Unquestioning
loyalty to oversight is the mark of a cult.
The
statement, the oversight must be obeyed, right or wrong, characterises almost
every assembly and unifies them all. It negates the view that assemblies are
autonomous. I have been told that discipline exercised in one assembly should
be recognised by all.
I
left the RAF in August,1961 and in October of that year I was commended to the
grace of God for the work of the gospel. From 1961 to 1980 I visited more than
200 assemblies and might have thought the vast majority were cloned from the
first J N Darby assembly. It was not only seen in the
way
they met and the way they conducted their meetings that revealed their
sameness. It was foremost in the fact that the oversight were not to be
challenged on any ground.
The
result is the Brethren Movement (this term is used by Ritchie ltd., so I feel
free to use it), now not much more than a cult. It can be no better while
carnal men rule assemblies. They are self-reproducing, selecting men of similar
vein to join them on the oversight. “The oversight” is another term not found
in Scripture.
I
add therefore an article on the recognition of elders, written by me some ten
years ago.
****
On the Recognition of Elders, being mainly an exposition of 1 Thess 5: 12,13
V.12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know
them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
V.13 And to esteem them very highly in love
for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
The
plea “KNOW THEM” is directed to the brethren by the apostle Paul. We do not
read, “KNOW US”! The responsibility for recognition lies with the saints. That
is, they are to use discernment and understanding as to who their leaders are.
Alas,
there have always been men who, in the spirit of Diotrephes, have demanded
recognition. They desire the pre-eminence in the assembly of God’s people. No
spiritual man will need to make such a demand, for his own life and work will
be his commendation and will bring him recognition in the assembly.
Thus
the responsibility rests with the saints to give recognition where it is due,
rather than with a body of elders seeking to enforce it, for such action is
NICOLAITISM (Rev. 2: 6, 15). Nicolaitism ―Victory of the people― is the very
root of clerisy from which there was a marked turning away in the latter half
of the 19th century. Now we find a turning back again with men ready
to “Lord it” over the saints and many ready to let them.
At
Thessalonica the leaders were at first not obvious for it was a new work. They
emerged under the leading of the Holy Spirit and so to facilitate their
ministry, and for the spiritual health of the assembly Paul besought the
brethren to give attention in observing who were actually guiding the assembly.
Paul did not supply them with a list of names to be read out at the Lord’s
Supper.
So
how were they to be known? The answer is plain; they “which labour AMONG you”.
So how are they to be known today? One might watch to see who goes along to the
oversight meeting but some might go in who were never appointed by the Holy
Spirit. They have been voted in or have been selected by some leading brother.
Also there may be true elders, labouring among the saints who would be
unwelcome at the oversight meeting. A man who asks for or demands a place on
the oversight should be regarded with the utmost suspicion. He wants the office
without the work ― a mere position seeker. The man who is seen labouring among
the saints is the man to recognize.
What
is it then to “LABOUR AMONG” the saints? Labour is that toil which requires
effort and produces weariness. It is at a premium among the saints today and
where it does exist, it goes largely unnoticed. But the labouring elder goes on
serving the saints anyway. He does not cry out to be noticed, but his work is
assisted by those who, appreciating his labour in the word, give him their full
support.
An
example of such labour is seen in 1 Cor. 16:
15. It is ministry. Essentially it is serving the saints, supplying
first of all to their spiritual needs. Thus an aptitude for teaching will be
revealed in their labour (1 Tim. 3: 2, Titus 1:9). How strange that some expect
to lead the saints but are never heard giving a word of ministry. Much of the
labour will also be spent in visiting the sick, the elderly, and any straying
sheep. So an elder will be known by what he does and also by his personal
character as outlined in 1 Tim. 3.
The next phrase “and are over you in the Lord” has been
much misunderstood and abused. Many have used the phrase to justify a hierarchy
and to mark off two distinct classes in the assembly, viz; the oversight and
the members (laity). That there is no thought of dominion in the phrase is seen
in that they labour AMONG (not over) you. The Greek word is proisteemi and
is used for one who is a Protector or Guardian;one who oversees, one who gives
aid. It is not used in the sense of PRESIDING OVER. It is in the former sense
also that the word is used in 1 Tim. 3: 5, “If a man know not how to rule
his own house...” (Not in a sense of a rigid authoritarian or despotic approach
but in caring, guiding, protecting, feeding, etc) “how shall he take care of
the church of God?” And this is what rule is all about
in the church of God. So again, a man is recognized as an
elder because he is seen to be guiding the church. It goes without saying that
he is guiding the assembly in the truth of God’s word.
Titus
3: 8,14 shows us also that proisteemi is a matter of maintenance and not dominance.
The guides maintain the assembly as they would their own families.
The
man whose own children mix freely with the world and with Christendom is hardly
in a position to maintain the local assembly. Indeed, we should consider him a
fraud, especially if he shared or encouraged his children’s activities.
The
final thing in this verse concerning elders is that they “ADMONISH YOU”. The
same Greek word is translated “WARN” in v.14. That is, they are to be
continually “PUTTING YOU IN MIND” ― of what? The Scriptures! For says Paul,
“these things are written for our admonition.” So the elders are men of the
Book who know the Book. A mark of false men is that they give appearance of
knowing the Book but they falsely interpret it and often publicly criticise it.
We are not required to recognize such despite what pretentious claims they may
make for themselves. We are not expected to recognize the unrecognizable.
We
note also from v. 14 that the unruly brother (defined in 2 Thess 3: 6 as the
one whose life is contrary to the apostolic tradition) is to be warned
(admonished, reminded of the Scriptures) by the BRETHREN. It is not merely a
function of the elders to do this. The brethren are exhorted to do this
whenever necessary and their authority is the word of God.
Then,
and only then, if such a person will not respond to specific appeals of
Scripture, the saints are to withdraw from him. This is not the same kind of
discipline mentioned in 1 Cor. 5.
Having
take n note as to whom the Spirit of God would have us recognize as leaders in
the assembly (By their fruits ye shall know them), they are to be esteemed very
highly in love. And note this, it is FOR THEIR WORK’S SAKE, It is not for their
sake, not so that they won’t feel slighted, but for what they are actually
doing in the assembly. We see that recognition has to be earned. It cannot be
demanded. It is for that labour of love
that the saints need and so those who are supplying it are themselves esteemed very
highly in love because of it.
An example
of such labour we noted in 1 Cor. 16: 15 where a whole family had addicted
itself to the ministry of the saints. What an addiction! They couldn’t give it
up. Many today are addicted to their TV sets or their secular employment and
are rarely seen at the meetings unless it should be an oversight meeting (for
which there is no Scripture). But those of Stephanus’s house were true
shepherds. The evidence was there ―the needs of the saints took priority in
their lives.
Paul
says “that ye submit yourselves to such”. Here only, incidentally, is the word
“submit” (or as it may be rendered, OBEY) used in an authoritarian sense
towards SUCH (those who exhibit like character as Stephanus’s family) who are
true elders.
To
all this we add our AMEN. How gladly and how wholeheartedly will we surrender
to those who love us, caring for our souls. and placing our interests before
their own, teaching us the word of Truth.