THE MINISTRY
The Officers In The
New Testament Church
1.
Overseer/bishop (episkopos, from the Greek, background, = one
exercising oversight)), elder (presbuteros, from the Jewish,
background = a spiritual ruler), pastor (poimen, = one who guides,
feeds, protects, a shepherd). His character and standing described, I Tim.
3:1-7; 5:17-20; Titus 1:6-9. The elder gives spiritual leadership,
oversight, teaching and is responsible for discipline and ordinances.
2. Deacon (diakonos).
They have responsibility for temporal and material affairs. There is
probably some pastoral care also involved. Strong emphasis is placed on
their character and spiritual standing, Acts 6:1-6; I Tim. 3:8-12. Phoebe -
a woman - was a diakonos, and many commentators and translators
believe I Tim. 3:11 refers to women.
The Ministry In
Baptist History
John Smyth, 1609:
“Christ in His outward Church has appointed two sorts of servants, namely
some who are called pastors, teachers, elders, or bishops who administer the
Word and Sacraments, and some who are called deacons, men and women, whose
office it is to serve tables, and to wash the feet of the saints”.
In the 17th. and
18th. centuries admittance to become officers of the church was by the
laying on of hands. 1689 Confession of Faith, ch. 26, paras. 8-10 teaches
the reformed Particular Baptist position and is widely held by Scottish and
other Baptists.
Some congregations
taught that a minister retained his office even if he moved away from the
church that had ordained him. However other congregations taught that a man
had to be ordained each time he changed his congregation.
Since the 19th.
century candidates have received ministerial training, having been appointed
by committees composed of representatives from local churches which have
authorized them to make such appointments. Furthermore, their
responsibilities are directly related to the life and work of the churches.
What Is The
Modern-day Baptist Concept Of The Minister?
Baptists emphasize
that the work of the Christian ministry should be seen in the context of the
priesthood of all believers and the ministry of the whole Church. All
believers are in the Body of Christ, have been gifted by the Holy Spirit,
and therefore have a ministry.
But within this
general conception of ministry is the Ministry of the Word and the care of
the souls for which a man is given a special call and normally a specialized
training. The ministry in this narrower or specialized sense has
responsibilities of leadership and exists to enable the whole church to
fulfil its ministry (Eph. 4:11,12). This position of leadership has been
given by the church. It means service and not domination, yet ‘service’ is
not subjection to the church as master: “The minister is servant of all but
he has only one Master”.
The Authority of the
Minister
comes from Christ through the believing community. Leadership depends on
Christ’s call, evidence of Christian character, appropriate gifts from the
Holy Spirit, and recognition of churches. The ‘sending’ church has a solemn
responsibility to examine the character and gifts of the man who claims to
be called. The external call of a church endorses the personal sense of call
felt by the minister. Paul instructed Timothy, “keep that which is committed
to thy trust” (I Timothy 6:20).
* * * * *
I. CHURCH LEADERSHIP
IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Christ, the Head of the Church, called
people to be His disciples; these people also became known in the Early
Church as the Apostles. During the time of the Apostles there was the need
to choose seven men “... known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts
6:3). The Apostles are not Elders, and neither are the Seven designated as
Deacons. But what we find here is the Church seeking an acceptable form of
leadership to continue the task for which it was commissioned. While the
remit of the Seven was “to wait on tables” [diakonein] notice that
because they were men of a high spiritual calibre they would have carried
out this office appropriately.
As we travel through the New Testament
we find further development regarding Church Leadership but there is still a
distinction carried over from Acts 6. The distinction is between the
functions of the Elder and the Deacon. The job descriptions of the Eldership
and the Diaconate are adequately laid out in the Word of God by Paul:
Elders, I Tim. 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9; Deacons, I Tim. 3:8-10,12.
In the world in which Paul lived he
left absolutely no room for a woman to become an Elder, - she was not
permitted to teach or to have authority over a man (cf. I Tim. 2:12). We in
modern times might wish to disagree with him as he wrote inspired by the
Holy Spirit because of peer pressure, but what is important to remember in
this issue is that Paul does not use as the basis of his argument his own
lifetime but in fact he goes back to creation and to Christ to prove his
point. [N.B. The time lapse between Paul and our day is much less than the
time lapse between creation and Paul].
However, the office of Deacon has been
applied to both male and female (e.g. Phoebe, Rom. 16:1,2). Paul’s teaching
though on women must also be considered when discussing female deacons.
The task of the Elder is to give
instruction, to teach, to exercise authority over the church, and to pastor
(Acts 20:28). The task of the Deacon is to be beyond reproach and live as
examples of what is taught and to serve the church. Both offices carry great
privilege and grave responsibility.
II. CHURCH
LEADERSHIP AND BAPTIST TRADITION AND HISTORY
This is both straightforward and
simple. The Elder, - usually the minister, and perhaps [but not always]
another(s), - were engaged in the teaching and pastoral ministry. The
Elder(s) were supported in their ministry by the ministry of the Deacons, -
an office which cared for the physical needs of the Church. During this
present century the office of Deacon was made available to women, as indeed
was the office of Elder (in the English Union).
* * * * *
