Distinguishing Between Teaching and Ruling Elders
| Beloved, We saw last week that Jesus wills to govern His church through a plurality of ordained men called elders. Christ established such a government for the spiritual protection and prosperity of each local congregation unto His glory. I am an elder of Cornerstone OPC, along with Dan and Jeff. But according to our view of church government, I am a teaching elder, while Dan and Jeff are ruling elders. Why the distinction? Before I answer the question, a couple clarifications are needed. First, all elders are called to both teach and rule. One cannot be qualified for eldership unless he is “able to teach” (1 Tim. 3:2) and “able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Tit. 1:9). Likewise, elders are synonymously referred to as “overseers” or “bishops” (Tit. 1:7 in connection with Tit. 1:5) who are “over [their congregation] in the Lord” (1 Thess. 5:12) in order to “rule well” (1 Tim. 5:17). So by the distinction, we are not saying that some elders teach, while others rule. All elders teach, and all elders rule. Second, all elders are equal. We call this parity. I sometimes joke that we are presbyterians, not pastorterians. Unfortunately, that is how some presbyterians function at a practical level, however. The pastor (i.e., teaching elder) calls all the shots, and the ruling elders implement and oversee whatever he decides. This is not a biblical model and often results in churches becoming a cult of personality. Jeff, Dan, and myself are equals. Christ has delegated His authority to each of us in equal measure to together serve Cornerstone. Keeping those two clarifications in mind, the Bible does make a distinction between different types of elders. The classic text is 1 Timothy 5:17: “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially [better translated “that is”] those who labor in preaching and teaching.” The “double honor” here is spelled out in v. 18 as financial renumeration: “For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,’ and, ‘The laborer deserves his wages.'” Paul states (as he does in 1 Cor. 9 ) that there are certain elders who are to be financially supported by the church, namely “those who labor in preaching and teaching.” There is a distinction within the elders between those who rule and teach alongside of their primary vocation and those who rule and teach as their primary vocation. Since the distinction lies in the realm of laboring in word ministry, our tradition has distinguished between teaching elders (i.e., ministers of the gospel) and ruling elders. Here are a few ways this distinction plays itself out practically in our denomination: Since teaching elders labor full-time in the word, they are required to be formally trained biblically and theologically, whereas ruling elders are not. Since teaching elders labor full-time in the word, they are examined and approved by the presbytery (i.e., the elders of the regional church), whereas ruling elders are examined and approved by the session (i.e., the elders of the local church). Since teaching elders labor full-time in the word, they alone preach and administer the sacraments, whereas ruling elders may only exhort and assist in distributing the elements. One area of debate in our circles is whether the office of teaching elder is a distinct office from that of ruling elder. In other words, are there two offices (elder & deacon) or three offices (minister, elder, and deacon)? My answer to that question is, “Yes.” I hold to a 2.5 office view. That is my way of being indecisive on what I see to be a very fine theological distinction! But it is an important distinction and more radical two-office or three-office views have harmful and unhealthy ramifications for the government and health of the church. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. We want to affirm the distinction between the pastor and the ruling elders, but we also want to affirm the parity of the elders. The best of our tradition has referred to the teaching elder(s) as primus inter pares (“first among equals”). That strikes a biblical balance which I find best represented in a 2.5 office view. For our purposes, what is vital to grasp is that Christ delegates His authority to a plurality of teaching and ruling elders to rule and teach in His church. And this, friends, is for our good and for His glory! I’m very thankful to have the privilege of being a teaching elder at Cornerstone. And I’m very thankful for your generosity that keeps me from being a muzzled ox and enables me to give myself to the awesome labor of preaching and teaching the word. As Lloyd-Jones said, there is no greater privilege in all the world than that! Yours in Christ, Pastor Nick |