Plurality of Elders is the Biblical example

Why do most churches ignore the clear biblical example of plurality of elders for overseeing the church? Can someone point to one passage of Scripture that suggests a one pastor system that is so common today?

 

Could you please explain biblically why you are not an elder? Do you shepherd the flock, teach the flock, refute false doctrine, visit the sick, etc.? If so, then according to the Bible you ARE an elder.

Also, could you please show me from the Bible where the Bible distinquishes between the duties of a pastor and the duties of an elder? and where does it say ANYONE is over the elders?

 

It is a possibility that a church have no deacons or one deacon, BUT is that the biblical example?

The possibility of a one pastor system doesn't negate the fact that the biblical example is a plurality of elders just like the possibility of a one deacon system doesn't negate the biblical example of plurality of deacons. that was a long sentence but i didnt know any better way to say it.

Now i am confused. if there are plenty of qualified deacons at most churches then why is it so hard to find qualified elders? Don't they share a lot of the same qualifications?

 

Actually, the new testament is pretty clear that Jesus himself believed in plurality of church leadership. Jesus chose 12 men, not 1. Jesus trained 12 men, not 1. Jesus commissioned 12 men, not 1. These 12 men, although not equal in talents and abilities, shared equal authority. There was not 1 who ruled the other eleven.

These 12 men who were trained and commissioned by Jesus himself to teach, baptize and disciple, also ordained a plurality of elders in the first churches.

Act 14:23 And when they had ordained them ELDERS in every CHURCH, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed

There is absolutely NO evidence that any of the first churches in the new testament had anything other than a plurality of elders all equal in authority responsible for leading, guiding, directing and teaching the church.

Are you comparing a pastor in the New Testament to Moses in the Old Testament. That is quite funny. Thanks for the laugh.

HUH? You can’t be serious. I would like you to show me one clear example where any church was NOT under a plurality of elders.

Act 11:30 Which also they did, and sent it to the ELDERS by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Act 14:23 And when they had ordained them ELDERS in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

Act 15:4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and ELDERS, and they declared all things that God had done with them.
Act 15:5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
Act 15:6 And the apostles and ELDERS came together for to consider of this matter.

Act 20:17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.

Act 21:18 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the ELDERS were present.

There are many more verses. The above are just a few.

And the elder(S) were elected to lead.

No, God is not the author of confusion, and God made it pretty clear that plurality of elders was the biblical example of church leadership. The evidence is quite overwhelming actually.

 

Ignoring the biblical example of plurality of elders is critical in many churches. God did not intend for one man to be THE overseer of the church. It causes too many problems. Besides, no ONE man is gifted enough to adequately fulfill all the biblical requirements that elders must fill. We all have our weaknesses. With a plurality of elders the weaknesses of one elder may be the strong point of another elder.

The weaknesses in a one pastor system are far greater and more damaging than the weaknesses of the biblical example of plurality of elders.

I agree.

 

Actually, that isn’t true. The elders in the New Testament had equal authority. They didn’t have a senior elder that ruled the others just like they didn’t have a senior deacon that ruled the other deacons. There is no example in the New Testament where any ONE man was in charge. In fact, the Bible makes it quite clear that the ONE person in charge was Jesus Christ himself. That is another reason for a plurality of elders. It is an acknowledgement that there is no one person over the church other than Jesus Christ.

My Bible says “angel”. It doesn’t say pastor. Besides, even if “angel” is referring to pastor it doesn’t mean they only had one pastor. In fact, the bible makes it clear the church at Ephesus had multiple pastors/elders.

 

The biblical example of plurality of elders is not referring to pastor and assistant pastors. The elders all had equal authority. There was no elder that ruled the others. There was no such thing as an assistant elder just as there was no such thing as assistant deacon.