Biblical Eldership Church Leadership

Peter’s Instruction to the Asian Elders

- The prophet Ezekiel describes the lordly, autocratic shepherds of Israel when he writes: “with force and with severity you have dominated them [the sheep]” (Ezek. 34:4). 0 Jesus especially forbids any individual or group within the fami ly of God to treat brothers and sisters like subjects to be ruled, which is what the leaders of this world often do: “Jesus said to them, ‘You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them [katakyrieud]; and their great men ex ercise authority over them. But it is not so among you, but who soever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all’” (Mark 10:42-44). 0 Following our Lord’s instruction, John, the apostle, denounces a man named Diotrephes, the first-known dictatorial pastor, for lord ing his authority over a Christian congregation. John writes: “I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. . .neither does he himself receive the brethren, and he forbids those who desire to do so, and puts them out of the church” (3 John 9,10b; italics added). There is no place for dominating, lordly leaders in a family that is to be marked by mutual love (1 Peter 1222; 3:8; 4:8; 5:14), brother hood, submission, and humility (1 Peter 2213,14,18; 3:1; 525). The elders are not to shepherd the church like “little popes or petty ty rants.”12 In fact, in verse 5, Peter tells all Christians how to dress for success: to clothe themselves with “humility.” Even more important, there is only one Lord and Master in God’s Church: the Lord Jesus Christ. All others are His servants. The clause, “those allotted to your charge,” further strengthens the concept that the people are not the elders’ possessions. The people do not belong to the elders; they belong to the One who assigned them to the elders’ care, that is, to God. This clause represents the definite article and the plural form of the noun, kléms, which literally rendered is: “the lots,” “the portions,” or “the allotments.” So the Greek text reads, “nor as exercising lordship over the portions.” Lots were used by the apostles to determine God’s choice for

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