A gracEmail reader writes, "I am trying to learn to be more tolerant of other Christians. One area that gives me difficulty is the use by many groups of the terms 'Reverend' or 'Father' for the clergy. Is this not in conflict with Jesus' teachings?" * * * You refer, of course, to Matthew 23:8-10, where Jesus instructs his followers not to be called "Rabbi" (teacher or master), "father" or "leader" -- terms which in the ultimate sense belong only to Jesus himself or to the Father in heaven. This instruction comes in a larger context rebuking the pride and self-glorification of the Scribes and … [Read more...]

A gracEmail reader writes, "Why do Churches of Christ not call their preachers 'pastor'? We're about the only Christian group which doesn't use that term. I occasionally hear it applied to elders, but I've not seen them do much real pastoring." * * * A "pastor" is a spiritual "shepherd." In the Bible, spiritual shepherding basically means leading (by example) and feeding (by teaching). We see general descriptions of such persons in 1 Tim. 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9 and Titus 2:2-5. Because most preachers of any maturity fit these descriptions, one wonders why they ought not be designated and … [Read more...]

A gracEmail reader writes, "Why do Churches of Christ not call their preachers 'pastor'? We're about the only Christian group which doesn't use that term. I occasionally hear it applied to elders, but I've not seen them do much real pastoring." * * * Churches of Christ have traditionally taught that the positions of "pastors" and "elders" are the same in the New Testament. Because their preachers have not usually been elders, these churches have refrained from calling the preacher "pastor." Interestingly, in the early days of the Stone-Campbell "restoration movement," churches usually did … [Read more...]

A gracEmail subscriber in the Southwest has a church leader who forbids single Christians of opposite sex ever to ride together unaccompanied in a car, claiming Hebrews 13:17 as his authority to issue such commands. And an Indiana subscriber, who decided to leave a church he considers legalistic for one which more clearly preaches the gospel, received a letter from his former church elders claiming life-long spiritual jurisdiction over his soul and threatening him with excommunication if he violates their authority. Both readers ask my opinion. * * * The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews … [Read more...]

An Alabama brother asks whether church elders serve for life or for a lesser term. "What if a candidate insists on binding his opinions on others? Can that disqualify him, or must there be a moral reason? Can one objector prevent a candidate's appointment? How can an unqualified elder be removed?" * * * The man who is self-willed, hungry for power, demanding and harsh is not the proper person to serve in the capacity of shepherd (pastor), overseer (bishop) or elder. Those are "moral" issues -- as certainly as lying, stealing or adultery. How much agreement must there be in appointing them? … [Read more...]

A Church of Christ brother asks about the role and powers of congregational elders. "Do elders have any authority, or does it belong to the church as a whole? Can they force submission in matters of opinion?" * * * The New Testament portrays an "elder" (the Greek word is presbyteros, from which come our English words "presbyter," "presbyterian" and "priest") as a mature Christian who, because of personal experience with the Lord, is respected and acknowledged as an encourager, teacher, leader, admonisher, and model for other brothers and sisters in a local congregation (1 Pet. 5:1-5; Acts … [Read more...]

A gracEmail subscriber who serves as a spiritual shepherd in his church asks whether the passage 1Timothy 3:4-5 means that he should step down from that role because his teen-age child has, for three years, had a bad attitude and has acted out in disruptive and inappropriate ways. The child's parents have lovingly dealt with the situation as best they knew, and are now about to administer tough love in the form of treatment at a faith-based residential facility. * * * I salute you for your conscientious concern. Let me answer by saying that the best and most mature literal shepherd is not … [Read more...]

For the past several gracEmails, we have been considering three fundamental truths of spiritual leadership.(1) Spiritual leadership involves lowly service, not legal power. We must not confuse spiritual leadership with political position. (2) Spiritual leaders exercise grace-gifts from God, not worldly qualifications. We dare not focus on worldly achievements when choosing spiritual leaders. (3) The Bible identifies gifted people, not legal qualifications. We should not confuse technical qualifications with spiritual character. Scripture does not provide a single, uniform list of legal … [Read more...]

The mission of spiritual leadership is the transformation of God's people into the likeness of Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:7-16). It is not to construct buildings, create programs, attract crowds or to build an institution. Further, the transformation of human beings is a supernatural result, which cannot be achieved through mere human planning or power. It requires supernatural means, in the form of grace-gifts bestowed on every member of Christ's body (1 Cor. 12:27-31). And the method of spiritual leadership is lowly service, performed in the meekness of Christ, in the power of God and to his glory … [Read more...]

What does spiritual leadership look like, when one realizes that it involves lowly service and not legal power? Paul describes its conduct under three different circumstances: correcting a wrongdoer; encountering a controversialist and dealing with a divisive person. If required to correct a fellow-Christian who is doing wrong, the person who thinks he or she has legal power will usually be rude, domineering, harsh and perhaps self-righteous. Instead, Paul tells Timothy: “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, … [Read more...]