Elders

The position of “elder” is an ancient office. In the time of Moses, elders were important figures in Israelite (Exodus 3:16) and Egyptian (Genesis 50:7) society. God appointed seventy elders in the wilderness to help Moses (Numbers 11:16-17). In the Kingdom Age, elders were close friends of prophets (2 Kings 6:32), advisors to kings (1 Kings 20:8), and co-administrators of state affairs with rulers (Ezra 10:8). In every city, elders would sit at the city gate to render judgments (Deuteronomy 25:7).

By the New Testament era, elders also managed synagogue affairs and were mentioned alongside chief priests, scribes, and officials (Matthew 16:21; Acts 4:9). The majority of the members of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish supreme court, were elders.

During their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas established churches in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, and they appointed elders in each of these churches. Elders were the leaders of these churches. This is the first mention of elders outside of the Jerusalem church and the first time the establishment of elders in the church is noted in the New Testament (Acts 14:23; 20:17; 1 Timothy 5:17; Titus 1:5; James 5:14; 1 Peter 5:1, 5). The original Greek word for elders is plural, indicating that multiple leaders were appointed for each church. These elders were appointed by the apostles who established the church, which became a model for establishing leadership in the New Testament.

Paul’s first missionary journey lasted about a year. The elders in these churches may have only been believers for around six months. The fact that these churches could appoint elders and function independently in such a short time was due to the power of the Holy Spirit and the apostles’ willingness to obey the Spirit and “entrust them to the Lord, in whom they had believed.” It’s also possible that because Paul always went to the Jewish synagogues first in a city, many of his converts were already familiar with the Old Testament. This allowed them to quickly take on teaching and preaching roles once they understood that Jesus was the Christ. The church does not belong to the apostles; it belongs to Christ. Therefore, elders are not accountable to the apostles but to Christ.