sitting back letting things happen as they will. He is intimately involved. You know, like what is written in Colossians 1:17 "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Not sitting back watching, but Sovereign over and in control of all things. All things that God has said will come to pass - will come to pass. Also, only God can change hearts. Many fine arguments can be made to make someone consider changing their way of thinking about a certain topic, but no amount of human effort can bring about a change in another's heart. This is a possible source of error for many people who rigorously pursue apologetics. Obviously there is nothing wrong with study, with discovering the wealth of resources and evidences of God's existence in all aspects of human existence and with making arguments for God among people who do not believe. However, we must be so very careful not to become so proficient in making arguments for God that we put ourselves in the place of God - believing that it is the argument and the arguer that turn people to God, moving to the place where we devote all our time to arguing for God that we neglect a relationship with God, spending a larger percentage of our time reading what other people say about God than we do reading what God Himself has revealed in His Word. I thank God for the surge in interest and captivation by a new generation who have the largest abundance of resources in the history of the world at their fingertips, but we can have all that and still go astray. Let us never forget that our commission from God is not to make converts, but to make disciples, and that only God can move the heart of man. So we study to show ourselves approved, we stand up for the Truth and pray that God will have mercy and extend His grace to those He places before us, that He will shine the light of Truth into their heart that they may believe and confess in the Son and be set free so that we may have the privilege of continuing the process of discipleship all for His glory.
Second, we must persevere. Paul speaks of finishing the race and keeping the faith as he implores Timothy to press on toward the prize. We see in the first few chapters here an example of this lived out and recorded for our edification. Consider Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak:
"When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled as one man in Jerusalem. Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel...Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation...though the foundation of the Lord's temple had not yet been laid...Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They hired counselors to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia...As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimsai the secretary and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop. Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of of the reign of Darius king of Persia. Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, helping them." (Ezra 3:1-5:2)
So much to say here so I will continue on this theme next time, but notice two things now. First that these two men are mentioned by name as leading the building effort based on the decree of Cyrus king of Persia, whose heart was turned by the Lord, were forced to stop by the people of Israel who petitioned the then king Artaxerxes, and resumed the effort with the proclamation by the prophets of God (Haggai and Zechariah). These two men persevered. What an encouragement to us, that although there will be times when people (even the people of God) set themselves to discouraging and frustrating God's will that ultimately what God has decreed will come to pass. It is reasonable to believe that the reason Zerubbabel and Jeshua did not lose heart and fall away is because they were not looking to their plan or their efforts. How easy it would have been when the decree came down from King Artaxerxes to have exclaimed, "Oh no, our plans have been thwarted, why oh why did you stop us, Lord. All we wanted was to rebuild your temple and worship you as you've commanded us to do. We built the altar and offered sacrifices and yet you have abandoned us!" Their confidence must have been in something beyond themselves. It is also reasonable to believe that their confidence was in their Lord, not themselves. They began building based on the decree by King Cyrus, but not because he decreed it. Cyrus decreed the people be allowed to return and rebuild the temple. Zerubbabel and Jeshua first built the altar and offered sacrifices to God, before setting the foundation for the temple. There was something beyond King Cyrus driving these men, the God that moved the King's heart. This is also why the men did not wait for another King to give them permission to return to building, the prophets of God spoke and they went back to work. They served God, they placed their confidence in God, and God was with them. More on these men and the prophets of God next time.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Honoring Church Leadership
Sure enough, we camped out in 1 Timothy 5 this week for about 40 minutes. Specifically the focus was on verses 17-20 and honoring the church leaders was the topic. Several important points came out that we can look at today. First, a plurality of elders. Any mention of leaders (elders, overseers, bishops) is always in the plural. Even generic instructions when establishing a new body has a plurality (Acts 14:23), and when speaking of a fellowship already in existence where supplies are being distributed the gifts are given to "the elders" (Acts 11:30). In each instance where the office is being discussed there is a plurality given. Only the requirements for qualification are given in the singular, and then because the qualifications are those to be met by each individual that is to serve as part of the plurality. So then how many make up the plurality? Ah, and here we can get into trouble. Elders means more than one, and that is as far as we can go. We are not told any specific number, so making a requirement of three, seven, twelve or any other number mandatory could bring disastrous results because there may not be enough men who meet all the qualifications in the body to fill the number mandated by the church policy. In that case concessions would have to be made regarding biblical instructions (men not meeting qualifications for eldership, women installed, etc.). If the best practice is to follow what the Scriptures say, then there must be more than one elder and each man must meet all the biblical qualifications for the office. The local church is not to be headed by a single man with all authority. Such a model is not biblical and therefore is a problem waiting to surface in the body.
Second, the position of elder is a position of honor by its very nature. Men serving as elders have a spiritual calling for leadership. They have demonstrated the character and conviction necessary to take on the task of handling the Word, leading the church body, and caring for the spiritual condition of each and every member of the local church. It is not for the faint of heart, for the weak in moral standing, for those light in theological understanding, nor for those who cannot handle conflict well. In short the majority of church membership do not belong in the position of elder. It is almost as if the prospective candidate desires very much the position, but never feels quite qualified to serve in that position, yet he is nominated, vetted, approved and encouraged by his peers and feels such a conviction by the Holy Spirit that he accepts the noble and solemn path placed before him. And in following, the one handling the Word is worthy of double honor which does include monetary compensation for service. The two examples given in support for this appear in 1 Timothy 5:18 where reward for work and wages are specifically given in support textually.
Finally, elders are to be protected. Perhaps the greatest disservice a body of believers does to their leadership is in this area. How many say, if even under their breath or just in their heart: "The elders don't really do that much. They meet once a week in the conference room all by themselves, drink coffee and talk about how the church is doing, like anyone couldn't do that." Have we not read the qualifications necessary to serve in such a position? Can we not see the passion for every member of the body that causes the men of God serving as elders to cry out to God on their behalf? Can we not think of the spiritual warfare conducted on a regular basis undertaken by such men to maintain personal integrity and gospel fidelity in the church through handling day-to-day issues and discussions, teaching, etc.? How many of us are in the practice of praying for the deacons and elders that are serving the body? How may of us would want our children to take a similar position? "Dad doesn't really do that much, just go off 'to work' every day and then tell us what to do when he comes home, like anyone couldn't do that. I don't need to pray for him or support him, what's the big deal?" It breaks my heart to think my children would think that little of me; likewise it breaks my heart to think that anyone in my local fellowship would think so little of the leadership in the church.
Verses 19 and 20 finish the thought with instruction not to entertain (or receive) an accusation against an elder unless it comes from two or three eyewitnesses. We must be diligent here. If the enemy is out to steal, kill and destroy kingdom work then we must assume accusations will come against the elders and that most of those accusations will be false. We must not even entertain talk about elders coming from one mouth. Saying something like, "Let me stop you right there, by continuing down this line (by yourself) you are in violation of 1 Timothy 5:19 and I will not hear it. If you have another eyewitness or two and are committed to the common testimony of misconduct then come together and present your case. Otherwise do not attempt to spread this to me or anyone else, the Word of God demands it of you and I will hold you to it, for my part." Me must honor the membership of the church by not receiving an accusation or gossip about another member, and we must not entertain such accusations against the eldership all the more.
My final written note about the sermon this week: "The membership should be joyful about giving honor to the men whom God has put in a place of leadership and service to the body through working to equip, teach and impart sound doctrine." May we all be challenged to consider carefully how we honor our leadership and commit to praying for these men whom God has installed for service.
Second, the position of elder is a position of honor by its very nature. Men serving as elders have a spiritual calling for leadership. They have demonstrated the character and conviction necessary to take on the task of handling the Word, leading the church body, and caring for the spiritual condition of each and every member of the local church. It is not for the faint of heart, for the weak in moral standing, for those light in theological understanding, nor for those who cannot handle conflict well. In short the majority of church membership do not belong in the position of elder. It is almost as if the prospective candidate desires very much the position, but never feels quite qualified to serve in that position, yet he is nominated, vetted, approved and encouraged by his peers and feels such a conviction by the Holy Spirit that he accepts the noble and solemn path placed before him. And in following, the one handling the Word is worthy of double honor which does include monetary compensation for service. The two examples given in support for this appear in 1 Timothy 5:18 where reward for work and wages are specifically given in support textually.
Finally, elders are to be protected. Perhaps the greatest disservice a body of believers does to their leadership is in this area. How many say, if even under their breath or just in their heart: "The elders don't really do that much. They meet once a week in the conference room all by themselves, drink coffee and talk about how the church is doing, like anyone couldn't do that." Have we not read the qualifications necessary to serve in such a position? Can we not see the passion for every member of the body that causes the men of God serving as elders to cry out to God on their behalf? Can we not think of the spiritual warfare conducted on a regular basis undertaken by such men to maintain personal integrity and gospel fidelity in the church through handling day-to-day issues and discussions, teaching, etc.? How many of us are in the practice of praying for the deacons and elders that are serving the body? How may of us would want our children to take a similar position? "Dad doesn't really do that much, just go off 'to work' every day and then tell us what to do when he comes home, like anyone couldn't do that. I don't need to pray for him or support him, what's the big deal?" It breaks my heart to think my children would think that little of me; likewise it breaks my heart to think that anyone in my local fellowship would think so little of the leadership in the church.
Verses 19 and 20 finish the thought with instruction not to entertain (or receive) an accusation against an elder unless it comes from two or three eyewitnesses. We must be diligent here. If the enemy is out to steal, kill and destroy kingdom work then we must assume accusations will come against the elders and that most of those accusations will be false. We must not even entertain talk about elders coming from one mouth. Saying something like, "Let me stop you right there, by continuing down this line (by yourself) you are in violation of 1 Timothy 5:19 and I will not hear it. If you have another eyewitness or two and are committed to the common testimony of misconduct then come together and present your case. Otherwise do not attempt to spread this to me or anyone else, the Word of God demands it of you and I will hold you to it, for my part." Me must honor the membership of the church by not receiving an accusation or gossip about another member, and we must not entertain such accusations against the eldership all the more.
My final written note about the sermon this week: "The membership should be joyful about giving honor to the men whom God has put in a place of leadership and service to the body through working to equip, teach and impart sound doctrine." May we all be challenged to consider carefully how we honor our leadership and commit to praying for these men whom God has installed for service.
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