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NASB | Titus 1:7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Titus 1:7 For the overseer, as God's steward, must be blameless, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain [but financially ethical]. |
Bible Question:
I need help!! Our government is based on elders running the church, with the people having no imput. The pastor is the head elder and he has appointed 3 more. We are a small church (100 - 135 members including children) In the past two years, our pastor has exhibited many disturbing behavior problems (anger, exaggeration to the point of lying, not visitng his congregation, spending money without knowledge of his elders (his wife is the bookkeeper, etc.) In the four years since I've been attending, he has had 5 secretaries, each one leaving because they cannot deal with the anger problem. Now, two of the elders have stood against him and the other elder, trying to get this back in 0rder. Please help me with what the scriptural basis is for church government and what the pastor's role is. Please pray for us! Thanks! |
Bible Answer: The 3 key passages in Scripture for biblical eldership are 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, and 1 Peter 5. Rule by a plurality of elders is perfectly in line with the Bible. However, having the elders appointed solely by your pastor is not. The three main types of church government we see in the church today are episcopal (bishop appoints priests to oversee), presbyterian (a central governing body made up of elders governs the church of a particular area), and congregational (the members of the congregation have the first and final choice as to whom their elders are). While I certainly think that one of these is more biblical than the others, none of them hold that a single pastor (who in Scripture holds the office of an elder as well) has the sole authority to appoint his co-elders. As I mentioned above, there is no distinction in scripture between a pastor and an elder as far as their responsibilities to shepherd the flock of God. The plurality of elders is to insure that the sins of your pastor will be held in check by God-fearing men who are not afraid to discipline for the sake of God's kingdom. If you want to read an excellent book on the subject, I recommend one called _Biblical Eldership_ by Alexander Strauch. Hope this helps! I would also recommend addressing your concerns to the other elders at your church. --Joe! |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Titus 1:7 | Author | ||
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love4Him | ||
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mimaburt | ||
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Reformer Joe | ||
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EdB |