Spring Warrior Church of Christ

7432 S. Red Padgett Road

Perry, FL 32348
584-5176

Prove All Things Vol. 1 No. 25

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21

Elders in the First Century

by Randy Baker, bakerr@perry.gulfnet.com [7/25/01]

It is evident from many New Testament scriptures that elders were an important
part of the first century church. Titus 1:5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou
shouldest set in order the things that were wanting, and appoint elders in every city,
as I gave thee charge. . . . The first century churches were not considered complete
without the proper local leadership that God prescribed. Paul understood the eldership
to be an important topic and wrote clear guidelines for the church to follow.

In the 21st century, we commonly see the terms “elders,” “presbyters,” “bishops,”
“pastors,” and “overseers” referring to different roles that man has developed. In the
first century church, however, all of these terms referred to only one God-defined role.
In Acts 20:17-38 Paul is instructing the elders from the church of Ephesus. They are
referred to as elders in v17 (Greek word presbuteros) and he also calls them bishops in
v28 (Greek word episkopos). Paul also describes that their work was to feed the flock
(to shepherd or to pastor from the Greek word poimen). A similar interchangeability of
terms is used in I Peter 5:1-2. All of these words, which describe different aspects of the
role, refer to the same individuals – the elders. Men have turned this role into a variety
of different offices, but there is no authority for this from scripture. (Elders and deacons
are indeed different roles, but we won’t cover that topic in this article.)

As I Timothy 3:1 shows, theirs was to be a working role, not just a position of
status or honor. They were to feed the flock, the local church which they were in charge
of, as shown in I Peter 5:2. They were to rule over those in their charge (I Timothy 5:17),
and to oversee their activities (Acts 20:28), and to watch out for those who would teach
error (Acts 20:31).

The authority of the elders came not from themselves. They were not to believe
or teach anything that had not been delivered to them (Galatians 1:7-8). Their function
was to teach, demonstrate by example, and enforce what the Holy Spirit had showed

Bibleweb.com, Copyright © 2001 Randy Baker All Rights Reserved

Page 1 of 2
them to be true. The Lord has not changed this role description.

How many elders were intended to be over each congregation? There is no

precise number given. We do see, however, that there was always a plurality of bishops.
Paul and Barnabas helped select “elders in every church” in Acts 14:23; the “elders” of
Jerusalem are referred to in Acts 15:2; Paul talks with the elders of the church at
Ephesus in Acts 20:17-38; Titus was instructed to appoint “elders in every city” (Titus
1:5); the sick were told to call for the “elders of the church” in James 5:14 - here James
refers to those sick from a local congregation and they were to call for their elders to
pray for them. The Scriptures never refer to one elder (pastor, bishop, overseer, or
shepherd) being over a congregation of God’s people.

Neither is there evidence in scripture of elders presiding over more than one
congregation. Peter instructed the elders to “tend the flock of God which is among you”
(1 Peter 5:2). Paul told the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:28 “Take heed unto yourselves,
and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops.” In this case, Paul
was speaking to those who were elders of the congregation in Ephesus – the saints at
Ephesus were the ones the Holy Spirit had entrusted to them. Nothing is ever suggested
to show that elders were shepherding anyone but the members of their local flock.

Who is eligible in God’s sight to perform this work of oversight of local

congregations of the saints? Paul was clear with two first century preachers about what
to teach on this matter. The qualifications are clearly laid out in Titus 1:5-11 and 1
Timothy 3:1-7, 11 and they indicate that only a certain type of individual living a certain
lifestyle met the requirements for pastoring over His flocks.

Can a woman rightfully perform the role of being one of the presbyters of a local
congregation of God’s Christians? The inspired qualifications given in Titus 1 and 1
Timothy 3 leave us answering “no” to this question. The woman cannot be the “husband
of one wife.” This scripture in no way gives any suggestion that men are better than
women – only that God has differentiated their roles according to His will.

It is up to us to adhere to the authorized description of leadership for the Lord’s

church. If we change, or update the qualifications that were given, we do it on our own
authority and not God’s. We must follow that pattern that we know God finds
acceptable just as the first century church did.

Bibleweb.com, Copyright © 2001 Randy Baker All Rights Reserved

Page 2 of 2