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Therefore, as a fellow elder and witness to the sufferings of the Messiah, and also a participant in the glory about to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you: shepherd God's flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but freely, according to God's will; not for the money but eagerly; - 1 Peter 5:1-2 HCSB

The office of elder is incredibly ancient. Its existence apparently preceded Moses because it was simply stated as a matter of fact, without explanation. Moses was told to gather the elders of Israel to pass on to the people the message of the Lord.[1] They are mentioned throughout the Bible, starting in Genesis and ending in Revelation where we find out that there are even elders in Heaven![2] The office of elder is a noble task and a worthy ambition.[3] However, it should not be entered into lightly, seeing as there are higher standards for those who teach and lead.[4]

Elders are considered the under-shepherds of the local flock. In 2Samuel as they came to crown him king, David was referred to by both the people and the Lord as a shepherd and a ruler.[5] Later, the Psalmist Asaph again associated David’s pure-hearted shepherding with ruling or guiding the nation.[6] Though I am not trying to make church elders out to be kings, I believe that these two passages clearly demonstrate the biblical understanding of “shepherding” as leadership or rule.

Therefore, elders have oversight over God’s people. They are responsible to lead their people to safe pasturage, to feed and water them well and to keep them safe until the Good Shepherd returns for them.[7] As shepherds, the elders should be known for their care of even the physical needs of their flock.[8] Like all good shepherds, they pay careful heed to their flock, and seek to know their flock intimately and the individual member’s state of health so that they can adequately perform their duties.[9]

They are the leaders[10] of the church and direct the affairs of all its ministries, including the delegated responsibilities of the deacons.[11] The deacons were first created so that the elders of the first church of Jerusalem could devote themselves to the prayer and preaching ministry.[12] When relief money was sent to the church in Judea, it was addressed to the elders.[13] So although the tasks of day-to-day financial management may be delegated, the responsibility of the money is still clearly considered to be the elders’.

This is why one of the qualifications of eldership is that they are not greedy for money.[14] The book of Titus defines an elder as an overseer, as God’s manager and that responsibility is immediately tied to the prohibition against greed.

[1] Exodus 3:16

[2] Genesis 50:7; Revelation 4:4

[3] 1 Timothy 3:1

[4] James 3:1; Matthew 23:34-36; Luke 12:47-48; Luke 20:47

[5] 2 Samuel 5:2

[6] Psalm 78:71-72

[7] John 21:15-17; Acts 20:17; 1 Peter 5:1-2

[8] James 5:14

[9] Proverbs 27:23

[10] 1 Timothy 5:17; Hebrews 13:17

[11] Acts 6:2-4

[12] Acts 6:2-4

[13] Acts 11:29-30

[14] Titus 1:7

"The Way" from Kevin Pauley

A World of One