Giants of the Reformation (7)

For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you… Titus 1.5

Institutes of the Christian Religion
John Calvin (1509-1564)
“Governors [elders] were, I believe, elders chosen from the people, who were charged with the censure of morals and the exercise of discipline along with the bishops [pastors]…Each church, therefore, had from its beginning a senate, chosen from the godly, grave, and holy men, which had jurisdiction over the correcting of faults.”

Paul’s language to Titus implies that churches without elders are churches not quite in order. Whether we call them elders or something else, somebody needs to take responsibility for the oversight of the spiritual wellbeing of all church members (Heb. 13.17). The “censure” of morals means the careful nurturing of godliness in those who profess faith; and the “exercise of discipline” does not refer only to those practices we employ to correct and reclaim those who have fallen into sin, but all the disciplines that pertain to godliness and prepare us for ministry. Saints grow in the gift of eternal life as they increase in Christlikeness and order their lives for wisdom (2 Cor. 3.12-18; Eph. 5.15-17). The role of elders is to nurture that life in those entrusted to their care. Elders are also called “overseers” (1 Tim. 3) because this is the very nature of their work. No elder can fulfill his calling merely by sitting on a board, managing a department, or running a program. To elders is entrusted the care and nurture of souls.

Do the elders – or leaders – of your church take direct oversight of the souls of your church members? How do they do this?

T. M. Moore

Organizing with the Spirit
The Lord Jesus is building His Church. His Word is the blueprint, His Spirit is the General Contractor, and we are all builders together of the Body of Christ. But are we doing our work God’s way, or ours? The Spirit has His ways of organizing our work, and we do well to understand as much as we can about His methods. This is the argument of Dr. Kent Miller of Michigan State University, and you can watch our Conversation with Dr. Miller, and download a free copy of his paper on the subject, “Organizing with the Spirit,” by clicking here.

The Fellowship of Ailbe is supported through the generous and faithful gifts of those who benefit from and believe in our work. Does the Lord want to use you in this way? Please look to Him in prayer over this question. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the Contribute button at our website, or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Thank you.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.All quotations from John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, John T. McNeill, ed., Ford Lewis Battles, tr. (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1960), Vol. 2, Book IV, pp. 1012ff.