ELDER BOARD RULE

Elder Board Rule

1 Peter 5:1  The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2  Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3  Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
4  And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
5  Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. (singular)

Peter is addressing Jew(s) as a whole scattered abroad and spoken of as strangers and addresses the Elder(s) as a whole over the elect there (1:1). The eldership being addressed in this opening verse. The Chief Elder Who is also the Chief Shepherd (Pastor) is the context here. His title earned from the Father through suffering is clearly stated. Peter claims eldership also with his future reward also mentioned. He then follows with pastoral instructions for the elder who is the same person, who is also the overseer. All three roles in the same person. There are to be no Lord's over the flock (vs. 3) in the church of God because there is One Master of the flock (vs. 4). No hierarchy to be established. The authority is with Christ alone. The saints, elders, pastors, bishops and deacons are His servants and all His gifts to the Church body. No one-man team. The Lord's Church has within it many gifted individuals that need to either exercise their gift or the church needs to allow those gifted people to be exercising those gifts. Elders do not grow on trees and for multiple men claiming that gift in one body is all too common in America. Lacking training and qualities that reveal their gift is placed under the rug. It is extremely difficult to find one that truly qualifies. To have more than one usually means the requirements are being loosely interpreted or disregarded. Unity is more probable among Satan's workers than in the Church. The Spirit must be obeyed by all to have the Church in unity and also truth being properly presented. An elder is not a first among equals. He is one of the gifts under the Chief Shepherd Who suffered to be exercising that role. Jesus is alive and talking to the other gifts in the body. There is sufficient help there for all circumstances that occur. He concludes with submission to THE ELDER.

Cf. Ezek. 19:10-14 `Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, Planted by the waters; It was fruitful and full of branches Because of abundant waters. `And it had strong branches fit for scepters of rulers, And its height was raised above the clouds. So that it was seen in its height with the mass of its branches. `But it was plucked up in fury; It was cast down to the ground; And the east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong branch was torn off So that it withered; The fire consumed it.  `And now it is planted in the wilderness, In a dry and thirsty land. `And fire has gone out from its branch; It has consumed its shoots and fruit, So that there is not in it a strong branch, A scepter to rule.' This is a lamentation, and has become a lamentation.  

In satire in this chapter the prophet speaks of branches in the vine becoming rulers over the vine which alone accounted for the doom of Israel. The mother is Israel [vs. 10] implicating Jehovah as the Father. This mother is couched among lions bringing forth young lions [the kings-like unto all the nations]. These kings caused her downfall finally being plucked up [John 15]. She was at last planted in the wilderness with no strong scepter to rule her. She destroyed herself, for they destroyed her. The vine which produces no fruit is of no use, when the wood is burned at both ends. It goes into captivity.

You can’t place uncalled men in a high calling that God gives very clear qualifications that few men can attain. They are truly a gift from God and they don’t carelessly grow on the tree.

Many are the reasons churches hand this gifted work to unqualified men and ruin quickly ensues and the victims are usually the ones that are to be protected the most and the ones that God especially loves.

A pastor is an elder is an overseer. They are the same person performing several responsibilities. Acts 20 reveals this truth concerning the elders of Ephesus who are also called by Paul the shepherds and the overseers. The same man named three ways. Wonder why there is trouble in your church?

The ones named usually are the “LEADERS” of the church which are usually the successful business guys that attend. The church is not a business. It does not try to make a profit. Everything it does for a person is already paid for. There is no charge for what it is to do for that personand their need. The church has successfully been Americanized, run like a business and has failed its only Leader (Matt. 23:10). "And do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.” That verse doesn't stop them here in this country.