“5 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” (1 Peter 5:1-4)
Never has there been a time when those who have the oversight of the Lord’s church should be more careful in what the church is being taught than the present. They should be acquainted with the teaching of every piece of literature that is used in classes. Of course, they must be able to distinguish error from truth or they would not be qualified to feed the flock. This responsibility cannot be turned over to someone who may be authorized to direct the program of education of the church. Regardless of how much faith we have in others we cannot escape personal responsibility. In this day when so much literature is copied from sources that do not believe in the inspired word it is easy for error to find its way into a church through such sources and to be accepted because the literature happens to be printed by brethren. Sometimes those who copy and print literature do not even study it close enough to see the error that is being taught. A mistake on the part of those who print literature does not make up for the mistake of elders who should personally examine everything that goes into the teaching program.
Taking the oversight does not separate elders from the rest of the church. This does not create classes and privileges. So, let us notice three things the Holy Spirit emphasized.
First, elders should not use their position for selfish reasons. We cannot afford to desire such a place so that we might be “over” others. It would be as wrong to occupy a position for the satisfaction of some emotional need as it would be to occupy it for filthy lucre. Neither should he desire the position so that he might satisfy his ego by saying “I am an elder of this or that church.”
Second, elders are not lords over God’s heritage. They were never intended to occupy the position of bosses over the church. They cannot separate themselves from other members of the church and adopt an attitude that says, “what we do is none of your business.” An elder has no more right to do wrong than any other follower of Christ. And it is the business of every member of the church that all things be done according to the will of God. If an elder finds himself wrong, he should repent just as others must repent of wrongdoing. An elder who does wrong, but repents and makes right his wrong, will not lose the respect of the people of whom he has the oversight.
Third, elders are examples to the flock. Here is the only power they actually have. They must be what they expect others to be. If an elder expects others to have the spirit of Christ in their lives, he must also have the spirit of Christ in his life. If an elder expects others to be truthful, he must always be truthful himself.
In every other thing that Christians are called upon to be or do we should be able to find in the lives of those who are charged with the responsibility of feeding the flock.
Seldom, if ever, does a church go wrong when elders are doing right. There is nothing that can take the place of righteous living. When God’s people are able to see righteousness in the life of an elder, those who are righteous, will be found willing to follow him through all the difficulties that might be encountered.
For this, brother Alex Arlington will be missed in his servitude as an elder!
John B. Daniels, Associate Minister
