Do the letters in Revelation support the idea of a leading elder?
Question:
We believe in the plurality of elders in the church and that elders are equal in the sense that there is no senior or chairman elder. In Revelation chapters 2 & 3, the seven letters are addressed to "the angel of the church." The angel refers to the elder of the respective church, and it is singular tense. Some have argued that this implies there is a "senior" elder in the church to whom the letter is addressed. How would you deal with this question?
Answer:
Each letter in Revelation begins: "To the angel of the church in ... write." The word translated here as "angel" is the Greek word for "messenger." Each letter is addressed to the angel at the church with the implication that the angel (or messenger) will deliver the message to the members.
Notice that you made a jump without basis. You assume the angel or messenger is a leading elder. However,
- There is no other indication of a leading elder in the New Testament.
- There is no connection of "messenger" to elders in the New Testament.
Many feel that the letters were addressed to the preachers at those churches who were charged with delivering the Gospel message. "Messenger" does match the duties given to preachers. In fact, the word for "preacher" refers to a herald or town crier sent to deliver the king's edicts. Elders are given oversight of the members of a congregation. Their duties do not match that of a messenger, and as you noted, elders are referred to in the plural.
Others feel that the angel is the overall spirit of the church, and the letters are more directed to the congregations as units. However, this view again runs into the problem of assuming congregations have spirits. Even so, this matches the terms being used more closely than the eldership in a congregation.
Therefore, claiming that the angels are leading elders cannot be a necessary implication.