elders

A puzzling passage that contains great wisdom for church leadership.

Church leaders bear a most serious responsibility before God. Unfortunately, some professing Christians take advantage of good leaders and “church hop” from place to place to avoid faithful oversight.

Titus was a Gentile co-worker of Paul’s whom the apostle had left on the island of Crete to “set in order” certain matters and to work toward the ordination of elders within the local congregations...

The Greek term presbuteros is rendered “elder.” It can refer simply to an older person (cf. Acts 2:17; Heb. 11:2) or take on a technical sense—an officer in the church, equivalent to a bishop or pa...

This is one of the titles of a church official who oversees a local congregation of Christ’s church in the company of fellow bishops (always a plurality of men).

“Bishop” translates the Greek ter...

Watchfulness over the flock is one of the most serious responsibilities of the eldership.

Three verses in the New Testament include the word “pastor” (in various forms): Ephesians 4:11, Acts 20:28, and 1 Peter 5:2.

In Ephesians 4:11, Paul discusses various roles that Christ placed in t...

May women participate in decision-making roles if there are no qualified men to serve as elders?

Should elders anoint the sick with oil in connection with their prayers?

“Extreme Unction” is one of the so-called “sacraments” of the Roman Catholic Church. It is the action of a priest in applying oil to someone who is at the point of death. The priest reads prayers a...

This is Paul’s first letter to his convert, Timothy, who was from the city of Lystra (Acts 16:1). It appears to have been written after Paul’s release from his initial Roman imprisonment (Acts 28)....

The Mishnah is the oldest part of the Talmud: a written collection of the Jewish oral law, the rabbinic rulings and traditions that developed over time. The name comes from a Hebrew word meaning "t...

Autonomy derives from two roots: auto (“self”) andnomos (“law”). It can have positive or negative connotations.

It’s crucial to remember that man is not autonomous. He is not empowered to rule him...

The most popular Greek word for “authority” is exousia (sometimes translated as “power”). The term, with various usages, is found 102 times in the New Testament. The word, together with some parall...

Rehoboam was a reckless king over the nation of Judah and his folly caused spiritual decay among the Lord’s people. What lessons might one learn from this tragic circumstance in ancient history?

Exactly how did Timothy receive spiritual gifts? Study this misunderstood passage with us.

Each generation is responsible for its own conduct, but certainly we can influence, for good or bad, those who come after us.

In a farewell to the Ephesian elders, Paul reminded the brethren of his life and ministry among them (Acts 20:18-21). In what Paul believed to be his last opportunity to see them, he recollected former days to encourage their fidelity in the future.

Earl Edwards, long-time missionary and professor of Bible at Freed-Hardeman University, discusses some of the qualities needed by those who enter the mission field. He draws from his own rich experiences at a missionary to Italy for sixteen years.

Is it necessary to be a member of a local church?