Page 9 - May 2023 - Truth & Tidings

“ n the multitude of counsellors there last Adam and the offspring of Abraham,

and ultimately everything will be brought
is safety” (Pro 11:14 KJV). You may
Iperceive yourself to be more spiritu- under Christ, Eph 1:10). Notice how the
ally mature than your brothers. You may Church is distinct from Israel. Israel is an
think your experience with God is deeper. ethnic entity, and had its headquarters
You may have the impression that you in one earthly, geographic location. The
know the Scriptures better. You might Church is multi-ethnic and global. Her
even be correct in all those thoughts … true headquarters are in heaven, where
or quite possibly, you’re wrong. Either the risen Lord is, but each local church
way, you are not at liberty to govern the functions autonomously with direct au-
local church as your own little fiefdom. thority from heaven (cf. Mat 18:18-20).
The reasons are, firstly, because it belongs Christ is the chief Shepherd, singular, of
to God and, secondly, because God has God’s flock; men share the work of being
ordained that leadership in the church be undershepherds in the plural. “It is a high-
a shared function. ly significant and often overlooked fact

The Change from Israel to the that our Lord did not appoint one man to
lead His Church. He personally appointed
Church and trained twelve men. Jesus Christ gave
It is notable that individuals emerge as the church plurality of leadership.” That
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preeminent leaders of God’s people in the plural apostolate prefigured how the Lord
Old Testament. Examples include Moses, wanted the churches to be led.
Joshua, Samuel and David. Though these
leaders benefited from the ministry of The Precedent and Clarity of
others (e.g., elders and counsellors), they Scripture
nonetheless stand out for being alone in New Testament Scripture is crystal clear
their responsibility. Leaders among God’s that leadership in a local church is to be
people today still rightfully gain valuable a shared ministry among men of equal
insights from these Old Covenant men, authority. The first time we read about
but they don’t have the same individual church leadership beyond the apostles
authority in this age. What caused the in the Acts, it is the elders (plural) to
change? Jesus Christ did. In effect, there whom funds are sent for the believers in
is still just one man as the ultimate leader Acts 11:30. Then when Paul & Barnabas
in the New Covenant, but that one man return to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch,
is not on earth. It is the glorified man in
heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ. where they had earlier planted churches,
they “appointed elders for them in every
History can be looked at as having three church” (Act 14:23). To the singular
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programs, and at the head of each one is church of the Thessalonians, Paul asks
a man. Adam was the head of creation,
Abraham was the head of the nation ¹ Alexander Strauch, Biblical Eldership (Colorado
Springs: Lewis & Roth, 1995), 36.
of Israel, and Christ is the head of the ² Bible quotations in this article are from the
Church (recall, though, that Christ is the CSB unless otherwise noted.
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