Eldership in Crisis
Introduction
A major problem that godly people bring to me from time to time for prophetic wisdom and teaching concerns eldership. My grievous observation is that, in practice, elders are either absent, for example, in Anglican/Catholic/Orthodox circles focussed on bishops (the so-called “monarchical episcopacy”, one bishop per geographic region), or present as weak, pushy and dysfunctional leaders, as in some Baptist or Pentecostal circles. It is no exaggeration to say that the present Western Church, at least as far as the single model of “pastoring” is concerned, is confronted by an eldership crisis! Whist in some places there is a welcome move from the old wineskin leadership model to “shepherding” (Eph 4:11; 1 Pet 5:2) this is as yet a rare phenomenon. We must conclude that the widely loathed “celebrity pastor” is still dominant in our churches. This spills out to ordinary Christians, so that many biblically illiterate, believers, lack in depth understanding of the root of their ongoing spiritual immaturities. We live in a time when the so-called “priesthood of all believers”, a vital Reformation truth, has gone mad so people cannot restrain themselves from expressing what amounts to a personal opinion. Contrary to the counsel of Acts 6:4, focussed devotion on the Word and prayer. Paul testifies, “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.” (Rom 14:1). We must go back to basics.
Back to the Sources
Around the middle of the fourteenth century a groundswell of scholarship across Europe started to bypass the inherited Latin translations of the Bible. This turning to Hebrew and Greek texts, like Erasmus’ Greek edition (1516) which led to Luther’s German Bible and the King James version. This monumental shift in biblical scholarship engulfed the entire Church. In line with this I sense we are on the hinge an essential transition when it comes to theologies of ministry. This led me back to re-read a study from the 1970’s, Eldership In The Scriptures (https://www.newcreationlibrary.org.au/books/pdf/097_LFS22.pdf). Undoing my arrogance, I found Geoff Bigham expounding the status of the 24 heavenly elders in Revelation (4:4, 10; 5:8; 11:16; 19:4), Whilst their personal is disputable, are they angelic or human, that they are models for earthly elders is clear. Their authority is symbolised by their golden crowns, their holiness by their white robes, they live close to the throne of God (7:11), they show great knowledge of divine realities (4:11; 15:3), they are true worshippers and enabled to bring the prayers of the saints to God (5:8). They also exercise Christ-centred prophetic words (5:5; 7:13). These deeply holy and beautiful beings are close to us in the Spirit and their brightness can be communicated to us in Christ. If this is a biblical truth, what are we NOT seeing when it comes to eldership?
The Authority of Full Forgiveness
The root of all our problems is our failure to be seized by the Gospel of Christ (Rom 1:16) in its power to reconcile all things in heaven and earth to God (Col 1:20). Whilst this might seem too high-minded for most Christians, the power of cosmic reconciliation is conveyed to us by experiences of full forgiveness. And it is exactly forgiveness which elders are meant to convey. The gospel opens and closes with this testimony, “new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him” (Mark 1:27). “All authority (ἐξουσίαν)in heaven and on earth has been given to me. God therefore…” (Matt 28:18). The power to make disciples flows from the making real of forgiveness. Remember how Jesus uniquely commended the Roman centurion because he understood that his own being “under authority” (Luke 7:8) was the secret of unlimited healing power. Sonship is being forgiven: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right (ἐξουσίαν authority) to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13). Jesus healed completely, as he expounded of the “sinful woman”, “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—that’s why she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”” (Luke 7:47). The ascension of Christ is best described as his exaltation “far above all (opposing) rule and (fallen) authority/exousian (Eph 1:21).
Elders Release Christ’s Power to Forgive
In wrongly comparing earthly to heavenly elders likely to forget that these angelic powers, under Christ, are our servants, “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” (Heb 1:14). Even more powerfully, “It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.” (1 Pet 1:12). The unfallen guiltless state of holy angels is mightily surpassed by the amazement of these celestial beings at once fallen men and women (us) becoming blamelessness before the Lord on the Day of Judgement (Phil 1:10; 2:1; Col 1:22; 1 Thess 3:13; Jude 24; Rev 14:5). This is something that genuine teaching elders (1 Tim 5:17) must live by for it is at the indispensable core of the Gospel. Like it or not, that the current crisis of eldership penetrates to the very identity what it means to be Church.
In healing the paralytic man Christ openly declared, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:5). Then in resurrected glory “Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”” (John 20:21-23) This follows his earlier solemn promise, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosedin heaven.”” (Matt 16:19). Lest we think such wonders no longer apply today, James’ exhortation is clear: “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (5:13-16).
Conclusion
In his characteristic unembarrassed and probing manner, Geoff Bingham introduces his, A Pastor’s Personal Questionnaire, with, “All questions presuppose that the love of God has been flooded into the pastors’ heart through the gospel. All presume that the pastor is kept by the love of the Father which is in Christ Jesus our Lord….” These are Bible-based assumptions, but today they seem totally unrealistic. To remedy our perilous spiritual state can I suggest we “Set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is yourlife appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Col 3:3-4), not any old glory, but the honour that is coming to us in Jesus. In a text prophetic of the Lord’s presence in the Church, God declares. “Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the Lord of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders.” (Isa 24:23) I can assure you that if this is our constant prayer, revival will come.