ELDERS

         If you are not familiar with the church of Christ, you might be wondering at this point, "what is an elder?" In the new testament church; the church we read about in the Bible, elders were appointed in every congregation (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5). Their appointments are based upon the qualifications found in Titus 1:5-9 and 1 Timothy 3:1-7.

        Elders were, and are, appointed in a plurality within the local congregation; there can never be only one elder overseeing a church at any given time (Acts 14:23; 20:7).

        Elders are to provide the oversight and leadership only over the church where they are members. Elders have no authority over any aspect of the work of another congregation. Nor are they to be involved in any of the decisions made by another congregation. They are to "shepherd the flock of God which is among you..." (1 Peter 5:2).

        Elders are to "feed" the flock (the members) through teaching, instruction, example, etc.(1 Peter 5:1-3). Elders, likewise, have the responsibility of guarding and protecting the flock from false teachers (Acts 20:28-30; Hebrews 13:17).

        Elders are sometimes referred to as bishops (1 Timothy 3:1), overseers (Acts 20:28), pastors (Ephesians 4:11-12), and of course, elders (1 Timothy 5:17). All of these terms, as used in the Bible, refer to the same group of men - elders. None of these terms are given to these men for the purpose of flattering them with fancy titles (Matthew 23:6-12), but rather, they simply describe the nature of the work these officers do in the Lord's church.