{"id":55887,"date":"2022-11-17T15:29:29","date_gmt":"2022-11-17T21:29:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=55887"},"modified":"2022-11-17T16:53:53","modified_gmt":"2022-11-17T22:53:53","slug":"were-the-apostles-also-elders-and-can-there-be-unmarried-elders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/were-the-apostles-also-elders-and-can-there-be-unmarried-elders\/","title":{"rendered":"Were the apostles also elders and can there be unmarried elders?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

My prayer is that all is well. I have questions regarding the eldership and its qualifications. Based on what the scripture teaches regarding the elders’ qualification (and work to a degree), we read about them in I Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9 (along with Acts 20:28, Ephesians 4:11; and I Peter 5:1-4). Additionally, only the apostles were able to lay hands and give the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 6:6; 8:14-19; 19:6; II Timothy 1:6). Based on this information, I have two questions:<\/p>\n

First, were the apostles also elders based on Acts 1:20 (bishoprick), I Timothy 4:14 (presbytery), and John 21:15-17 (feed) though Peter and John identified themselves as such (I Peter 5:12; II John 1; and III John 1).<\/p>\n

If so, this relates to the next question, which clearly contradicts being a married elder (I Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6; I Corinthians 7:10). I viewed a few commentaries: James Burton Coffman, Dummelow and Barnes but did not receive quite the clarification.<\/p>\n

I also bring this up because in one of your articles “What happens if an elder’s wife dies?<\/a>” (December 26, 2004), it was stated that if an elder’s wife dies, then he, too, must step down, which contradicts one of the teachers at the Memphis School of Preaching, who stated that each congregation could look into this matter, determine if they wanted to do it, or not, and avoid causing confusion in doing so.<\/p>\n

I know these are tough topics and it seems as if my thinking regarding the unmarried elder as it relates to Paul and his work might be flawed. Therefore, could you please explain these matters so that I can get a better understanding?<\/p>\n

Thank you and God bless.<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

A person can hold multiple roles in the church. For instance, “The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching<\/em>” (I Timothy 5:17) mentions men who are serving both as elders and preachers. This doesn’t mean every elder is a preacher; in fact, the wording of the verse makes it clear that not all elders preach. So while there are multiple duties in the church (Ephesians 4:11) it is wrong to conclude that they are exclusive duties.<\/p>\n

Peter and John were elders (I Peter 5:1; II John 1) but Paul is never called an elder. Your use of I Timothy 4:11 and II Timothy 1:6 is addressed in\u00a0Didn’t the elders pass miraculous gifts to Timothy?<\/a> These passages indicated that the elders had laid their hands on Timothy as Paul through prophecy passed on the gift of the Holy Spirit. This does not indicate that Paul was one of the elders. John 21:15-19 is Jesus’ statement to Peter exclusively. “Jesus said to Simon Peter …<\/em>” (John 21:15). It was not directed to the rest of the apostles.<\/p>\n

“For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his homestead be made desolate, and let no one dwell in it’; and, ‘Let another man take his office’<\/em>” (Acts 1:20). The Greek word\u00a0episkope<\/em> refers to an inspection, visitation, or the position of an overseer. Just as apostles, prophets, elders, preachers, and teachers are all involved in teaching the church (Ephesians 4:11-12), apostles and elders have roles in overseeing the church. The difference in the roles is the realm that is covered. Apostles worked with the church in the universal sense. They laid down the laws given from heaven (Matthew 16:19) and they oversaw the churches (II Corinthians 11:28). Elders, however, work with a local church (Titus 1:5). They also watch over people’s souls, but the number of people they care for is far more limited. Thus, while there is an overlap of duty, this doesn’t prove that all apostles were elders or that all elders were apostles.<\/p>\n

Commentators and teachers are merely men. They are not a source of authority. It makes no difference to me that something I point out from the Bible’s text contradicts some teachers. The simple fact is that Paul listed out a number of qualifications that elders must<\/strong> have in I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Both lists mention that elders must be the husband of one wife.<\/p>\n\t

Response:<\/h2>\n

Brother Hamilton,<\/p>\n

Thank you very much. I don’t have a dog in this fight. I, too, want my information to be sound and your site has provided a wealth of thoughts. I really appreciate your explanation.<\/p>\n

Currently, at our congregation, where we have many older, sincere members, we are studying some very tough topics where disputes have arisen based on what many of the past preachers have taught.<\/p>\n

I agree with your assessments regarding the commentators; however, the schools are really pushing certain scholars, which I’m using along with my own deep studies, which is how I came up with the questions that I presented.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, I thank you very much and I really appreciate your prompt response. God bless you, sir.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Question: My prayer is that all is well. I have questions regarding the eldership and its qualifications. Based on what the scripture teaches regarding the elders’ qualification (and work to a degree), we read about them in I Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9 (along with Acts 20:28, Ephesians 4:11; and I Peter 5:1-4). Additionally, only the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[170,123],"class_list":["post-55887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-apostles","tag-elders"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":82974,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-divine-pattern\/","url_meta":{"origin":55887,"position":0},"title":"The Divine Pattern","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 6, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Homer Hailey The divine wisdom has provided a divine pattern in all his ways. The doctrine men obey is a \"form\" or pattern, a mold, such as metal, which is poured into which life is fashioned. (Romans 6:17.) This pattern of doctrine was from God by Christ, who did\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":30355,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/apostolic-succession\/","url_meta":{"origin":55887,"position":1},"title":"Apostolic Succession (Hamilton)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 22, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Acts 20:17-36 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0How do you prove that your brand of Christianity is real? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0For some, the argument is based on who was around the longest. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A religion that just recently started is declared to be suspect. If the church has been around\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":29235,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-organization-of-the-church-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":55887,"position":2},"title":"The Organization of the Church","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 8, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Text: Hebrews 8:1-5 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We give God glory when we teach His doctrine and execute it accordingly - I Peter 4:11 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Thus we are to follow the pattern set for us - Philippians 3:17 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Warnings abound not to change the message - Galatians 1:6-10 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Any change would give glory to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":20574,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/who-selects-elders\/","url_meta":{"origin":55887,"position":3},"title":"Who selects elders?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 2, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: We are stuck in the selection of elders for our church, Only one brother qualifies to be an elder. In the absence of a church eldership, who does the selecting of a faithful brother to lead the church? Please help. We very urgently need the answer. Answer: The design\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":50630,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/were-elders-only-needed-for-a-limited-time-and-in-limited-places\/","url_meta":{"origin":55887,"position":4},"title":"Were elders only needed for a limited time and in limited places?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 24, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: First, greetings in Christ, and may His peace be with you.\u00a0 I'm a brother and find your site very useful! I do have an issue on this page:\u00a0Can a church be scriptural without elders? At the beginning of the commentary, there's a sentence that goes: \"Obviously there can be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":29249,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/servants-of-the-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":55887,"position":5},"title":"Servants of the Church","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 30, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 6:1-6 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Early in the church\u2019s history, the number of brethren increased dramatically. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0With that increase came \u201cgrowing pains.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Circumstances caused the church in Jerusalem to have a large number of widows who needed care. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Some felt that preference was being given to native\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55887\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}