We Might Be Without Elders,
But We are NOT Without Leadership!
Titus was directed to ordain elders in every city (Titus 1:5). Paul and Barnabas ordained elders in every church (Acts 14:23). Most certainly, the Lord desires that every congregation of His kingdom has elders feeding the flock over which the Spirit makes them overseers (Acts 20:28). Any spiritually minded Christian knows this and seeks this righteous organization within the Lord’s church. But let’s face a fact: not every congregation has men scripturally qualified to serve as elders! The qualifications for this esteemed office are found at 1 Timothy 3: 1 – 7 and Titus 1: 6 – 9. Unless that man unquestionably meets these qualifications, he cannot serve as an elder! Elders are not to cause, i.e., gender, strife (cf. 2 Timothy 2:23). Therefore, if there is a question about his qualifications (for example, one believing child instead of two or more – 1 Timothy 3: 4; Titus 1: 6), remove the question by having qualifications with unquestionable quantity and quality!
Many men otherwise qualified for this responsible task of leadership often state their lack of desire for the work in this office (1 Timothy 3:1). Notice first, it is not the office, i.e., position, but the work he must desire! Too many have allowed the position to inflate their ego, and they become “lords over God’s heritage,” which immediately disqualifies them from the work! (1 Peter 5:3) The fact is, this office is a work – a most arduous task of leadership (Hebrews 13:7; 17) and merits the utmost respect from those who submit to their leadership! Therefore, it is quite understandable that some men do not desire the burdens of “watching souls.” Yet let these same men remember that God blessed them in the obtaining of all the other qualifications that suit them to this work: God will help them also in the work of leading that flock in the path of righteousness! (Hebrews 13: 5 – 6)
Unfortunately, many congregations do not have men who unquestionably qualify! They may be great men of faith, but are unmarried, or have no believing children, or no ability to teach, or are simply too young, i.e., are novices. They are not disqualified from being faithful servants of Christ, but they cannot be elders! Does this leave the congregation without leadership? Absolutely not! If the congregation is dutifully obeying the Lord’s directives in all they say and do (Colossians 317), they have Christ as their Leader, and they refuse to follow the whims of men! Some have suggested that without an eldership, men can act “in lieu of an eldership” by having business meetings or such things. While it is appropriate to avoid slothfulness in business (Romans 12:11), there is nothing of God’s design that will act “in lieu of” an eldership! All that we do, even with an eldership, must have the approval of our Lord first, foremost, and only, as His is the church’s head (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18). We are never without LEADERSHIP, though we may be without an eldership.
That said, I hasten to say that every faithful church of Christ needs to be diligently working to raise men to become elders and deacons, just as we more frequently seem to be raising men to become preachers. May I strongly urge a diligent study of 1 Timothy 3: 1- 7 and Titus 1; 6 – 9, beginning from their youth up (2 Timothy 3:15) as a means of instilling in the minds of future men the desire for this good work so that the church may have righteous shepherds following the Chief Shepherd righteously!
