Deacons and Elders

Deacon and elder are the two offices that the Bible mandates for the church. Historically, other offices have been created by various factions of the church, but the biblical evidence supports only these two. The elder is also described as a shepherd, overseer, and sometimes the Greek is translated as bishop. The men who fill this role are given authority to rule in the church, but not as the “Gentiles do,” who “lord” their authority over people. On the contrary, they are serve the flock, shepherding them into heaven, as under-shepherds of the chief Shepherd (Matthew 20:25-28; 1 Peter 5:4).

The second office, that of deacon, also serves the church but not in the same sense of leading or exercising spiritual oversight. While managing the finances of the church is often associated with the office (and that is an appropriate association), the scope of the charge is broader. Deacons are called to aid the flock. It’s true that all Christians are called to care for one another (James 2:14-16; 1 John 3:16-18), but God saw fit to establish an office that bears particular responsibility for the welfare of the church. An authoritative lexicon puts it this way, “to have responsibility to help others, or, to be responsible to take care of needs of believers.” This requires, therefore, that deacons are mindful of the needs in the body (needs that others might not be aware of) and see to it that those needs are met.

Being placed in the office of deacon or elder is a great privilege. As we trace out the arc of the biblical narrative, often described as Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration, we see that the focus of God’s governance has been the church. From before the world was formed, God elected people to be numbered as his (Ephesians 1:4-5). The outworking of that purpose, from the post-fall declaration of a coming redeemer, to covenants made with Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Israel, and David, to the coming of the heaven-sent Redeemer, had as its focus the securing of a people for God. Those people, who are “called according to his purpose . . . predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers,” (Romans 8:29) are found in the church. As such, the church is the most important and precious group of people that has ever existed. And to be called to serve them should be considered an extraordinary privilege.

Given the nobility of the task, those placed in these offices are to lead gospel-shaped lives. They are to possess a maturity that encompasses knowledge of the “mystery of the faith,” mastery over their hearts and minds so that they live with self-control, and a track record that demonstrates that they can be trusted with the affairs of the church, which sometimes can involve not just the physical property or money, but details of the lives of their brothers and sisters.

The church needs deacons and elders. To pursue the kind of maturity required by these noble offices is in itself a noble task. May God stir hearts so that there will be among us those who are willing to stretch themselves, seeking to serve God by serving his people.