Acts 20 verses 17 to 38: Why Do We Have Elders?

What does it mean to be ‘presbyterian’?

Different folks will have different answers for a whole series of different reasons. Some of us are presbyterian by birth. Some of us are presbyterian by conviction. Some of us our presbyterian by convenience. Some of us our presbyterian because we just don’t like change (!).

I am presbyterian by birth- I grew up in a presbyterian church in Ballymena. But I am also presbyterian by conviction- I firmly believe our way of ‘doing church’ is the most Biblically faithful and most spiritually enriching.
I trust that today you will leave this place better appreciating the many privileges and responsibilities- underpinned by biblical principles- we enjoy because we are a congregation in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. For example, as Presbyterians we believe the Bible teaches that the members of the congregation are to participate in the choosing of their leaders- we saw this in Acts 6 when we were electing our Congregational Committee.
As we approach the election of elders it is important we recognise the considerable responsibility and privilege that has been entrusted to us. So today, to help us as we exercise this responsibility, we will consider what the New Testament teaches about the office of elder. Then, in the following weeks, we will focus on the character and ministry of the elder.
Today, we want to learn together what the New Testament teaches us about the office of the elder. We will do this by looking at two key points that can be seen in Acts 20 and throughout the New Testament. Firstly, we will consider what the various names and titles given to elders teach us about the eldership in the Church; secondly, we will see how the elders consistently served collectively, emphasising the principle of ‘plurality’.
So, firstly, the names and titles of New Testament elders…
What’s in a name?
Names are important. Some of us will have been given a family name to indicate that we are part of family with history- perhaps an uncle who died heroically in the war, or an aunt who achieved great things academically. Some of us will have been given a ‘nickname’- perhaps at school we were known for a particular personality trait or physical feature. Names are important. Names are revealing- they tell something about us or how people see us.
In the New Testament names are important- think of how Saul became Paul or that Jesus was given the name ‘Immanuel’. In the New Testament the names used for the office of elder are important. Several different names are used to describe the role of elder, and each one tells us something important about the role.
In verse 17, notice Paul calls for the elders from Ephesus to meet him on the beach in Miletus before he heads to Jerusalem. And then, and in verses 18 to 35, he delivers his farewell address.
What is described is a very poignant and moving scene. Imagine being there and watching as they weep with him and embrace him because he tells them they’ll never see his face again.
We often think of Paul as quite a distant figure- writing his letters filled with doctrine and instructions. But here we see the heart of a pastor who cared deeply for God’s People. We would do well to bear that in mind as we listen to his instruction on the eldership.
So, Paul has gathered his fellow elders- fellow Brothers in Christ, fellow soldiers in the great fight of faith- and he addresses them with moving and authoritative words. And in the middle of his address to them, he issues this charge; in verse 28:
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
We expect him to say, ‘…of which the Holy Spirit has made you elders…’. He’s talking to the Ephesian elders after all. But that’s not what he says. Instead, he uses the term ‘overseer’.
To help us understand what is going on here we have to get a little technical for a moment- please bear with me. In the Greek the word for ‘elder’ is ‘presbuteros’ (we get our word, ‘Presbyterian’, from it). It means a church governed by elders, presbyters. The other Greek word here, translated as ‘overseer’, is the word, ‘episkopas’.
So we have two different names. But it’s clear in Acts 20 that ‘overseer’ and ‘elder’ actually refer to the same group of individuals and leaders. They have different names, emphasising different aspects of their ministry, but they are the same individuals, the same office of leader.
Another example of this is found in 1 Peter 5 verses 1 and 2:
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
Peter addresses elders and calls them to ‘[b]e shepherds’ and ‘watch over’ the flock. In other words they are to be overseers and shepherd-pastors. So ‘elder’, ‘pastor-shepherd’, and ‘overseer’ are interchangeable terms for the same office in the New Testament. These titles emphasise different aspects of their responsibilities.
Let’s think about what each term tells us about what these officers do for just a moment.
Elder
It is important to clarify that the term ‘elder’ does not necessarily imply advanced age; for instance, Timothy was likely in his thirties. Age is not a determining factor. Instead, the essential qualification emphasised here is spiritual maturity. As we think about electing new elders, that’s what we are looking for- spiritual maturity.
The overall responsibility of the elder is the spiritual growth of the people and the witness of the church in the world through spiritually maturing Believers. We elect elders on this basis- not because we know them well or they are popular in the congregation; not because they have been members for a long time and we want to reward that; and not just because they are currently doing a really good job in a particular area of church life. We elect those who are committed to spiritual growth and display spiritual maturity.
Elders need to be individuals who demonstrate a genuine love for the Word, for the Lord Jesus Christ, for the Lord’s Day, for collective worship, and for God’s People. So, the designation ‘elder’ signifies an expectation of spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is the mark of an elder.

Pastor
Secondly, they’re called pastors, shepherds. The elder’s principal task is to care for the flock of God with gentleness, with attentiveness, with patience, and going after the wandering sheep- we saw this last week in Ezekiel 34.
We are looking for folk who will deal carefully with the vulnerable and the hurting and the wayward and the guilty and the doubting and the afflicted. We’re looking for leaders who will defend the flock from the wolves that Paul, in verse 29, warns will seek to destroy the sheep. They need to be spiritually mature. They’re elders. They need to be pastors, shepherds, who care for the flock.
Overseers
And thirdly they’re called overseers, which reminds us we are looking for folk who will take charge of the governance and spiritual direction of the congregation as a whole. There are many different areas of concern in any congregation and elders must be those who are able and willing to offer direction and leadership in areas such as worship, fellowship, discipleship, mission, pastoral care, and all to do with ministry to young people and families.
So elders need to be folk of Biblical vision and Scriptural wisdom- seeking to live in conformity to God’s Word and directing God’s People in God’s Way. They need to be spiritual folk who will prayerfully guide the church through the trials and times that we have been called to live in and witness to. They need to be folk always seeking to move the congregation towards faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ.
These are the names and titles attributed to elders in the New Testament and they teach us about the eldership in the Church. Secondly, then, we see how the elders in the New Testament consistently served collectively…
We’re all in this together!
None of us can do everything on our own. At times we will need the support of others. Often it is good to have people we can share the burdens of life with- people we can ask for help. Remember, even the Lone Ranger had Tonto!
And this principle applies to leadership in the Church- it cannot and should not be the responsibility of one individual to lead a congregation. And so, in the New Testament we see elders served together. This is what is called ‘the plurality of elders’- a team of biblically qualified elders jointly shepherding and overseeing a local church body.
When Paul called for the leadership of the Ephesian church in Acts 20, we saw he called for the ‘elders’- plural. In Philippians Chapter 1 verse 1, Paul writes to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi with the ‘…overseers and deacons…’- there’s a plurality of leaders at Philippi.
In 1 Timothy 4 verse 14, Paul writes to Timothy in Ephesus, and he tells him:
Do not neglect the gift that you have which was given to you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.
He’s talking about Timothy’s ordination to Gospel ministry. And it took place, you’ll notice, by the assembly of elders together. That phrase, ‘…the council of elders…’ is just one word in Greek- ‘presbytery’- a presbytery, an assembly of elders ordained Timothy.

So, what we see in the New Testament is that there is a local assembly of elders in Ephesus; another governing the church in Philippi. And then, in Acts 15, another assembly of elders gathered to make decisions about the life of the church more widely. Elders from a wide geographical area gathered at this ‘General Assembly’ to make decisions that would impact churches throughout the region- not just one congregation but many.
As Presbyterians we believe that the Bible teaches that the Church should be governed and led by assemblies of elders (presbyters) rather than a single person or hierarchy. In practice this means that there’s a basic system of gatherings of the elders, each with slightly wider spheres of authority. Some are local in a particular congregation (Kirk Session), some in a region (Presbytery), and some even larger than that (General Assembly).
That’s the basic pattern of Presbyterian church government. There’s a plurality of elders who govern and lead together at every level of the church’s life- locally, regionally, and nationally.
Before we move to application by way of conclusion, it is worth noting one further point. In 1 Timothy 5 verse 17 Paul is counselling Timothy concerning ministry in the Church of Ephesus; he says:
Let the elders – plural – who rule well be considered worthy of double honour, especially those who labour in preaching and teaching.
Notice how a distinction is made between the elders. Every one of the elders together, along with Timothy, exercise a leadership function. And yet among them there are some set apart to the work of preaching and teaching.

So there are elders. And the elders serve together in assemblies of varying sizes and scope- locally, regionally and beyond. All of them rule, all of them shepherd, all of them exercise oversight, all of them teach to some degree or another. But some of them, in addition to those functions, are especially set apart for the ministry of preaching the Word and teaching.
That’s why in our own denomination, we speak about ‘ruling elders’ and ‘teaching elders’. The minister is the teaching elder. The other members of Kirk Session are ruling elders. But we’re all elders together.
Now, perhaps you are wondering why we have spent so much time in these technicalities. Well, simply put, we need to appreciate that the governance of the church and church leadership follows principles derived from God’s Word. Jesus Christ- who bought the Church with His blood- is King and Head of His Church, and He has appointed a government for His Church in the Bible. And if we are going to be faithful to Him, it matters that we all ensure that our church is rightly ordered according to God’s Word.
And so, we must really appreciate deep down that calling new elders is a significant responsibility and privilege. It’s not just some routine that we go through from time to time. We must feel the weight of the fact that God has invested us, the members of this congregation, with a solemn and sacred duty to prayerfully elect the elders who will lead us and shepherd us, and that that belongs to our calling as Christians and members of the body of Christ.
We are Presbyterians you see, not for pragmatic considerations, not by default, not by tradition. We are Presbyterians because it is the form of government taught in God’s Word. And the good order of the Church matters to God. And so it must matter to us.
What difference should all of this make practically as we prepare for the election and ordination of new elders? Let me suggest three things before we finish…
Firstly, pray for our elders. Pray that we will be folk of spiritual maturity; tender-hearted care and compassion; who exercise oversight with Biblically constrained wisdom and godly discernment.
Pray for our elders because theirs is a high calling. Elders need grace to live for God. Elders are the special target of Satan’s hatred who need the protection and power of the Holy Spirit. Elders will grow weary in the work of shepherding and overseeing in a fallen world as fallen people. Elders desperately need God and His grace to sustain and preserve them in their service.
Do you pray for our elders?
I’m ask you as an elder, pray for us. And pray particularly for the folk of God’s calling to be raised up from within the membership of this congregation who will be qualified and equipped for this weighty responsibility and holy calling. Pray for our elders.
Secondly, submit to our elders and follow their lead. Hebrews 13 verse 17 says:
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will have to give an account.
When you see elders who are filled with a sense of their accountability to the living God for your welfare, then you have found folk who you can follow. And to such folk God’s Word calls us to submit.
That’s what the Scriptures call us to- to pray for our elders and to submit to them, to support them and to follow as they lead.

Trust Yourself to the Chief Shepherd
And then finally, back to 1 Peter 5. As you think about elders, do not trust yourself to them. They are undershepherds at best. There is a greater Shepherd. And the elders’ job, my job, is to point you always to Him. Do not trust in elders. Trust in the great Shepherd Himself. He is the One your heart really needs.
And as you pray for elders, pray for folk who are seeking to be like the chief Shepherd. And pray for those who will seek to honour the chief Shepherd by feeding, leading and heeding the flock under their care.
Even while we think about the election of elders we need to remember that we need the chief Shepherd. In all of life we need to look to Jesus Christ to be our Savior and Lord.
The greatest measure and mark of a faithful elder is not that they are an effective businessman, not that they have a great reputation for strong leadership or they have a brilliant instinct for decision making. But the great mark of a faithful elder is that they will find a way always to point you to Jesus Christ, the chief Shepherd.
So, as we consider this election of elders look to the Chief Shepherd. And then pray for folk who will point you to Jesus. Pray for folk who will care for you like Jesus. Pray for clear leading to the folk Christ, the Head and King of the Church, has set aside to feed, lead and heed you in the years to come.