We
know from the Scriptures that God intended for His church to
be upheld and maintained by spirit-led elders. The following
Scriptures clearly indicate an elder’s role and ensure
our position that God requires elders to be the leaders and
shepherds of the flock.
1 Peter 5
1
The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder
and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker
of the glory that will be revealed: 2 Shepherd the flock of
God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion
but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as
being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples
to the flock; 4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will
receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.
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-- 6 if a man is blameless, the husband
of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation
or insubordination. 7 For an elder must be blameless, as a steward
of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine,
not violent, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, a lover
of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled,
9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that
he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict
those who contradict.
1 Timothy 3
1 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of
an elder, he desires a good work. 2 An elder then must be blameless,
the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior,
hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent,
not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;
4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission
with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule
his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);
6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into
the same condemnation as the devil. 7 Moreover he must have
a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into
reproach and the snare of the devil.
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