This Issue...
UNREST, UPRISING, AND REVOLT
Rusty Stark
Our world is in the midst of widespread unrest. Citizens of
various nations are rising up against their own governments. In
some cases, tyrants are toppling and being taken over by other
tyrants. There are also common people taking part in violent
protests to overthrow their government.
On the one hand, brutal dictators, tyrants, and despots
are clearly in violation of righteous principles. It is God’s
will that rulers be a terror to evil, not to good (Rom. 13:3-4; 1
Peter 2:13-14). Those who are a terror to the righteous and those
who harbor and support evildoers are not right in God’s
sight.
But on the other hand, the question before us now is
whether or not it is proper for Christians to engage in acts of
civil disobedience and even violence to overthrow the government
—even an evil one.
THE RULE OF GOVERNMENT IS AUTHORIZED BY GOD
Romans 13:1-7 says, “Let every soul be subject unto
the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the
powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore
resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they
that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers
are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then
not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt
have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee
for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for
he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God,
a revenger to [execute] wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore
[ye] must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also
for conscience sake. For for this cause pay ye tribute
also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually
upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues:
tribute to whom tribute [is due]; custom to whom custom; fear to
whom fear; honour to whom honour.”
Romans 13:4 talks about the government bearing the
sword as a minister of God. For civilization to exist, for law
and order to prevail, someone must have the power of enforcement
and punishment. Police can and should use force in the course of
duty in order to thwart those who would do evil or to capture and
punish those who have done evil.
A government can and should protect its citizens from
evildoers, even by the use of military might. Our government
certainly had every right to fight against Hitler, and to punish
the evil deeds of Usama Bin Laden. God’s word gives
governments the right of punishing evildoers (even other
governments who are evil). However, He does not give that right
to individuals.
OUR OWN HISTORY
This question is one which can easily become clouded in the
minds of Americans. Not only was our nation born out of revolt
and uprising, we have been taught to be proud of that fact. But
the truth of God’s word can never be proven by appealing to
past behavior. If something is wrong, we must not justify it
under the guise of “patriotism.”
TAXES, SUBMISSION AND CIVIL OBEDIENCE
Here is an important point of truth þ- regardless of all
attempts to justify otherwise: Christians are to pay taxes.
Romans 13:6 says, “For for this cause pay ye tribute also:
for they are God’s ministers.” It is not enough
simply to argue that the tax is unfair. Nor do we have the right
to refuse to pay simply because we are taxed without
representation. Christian’s pay their taxes. If Paul
commanded the people of his day to pay tax to an empire as evil
as that of Rome, there is no excuse for Christians to refuse to
pay taxes to their government.
Here is another truth that we must accept and follow:
Christians are to be people of civil obedience, submitting
themselves to governmental authority. We are not a people of
civil disobedience.
Note the following passages:
1 Tim. 2:2, we are to pray for those in authority
“that we may lead a quiet and peaceable
life.”
Titus 3:1, “Put them in mind to be subject to
principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready
to every good work.”
1 Thess. 4:11, “And that ye study to be
quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with
your own hands, as we commanded you.”
2 Thess. 3:12, “Now them that are such we
command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with
quietness they work, and eat their own bread.”
Rom. 13:13, “Let us walk honestly, as in
the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering
and wantonness, not in strife and envying.”
1 Peter 2:11-17, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you
as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war
against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the
Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers,
they may by your good works, which they shall behold,
glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to
every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to
the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are
sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise
of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with
well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish
men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of
maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men.
Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.”
Here we see that our submission to the authority of
government can make a difference to how men view Christianity.
Our obedient, quiet, submissive lives can cause others to glorify
God. The right attitude on our part can put to silence the
ignorance of foolish men. On the other hand, if we engage in
civil disobedience we will make Christianity look like a bunch of
rebellious, lawless people.
PROTESTS AND PETITIONS FOR REDRESS OF WRONGS
In the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United
States, number one in our “Bill of Rights,” our
government allows its citizens “peaceably to assemble”
and “to petition the government for a redress of
grievances.” The point of this article is in no way intended
to say the First Amendment is wrong.
Government of, by, and for the people demands that the
people be involved. Christians are obligated as part of the
government to try to steer that government in the right way. For
this reason we should vote and use our votes as a stand for right
and good, not swayed by party loyalty or the almighty pocketbook.
It is not wrong to call attention to those things our government
needs to change. It is not wrong to point out the things our
government does that are wrong or sinful. It is not wrong to try
to influence our government to do right. But there is a vast
difference between peaceable assembly and violent protest. There
is a vast difference between lawful attempts at responsible
change and rebellion and revolution causing havoc and mayhem.
Christians are to be people of civil obedience. That
is, we are commanded by God to obey the government under which we
live. Anything less is sinful. The only exception to this rule is
in the case where obedience to man’s law causes us to violate
God’s law. The apostles made this clear in Acts 5:29 when
they said, “We ought to obey God rather than men.”
We have a higher calling. It is the Lord and His word. Heaven
demands we seek God’s way first (Matt. 6:33).
THE POWER OF CHRISTIANITY
John 18:36, “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of
this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my
servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but
now is my kingdom not from hence.” It is important for us
to remember that the power of Christianity is not military power.
The kingdom of God is not advanced nor defended by bullets and
bombs.
Christianity fights and conquers by reason, revelation
—the Word of God (Rom. 1:16). “For though we walk in
the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of
our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the
pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and
every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of
God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience
of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:3-5). The power of Christianity is
not from military action, not from civil government, not even
from Christians. The power of Christianity is from God. God’s
Word in all its power (Heb. 4:12; Rom. 1:16) and the providential
care of His people (1 Peter 3:12) are all the power we need in
this world.
Christianity existed and flourished under the tyranny
of Rome without Christians rising up and calling for the
overthrow of Caesar. Many governments have persecuted Christians.
That is simply the way it is. Second Timothy 3:12 says,
“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall
suffer persecution.” But the New Testament does not call
Christians to overthrow governments. It calls us to submit to
those governments, even those which are evil.
The command of the Lord is “...that we may lead
a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty”
(1 Tim. 2:2). We pray without ceasing that peace and safety may
prevail. We pray that doors may be opened for the Gospel to be
spread around the world. Are you helping the Lord’s cause or
preventing it (cf. Matt. 12:30)?
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Editorial...
CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE
OR
CHILDREN OF LIGHT
Garland M. Robinson
There’s a world of difference between those who abide in
the kingdoms of the world and those who have been called out of
them —called out of the world of darkness and translated into
the kingdom of God’s dear Son (cf. Col. 1:13). In the world
we were children of disobedience (cf. Eph 2:2); but, in the
kingdom of Christ (the church), we are children of light (cf. 1
Thess. 5:5). God’s wrath is upon the disobedient —those
who walk as in the night (Eph. 5:6). Faithful Christians are not
of the darkness, they are of the light.
Jesus said of himself, “I am come a light into
the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in
darkness” (John 12:46). The Lord told Saul of Tarsus that
He was sending him unto the Gentiles (those in the world of
darkness), “To open their eyes, [and] to turn [them]
from darkness to light, and [from] the power of Satan unto
God...” (Acts 26:18). There’s obviously a
difference between the people of the world and the people of the
Lord (Christians).
As servants of the Lord, we are to cast off the works
of darkness and put on the armour of light (Rom. 13:12). We
“...are all the children of light, and the children of the
day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness” (1 Thess.
5:5). Since we are now light in the Lord, we are to walk as
children of light (Eph. 5:8). Light can have no communion
(fellowship) with darkness (2 Cor. 6:14).
First Peter chapter two tells us how to live. It speaks
of our conduct —our attitude and disposition of life. Our
manner of life is to be “...honest among the Gentiles:
that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by
[your] good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the
day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12). We are to submit
ourselves to “...every ordinance of man for the Lord’s
sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors,
as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of
evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the
will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the
ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using [your] liberty
for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God”
(1 Peter 2:13-16).
These verses do not tell us to take to the streets in
violent protest to the government. There’s no mention of rock
throwing, destruction of property and general mayhem. When we see
news reports all around the world of countries in turmoil, its
citizens embroiled in insurrection, we can’t imagine in a
million years of Christians being in that number. Instead, 1
Timothy 2:2 tells us to pray “for kings, and [for] all
that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable
life in all godliness and honesty.”
The Lord’s kingdom is a kingdom of peace.
Isaiah 2:4 speaks of the citizens of the kingdom (the church) by
saying, “...they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up
sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any
more.” The behavior and attitude of people before
becoming Christians was to use instruments of war and violence
such as swords and spears. But after becoming Christians, they
converted them into implements of agriculture such as plowshares
and pruninghooks. The Lord’s people do not take to the
streets yelling and screaming, calling for trouble and
instability. The Lord’s people are absolutely no threat to
anyone in the world, certainly not a government or nation. We
serve a new king, the Lord Jesus Christ. We attend to a new rule,
the way of righteousness and purity.
Paul spoke of some in the first century who thought
Christians acted like everyone else, that they lived according to
the flesh (worldly minded), doing the same things people of the
world did. However, Paul appealed to the conduct of our Lord. His
was an example of meekness and gentleness. That was not only the
Lord’s disposition, it is the way Christians are to act. The
Word of the Lord is, “...though we walk in the flesh,
we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our
warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the
pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and
every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of
God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience
of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:3-5). Christians do not behave like
the rest of the world. The battle Christians wage is a spiritual
battle, fought with spiritual weapons, the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. It is a battle for the hearts and minds of people
everywhere. The Gospel subdues the very mind, the very thoughts
of an individual, and brings them under control to the obedience
of Christ.
The Lord’s kingdom is governed by the Gospel of
peace. It is a new law, the Gospel of Jesus the Christ.
Romans 10:15 says, “How beautiful are the feet of them
that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of
good things!” As citizen of the kingdom of peace, a
soldier of Jesus Christ, our feet are “shod with the
preparation of the gospel of peace” (Eph. 6:15).
Jesus said his disciples would march to a new commandment. It is
a new and novel concept as far as the world is concerned. It is a
commandment of love, genuine love, sincere love, a love that
seeks the good and well being of others. Jesus said, “A
new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I
have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John
13:34).
Within the Lord’s people there is a peace that
passes understanding (Phil. 4:7). It is an inner peace.
Philippians 4:7 does not say we’ll be free from turmoil and
trouble in the world. We cannot escape persecution (2 Tim. 3:12).
What it means is, our hearts will not be consumed by the
world’s unrest and crisis. Though we live IN the world, we do
not live AS the world. Maturity in Christ leaves the carnality of
the world behind. Jesus spoke of peace (John 14:27), but not the
kind of peace the world gives. It is an inner peace that comforts
our hearts. We live by a higher standard because his banner over
us is love (cf. Song of Solomon 2:4).
Our devotion is to the Lord and His cause. While we are
meek and gentle like our Lord, we will not compromise nor bend
the Law of God. It is the very principle that rules our hearts
and lives. This is why Jesus teaches us to “...fear not
them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but
rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in
hell” (Matt. 10:28).
Is this so in your heart and life? Is your life one of
physical, carnal conflict or one of gentleness and peace? The
judgment of the Lord is coming. Are you, will you, be ready? Will
you meet Him in worldly confrontation and strife or in peace and
love?
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TAKING THE WORD OF GOD TO ISLAM #2
John Hall
ABOUT THE KORAN (QURAN)
The Koran was revealed in Arabic over a period of twenty-two
years (AD 610-632). Since Muslims universally insist that
Mohammed was illiterate, they claim that he received nonliterary
(unwritten) revelations from the angel Gabriel, which he never
wrote down (of course how could he if he was illiterate). The
Koran supports this contention (6:7; 7:158; 17:93; 25:5;
29:48,51). This means the Koran existed first only orally
as spoken by Mohammed. The next step, therefore, in preserving
these “revelations” is to retrieve all these oral
teachings from all the many hearers. Most of Islam will also
admit and contend that this process of collecting and compiling
all these “revelations” did not begin until after
Mohammed’s death. This brings us to a very important
point concerning the Koran. If Mohammed is indeed (as they
claim) the final and greatest prophet, this necessitates that the
retelling and recording of these “revelations” would be
left to uninspired speakers, writers, and memories.
Muslim scholars and historians credit Abu Bakr (his
best friend and father of his favorite wife) with having been the
first to organize the collection and transmitting of all these
“revelations” in one single book. They contend he
produced the first official written Koran. Many Muslim apologists
and scholars admit that after the initial compilation of the
Koran was finished, many copies were burned. They will go on to
explain, however, that this burning took place because there were
“incorrect copies” and many with “mistakes“. They
admit, therefore, that since their process of recording and
collecting these “revelations” was a completely
uninspired process, there were many mistakes and errors in early
copies. Where most people contend that through the years a work
will lose its credibility, the Muslims must contend that through
the years their book gains more and more credibility as they
remove the mistakes and contradictions.
It is often contended that when mistakes and
contradictions arise, they are totally the fault of the
translation of the text into another language other than Arabic.
In the author’s personal experience, this has been a common
response, which is why in my work I always carried an Arabic copy
of the Koran for Muslim students to use (though most of them
could not use it if they wanted to!). By stating this, the person
is basically saying the only way the Koran can be truly
understood in its “perfect” and “inerrant” form
is by speaking and/or reading the Arabic language. The god of the
Koran has decided that the true message can only be received
through one language, and the Koran claims in several passages
that it has been preserved in only pure and clear Arabic speech
(26:195). Interestingly enough, though, scattered throughout the
pages of the Koran are words from other languages! For
example, Syrian words are used repeatedly in the Koran (3:45-
masih translated Messiah, 2:50- furqan translated
salvation, etc.).
Finally, it is also important to understand what
Muslims call Islamic Hadith. The Hadith is simply a
collection of “traditions” regarding the life and sayings
of the prophet Mohammed and how he responded to others. These
traditions were first transmitted by word of mouth and later
recorded. It is regarded as just as much the word of Allah as the
Koran (some Muslims esteem it more authoritative even than the
Koran).
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT BOOKS LIKE THE KORAN
Where Jesus was not satisfied leaving the truth to
the unaided human memories of His apostles alone, He instead told
them the Holy Ghost would “teach you all things, and bring
all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto
you” (John 14:26). The same cannot be said for the Koran. In
recording the Bible, not only did God inspire the writer’s
memory and knowledge, He also inspired their writings.
“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is
salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the
wisdom given unto him hath written unto you” (2
Peter 3:15). “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or
spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I
write unto you are the commandments of the Lord”
(1 Cor. 14:37). “And he that sat upon the throne said,
Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write:
for these words are true and faithful” (Rev. 21:5).
This is how Paul, through the Holy Spirit, could write
“all Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2
Tim. 3:16). All that is Scripture, whether oral or written, is
God-breathed. That means if something new is taught, remembered,
or written without the direct assistance of God, it is not
Scripture!
That introduces another very important concept directly
relating to the Koran. God breathed the words written by the
apostle Paul when He wrote: “But though we, or an angel
from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which
we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said
before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel
unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed”
(Gal. 1:8-9).
If the angel Gabriel brought a message to Mohammed (as
they claim), that is different, contradictory, or even additional
to what the apostles of Jesus Christ taught, the message
should be rejected! Paul could not be any plainer than what
he wrote to the Galatians. So, the man of God simply needs to
compare the words of the Koran to the words of the apostles of
Jesus Christ, and in every single way that the Koran is
different than Scripture, it should be rejected and its author
should be considered accursed. And, in whatever ways they agree,
they are not true because the Koran said it (or in other words
because Mohammed rewrote what he read in Scripture that had
already been written), it is true because Scripture said it
before Mohammed was even born!
Where the god of the Koran has decided that the true
message can only be received through the Arabic language, this is
in complete contrast to the God of the Bible who supplied many
early Christians (specifically the apostles) with the ability to
speak and carry the message in tongues they had never before
studied (Acts 2:7-8, et al.) in order for the Gospel to reach all
peoples (Col. 1:23). In fact, when God himself desired to speak a
message to Saul of Tarsus, He spoke “in the Hebrew
tongue” (Acts 26:14). Paul wrote that there are “so many
kinds of voices (or “languages” NKJV) in the world, and
none of them is without signification (or “significance”
NKJV)” (1 Cor. 14:10).
Part 2 of 4
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Table of Contents
RESPONSIBILITIES TOWARD ELDERS #2
Stephen Wiggins
In this series of articles, I am analyzing New Testament
passages which set forth specific responsibilities the local
congregation has toward elders. My objective remains twofold: 1)
To help brethren understand exactly what God demands of his
people as it pertains to the elders/congregation relationship.
This objective will be attained by explaining what certain
passages entail as to their meaning and application. 2) I want to
encourage and motivate brethren to implement the attitudes and
actions God solicits on our part toward elders. This objective
may be attained by appealing to that sense of duty inherent
within the hearts of honest and good brethren who are intent on
pleasing their Master in all things spiritual. God’s inspired
directives relate how every member of the church should treat
elders of the local congregation. Let us note a couple of these
from a selected verse.
THE PASSAGE
The second passage in this series I would like to analyze
comes from the book of Hebrews. The writer states: “Obey
them that have the rule over you, and submit to them; for they
watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account;
that they may do this with joy, and not with grief; for this were
unprofitable for you” (Heb. 13:17; ASV).
The author references two classes of people in this
verse. The reader gleans this from usage of the second and third
person plural pronouns: “Obey them that have the
rule over you, and submit to them; for they
watch in behalf of your souls....” The second
person pronouns (“you/your“) references the ones being
addressed by the writer. The author imposes upon this group
certain responsibilities of obedience and submission. In
contrast, the third person pronouns (“they/them“) refer
to those people being spoken about. The author states that this
group “rules over” and “watches in behalf” of the
first group. Who are these two classes? The first group
designates Christians in general. The second group denotes
the elders of various congregations. Thus, the passage
should be understood as addressing members of local congregations
concerning responsibilities toward their elders.
Read it again: “Obey them [the
elders] that have the rule over you [the
congregation], and submit to them [the elders];
for they [the elders] watch in behalf of
your [the congregation] souls, as they
[the elders] that shall give account; that they
[the elders] may do this with joy, and not with grief; for
this were unprofitable for you [the
congregation].” One may object that since Hebrews consists
of a “general” epistle and does not address any specific
congregational situation, this cannot equal a reference to the
elders of the local church. Not so. Two matters should be
considered: First, since elders were appointed “in every
church” (Acts 14:23) during the first century, the authors of
the so-called “generic” epistles take for granted that
all the congregations of the Lord’s people when fully
organized possessed elders. For example, one writer mentions that
if any among you are sick, let him call for “the elders of
the church” (James 5:14). Another writer appeals to “the
elders therefore among you” and even identifies himself as a
“fellow-elder” (1 Peter 5:1-3). Neither of these epistles
was addressed to a particular congregation of the Lord’s
people. Yet, both authors reference elders with the assumption
that they generally existed in all churches of Christ. Second,
the verse under discussion describes these leaders as
ruling with oversight and watching out for the
spiritual welfare of Christians. Elsewhere these concepts are
descriptive of the work of overseers in contexts where
“elders” and “bishops” are specified (Acts 20:28;
1 Tim. 5:17). Further, reputable brethren have consistently
applied Hebrews 13:17 to the elders/congregation relationship
(McGarvey, 26; Woods, 141; Jackson, 21; Duncan, 93; Taylor, 125)
OBEDIENCE
This passage sets forth two responsibilities that members of
the local congregation have toward elders. The first obligation
entails obedience: ”Obey them that have the rule
over you....” The word translated “obey” carries
the basic meaning to persuade or be persuaded. In
this context, however, the word conveys the nuance, to listen,
to obey, to yield, to comply with, or to follow
(Thayer, 497; BDAG, 792). Paul uses the term in this sense when
referencing one’s appropriate response to God’s truth:
“Ye were running well; who hindered you that ye should not
obey the truth” (Gal. 5:7)? When one obeys God,
they yield their will to the Lord’s will; they comply with
what God demands and remain faithful in practice to his
requirements. In this same sense, every member of the church must
surrender their volition to the collective will and wisdom of
elders who oversee the local congregation. Show me a
faithful Christian and I will point to the same individual
as a person who obeys the directives of the elders of the
local church. That person will do so because they know such
compliance remains part of what God expects and demands among the
devoted. Faithful Christians never rebel at God’s word but
rather live in harmony with that divine will. If God says members
of the church are to obey elders, then the faithful Christian
feels privileged to oblige.
SUBMISSION
The second responsibility members of the local congregation
have toward elders entails submission: “Obey them that
have the rule over you, and submit to them....”
The term translated “submit” occurs only here in the New
Testament. The word relates the concept, “withdraw, give way
to.” The meaning here, however, has a figurative extension,
“to yield to someone’s authority,” yield, give
way, submit as when one surrenders to the orders or
directives of another (BDAG, 1030; Louw/Nida, 468). The idea
conveys that members of the congregation are to respond with
submission to the authoritative directives of the elders
even when one feels at variance with their decisions (Allen,
624). Some of the newer versions correctly reflect this meaning
in their translation of the passage with the rendering:
“submit to their authority” [NIV, TNIV; (Note: I quote
from these translations for illustrative purposes only to
demonstrate how current scholarship reflects the biblical truth
that elders possess delegated authority. This authoritative
concept inheres within the very terminology of inspiration’s
original wording. Our more liberal-minded brethren are loath to
acknowledge this gem of truth as such has been a controversial
issue with them for years. They have long denied that elders
possess any authority whatsoever as it pertains to their decision
making role. If liberals would have taken time to study the very
words of the New Testament as reflected in their own cherished
versions, however, they would have known better to controvert
over a matter the original makes crystal clear —the
authority of elders. My quotation from this one verse offers
no blanket endorsement of the translations cited)]. The point is
that submit in this passage means to surrender to the
authoritative directives of the elders (Lane, 554).
IMPERATIVES
The English reader may sometimes fail to appreciate that
when the first century authors wrote the New Testament, they had
at their disposal a language which allows for great flexibility
of expression. Greek permits an exactness or specificity which,
though apparent to the original readers of the New Testament,
rarely transfers to the target language in the translation
process. This concession does not affirm that the truth of
God’s word cannot be conveyed through translation. The
observation merely acknowledges that there are intricacies such
as subtle nuances of meaning, syntactical constructions, and
grammatical forms which are sometimes exegetically significant
for the interpreter but not usually conveyed in translation with
the vividness otherwise noted from the original language. The
conventions of the English language will not allow for the
transference of some things clear to a reader of the Greek New
Testament. For example, observe that the author formulates both
verbs, obey and submit, in the imperative mood on a
present tense stem. The significance of this may go unappreciated
unless brought to one’s attention that there are reasons
why the author makes the grammatical choices he does
(Porter, 50).
By using an imperative, the author issues a clear,
positive command. It makes a direct demand to the human will or
volition (Wallace, 446). It involves the imposition of
one’s will upon another. This explains why one grammarian
calls the imperative the “mood of volition” (Dana/Mantey,
174). The imperative expresses the author’s attempt to impose
God’s will on the church as a directive to be obeyed. First
century readers would have immediately noticed the force of this
grammatical construction and understood the seriousness and
urgency of the charge. The significance of this should be
underscored for modern day readers. When inspiration dictates
Christians to obey and submit to their overseers, a
strong mandate comes through loud and clear. God has spoken in
forceful language. No option or choice in the matter remains for
those who wish to be counted among the faithful. One might as
well refuse to obey the command to be baptized as to fail to obey
the command to submit to one’s elders. This authoritative
injunction must be obeyed or else rebellion to the divine will
ensues. Insubordination equals the heinous crime of anarchy.
When used for commands, the present tense
imperative denotes an on-going action (Dana/Mantey, 300). This
usage classifies as a “customary” present. The force of
which conveys a continuous action that may or may not have
already commenced (Wallace, 485, 721-722). What must be
appreciated is that Greek tense does not relate the
time of the verbal action, so much as it portrays the
kind of action. Here, for example, embedded in the verb
tense-form, coupled with the literary context of the passage, the
grammatical construction relates an ongoing activity. That is,
the author wants to portray the type of action as
progressive in nature. The writer had other tense options
available by which he could have portrayed a different kind of
action. But he made the deliberate choice to use the
present tense. The author’s grammatical choice would
have been immediately recognized by first century readers. That
significance remains the same for us today —the directives to
submit and obey are not obligations which can be
discharged with a one time or even sporadic effort. Such commands
can only be obeyed through constant and habitual practice. It
involves an obligation imposed on the brethren that will always
and forever remain a God-given duty. It equals a continuous
responsibility.
There will never be a time this side of eternity when
God’s people will be exempt from their responsibilities of
obedience and submission toward elders in the church. These
grammatical nuances are captured, in part, by the following
expanded translation: I command you to continuously obey the
elders who rule over you. I command you to continuously submit to
their authority.
EXCEPTIONS
No one suggests that elders are infallible or incapable of
sin. No one maintains that elders are immune to becoming
disqualified through some moral failure or doctrinal aberration.
No one suggests that elders cannot abuse their authoritative role
resulting in “lording it over” God’s people as
oppressive dictators (1 Peter 5:3). No one argues here for
indiscriminate loyalty toward overseers without regard for
exceptional situations. No one denies there may be extenuating
circumstances where the divine mandate to obey and submit to
shepherds cannot be followed by a faithful flock.
As human beings, elders are susceptible to spiritual
failures in the same way any child of God may succumb to
temptations —preachers, deacons, or members in general.
Elders must first “take heed” to themselves before they
can do so to the flock (Acts 20:28). Even the “spiritual”
who seek to restore the “erring” must continuously be
“looking to thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Gal.
6:1). The possibility exists that elders can apostatize either
doctrinally or ethically (Acts 20:29-30; 1 Tim. 5:17-20). If the
elect continue in submission to such wayward men, the probability
exists that they will be led to their spiritual ruin as well.
Therefore it may be safely assumed that when the biblical author
orders God’s people to obey and submit to
elders that he has in mind faithful elders/leaders, not
apostate renegades.
By virtue of the fact that elders may apostatize from
the faith, there are exceptions to the general rule of obedience
and submission toward elders. But one must not attempt to negate
what God demands regarding the Christian’s responsibilities
toward faithful elders by operating on the “exception”
principle and not the “general rule.” Such delusional
efforts characterize only those who despise God’s design for
elders to rule over a congregation. Know that the divine mandates
pertaining to submission must be understood and obeyed within the
overall framework of the biblical context.
God does not enjoin upon the saints blind allegiance to
any man, much less to elders who are not leading within the
perimeters of truth and righteousness (Acts 5:29). What must be
appreciated is that elders occupy a functional role within the
church that exists by divine design. It is in connection with
this role and overall design that God designates elders to serve
loyally and faithfully as shepherds over his people. When they do
this in accordance with God’s will, then there must be
dedicated obedience and submission to the elders of the local
congregation. No exceptions allowed.
DISAGREEMENTS
One may agree with what the Bible teaches on congregational
autonomy and on members being obedient and submissive to elders;
yet, they find themselves disagreeing with the elders pertaining
to decisions they make on behalf of the congregation. If one does
not exercise prudence in this regard they may allow tension to
escalate resulting in resentment along with a hypercritical
disposition toward their elders. Such can easily denigrate into a
lack of respect for the elders if not outright insubordination.
I have personally witnessed this tragedy on more than one
occasion during my ministry. This is sad because an otherwise
dedicated Christian finds himself not only refusing to work in
harmony with the elders but even despising that he must
subordinate himself to leadership he views as incompetent. If a
person finds themselves in this situation it may help to consider
a couple of practical suggestions.
First, just because one disagrees with a decision made
by the elders does not mean the elders are wrong. It does not
mean they have sinned. It does not mean they have violated some
scriptural principle of truth. It simply means that their
judgment differs from yours resulting in a different course of
action. Every decision elders make falls into the realm of
expedience. They do not legislate for God. They do not make laws
for God. Their decision making role remains within the realm of
judgment and practicality as they oversee and make judicial
choices on behalf of the spiritual welfare of a congregation.
Many times an “eldership” will not even unanimously agree
among themselves. It follows that just because disagreements
arise on how to carry out a particular aspect of the Lord’s
work does not mean anyone’s actions should be viewed as right
versus wrong. The elders have not committed a crime just because
their judgment differs from yours. Therefore any disagreements
dealing with the functional and procedural role of elders should
be viewed as a difference of discretion in judgment and
not in matters of transgressing God’s will. Think also in
terms that obedience and submission to elders does not
necessarily demand a rubber stamp endorsement of every decision
made by them. In other words, there can be room for respectful
disagreements in matters of judgment without rebelling against
their leadership.
Second, if one disagrees with the elders, you might
consider the fact that their collective wisdom and experience
makes them far more qualified to make decisions on behalf of the
church than you as an individual. It is possible that because of
their accumulative knowledge they actually know much more than
you do concerning the circumstances surrounding their decision on
a particular matter. It also may be the case that they know
details about a situation of which you as a member of the
congregation are not privy and that this knowledge assisted them
in coming to the conclusion they did. Perhaps one could also
think in terms of exemplifying an element of trust in those men
that the congregation appointed as qualified overseers. Cultivate
an appreciation for their discretion and wisdom. Instead of being
disagreeable and hypersensitive to your own opinions, assume that
the elders are making the best choices possible based on the
information they have at their disposal. Perhaps there could be
more humility on the part of some members who think they could do
a better job than the current elders. Our twenty-first century
North American culture prides itself on individualism and
self-reliance. This mentality fuels the freedom we suppose is
ours to be hypercritical toward leaders in general. It remains
easier for these folks to criticize and complain than to help
with solutions to problems. Don’t be so na‹ve as to think
that if you were an elder, everyone would always agree with you
in every decision made. That will never happen.
105 East Planters
San Augustine, TX 75972
Sources
Allen, David L. 2010. Hebrews. The New American
Commentary. Nashville: B & H Publishing.
Danker, F. W., et. al. 2000. A Greek-English Lexicon
of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature.
Chicago: University of Chicago. (Cited as BDAG).
Dana, H. E. and Julius R. Mantey. 1955. A Manual
Grammar of the Greek New Testament. New York: MacMillan
Publishing.
Duncan, Bobby. 1989. The Elders Which are Among
You. Huntsville, AL: Publishing Designs.
Jackson, Bill. n.d. Elders: Those Who Watch Over
Souls. Pulaski, TN: Sain Publications.
Lane, William L. 1991. Hebrews 9-13. Word Biblical
Commentary. Dallas: Word Books.
Louw, Johannes P. and Eugene A. Nida. 1988. Greek-
English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic
Domains. New York: United Bible Societies.
McGarvey, J. W. 1962 repr. A Treatise on The
Eldership. Murfreesboro, TN: DeHoff Publications.
Porter, Stanley E. 2005. Idioms of the Greek New
Testament. London: Sheffield Academic Press.
Taylor, Jr. Robert R. 1978. The Elder and His
Work. Shreveport, LA: Lambert Book House.
Thayer, J. H. 1977. A Greek-English Lexicon of the
New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
Wallace, Daniel B. 1996. Greek Grammar Beyond the
Basics. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Woods, Guy N. 1976. Questions and Answers: Open
Forum. Henderson, TN: Freed-Hardeman College.
Table of Contents
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