Last week we looked at the calling of the shepherd. The elders are called to shepherd the flock that is among them. And as shepherds they are to lead the flock, feed the flock, and defend the flock from their enemies.

Today we turn to the character of the shepherd. I should start by pointing out that Peter's exhortation is in the plural. Peter assumes that there are a plurality of elders. A wise 19th century elder once wrote that elders have no individual tasks, but are called to shepherd as a group. This is why Presbyterians insist upon having a plurality of elders at every level of the church. And when our session was reduced to only one elder, the presbytery (the elders of the regional church) appointed elders to join with Andy in the government and care of the church. 

The principle of the plurality of the eldership goes back to the days of Moses. Even Moses--the greatest man of God of the Old Testament--could not bear the task of ruling the people of God by himself. The appointment of the elders of Israel is found in several places (Ex 18, Num 11 & Dt 1). Israel had elders before Moses (Ex 3-4 refers to the elders of Israel), but these were merely tribal elders. They had no covenantal status. In Number 11 Moses complains to God that he is unable to bear the people alone. And so God commands: "Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, So that you may not bear it yourself alone" (Num. 11:16-17). These tribal elders are given of the Spirit of Moses so that they might join him in the government of the Old Testament church, thereby becoming covenantal elders.

Deuteronomy 1:15-17 explains the structure of the eldership of Israel: "So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and experienced men, and set them as heads over you, commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, commanders of tens, and officers, throughout your tribes. And I charged your judges at that time, 'hear the cases between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the alien who is with him. You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God's. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it." We see the New Testament church following a similar principle in Acts 15. When a case became too difficult for the elders in Antioch, they referred it to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.

This is why presbyterians have a system of church courts. If a matter is too difficult for a session, they may refer it to the presbytery-and then to the General Assembly. It has been a long time since a General Assembly admitted that a case was too difficult, but in the 16th and 17th centuries it was common for them to request advice and counsel from other national churches (the most famous being the Dutch Synod of Dort).

So the first point we need to understand is that a faithful elder does not act alone.

Peter calls the elders to "shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising oversight," and then provides a series of contrasts.

1) "Not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you." An elder should be a willing shepherd. This may sound obvious, but remember the context: Judgment is coming on the household of God. The church is facing trials and tribulation. Those who serve as elders are witnesses of the sufferings of Christ, in part because they are themselves sharing in his suffering. So Peter says, don't be an elder because you feel that you have to be an elder. If you are not willing to endure suffering patiently, then don't be an elder. Remember our Savior who willingly went to the cross, who for the glory set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame. An elder must exercise oversight willingly, enduring the cross for the joy set before him.

2) "Not for shameful gain, but eagerly" (literally, not covetously, but eagerly). The elder does not carefully calculate what he will get out of his office. There is good reason for Peter to say this. While the ministry has less respect today than it has for several centuries, elders today still have considerable power. Indeed, they wield the authority of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven." (Mt 18:18). And again, "If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven." (John 20:23).

Now, let me correct a common misunderstanding here. Many people add silent qualifiers to Jesus statements. The most common restatement is "whatever I bind on heaven should be bound on earth. But that puts it backward. Jesus really did give his authority to his church. What the church binds and looses on earth, is in fact bound and loosed in heaven. But what happens when the church gets it wrong? Since the church has only ministerial authority, which means that the elders can only do that which Christ has called them to do, any act which lacks Christ's authority is null and void. But how can you tell which acts lack Christ's authority? Some are easy. If the church commands that which is contrary to the Word of God, such an act lacks Christ's authority. 

But what do you do when we don't have a "thus saith the Lord"? For instance, the elders have told you to gather for worship at 9:30 this morning. Can they show a "thus saith the Lord" for preferring 9:30 over 10:30? No. But would you be sinning if you failed to come to worship without a good reason? Yes. There are lots of related issues. The Scripture does not specify at what age a person should first partake of communion. Some think that the biblical evidence leans toward paedocommunion (that a child should partake of communion from the time he or she is baptized). Others think that the biblical evidence suggests an older age (some say 6-7, others say 12-13, others say 18-20). The church has decided that a credible profession of faith is essential, regardless of the age. Is there a clear "thus saith the Lord" for our practice of "public profession of faith"? No. You can't find anyone in the scripture standing up in front the congregation and making vows as a part of their entrance into the church, but the church has decided that this is a useful way of expressing what the scripture does teach about the importance of confessing that Jesus is Lord. 

Now, here is the key distinction: If the elders can show that something is taught in Scripture, then your conscience is bound--not because the elders said it, but because the Word of God says it. ONLY the Word of God can bind the conscience. But if the elders can only show that it is "consistent" with the Scriptures, then your conscience is not bound. Your practice may be bound, but not your conscience. What does this mean? It means that you are free to think that 9:30 is a lousy time for a worship service! but you still have to show up at 9:30! It means that you may be convinced of paedocommunion, but you and your children must still publicly profess faith before coming to the Lord's Table. Of course, if the elders cannot show either that it is taught in scripture OR consistent with scripture, then neither your conscience nor your practice is bound. If the elders command something that it inconsistent with the Word of God, then they have stepped outside their proper use of the authority. If they persist in abusing their authority, and will not listen to your protests, then you must appeal to the Presbytery. The PCA Book of Church Order provides you with a clear pattern to follow. I pray that you will never need to use it, but remember that there is recourse if your session ever abuses the authority of Christ.

But if elders exercise the authority of Christ in the church, then this ought to cause a man to think twice before becoming an elder. It is very easy for an elder to let that authority go to his head. History is full of the abuse of the eldership. Medieval Roman Catholicism may be the most obvious example, where the forgiveness of sins could be purchased for money, and modern televangelists may be easy targets for their covetous ways. But the danger is no less present here. It is easy for an elder to become covetous--and not just for money. Exercising oversight can often be motivated by the desire for the praise of the congregation. "Oh, look at what a faithful elder he is!" "Isn't he such a fine teacher!" Covetousness is contrasted with eagerness (or willingness--the word is very close in meaning to the word translated "willingly"). The faithful elder is eager to exercise oversight, not seeking his own benefit, but caring for the flock. A faithful session is not concerned for their own needs, but for those of the church. This is again why a plurality of elders is so important. One faithful elder, by himself, will burn himself out in the service of the church. This is yet another reason why the presbytery has appointed a commission to serve with Andy. As Paul spoke to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20: "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock." The session provides pastoral care to one another as well as to the congregation.

3) "Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock." Again, I must draw your attention to the plural. In many evangelical churches there is only one elder--the pastor. Such churches cannot obey Peter's command, because one elder cannot provide the sort of shepherding that Peter calls for. If you are going to have fallen men as your examples, then you need more than one in order to see how their strengths and weaknesses balance each other to reflect the likeness of Christ. And not surprisingly, churches that only have one elder, have a tendency to stand or fall depending on that one man. And pastors in such churches, no matter how well-intentioned they may be, have a tendency to lord it over the flock.

The other temptation of the eldership is the temptation to use the authority of Christ in order to further one's own agenda. You who are parents know how this works. God has given you his authority to care for your children. But how often do use that authority simply to get what you want! How often do you warn your children about selfishness, when, in that very moment, you are being selfish yourself! This is one reason why Paul urges Timothy to consider a man's conduct as a father when determining whether or not he should be an elder. (1 Tim 3:4-5). Look at how a man uses his authority in other areas of life, and you can accurately predict how he will be as an elder. So, men, consider your relationship with your wife and children as practice for the eldership! And women, remembering Paul's exhortation to the older women in Titus 2, consider your relationship with your husband and children as practice for mentoring younger women in the church. Do not seek to dominate those under your authority. Do not seek simply to have your own way. Rather, lead by example. Let your gentleness be evident to all.

I have seen pastors who place a great deal of emphasis on their own authority. Yes, there is authority in the office of pastor. Yes, there is dignity in the office of elder. If a man is an elder in good standing (that means that he is not under discipline), then you should respect him. But I get nervous when I hear a man emphasizing his own authority. That is the way the Gentile rulers lord it over their subjects (Matthew 20:25). But just as Jesus called the apostles to be the servants of the church (Mt 20:26), so now Peter calls elders to be examples to the flock. Don't confuse meekness and humility with wimpiness. Because the elders exercise the authority of Christ, they have no need of pride or arrogance.

Consider Moses, who is called the most meek man of his day (Numbers 12:3). What was the secret to his meekness? Was it not that he remembered (most of the time!) that the grumbling of the people-though aimed at him, was really directed at God. As elders, as husbands, as mothers, as Christians, you must realize that the authority isn't yours, but Christ's. Therefore if those under your care complain about what you are doing, (and if you are doing what is right!) then they are not grumbling against you, but against Christ. And, even if you are wrong, if they are grumbling and complaining (instead of following Mt 18), then they are still wrong: they are complaining about your mistakes, instead of gently correcting you!

This is what Peter is getting at in verse 5: "Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you (not just the younger people!), with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." If you as a church are going to endure patiently the judgment of God in your suffering together, then you will need to clothe yourselves with humility. Do not give pride a foothold. Do not say in your heart, "if only I were in charge..." But instead, be like Aaron and Hur, who, when Moses arms were failing, did not seek a new path to victory, but trusted that God would work through his anointed servant Moses, and lifted up his arms--so that Israel defeated their enemies. How can you lift up the arms of Andy and the session? How can you lift up the arms of Jay, while he is on his sabbatical? These are the men whom God has given you to lead you in this hour. The elders are to be an example of humility to you in their patient leadership, as they show forth the sufferings and glory of Christ. The most meaningful compliment I have ever received in my ministry came from a woman who had very little understanding of the Reformed faith. She said, "when you are standing up there at the Lord's Supper, I see Jesus."

Look for Jesus in these men. The elders are to be examples to the flock as they witness to the sufferings of Christ, and partake of the glory that is going to be revealed. This is why Peter concludes his admonition to the elders with a promise of glory (v4). Is this some special reward for elders? Something other than what everyone else gets? 

Who knows? and who cares? If a man serves as an elder because he's looking for some special reward from God, then he's got the wrong attitude! It is enough to know that by persevering through suffering, we will come to that glory that does not fade away.

Copyright © 2003 Peter J. Wallace