Elder (Church Leader) Selection

One of the disagreements within churches is "who selects the elders?" The top down, I am holier than thou, folks want to choose who serves, and at the other end of the spectrum are the "priesthood of believers" folks who believe folks are called to church leadership positions through the membership as influenced by the Holy Spirit. One claim, Elders were appointed, top down, by Paul and others, but deacons were elected, seems challenged by using a more literal translation of Acts 14:23.

Here we have a compound word, literally meaning hand stretching. But the word is used to indicate taking a vote by a show of hands to select someone for something.

Acts 14:23, When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.​

Here, this rendering misses the information of how the elders were selected, i.e. by a show of hands, a vote of the members. A far more complete translation would read, When they had selected elders for them by a show of hands in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

2 Corinthians 8:19 and not only this, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work, which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself, and to show our readiness,​

Again the vote is obliterated in the rendering, whereas a literal translation would read, “but he has also been selected by a show of hands by the churches….”

Word Studies bring to light where versions hit the mark and where they miss the mark.
The idea is not to quibble over this word or that word, but to bring to light that we can grow more aware of God’s Word by doing objective and unbiased word studies.

In the above example, G5500, cheirotoneō has been used to present less than the best translation choices by some of our English versions.

 

One of the ways to enhance translation transparency is to minimize the number of times the same English word or phrase is used to translate different original language words. For example, when we see "Hell" in a translation, we do not know whether Hades or Gehenna is in view. The use of a single word for both obliterates any intended distinction.

Another word used to translate multiple Greek words is "Appointed." Using the NASB simply as one of many examples, the word appointed appears about 30 times in the NT. However about 14 different Greek word were translated those 30 times into "appointed." Sometimes those appointments were unilateral, such as God choosing beforehand, or unilaterally appointing Paul as the light to the Gentiles. At other times the arrangement is agreed upon, thus by mutual consent, as in Acts of the Apostles 13:48.

This level of a lack of transparency is unnecessary.

 

Ambiguous translation fosters confusion and therefore is not of God. We may not be able to avoid it, but an objective effort to minimize it seems useful.

 

Luke 1:8 (NASB) reads:

Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, ​

However the word translated appointed order simply refers to the order of his duties according to his routine. Thus appointed can be removed, such that the verse reads in the order of his routine. One down, 10 or so to go.

 

Luke 10:1 NASB:
Now after this the Lord appointed seventy-two others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.

Here the word translated as appointed actually means to proclaim or exhibit or announce something. Thus "announce" can be used for both usages of this word in the NT.

Now after this the Lord announced seventy-two others... See Acts 1:24 for the other usage of this word.

 

Act 1:7
But He said to them, “It is not for you to know periods of time or appointed times which the Father has set by His own authority;

Here the NASB translators added a redundant word (appointed) as the verse says the Father had set the times or seasons.

So "It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father as set by His own authority"

 

So you neglect the laying of of hands by the Elders, plural? 1 Tim. 4:14

Acts 14:23 says elders were appointed (selected by a show of hands) in "every" church.

Titus 1:5 seems to say that establishing "elders" plural is not a suggestion but direction.