For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth

of the gospel Col 1:5

The Logos february 2013 Issue

A publication of the Church of Christ on Tortola, with the aim of bringing everyone in unity through the Logos of God.

The Logos

Church Organization - Pastor/Elder/Bishop By Kenny Lake In our religious world today, if one takes a glimpse inside many of the denominational churches, we often notice who the Pastor or Bishop of a Church is, and the position and power they exercise. What we also find is the miss-use of these names and we find where in many or if not most of these churches, they even rank them and hold them as different offices in the Church. You may find in one Church they rank Pastor above Bishop and in another Church they rank Bishop above Pastor. What is also interesting to note that most times the use of the word Elder is almost never mentioned or used. Who is a Pastor? Who is an Elder? Who is a Bishop? You might be surprised to know that the word Pastor, Elder and Bishop actually refers to the same one office. In the light of this, let's investigate through scripture how these words are used and what they mean through the lens of God, through the pages of His word. What is required for one to be qualified to become a Pastor, Elder and Bishop ? Two passages provide us with a list of qualifications. 1st Tim 3:1-7 & Titus 1:5-9 After reading the above verses, do you think we change or modify these qualifications? What if someone is really good and meets all of the qualifications except one or two? Do they still meet Gods requirements? Please notice how the apostle Paul begins the list of qualifications: "A Bishop must be blameless" (1st Tim 3:2) Since a Bishop "must be" these things, then we do not have the liberty to modify nor change the list in any way. To do otherwise would be in direct rebellion of God's word. The combination qualifications from these two passages are listed together below. The Pastor / Elder / Bishop must be: * Blameless * Husband of one wife *Temperate, self-controlled * Sober-minded * Just * Holy * Of good behavior * Hospitable * Able to teach * Knowledgeable and holding fast to sound doctrine that he may be able to both exhort and convict those in contradiction with the word of God * Not given to wine * Not violent * Not quick-tempered * Not greedy for money * Not self-willed * Lover of what is good * Gentle * Not quarrelsome * Not covetous * Having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination * Rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence * Not a novice * Have a good testimony of those outside the church* From these qualifications it is evident that these persons will be a mature Christian, exemplary in all areas of the Christian's life. Although circumstances may pressure us into overlooking some of these qualifications, we should remember that these requirements arise from God's wisdom, God's authority, God's command and not man's.

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What is the work of a Pastor / Elder / Bishop? The apostle Peter, who was also a Elder, admonished the Elders in their work to: "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: "Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1st Peter 5:1-3) From this passage we learn that elders are to serve as "overseers" for the "flock. Also, elders are limited to overseeing the flock "among them". They cannot oversee the affairs of other congregations. Elders cannot override Christs commands nor act like Lords in the Church. Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.(1st Peter 5:3) The Elders also look after the Church. "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, ..." (Hebrews 13:17) What does Pastor / Elder / Bishop mean? The Bible uses others words to reference this office, which are Elder, Bishop and Pastor. Many denominations practice having an "overseeing preacher" who shepherds the flock and is called a "Pastor". Other denominations select someone to rule over the elders within a district and call him a "Bishop". Some even build elaborate hierarchy, creating offices that are not even found in the Bible, such as cardinal and pope. However, the confusion can be resolved by returning to the Bible as the standard. The Bible actually uses the words Elder, Bishop and Pastor interchangeably, because they refer to one and the same office! Please note the following examples of this synonymous use: Elder same as Bishop: "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 - if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. For a Bishop must be blameless ..." (Titus 1:5-7) Elder same as Overseer (Bishop) same as Pastor (Shepherd) "From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the Elders of the church. And when they had come to him, he said to them:. v28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. (Acts 20:17 & 28) The Greek word for Elder is Presbuteros which means: one of age and the maturity. The Greek word for Bishop is Episkopos which means: to oversee and watch out for. The Greek word for Pastor is Poimen which means: to shepherd the flock, feed the flock The office of Pastor /Elder /Bishop is vey important to the Church. Especially, when we consider the need for faithful and sound spiritual leadership in every congregation. Moreover, we have learned that the office of elder is primarily a spiritual office that is responsible to oversee by watching out for your souls and to Pastor the flock by being a shepherd to feed the flock Therefore, let us be diligent to assign qualified men, dismiss unqualified men and remove unscriptural offices from our churches. Lets just be the Church of the Bible by holding on to Gods word and reject the dogmas of men.

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