Biblical Eldership Church Leadership

Paul ’s Letters to the Churches

Concerning the New Testament’s emphasis on peace, biblical scholar F.J.A. Hort (1828-1892) writes that Paul “is giving instruction on the very essence of membership when in each of the nine Epistles ad dressed to Ecclesiae [churches] he makes the peace of God to be the supreme standard for them to aim at, and the perpetual self-surrender of love the comprehensive means of attaining it.”18 Despite certain debatable details, the main points of Paul’s exhor tations to the church at Thessalonica are perfectly clear: to acknowl edge and esteem in love those who work hard at leading and admon ishing the church. Furthermore, his plea goes out to all members of the church—leaders and congregation alike—to work for peace. This divine instruction is all too easily forgotten when we face the pres sures, hurts, and conflicts of life. Referring to the need to obey this inspired exhortation, Scottish commentator John Eadie (1810-1876) writes, “On obedience to it depended, in no small measure, the peace and the spiritual prosperity of the church.”'9 Unlike 1 Thessalonians, which was written to an infant church, Phi lippians was written to a church that was more than ten years old. It was a model of spiritual maturity and faithfulness. At the time he wrote Philippians, Paul was under house arrest in Rome (A.D. 60-62). The Philippians dearly loved Paul, and while he was in custody they sent a generous loving offering and their personal envoy, Epaphroditus, to communicate their love to him. Paul responded by writing the letter of Philippians. Among Paul’s letters to the churches, Philippians is unique in that Paul greets both “the overseers and deacons” in his salutation: Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons (Phil. 121). Paul’s brief mention of overseers and deacons provides a wealth of valuable information for our study on eldership. It confirms, as Luke states, that elders were established in the Pauline churches. It also PAUL’S LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS (1:1)

174