Biblical Eldership Church Leadership

The Acts of the Apostles

In adopting this familiar form of government, we can be certain that the apostles’ choice was no arbitrary decision. Prayer and the Spirit’s leading guided the twelve apostles and the first Jewish Chris tian community to establish leadership by a council of elders. As the church’s official community leaders, the elders received money for the poor and were responsible for its proper administration. They judged doctrinal issues, provided counsel, and spoke for the congregation. Luke mentions these Jewish Christian elders three times in his his tory of beginning Christianity. Let us now examine what Luke reveals about the elders’ role through these historic events.

THEY RECEIVE AND ADMINISTER MONEY

Luke mentions Christian church elders for the first time in Acts 11:30:

Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. And this took place in the reign of Claudius. And in the proportion that any of the disciples [in Antioch] had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders [presbyterous] (Acts 1 1:29,30). It was to the Jewish Christian elders that the Christians in Antioch sent their contribution for the poor (AD. 47). The elders’ actual role in the distribution of the funds is not explained by Luke, but the fact that money was placed into their care reveals that they were the church’s official representatives. As such, they received the offering on behalf of the church and were responsible for its proper administration.

Word Study on Presbyteros

The Greek word for “elder” is presbyteros, which is derived from the adjective presbys, which means “old.” Presbyteros is the comparative form, meaning “older” (Luke 15:25). However,

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