This post is the second in a series on the question that Southern Baptists will face in June over whether women can serve as pastors in our local churches. What I am suggesting in these posts is that the question of women serving as pastors must be preceded by if not joined to other both necessary and also very critical questions. For example, we cannot really answer questions about ordination unless we know what it is biblically. When we address this issue biblically, it compels us to face the question of a properly ordered church. Does the Bible say anything at all about how the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is to be ordered or structured? I believe it does. I believe the Bible speaks very clearly about office and function of those who are called to positions of leadership in a local church.
We can go back into the Old Testament and see an order that is clear. What we find in the first testament, however, does not in any way contradict what is found in the second testament. So, I will restrict my remarks to the New Testament and specifically to Paul and to Peter. It is clear that the first leaders of the early church were apostles. Peter preached at Pentecost when the church was birthed (Acts 2). Those who were brought through repentance and faith symbolized in baptism into the church met together to focus on learning the Apostles’ Teaching (Acts 2:42). We know that when there was a crisis in the fellowship over the apparent neglecting of the Greek speaking widows that the apostles led in the appointing and “anointing” of deacons to address the needs in the church (Acts 6). Peter reminds us, however, that what emerged with the waning of the apostolic era was the emergence of Elders who were in some sense the sucsessors to the apostles (1 Peter 5:1). Peter along with Paul seem to use the word “Elder” in reference to an office in the church. What the one(s) who hold this office are to do is described in 1 Peter 5:1-5. They are to “shepherd” the flock of God (2) in a way that provides “oversight” for the sheep and the sheepfold. The office they hold is the office of Elder and the functions of the office are shepherding or pastoral care and oversight. Both seem to have reference to spiritual care. The men in this position are to care for the souls of the congregation.
Paul gathers the Elders from Ephesus to remind them of the function that they are fo fulfill giving primacy to the preaching and teaching of the Word of God (Acts 20). Paul and Barnabas make the so-called first missionary journey giving attention to appointing Elders in each church (Acts 14:23). It seems that these men were charged with the oversight of the church with clear concern for the growth of the members of the church spiritually to become increasingly faithful to Jesus as Lord. Paul sent Titus to Crete, a clearly confused church to appoint elders in the church to bring the church back on course through the teaching of sound doctrine (Titus 1:5; 2:1). And Paul lays out for Timothy the two offices that are to be in place in a properly ordered church: Elders and Deacons (1 Timothy 3). Paul gives detailed attention to what must be the character qualities of those who function in these offices. He concludes his outline of the profile of elders and deacons in 1 Timothy 3, however, by reminding Timothy that the point of having the right leaders and thus the right order is that “we might know how to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth,” 1 Tim. 3:14-15. The point seems to be that having the right people in these positions to fulfill the functions of these positions is of primary importance.
So, what are those in these offices to do? What is their function? Paul seems to distinguish between the Elder and Deacon at least in this way: the Elder holds a speaking position, he is particularly to be faithful in preaching and teaching the Word of God (1 Tim. 5:17). The deacon holds a serving position. The elder speaks to the church for edification and exhortation while also being involved in the necessary work of evangelism (2 Tim. 4). The deacon is involved in assessing and addressing the needs of the church in order to assure that those needs are met according to biblical criteria. The two groups or bodies work together to serve God by addressing the needs of the soul and the needs of the body. Both require different kinds of gifting in order to glorify God and build up the body of Christ most effictively. What is clear, however, in Scripture is that the office of Elder because of the primary function of the office is filled by men. What is not as clear depending on fluidity of function with deacons is whether this office can be filled by men and women. The church I served for many years saw deacons as serving the church not only as those who addressed the physical and material needs of the congregants but also attended to building needs, budget concerns, property maintenance concerns, and transportation concerns. Thus, we allowed only men to serve on the deacon body.
Here is the point: church polity should be shaped by biblical fidelity. What I am suggesting here is that in my opinion at least two things are clear in the New Testament: one, the care of souls spiritually done primarily through the preaching and teaching of the Word of God belongs to a body of elders. The name for the office is “Elder.” The purpose or function of the office is oversight of the body through faithful preaching and teaching of the Word of God and caring for the souls of the congregation as a shepherd cares for his sheep. The functions define the office and the office has no meaning apart from the functions. They belong together. Two, the elders are joined by deacons whose calling and commitment is to give attention to the physical, material, and practical concerns of the congregation. Whether this body consists of men only or men and women depends entirely on the function the local church has this body fulfilling. There is some elasticity biblically in what deacons can do and thus on who can serve; there is no stretch on what elders are called to do and thus none in who they can be. Polity matters. And it begins with our understanding of the two offices and thus the two functions set before us in Holy Scriputre.