God’s purpose has always been to form a people for his glory, and the way in which he does this is through gathering Christians into local churches so that they might display his character, grow into maturity, and live in the unity that Jesus prayed for in John 17. The question that is often asked, however, is, “Who responsible for these churches?” In God’s wise purposes he gives leaders, called elders, to guide every local church to carry out her God-given mission. They are not “the Shepherd,” but they are undershepherds to God’s flock. This does not mean, however, that these leaders carry out this task alone. In an intimate relationship with deacons and the entire congregation, each part playing their role, the church fulfills her task. In this paper, we will explore how these three aspects of the body come together to do just that.
The History of Leaders There was no doubt who the leaders were in the early church of Jerusalem because the apostles, Christ’s …show more content…
A prophet named Agabus from Jerusalem was in Antioch, and while there he foretold of the impending famine in the area of Jerusalem. The believers in Antioch decided that they would send relief to the Christians living in Judea. This was to be done by Paul and Barnabas, and the unique group in Jerusalem that was to receive this gift was the “elders.” The most famous elder in the church at Jerusalem was the half-brother of Jesus, James (21:18), who made the delivery of the decision of the leaders of the church concerning circumcision (15:23). In fact, for the first time, the leadership of the early church was now called the “the apostles and the elders” (15:2, 4, 6, 22-23). Paul and Barnabas, after being sent by the church in Antioch on their first missionary journey, made sure that the churches they established had this group of godly leadership that was probably fashioned after the church in Jerusalem
The History of Leaders There was no doubt who the leaders were in the early church of Jerusalem because the apostles, Christ’s …show more content…
A prophet named Agabus from Jerusalem was in Antioch, and while there he foretold of the impending famine in the area of Jerusalem. The believers in Antioch decided that they would send relief to the Christians living in Judea. This was to be done by Paul and Barnabas, and the unique group in Jerusalem that was to receive this gift was the “elders.” The most famous elder in the church at Jerusalem was the half-brother of Jesus, James (21:18), who made the delivery of the decision of the leaders of the church concerning circumcision (15:23). In fact, for the first time, the leadership of the early church was now called the “the apostles and the elders” (15:2, 4, 6, 22-23). Paul and Barnabas, after being sent by the church in Antioch on their first missionary journey, made sure that the churches they established had this group of godly leadership that was probably fashioned after the church in Jerusalem