As the highest officers in the church elders are called upon to make the decisions for the flock of which they are a part (1 Pet. 5:2). The word bishop is used interchangeably with elder and is defined, "superintendent, head or overseer" (1 Pet. 5:1,2; Acts 20:17,28; Thayer). Regarding elders Christians are admonished to "obey them that have the rule over you, and submit to them" (Heb. 13:17). It is important that elders take the responsibility of guiding the local church seriously.

1. A local church is compared to a flock of sheep (Acts 20:17,28; 1 Pet. 5:2). Sheep are proverbial in the Bible for going astray (Ps. 119:176; Isa. 53:6). The sins we see in the lives of members of churches in the first century confirm the appropriateness of the term "flock" as applied to a local church (1 Cor. 1-15; Rev. 2-3). Further, sheep are defenseless before predators (John 10:12). How many times saints in the New Testament seemed like sheep before those who led them astray (1 Cor. 15:12-34; Gal. 1:6-9; Col. 2:18,19)! With all this in mind we can better understand why those compared to sheep without a shepherd were objects of our Lord's compassion (Matt. 9:36). When a local church has elders it will do well for the members to remember the Bible's description of a church as a flock of sheep. This will help keep them from wrongly taking upon themselves the work the Lord gives to elders alone. If a local church does not have elders it is in its best interests to work to develop qualified men.

2. Elders' work is compared to that of shepherds of sheep (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:2). The above comparison of the local church to a flock of sheep shows its need for guiding hands. It also shows that the Lord clearly did not intend for churches with elders to be governed by majority rule or by members' secret ballots. If one has ever seen a shepherd leading a flock of sheep he or she has no questions regarding the relative positions of the shepherd and the sheep. With this in mind, please note again the words of Hebrews 13:17, "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit to them: for they watch in behalf of your souls..." "Rule" in Hebrews 13:7,17, and 24 is defined, "a. 'to lead,' i.e. a. 'to go before'; b. 'to be a leader; to rule, command; to have authority over'" (Thayer). Commenting specifically on the usage of "rule" in the above-mentioned verses in Hebrews 13, Thayer writes, "The overseers or leaders of... churches." A church needs elders like a flock needs a shepherd.

3. Elders must be aware of dangers facing the church and relevant scriptures (Titus 1:9; Acts 20:25-32). In the latter part of the first century, who was it that, in many cases, no doubt gave way to the idea that churches could be governed by a single officer falsely known as a "bishop"? Elders (Acts 14:23)! In the latter part of the 1800's, who was it that, in many cases, relinquished their divinely appointed responsibility of spending the funds of "the flock of God which [was] among" them to the Missionary Society? Elders! In more recent years, who has born heavy responsibility for engaging or tolerating preachers who justify the existence of differing doctrines on the days of creation in Genesis 1, and marriage, divorce, and remarriage among different local churches (Matt. 19:9; 1 Cor. 4:17; 2 John 9-11)? If the answers to these questions do not prove the above point nothing will.

Conclusion. Those who are elders must take their work seriously and recognize their divinely appointed position. Further, more men must be found who desire the office of a bishop and who meet the qualifications laid down in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Pet. 5:1-5 and other relevant texts. The same verse that speaks of the great price paid for the church speaks of the need for responsible, qualified men to oversee it (Acts 20:28). This flock needs oversight and elders must guide it.

- The Way of Truth and Life, 7/10/11