Off Air

Current blog programming on pause.

I need to pause and seek some balance about these topics.

In hindsight we are thankful for the work of the reformers from 500 years ago. It is an understatement to say it wasn't easy in those days to ask questions either.

However I need to seek God for peace to see if he wants me involved in further reform, or if I should leave the dirty work to others. How can I balance building others up to be more like Christ, while I am also focusing on deconstructing. Can I learn any lessons from past reformers?

In the real world, I desire fellowship with others with the goal of building each other up to be more like Christ.

Is this blog helping, or harming that desire?

Maybe now is not the right timing, or I am not the right messenger (or have the wrong message).

Is this really the path God has planned for me? My family and I need to spend some time seeking God on this. Your prayers are welcome.

Appointing Elders in Acts 14:23

(Part 3 of a 7 part series on leaders/elders/overseers/pastors)

Acts 14:23 (NIV)

Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

I want to look at the bold terms and examine their meanings. I'll use http://biblos.com/acts/14-23.htm to help with the Greek.

appointed - χειροτονήσαντες - cheirotonēsantes

• I elect by show of hands, choose by vote, appoint.
• Help from Helps Word-Studies:
  

5500 xeirotonéō – properly, stretch out the hands to commission (send forth).
[5500 (xeirotonéō) literally means, "'I stretch out the hand,' thus expressing agreement with a motion, then, 'I elect by show of hands' [of popular vote]), 'I elect' " (Souter); properly, 'to vote by stretching out the hand' (practised in the assembly, so Athenian, Lucian, Plutarch)" (Abbott-Smith).]

elders - πρεσβυτέρους - presbuterous

• also used in Luke 7:3, Luke 22:52, Acts 4:5, and Acts 6:12 for elders in the Jewish community
• and used in other places to refer to elders in the new community of believers

What we know from this verse:

• Eders were recognized in the Lystra, Iconium and Antioch community of believers
  
• Paul and Barnabas either did the appointing themselves, or the community of believers publicly recognized them in some manner

What I don't know:

• Were these elders given some decision making authority over the other believers?
• Did these elders ever become non-elders before death or apostasy? Did they have 2 -5 year term after which someone else could take their place?
• Were elders selected/appointed in the same way in every community of believers? I don't think Lystra, Iconium and Antioch (in Pisidia) were predominately Jewish communities. The concept of elders may have been a cultural piece that Paul and Barnabas wanted to introduce into these new communities. In Titus 1:5 we see a similar scene in Crete. But I don't see examples of elders being appointed in communities of believers which were Jewish. Was it obvious to the Jewish believers who their elders were, and no appointment/selection was needed?
  
• How many elders would be in place in each community or gathering of believers? When they gathered in different homes were there a certain number of elders in each home?
• Were believers allowed to gather without elders present?
  
• Are we commanded to appoint/select elders in our communities?
  

Sorry, on this topic I end up with more questions than answers.

Related Posts: Summary on Elders Overseers Shepherds - 9 post series

Elders and Overseers in 1 Peter 5:1-4

(Part 2 of a 6 part series on leaders/elders/overseers/pastors)

1 Peter 5:1-4 (NIV)

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

I want to look at the bold terms and examine their meanings. I'll use http://biblos.com/1_peter/5-1.htm to help with the Greek.

elders - Πρεσβυτέρους - presbuterous

• 1 of 3 occurrences of this word in the NT
  
• it gets translated "Now his elder son" in Luke 15:25
• The feminine plural, presbyteras, occurs in 1 Tim 5:2. It refers to aged women, i.e. not women with an official church office or title.
• We don't need to read more into the term 'elder' than simply 'older men'.

(2nd) elder - συμπρεσβύτερος - sumpresbuteros

• Only occurance of this word, seems to mean "also a presbuterous"
• We don't need to read more into this than "also an older man"

shepherds - ποιμαίνω - poimainó

• Only occurance of this word.
• It is a verb here, not an office title
  
• We don't need to read more into this than "care for"

(some versions) serving as overseers - ἐπισκοποῦντες - episkopountes

• Some manuscripts include ἐπισκοποῦντες
• can be translated "look diligently, take the oversight."
• The other time this term is used is Hebrews 12:15, and gets translated "See to it", "look carefully", "watching"... and it seems to be written to all believers.
• We don't need to read more into this than "watching out for others"

Reading this passage through our traditional church lenses we could assume:

• This was written to elders - A group of elected or appointed men who rule or govern for a limited term.
• Be shepherds - some of them can fill the office of pastor
• Serving as overseers - ruling as those in charge of the church
  

Or we could read it like this:

• written to elders - older respected men in the community (similar to the elders in the OT communities)
• Be shepherds - care for others in your community (everyone should care for others, and these elders should be an example of this)

When we add this verse to what Jesus had to say on leadership, I think this second reading fits well. It also fits well with the rest of the passage:

"not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. "

Am I missing something? Is there reason to read more into these terms?


Related Posts:

• Jesus on Leadership
• Shepherding Basics
• Biblical Elders
• Leadership is not decision making
• The Pastor
• The First Pastors
• Summary on Elders Overseers Shepherds - 9 post series

Jesus on Leadership

First I must mention my angst with these types of posts. What I write may be sharply opposed to what you believe. Please do not assume this means I am judging you. I am not. I maintain high respect and love for brothers and sisters who don't share my viewpoint on a number of issues. I don't expect everyone to agree with me, and I don't assume I have any authority to judge my brothers and sisters.

I admit I am struggling with some tension on the topic of leadership. I do see elders playing a role in the early church. Elders in the OT society had a leadership role in their communities. The elders in the NT church would have also played a leadership role in the church community.

There are a number of key verses that come up in discussions on this topic. I will take a look at those soon. However, I think it makes sense to first look at what Jesus had to say on the topic of leadership.

As you take a look at the following verses, consider these questions.

According to Jesus does leadership mean a decision making authority?

Should church leadership resemble government or corporation leadership models?

Or does Jesus simply want his followers to serve each other? Are the leaders among us the ones who serve best and model a servant life the rest should follow?


Jewish Religious Leaders

I think it is worth noting that Jesus was persecuted by the Jewish religious leaders. I think it is safe to say Jesus didn't get along well with most of the religious leaders of the day. They were threatened by Him, and He was challenging their authority. Jesus was known more as a friend of sinners. There were some exceptions where the religious leaders hearts were seeking truth.

Stuff like this were common Matthew 23:26 (NIV)

"Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean."

and a long rant in Matthew 23:13-39 (NIV)

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to....."

Who did Jesus pick to be leaders?

Who were the men he chose to be his disciples? Did he find the most educated, the best orators, the most respected men to take on this task. Did he look for natural leaders? No, he picked ordinary people: fishermen, tax collectors, a doctor, and a rebel zealot.

Upside Down Kingdom

Matt 19:30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

Matt 20:16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Mark 9:35 "Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

Luke 13:30 "Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”

Matthew 19:14 (NIV)
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Servant Leaders

Matt 20:25-28 (NIV)

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 23:8-12 (New International Version)

"But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Luke 22:24-27 (NIV)

Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

From these verses:

• should church leadership include some decision making authority over others?
• should church leadership models resemble government or corporation leadership models?

Or does Jesus simply want his followers to serve each other? The leaders among us are the ones who serve best and model a servant life the rest should follow. Isn't this the life (and death) he modeled for us?

Personally I find His example very challenging to follow.

Related Posts:

• Summary on Elders Overseers Shepherds - 9 post series

Playdough Scripture Ephesians 4:11

"So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors who would be the sent ones to each community, speaking the word of the God, evangelizing the lost, and teaching the believers and teachers, "

Ephesians 4:11 (Playdough Version)

Is there 5 separate roles listed here for 5 different people? What do we do today with a verse like this?

Really Simple Syndication 101

If you have an RSS or news reader, skip this post, go check the next item in your feeds.

I suspect there are a few people out there who read some blogs from time to time, who may be interested in the benefits of subscribing to an RSS feed.

You may have bookmarked this blog, and/or other blogs and webpages. But you have no idea when new content is posted. So every now and then you click your bookmarks to see what is new. Sometimes nothing is new, and you've wasted a click.

The beauty of using an RSS reader is you will automatically get a list of recent blog or news items listed in your feeds when they are posted.

I use Google reader http://www.google.com/reader/ , this is what it looks like. Notice the recent posts from the feeds I've subscribed to listed on the right. I can quickly scan through them and click on the ones that I want to read.


There are many other RSS readers available. Bloglines is another popular option. I believe Yahoo and Windows Live have similar options. I just can't help you much with them since I don't use them.

Anyways, if you have a google account, it doesn't take much to get going with google reader. Just sign up at http://www.google.com/reader/. You can then add a subscription by clicking 'add subscription' and entering an URL of a blog or website with a feed. Or you can look for one of these icons on the blog or website. Simply click it and follow the directions.




If you want to go a step further, you can also try igoogle. You can look for igoogle in the top right of the google search page. It gives you the option of adding a bunch of gadgets to a page, google reader and many more. I set igoogle as my browser default homepage, and I get my google reader feeds, BBC news, CBC news, Google News, weather, and bookmarks all in one view.


Anyways, I just thought I'd share that tech piece with you. If you have questions about this I'd be happy to help.