TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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A S an introduction to this theme, a short portion of the Scrip ture is appropriate: “Let the thy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine’’ (I Tim. 5:17). The author of this statement was an old preacher who had delivered almost his last sermon. The subject of the address was a young preacher who not long before had delivered his first sermon. The old man was Paul; the young man Timothy. This verse was a bit of practical instruction from one who had the right of age, godliness, and revelation to pass on to one young enough, and sufficiently inexperi enced, to need it, yet who was also intelligent and pious enough to ac cept it. Let our thinking be restricted to five words in the first line of this verse: “The elders that rule well.” From the general teaching of the Scriptures, there are three things to be consid ered: The Minister’s Authority in the Church Now, the nature of the “rule” or au thority involved here is unmistakable. In a primary sense, it has to do with fhe rulership of the minister within the local church. Although a plurality of elders is mentioned, most Bible students will agree that the general sense of the Epistles of Paul and of Peter is that where a plurality ex isted, one elder or bishop was the head, presiding elder, or pastor, much in the same way as the pastor is the leader in most Protestant churches today. This “rulership” is of a lofty na ture. It carries with it privileges and prerogatives which belong to no other member of the local church. The pas- t»r bears the responsibility of author
A theme greatly neglected and sadly needed in our times.
elders that rule well be counted wor
ity in doctrine, administration, and discipline. The reading of only a few passages of Scripture will suffice to show the truth of this. Note that the minister is command ed by God to “take the oversight.” “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof” (I Pet. 5:2). This is the authority of the pastor as an administrator. Again, we read in I Timothy 4:13, “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” This is his authority as a teacher. Further, we note that the minister is to correct disorder in the church. Paul wrote: “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear,” and “I charge thee . . . Preach the word; be. instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort” (I Tim. 5:20; II Tim. 4:1, 2). And, al most as if he were afraid some “peace- at-any-price” preacher might not care to carry out some of these more dis agreeable duties of the office, he adds this exhortation: “I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by par tiality” (I Tim. 5:21). This is the pas tor’s authority in discipline. Perhaps this sounds like stern doc trine! If so, read just a bit of what God expects of a congregation with respect to their pastor’s office and au thority. The verses above cited are directed toward the minister; now
hear these addressed to the congrega tion: First of all, high esteem and love for their minister are expected of a people. “And we beseech you, breth ren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to es teem them very highly . . . for their work’s sake” (I Thess. 5:12, 13). A congregation is required also to obey their minister. “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief” (Heb. 13:17). Unfortunately, ever since God put into our vocabulary the word “obey,” men have sought to remove it. It has been largely dropped' from wedding ceremonies, even though it is still in the Scripture the preacher reads at weddings. There are those who say that God does not exactly mean sub mit and obey, but something less than that. However, there is no ambiguity; the word is very definitely “ obey.” James uses exactly the same form of the same Greek word when making reference to the obedience a well- broken saddle pony displays to his rider. “Behold we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us” (James 3j3). No one debates the meaning of the word m James, so why should it be questioned in the epistles of Paul?
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