Various Texts
The Office and Function of Elder | Various Texts
June 21, 2026
- SBC in the Headlines
- 2022: Guidestone Report
- 2017: Resolutions Committee initially declined to condemn “alt-right” movement
2000: SBC adopts BFM2K
Two Reasons We Paused the Series:
- To address the concerns
- To correct the confusion
Typically: “Children’s Pastor, Youth Pastor, Worship Pastor”
Accurately: “Children’s Minister, Youth Minister, Worship Minister”
Truth: The term “pastor” simply describes one of the functions of the “elder” in the New Testament church.
I. THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE OFFICE
Context:
1 & 2 Timothy: Timothy, pastor in Ephesus
Titus: Titus, pastor in Crete
a. 1 Timothy 3:1-7
1 Tim. 3:1-2: “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.”
“Overseer,” Gk. ἐπισκοπή (episkopē), “Episcopal” or “Episcopalianism”
1.A “one-woman man”
1. Male
2. Married
Q: What about Jesus and Paul?
A: They are never described as “elders”
Paul: an apostle (Gal. 1:1; 2 Cor. 10:8; 1 Cor. 14:37-38)
Jesus: God the Son
Peter: an apostle & an elder (1 Pet. 5:1; 1 Cor. 9:5)
3. Faithful
1 Tim. 3:4 – “He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive…”
2. A father
1 Tim. 3:5 – “For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?”
3. A mature believer
1 Tim. 3:6 – “He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.”
4. A sound reputation
1 Tim. 3:7 – “Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.”
b. Titus 1:5-9
Titus 1:5-6 – “This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.”
“Elder,” Gk. πρεσβύτερος (presbyteros), “Presbyterian”
Titus 1:6 (LSB, NASB): “…having faithful children, who are not accused of dissipation, or rebellious.”
Titus 1:9 – “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.”
II. THE FUNCTION OF THE OFFICE
Acts 20:17 – “Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.”
Acts 20:28 – “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.”
Two Functions:
a. Oversee the flock
“Oversee,” Gk. ἐπισκοπή
“To care for,” Gk. ποιμαίνω (poimainō), “to feed, shepherd, or pastor”
b. Pastor the flock
Verb: ποιμαίνω (poimainō), “to shepherd, pastor”
Noun: ποιμήν (poimēn), “shepherd pastor”
Acts 20:29-30 – “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.”
TAKEAWAYS
1. The church must be clear about who is in submission to who.
Hebrews 13:7 – “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
1 Timothy 5:17 – “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.”
Eph. 5:22 – “…wives, to your own husbands.”
Eph. 5:21-22 – “Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ, wives, to your own husbands, as to the Lord.”
2. Christ, and crucially not the elders, is the head of the church.
1 Pet. 5:1-3 – “So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.”
“Domineering over,” Gk. κατακυριεύω (katakyrieuō)
Gk. κατά (kata), “down, against, over”
Gk. κυριεύω (kyrieuō), “to rule, exercise lordship, have dominion”
Root: κύριος (kyrios), “lord”
1 Pet. 5:4 – “And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”