1.1 Key themes⤒🔗

• Already in the time of the Old Testament, the people of God were led by elders.
• Jesus Christ came to be the Great Elder of God’s people.
• Christ continues to lead and protect his people through elders.
• Every church needs to have its own elders.
• In the New Testament, elders are called by different names:
  - elders
  - overseers (bishops)
  - shepherds (pastors)
•  If you desire to be an elder, you are desiring a good work.

1.2 Numbers 11:16←⤒🔗

^16. The Lord said to Moses, 'Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know are elders of the people and officials over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting; let them take their position there with you.'

© NET Bible

1.3 Acts 20:17-18, 28←⤒🔗

17. [Paul] sent a message to Ephesus, telling the elders of the church to come to him.

18. When they arrived, he said to them,

…

28. Watch out for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son.

© NET Bible

1.4 - 1 Timothy 3:1←⤒🔗

^1. This saying is trustworthy: 'If someone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a good work.'

© NET Bible

1.5 Titus 1:5←⤒🔗

^5. The reason I left you in Crete was to set in order the remaining matters and to appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.

© NET Bible

1.6 Elders in the Old Testament←⤒🔗

In Titus 1:5, Paul reminds Titus that he must “appoint elders in every town.” At this time Titus was working on the island of Crete. He and Paul had preached the gospel on this island, and now there were many new churches. All these churches needed elders.

When Paul spoke of “elders,” he was not speaking of something new. He and the other apostles were following the teaching of the Old Testament. Already in the time of the Old Testament, the people of God had elders (for example, Exodus 4:29; Numbers 11:16). The elders were older men who were responsible for leading their families and tribes.

God was the King of Israel. But he chose and used human leaders, to lead his people. The elders of Israel had to lead God’s people in God’s ways. That is why an elder had to be someone who feared the Lord (Exodus 18:21).

In the Old Testament, elders are also called “shepherds.” Just as shepherds lead and protect sheep, so the elders had to lead and protect God’s people. Sadly, the elders did not always do this. Instead of caring for God’s people, many elders used and abused God’s people (Ezekiel 34:1-10).

1.7 Jesus Christ, the Great Elder←⤒🔗

Already in the time of the Old Testament, God promised that he himself would come to be his people’s shepherd. He would come to save, lead, and protect them (Isaiah 40:10-11).

This promise was fulfilled in the time of the New Testament. The Son of God became a man: the man Jesus Christ. Jesus gave his own life to save God’s people from their sins. He came to lead God’s people back to God. He is the Great Elder of God’s people (Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 2:25).

Look at what Jesus says in John 10:14-16:

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold. I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, so that there will be one flock and one shepherd.

Today God’s people come from many different nations. Everyone who listens to the voice of Jesus is part of God’s people. We are all “one flock.” We have “one shepherd.”

1.8 Elders in the New Testament←⤒🔗

Jesus, the Great Elder, has given his life for his people. Today he continues to lead and protect us by his Word and his Spirit. He uses people to do this. He calls certain men to be elders in the church, and he leads and protects us through these elders.

The apostles were the first elders of the New Testament (for example, see John 21:15-17; 2 John 1:1). But God soon gave more elders to his people (Acts 11:30; Acts 15:22). From Titus 1:5 we have seen that every church needs to have its own elders.

In the New Testament, elders are called by three different names. Each name has something to teach us:

Elder←↰⤒🔗

We have seen that the word “elder” comes from the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, an “elder” was an older man who was the leader of his family or tribe.

In the church of the New Testament, elders are not always older men. Sometimes they are young men. The important thing is that they must be spiritually mature. They must be strong in faith and in their knowledge of God’s Word. Their lives must show that they fear God.

Just as we should respect the older people in our families, so we should respect the elders in our church. They have been called by God, to lead us.

Overseer/Bishop←↰⤒🔗

In the New Testament, elders are sometimes called “overseers.” In some English Bibles, the word “bishops” is used. The meaning of the word “overseer” (or “bishop”) is, “someone who watches over.”

This shows us what the task of an elder is. An elder’s task is to watch over God’s people. Think of Paul’s words in Acts 20:28. There he says to the elders in Ephesus,

“Watch out for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.”

Elders must pay careful attention to themselves. They must watch over their own faith and their own lives. They must also pay careful attention to “all the flock” (all the people in their church). They must lead them to grow in faith and love. They must protect them against spiritual dangers.

In the same verse, Paul reminds the elders that it is the Holy Spirit who has made them overseers! God has given them their task, and they are working for him. That is why they must be so careful to do this work well.

Shepherd/Pastor←↰⤒🔗

In Ephesians 4:11 elders are called “pastors and teachers.” Some English Bibles say “shepherds and teachers.” The word “pastor” means the same as the word “shepherd.”

The name “pastor” or “shepherd” reminds us that the church is God’s sheep. Just like sheep, we cannot survive by ourselves. We need shepherds to lead, protect, and feed us.

Elders (and pastors) are shepherds who work for Christ, the “Chief Shepherd” (1 Peter 5:4). They must take care of Christ’s sheep, in Christ’s name.

1.9 A good work←⤒🔗

In 1 Timothy 3:1 we read these words: “If someone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a good work.”

The word “aspire” means “to try to reach a goal” or “to have a strong desire.” Is it your goal to be an overseer (elder)? Do you have a strong desire to watch over God’s people?

If your answer is “yes,” then you are desiring “a good work!” The work of an overseer is important, honourable work.

Why is the work of an oversee such a good work? We find an answer at the end of Acts 20:28. Let us look at this verse again:

Watch out for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son.

An overseer is not just watching over any group of people. He is watching over the church of God! The church of God is the most important group of people on earth. They have been obtained by the blood of God’s own Son. They will live forever with God in his kingdom.