Biblical Eldership Church Leadership

Paul 's Instruction to Timothy

question? “Against an elder”—and such my dear Husband surely is to the rest of our party—“receive not an accusation but before two or three witnesses.” I am more intimately acquainted than anyone else with the whole tenor of my beloved Husband’s private and social walk, and...that walk is in all meekness and forbearance, in all purity, in all sincerity of purpose, and all singleness of eye.33 Unfortunately, Maria’s scriptural admonition was not heeded until considerable pain and damage was inflicted on the Taylor family. If an elder stands between a husband and wife in conflict or disci plines a prominent church member, accusations will fly. Amos (ca. 755 B.c.), the Old Testament fanner—turned-prophet, wrote: “They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks with integrity” (Amos 5210). The more diligently and conscientiously an elder becomes involved in others’ problems, the greater the risk of facing angry, false accusations. When people become angry at their leaders, they think they have the right to strike out at them and say whatever they want to say. So Scripture provides protection for elders by stating, “do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three wit nesses.” This means: don’t listen to unsubstantiated charges, and don’t automatically accept as true an accusation made against an elder. At heart, we all love to hear rumors and scandals. Proverbs 1828 says, “The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, and they go down into the innermost parts of the body.” But Christians are to be people of truth, love, and light. Therefore, we should hate scandalous tales and unsupported rumors. We should silence them whenever we hear them because they are destructive and harmful to individual people and to the life of the community. Good people have been ruined by unfounded accusations, and we should not allow this to happen in the Christian community. Love always tries to see others in the best possible light, not the worst (Prov. 1729). Our judgments, then, are to be governed by facts, evidence, and witnesses—not rumors. We should live by the principle, “No judgment without the facts.” We shouldn’t believe any story, even from our most trusted friends, until we have all the facts from all the people involved. However, fair, reasonable protection from accusation doesn’t imply

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