Basic Theology of the Eldership, Part 2

Introduction: Four Admonitions for Eldership

0:04 All right, now having laid before you the two basic presuppositions and then the fundamental thesis and having sought to break that thesis down into four categories of thought and demonstrate the biblical basis of those categories, now what I want to do is give four major admonitions that grow out of each of those major strands of the thesis.

0:31 And you'll see the connection of all of this, I hope, as we proceed. Admonition number one, don't use the biblical standard in a wooden, idealistic way.

Admonition 1: Avoid Wooden, Idealistic Application of Standards

0:46 Don't use the biblical standard, that is the biblical standard for overseers, in a wooden, idealistic way.

0:56 Someone no sooner hears the exhortation to make sure that there is due regard to the biblical standard or in a sense you nullify the validity of the office, when they come to the passage and they say, all right, look what it says. One that rules well his own house, having children in subjection with all gravity. If a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? How can a man who's not married have children and be respectable?

1:28 And if he's married and doesn't have children, how can he meet this standard? Therefore, no unmarried man nor childless man should be...

1:37 recognized as an elder. It's obvious, it's what the text says. One that ruleth well his own house, having children. Gotta have children, gotta have them before he can rule them.

1:48 So if he doesn't have children, can't be an elder. And if he's not married and has kids, then he's not blameless. I mean, that's what the passage says.

1:59 Know what it says? And so they present a case. They're approaching the passage in a wooden, idealistic manner. They would exclude...

2:10 from the office all unmarried men. They would exclude from the office all childless married men. Furthermore, they come to the Titus 1 passage, and they say, the passage says, having blameless children who believe. And by pressing an unwarranted meaning upon the use of the word pistos, they say, you've got to have believing children.

2:38 That's what the passage says. And any attempts to show that the word elsewhere means trustworthy, and in the context it means children who are basically governed, who can be trusted to reflect the fact that they are governed, is an attempt to wiggle out of the high standard of God. And so they approach the passage in a wooden, idealistic way. And then, furthermore, they take every facet of the qualification, and they expect...

3:10 They expect on a scale of 1 to 10 that a man will manifest a development of grace in every area on a scale of 10.

3:19 So here's the way they read the passage. The bishop, therefore, must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, eminently and supremely temperate, eminently and supremely sober-minded, eminent and supremely orderly, eminent and supremely given to hospitality. And so they approach the passage, in a wooden, idealistic way. And what happens is one of two things.

3:46 Either nobody's ever recognized as an elder, because God just don't make men that perfect this side of heaven, or people feign that they have something that they don't have.

3:58 Now, I'm not making an appeal to disregard the standard. My thesis began with the fact that there is a standard. But when we look at the two passages, we notice that the two of them are not identical, and therefore we must dig behind the specifics and say, what is Paul driving at? What he's driving at is that the bishop must be, in his character, a man of balanced, proven godliness who has developed sufficiently in the full spectrum of graces, though not equally in all areas, that he can lead with a grip upon the consciences of his followers.

4:33 That's the bottom line. Now, it may be that in the area of self-control, he scales in at a 4, in hospitality at a 7, Now, the graces must be there and must be sufficiently developed to make him an exemplary Christian. For, as you've already been told, I'm sure, in some other connection, that there is not a one of these qualifications that is not elsewhere in the New Testament required of all Christians in general, or of other classes of Christians in particular, except aptitude to teach. All of the others are found in the description of Christianity, Christian graces towards which all believers should be pressing, but in the case of one who would be an elder, there must be sufficient attainment of those graces to commend him to the consciences of those whom he would lead as a true man of God. And so, my first admonition grows out of the first strand of the thesis. There is a biblical standard of qualification. We must not ignore it, we must not despise it, but, admonition one, don't use the biblical standard in a wooden, idealistic way.

Admonition 2: Don't Press for Plurality at the Expense of Standards

5:51 All right? Secondly, don't press, don't press for the norm of plurality at the expense of a realistic regard for biblical standards. Don't press for the norm of plurality at the expense of a realistic regard for biblical standards.

6:19 And I've already alluded to this problem. Some people see, yes, the norm in scripture is a plurality, therefore I'm going to have that norm even if I must blink at the biblical standard.

6:31 Now, it's accurate to say that a church in which there is but one elder is an abnormality, but it is not sin. It is not necessarily sin. But a church in which you have two elders at the expense of disregard to the word of God, that is, sin.

6:49 Now, we can live with abnormality that is impressed upon us in the providence of God with a good conscience, but we cannot live with a good conscience in the face of a situation that is blatant sin. Disregard for the clear word of God. So, don't press for the norm of plurality at the expense of a realistic regard for biblical standards. You can take certain temporary expenses, expedients, in order to neutralize some of the abnormality of having only one elder in a congregation.

7:27 If that man has the spirit that will indeed make him able to take his place as one amongst many, that spirit will instinctively drive him to seek the counsel of elders in another church until God raises up elders in his own church. It will press him to seek the input of the more mature people within his own fellowship who may not yet qualify to be elders, but who are men of wisdom. If he has the spirit that lies behind the wisdom of Christ in instituting a framework of government that in its normalcy is marked by plurality, he will already be locking in to the spirit of that as he is able, within his own congregation and in nurturing, in counsel and relationship with other more mature believers. All right? Admonition number three. Don't press for an expression of parity.

Admonition 3: Don't Negate Diversity of Gift for Parity

8:33 Don't press for an expression of parity which negates the realism of diversity of gift. Don't press for an expression of parity which negates the realism of diversity of gift. Don't press for an expression of diversity of gift or undermines maximum edification. Or undermines maximum edification.

9:06 Now let me explain what I mean. Some men are so anxious to prove to everyone that they really believe in parity. They do not believe that because a man has this gift or that gift, he's in a class all his own, that they're determined that anyone visiting the church one time would leave knowing this. Nobody around here has a higher profile than anyone else.

9:30 So what do they do? If they have three elders, the service is equally divided up amongst the three elders every Lord's Day. The preaching is equally divided amongst the three men. You may have only one man that can preach where the plug nickel.

9:43 The other two, really, it's preaching is not their gift. But they are determined to make it evident. We believe in parity. So everything in a wooden, legal, holistic way is divvied up amongst the two or the three elders.

9:58 My admonition is, brethren, don't press for an expression of parity which negates the realism of diversity of gift or undermines maximum edification.

10:14 Now, we're not saying that all the members of the team don't have a significant place if they're bona fide members of the team. But if you've got a pinch hitter to go up in the last of the ninth with two men on base and you're behind them, you're behind one run, you don't try to prove you regard all the team members as equally worthy of honor by sending up your worst stick man, you know, the guy that, you know, he couldn't punch the ball beyond the pitcher of his life depended on it. I mean, the coach has got more sense. He's out there to win games.

10:43 And if the elders are committed to the edification of the church, who is going to have the most prominent place in public teaching and preaching? Why, the elders that have manifest the greatest strength of gift. Who normally are used of God to bring the maximum amount of edification in public teaching and preaching? Now, does that mean whoever happens to have that gift wants to be a little God?

11:07 No. And I resent any such influence. If he has any sense of what he's about, he wishes that someone else had that gift. He doesn't like living with the burden of that upon him.

11:19 He'd get rid of it if he could. And the only reason he can't is constraint is laid upon him. Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. So don't press, brethren, for an expression of parity which overlooks that realism that says, all right, Romans chapter 12, not thinking more highly of myself or of my brethren than I ought to think, nor more low of myself or my brethren.

11:46 This man's greatest strength is here. This one is here. We're committed then to maximize the strengths within the presbytery, within the eldership, so that there will be maximum edification of our people. Let all things be done unto edification.

12:04 And we can afford to relax. And if people who are hypercritical come into the congregation one or two times and then want to go out and snipe and say, well, they talk about parity but it's evident that so-and-so's got it. My friends, my dear brethren, I hope you've got shoulders big enough to bear that kind of business and I'd say with Spurgeon, put it in your pocket with a hole in it, turn the deaf ear to it and the blind, stand by and forget it. All right?

12:31 And if anybody really wants to know whether you have parity and they're just not looking to nitpick, they can find out easily enough. Just go around and find out who the other elders are and then they can take them aside and say, look, who runs the show around here? And they'll have sense enough to say Christ does. And he administers his show through all of us who sit in council in the work of oversight and delightfully, mutually submit one to another.

Admonition 4: Use Legitimate Means to Express Parity

12:57 All right? And then Adventists in Admonition No. 4 use every legitimate means to express parity use every legitimate means to express parity consistent with the deposit of gift and the edification of the church. You see, this is the flip side of Admonition No. 3.

13:24 Don't press for an expression that negates realism of diversity or undermines edification but use every legitimate means to express parity consistent with diversity of gift and mutual edification. In the leading of meetings, the nature of which is such that any one of the elders could do an equally good job, bring forward your less prominent elders so that they have more exposure to your people. Likewise, in the, quote, administration of the sacraments for the life, everything I've read to support the notion that only those who labor in the word and in doctrine are stewards of the sacraments, for the life of me, I can't find one convincing word of exegesis to support that. I've tried, because I've said a lot of good men have held it. There must be some good and compelling reasons. But I haven't found one yet.

14:28 I mean, unless a guy's got a bad back, most your elders are just as able to plunge people in the water at a baptismal tank as you can. Or for any pedobaptist who may be listening to the lecture to put a little water on Willie's head. I don't see that that takes any great spirituality. And we can express this parity of ministerial authority in the administration of the ordinances at the Lord's table, baptism.

15:02 Now, of course, if someone is ministering in a framework where the book of church order mandates that only the ministerial authority of the word administer the sacraments, I'm not calling for an overthrow of your book of church order. But I am saying if your framework permits it, then seek to do this in expressing the mind of the eldership. Say, if you can, with honesty, it is the will of your elders. What I say, I say as an expression of the mind of your elders.

15:34 And even in the ministry of the word, you'll be seeking counsel from your fellow elders as to the state of the flock and the particular needs. When you can say it with honesty, say that as your elders have wrestled with what the congregation needs at this particular time, it is our mind that, so that the people sense that reality of the parity, that equality that you share in the work of oversight. So use every legitimate means to express parity consistently, just and with the diversity of gift and with mutual edification. I want to conclude everything by underscoring what to me is absolutely crucial, brethren, in this whole matter. And it is this observation that no structure of church government, however biblical,

The Crucial Role of the Holy Spirit in Eldership

16:31 can function as it ought without the present and powerful dynamic of the Holy Spirit.

16:41 No structure, of church government, however biblical, can function as it ought without the present and powerful dynamic of the Holy Spirit. He alone can help men to do what Romans 12, 3 and following says we're supposed to do. I say to every man that is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think. Pride that lurks in the human heart is ever pressing a man to have a distorted view of himself, of his gifts, of his capacities and his true usefulness.

17:20 Only by pride cometh contention, the writer to Proverbs says. And where unmortified pride is working in a structure where you have parity of eldership. You see what will happen? It isn't long before you'll have a diatrophies who loves to have the preeminence.

17:36 And then you have a fracturing of a harmonious functioning of these elders. Only the Spirit, the Spirit of God at work in the eldership can help men to do what Romans 12, 3 says. He alone can take the man who is naturally diffident and yet has a proven gift in a given area to be more aggressive in the exercise of that gift. He is the Spirit of courage.

18:02 He's the one who helps a timid Timothy not to be ashamed of Paul or of his testimony. And so I'm asserting that it's only the dynamic of the Holy Spirit that can furnish men with ability, ability to make proper self-assessment. He alone, he alone will dispose men to submit one to another joyfully and freely so that within the eldership each elder recognizes his other elders as his overseers and does so joyfully. Joyfully.

18:37 And as I've told men again and again whose only image of me is what they have in preaching as a preacher to preachers in conferences, or in the tape ministry, it's usually a bigger-than-life image and they attach to it all kinds of false connotations that I must be some kind of a high-profiled semi-autocrat in the way things are run here at Trinity. And many have that image and it's just something I have to live with. But thankfully, no one can make stick that accusation here where I live and labor. And for that, I'm grateful.

19:14 But you see, in this whole matter, of submitting one to another, it's only the Holy Spirit who can give men that disposition in which they delight to submit to one another so that the younger do submit to the elder. The more experienced are recognized for their experience in a given area. And men who have experience and confidence in area A but not in area B are willing to be listened to and followed in the area of their strength but delightfully become the listener and the follower. I mean, all of that chemistry, brethren, that's got to be there or parity doesn't work.

19:54 It doesn't work. And that kind of chemistry can't be present without the dynamic of the Holy Spirit.

20:02 And you see, that's why in certain situations where on paper there is no parity, where the minister, the teaching elder, is put in a class all his own because the dynamics of true biblical oversight are implanted in that man's heart by the Holy Spirit. He has a de facto parity with his deacons or with his elders because the dynamics are at work in his heart always leading him to recognize the biblical principles that give him a de facto though not a de jure biblical framework. But conversely, you can have a biblical framework but if the Holy Spirit is not working those dynamics, the man who labors in the Word and in doctrine has a superiority and a superior attitude. I mean, I'm the man that's been to Trinity Academy. I mean, I can study my Bible in the original with the help of my analytical, of course. I can study my Bible in the original.

21:05 I mean, on matters of discussion and debate, I ought really to have the final word. So he can be within this framework but de facto he's in this framework because the dynamics of the Spirit's ministry giving him that grace to submit to his brethren and to recognize that in certain areas the most perceptive insight to the Word of God does not come to the man who has a grasp upon the original. The English translations are perfectly clear but to the man of spiritual sensitivity and insight and spiritual experience which really unlock the passage, which really untie that thorny knot of pastoral casuistry. You see, brethren, without that dynamic, this just won't work. It just plain won't work. And I'm convinced, my own personal conviction, and here I'm sticking my neck out but I'm not making it hastily, it's been made after much reflection, that some of the problem reflected in the article of Mr. Murray's that I mentioned and the agitation of this question grows out of the fact that people thought if we only got a biblical framework that would answer all of our problems.

22:18 And they forgot that the best framework without the dynamic of the Holy Spirit will come to naught. Without me, ye can do nothing. The flesh profited nothing. Cursed be the man who trusted man and makes flesh his arm and whose heart departs from the Lord.

The Spirit's Dynamic in Practice: A Personal Example

22:37 And that can happen in the best framework. And so I urge you not to have a simplistic view of these matters but to recognize that these dynamics must be present and when they are, it's a delight. For instance, let me give you an example you can all relate to.

22:56 Maybe some of you have wondered how is it that we decided that Pastor Nichols should bring this brief series on election and reprobation. Well, as you know, I had to be away a couple of weeks ago preaching and the elders decreed for my best interest a couple of years ago when I almost had a complete collapse in terms of just physical exhaustion that when I was away in such ministries and came back I was not to preach the Lord's Prayer. On Lord's Day I came back. So he had to preach for another Lord's Day.

23:26 Well, as you know, he got into the material and it expanded on his feet and so he said to me, he said, look, I think I need one more sermon to finish things up. Well, because there's the chemistry of real trust, I have no notions that he's trying to supplant whatever my place is in this function and he has no suspicions that I'm jealously guarding my pulpit. No, no. This is the Lord's pulpit.

23:52 And these are his people. And whatever is unto edification, all of us corporately desire that. So all he needed to say is I think I need one more shot to get this thing out of my gut. I said, fine, take it.

24:04 And he didn't get it all out. He said, I need one more. I said, fine, take it. Why?

24:09 Because there is a relationship of mutual trust and submission committed to the common goal of the edification of the people, the realistic assessment that his gift is such that I'm not biting my nails nervously while only being able to edify God's people, you see. And so the people who may have an idolatrous attachment to me, that's their problem. It's not mine. I'm delighted to sit and be preached unto and be edified and know that everyone who's come to hear the word of God will be edified.

24:41 And the poor people that just come here to hear, quote, Al Martin preach, they're disappointed. Good. I'm glad to disappoint them. I'm serious.

24:49 Now, I don't think we have many of those amongst our members, but we do. Amongst our visitors. And I'm not unaware of that, but I care less. Because the real work that's going on here is the work of this framework that Christ has instituted for the well-being of his people.

25:06 And so you can afford to relax. Not be uptight about those things. And that's precisely how this arrangement worked out. And that's the way the chemistry is.

25:16 And that's something as we'll see next week that just doesn't happen overnight, brethren. And it's not something that once you get it, you just sit back and coast on it. The devil hates it. Hates it.

25:27 Hates it with a fiendish passion. Because if it is Christ-instituted form of government, the strength and stability that it lends to the oversight of a congregation is unspeakably precious. And the enemy will do all within his power to undermine it. Well, that's what I wanted to say to you today.

25:49 That leaves us 15 minutes for questions that you may have.