Church Government

Church Government

Shelby G. Floyd

October, 2009

Philippians 1:1

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons.
NIV

Most denominational churches in America are governed by the one man “pastor” system. This is usually the preacher who occupies the pulpit on a regular basis. But is this type of church polity biblical? To the law and the testimony we shall go to answer that question. Who is the head of the church of Christ according to the New Testament?

Christ is the Head of the Church

First, Jesus Christ promised to build his church, not upon Peter, but the truth that Peter confessed—that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (Matthew 16:13-19). The cost to purchase the church was the blood of the Lamb of God (John 1:29; Acts 20:28). Therefore, it seems only right that Jesus and not any man should be the head of the universal and local church.

The Bible declares that this is the case: “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:22-23, NKJV). Therefore, beyond all controversy Christ is the ruling monarch of the kingdom of God—the church. The Bible does not authorize any authority to govern the church outside of a local congregation—there is no council, synod, and earthly universal headquarters of the church.

A Body of Elders Governed Each Congregation

After the church was established in Jerusalem about 33 A.D., congregations were established all over the Roman Empire. This was occasioned by the persecution that arose over the martyrdom of Stephen: “…At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison” (Acts 8:1-3). Congregations were established by the former persecutor Paul, the apostles and the evangelists that traveled with the gospel message.

It was the practice of the apostles to appoint a group of godly men over each local congregation. For example when Paul wrote a letter to the church at Philippi, he addressed it to the overseers and deacons: “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:1-2). These overseers are identified by several different words that refer to the same body of men.

Several Synonyms of the Overseers

This group that was to govern the congregation was identified by several synonyms. The following chart outlines that there was always a plurality of men that was to oversee the congregation. This did not leave any room for the one man pastor system.

SYNONYMS	SCRIPTURE
Council of Elders	1 Timothy 4:14
Elders	Acts 20:17
Overseers	Acts 20:28
Shepherds	Acts 20:28
Overseer	1 Timothy 3:1,2
Elders	Titus 1:5
Overseer	Titus 1:7
Elders	1 Peter 5:1
Shepherds	1 Peter 5:2

The Body of Elders

Notice that these synonyms are all in the plural except when the individual overseer is being looked at for his qualifications to serve in this ministry. The scripture is very plain that “a body of overseers” is to govern each local congregation. Paul wrote to the young preacher Timothy, “Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you” (1 Timothy 4:14). The phrase “the body of elders” is from [presbuterion-presbuterion], and is translated by such terms as “body of elders, presbytery, senate, council” (Thayer, p.535). This same term is used to refer to the body of Jewish elders (Luke 22:66; Acts 22:5). In 1 Timothy 4:14 it refers to “the body of elders” over a congregation of Christians.

The Jerusalem Congregation Had a Body of Elders

As early as Acts 11 we find that the first congregation established in Jerusalem had elders to govern that church. Because of famine in Judea the Gentile congregation in Antioch of Syria sent financial assistance to Judea, to be distributed by the elders: “The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul (Acts 11:29-30). Having established that the New Testament congregations were governed by a plurality of elders let us now demonstrate that there are several synonyms used interchangeably that refer to the same body of men.

Synonyms of Elders

1. Acts 20: 17, 28:

In Acts of apostles we have an address of Paul to “the body of elders” who governed the church at Ephesus. Paul had ministered to this congregation for three years and there was mutual love and respect between him and the elders. In his speech he reminds them of his manner of life and work while he had been with them. He invited “the elders [presbuteros-presbuteros] of the church” to come to Miletus (Acts 20:17).

But near the end of his exhortation he referred to this same body of men as “overseers” and “shepherds,” warning them of their responsibility to nurture and protect the congregation:

“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers [episkopos-episkopos]. Be shepherds [poimainw-poimaino] of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears (Acts 20:28-31).

Please notice that in this earnest warning “the elders” are identified as “overseers” and “shepherds.” An overseer is “a man charged with the duty of seeing that things to be done by others are done rightly, any curator, guardian, or superintendent; specifically, the superintendent, head or overseer of any Christian church” (Thayer, p. 243). Therefore, since these three plural terms, “elders, overseers, shepherds” are used as convertible expressions of the same body of men, the obvious conclusion is that a plurality of men were the overseers of each local congregation and not a one man pastor system over either the local church nor the church universal. Several other scriptures bear out this same use of several different terms to refer to the same “body of elders.”

2. 1 Timothy 3:1, 2; Titus 1:5-7

Paul wrote to the young evangelists Timothy and Titus with instructions and the qualifications in appointing the men who were to govern each congregation. As the Bible declares in other places they were to have a plurality of mature, spiritual and faithful men to do this work. However, in these verses the terms are in the singular because they are looking at the qualities of each individual man. We notice that the same convertible synonyms are used here as in Acts 20 to identify the men who would govern each church.

For example, when he wrote to Timothy, Paul called these men “overseers” [episkopos-episkopos]: “Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be… (1 Timothy 3:1-2, Emphasis SGF). The KJV, NKJV, and the ASV render [episkopos], by the word “bishop.” Therefore, “overseer” and “bishop” are synonyms of the same function of governing the congregation. Paul taught both Timothy and Titus the same thing in regards to church government, even though he used convertible terms.

In almost every city where the apostles took the gospel, there was a church. Titus was evangelizing the cities of Crete. Paul commanded him to appoint “elders” in every city:

“The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders [presbuteros-presbuteros] in every town, as I directed you. An elder [presbuteros-presbuteros] must be…Since an overseer [episkopos-episkopos] is entrusted with God's work, he must be…” (Titus 1:5-7, Emphasis, SGF).

Notice that in these three verses the terms “elders” and “overseer” are used interchangeably. Therefore, they refer to the same function of governing each congregation. There are yet two more verses that we must examine in settling this subject.

3. 1 Peter 5: 1, 2

Since the papacy claims that Peter was the first universal head of the church, his inspired revelation on this subject should be of the utmost importance on this subject:

To the elders [presbuteros-presbuteros] among you, I appeal as a fellow elder [sumpresbuteros-sumpresbuteros], a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds [poimainw-poimaino] of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers [episkopos-episkopos]—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. (1 Peter 5:1-4, NIV, Emphasis, SGF).

From Peter’s own words we can definitely infer that he was not the first Pope, because he styles himself as a “fellow-elder” or “co-elder.” He was one among equals as far as governing a congregation. And he definitely would not accept the adoration and humiliation of the people as the Popes have done. When the apostle Peter met with the household of Cornelius, they fell at his feet, but he was quick to refuse such homage that belongs only to God:

Acts 10: 25-26

As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. "Stand up," he said, "I am only a man myself."

NIV

Therefore, Peter was an apostle appointed by Christ and a “fellow-elder” in one of the assemblies of Christian people.

From these verses we draw the obvious conclusion that “elders,” “overseers,” and “shepherds” are all used interchangeably for the same function of ruling the congregation. “Be Shepherds” is actually a verb instructing the overseers that their job metaphorically is “to feed, to tend a flock, keep sheep” which means that they are “to rule and govern” as “overseers” of the assembly of Christians. This responsibility also involves protecting the “flock” from devouring wolves both from without and within the congregation.

Keeping Watch over the Flock

When Paul met with the “elders—overseers” of the church at Ephesus, he warned them to “keep watch over themselves and all the flock” (Acts 20:28). Among themselves some would depart from the faith and from without savage wolves would enter the congregation to devour the flock:

Acts 20:28-31

Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

NIV

Jesus also warned of this danger during his earthly ministry (Matthew 7:15). Because the elders did not heed the warning of Jesus and Paul, there was a great “falling away” that began about 150 A.D. and culminated in the first Pope being crowned the head of the church universal in 606 A.D. This arrangement is not biblical and is antithetical to the headship of Christ. Christ is the only head of the church: “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:22-23, NKJV).