As we think about call to preach the gospel, we have to look at the New Testament data regarding the government of the Church. Several things are relevant.

First, we notice that just as various words, such as the Bride of Christ and the Body of Christ, are used to describe the same thing when it comes to the Church itself, so we discover that different words are used to describe the same office in the Church. For example, in Acts 20:17, we are told that Paul "sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders (plural of PRESBUTEROS, from which we get the word 'Presbyterian.') of the church." Yet in speaking to that same group of elders, Paul tells them in verse 28: "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you bishops (plural of EPISCOPOS, from which we get the word 'Episcopalian.'), to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son."

In other words, Saint Luke is telling us that every one of those elders was also a bishop. Or, we might say, as others have about the elder:

"The man who fills it has in Scripture different titles expressive of his various duties. As he has the oversight of the flock of Christ, he is termed bishop or pastor. As it is his duty to be grave and prudent, an example to the flock, and to govern well in the house and Kingdom of Christ, he is termed presbyter or elder. As he expounds the Word, and by sound doctrine both exhorts and convinces the gainsayer, he is termed teacher. These titles do not indicate different grades of office, but all describe one and the same office" *.

This truth that all bishops are elders and all elders are bishops is born out in Paul's instructions to Titus: "This is why I left you in Crete, that you might amend what was defective, and appoint elders (plural of PRESBUTEROS.) in every town as I directed you . . . For a bishop (singular of EPISCOPOS.), as God’s steward, must be blameless; he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain" (Titus 1:5, 7.).

Not only are the words "elder" and "bishop" used to describe the same office, we see in these two passages above that every local congregation is supposed to be governed by a group of elders who rule collegially rather than individually. Acts 20 and Titus 1 are not isolated texts in the New Testament, Acts 14:23 tells us: "And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they believed."

This is seen further in Philippians 1:1, where Paul writes: "Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons," indicating that each local church should have both bishops and deacons.

And the Apostle Peter refers to himself as an elder when writing to the office-bearers of the Diaspora: "So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder (SUMPRESBUTEROS.) and a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker in the glory that is to be revealed" (1 Peter 5:1.).

Another thing we notice about church government in the New Testament is that there is some kind of connection and mutual accountability between the individual churches. Not only do we find churches giving talent and money to help other churches (Romans 15:25-27),** but we find them consulting the Bible together in an organized way to reach decisions (Acts 15:2, 3, 15-23).***

As I survey the New Testament, I am compelled to embrace the two-office position, holding that there are only two permanent offices that are essential for the local church: that of elder and that of deacon. Going strictly by what we can deduce from Scripture, we cannot draw a hard and fast line between ruling and teaching elders. It is simply that some elders are given financial support in order to give themselves full time to the work of the ministry: "The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching" (1 Timothy 5:17.). This "honor" specifically includes financial support: "For the scripture says, 'You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain,' and, 'The laborer deserves his wages'" (1 Timothy 5:18.).

The way that this works out practically can be as follows. A man comes to confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. He soon exhibits interest and ability to share his faith with other people, and the disciple begins to make disciples. As he matures in the faith, elders begin to take notice of him and work with him more closely, taking him under their wing in active apprenticeship, guiding him in his studies. In the course of time, the elders, after examination and prayer, may come to recommend him to the congregation as a candidate for ordination to the office of elder. All this time, he is earning his living by working in the world, supporting his own family.

If he shows special ability, the eldership may encourage him to pursue further studies away from that congregation, in which case, they would financially underwrite the costs for this and entrust him into the care of others who would be able to take him further along. But in our time moving away may not be necessary, because we have the blessings that our Lord bequeathed to us through Gutenberg, and we also have computers and the Internet. This intellectual pursuit might include his attending what we call seminary, where he can better learn the languages in which the Scriptures first came to be written and where he can sit at the feet of modern Gamaliels. In time, he may come back to the original congregation, or the larger body of elders may choose to place him somewhere else.

When he comes back or arrives at his new position, he may or may not receive financial support. Various circumstances would enter into that decision, such as the financial ability of the people of God to support his ministry full-time and the man’s ability to do the work of the eldership while earning his living in the world.

In other words, in the picture I have outlined above, what we commonly call pastor-teachers or teaching elders ordinarily come from the ranks of what we commonly call ruling elders. That is, teaching elders are simply ruling elders who demonstrate their effectiveness in ministry effectively enough that the church begins to supplement their incomes so that they can increasingly devote themselves to the work of the ministry, particularly to prayer and the ministry of the Word. (Cf. Acts 6:4.)

This is so contrary to the modern model, rooted as it is in a profound distortion of the clericalism of Rome and Constantinople. (We have inherited so much from our dysfunctional parents -- where in the Word of God do we find a special category of people given the authority to administer a sacrament called marriage?)

Bob Vincent

* The Book of Church Order of the Presbyterian Church in America, Chapter 8, "The Elder," 8-1.

** "At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem with aid for the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem; they were pleased to do it, and indeed they are in debt to them, for if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings" (Romans 15:25-27.).

*** "And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, reporting the conversion of the Gentiles, and they gave great joy to all the brethren" (Acts 15:2, 3.).