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2 (722) THI
made about 280 years before Christ, was of universal
acceptance, until aiter the resurrection of
Christ. Early in the Apostolic days it became clear
that the Septuagint version was a mighty instrument
for the spread of the faith of Jesus among
the Creek speaking Jews, as well as among the
Creek speaking Cent ilea, and so the leaders of
the unbelieving Jews began a crusade against the
oepiuagint version, claiming that it was not a
correct translation. This Septuagint version of the
(.Mil Testament was the Bible that was the daily
study ot' Jesus and His disciples. They quote from
it almost exclusively. It was the common Bible
which was read and studied by all the faithful,
who were iioping tor and expecting the coming ol
the promised Messiah.
Jesus and liis earlv disciples always went into
the synagogues to worship and to preach, not only
in Judeu, but also when the Apostles and evangelists
went or were sent as missionaries into other
countries. Their respect for the rulers in God's
iuium; in every piuce was genuine, anu deserves tne
attention of the present age. Lt is not claimed
that the "elders" of the Church always act in a
way to command respect, nor did Jesus and the
Apostles always approve the actions of tiie "elders
of the Church" in that time. Jesus and the Apostles
iiad authority to reprove the rulers of the
Church, nevertheless insisted on respect being
shown to all of them, even including the wicked
high priest. (Acts 23:5).
Under such conditions as outlined above the
Church of God began to spread abroad from Jerusalem,
and we are not surprised that a detailed
delineation of the government of the Church is
nor given, ana are lully satisfied with the incidental
references found in the history and development
of the Church.
The disciples at Antioch were the first to be
called Christians. They were Christians before
they were called such. No doubt they were called
other things equally as appropriate, by some people
in spitefulness and by others in love and praise.
It is worthy of note that only three times in the
whole New Testament is the term Christian used.
The believers at Antioch, the church where L'aui
and Barnabas had been preaching for more than
u year, determined to send relief to the faminestricken
disciples of Judea, and when it was sent it
was to the presbyters, "elders," evidently acknowledging
that the presbyters had the rule over the
disciples in that section. (Acts 11: 27-30.) These
officers were the "ruling elders" among the company
of disciples where, by Apostolic authority,
the office of "deacon" also was established, as indicated
in Acts 6:1-G. I am not at all sure that
this was the origin of the office of deacon, though it
seems that it was the first time these officers were
specially set apart by ordination, including the
laying on of the hands of those in authority. There
was an officer in the synagogue whose duty it was
to perform services similar to those for which the
deacons of Acts 6 :l-6 were set apart by the authority
of the Apostles after the election by the
company of disciples, i. e., the Church. A few
years later, Acts 11:29, 30. we find "elders" mentioned
in connection with this same congregation,
and evidently recognized in the capacity of rulers,
and in just a few more years we find the Apostle
James as the pastor of this church, and the
"elders" are recognized as joint rulers with him
o'er this church. A few years earlier we find this
same church acting hr host to the representatives
sent by the church at Antioch, and other places.
Acts 15:2-4.
When Paul and Barnabas were pent by the Holy
Spirit and the Church to preach the gospel in foreign
territory (Ante 13:1-4), they went preaching
in every place where the Holy Ghost indicated to
them. When they had finished the evangelistic
tour, they returned through every place where
they had preached, and, spending a short while in
each place, they encouraged the believers and "or
3 PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SO
Uaiiied them elders iu e\ery cliurch.'' Acts 11:23.
Note 111 this connection the pluarality ol "elders
in e\ery church/' A like note may he made concerning
Acta 20:11, where we are told that i'aul
sent from Miletus and "called tor the elders ot tile
church" at Kphesus. These and other Scriutures
indicate* very definitely that when the pastor is
the only "elder" connected with the local church,
it is not equipped with officers according to the
teaching of Scripture.
This same principle is set forth very clearly
when the Apostle Paul writes to Titus (Titus 1:5)
reminding him of the fact that Patd had left Titus
in Crete to do the ''things left undone" by Paul,
a part of which was to "ordain ciders (presbyters)
Hi UiClJ Vltjf*
'J1 he reason for a plurality of elders in every
church will readily appear to the thoughtful person.
It is no light thing cither to stand between
the. individual applicant for membership and
the Church of Cod, and be a judge of the
<j nal i fical ions of the individual soul as to
his acceptance before Cod. It is 110 light thiug
to hold the power of discipline in the Church of
God and perform faithfully the duties of discipline,
even to the excommunication of a member; and
yet these are exactly the things a ruling oliicer
in God'6 Church must do. Who is sullicient for
ihesq things? If there be no brother man to share
the responsibility and encourage in sympathy anu
direct in counsel and plead for the Holy Spirit,
where shul! men l?e fomwt i?lm ?i.;u
v. .. wv, ?l.. Ut IU
take the responsibility ? Where shall the single
man he found who will carry the weight of conviction
with his discipline. Even the Apostles,
wherever it Mas possible, associated with themselves
the elders of the church in deciding ail matters
of importance, especially those matters that
touched the general welfare of the local church, or
the Church at large.
The authority of the elders is recognized in directing
the distribution of the relief gifts to the
poor disciples at .Jerusalem, and in the presence
.t?wl 11 '
... v. ui tne emers m me unurcn Assemblies
at Jerusalem, as Acts 15:2, 6, 22, 23; 10:4-; 21:
18.
The ordination of elders or presbyters, theh
official setting apart to their office, was evidently, ai
first, by the Apostles: but immediately after the
Church of God had been established in any place
by the Apostles, the piesbyters were associated
with the Apostles in all acts of government, and
this association was called "the Presbytery." (1
Tim. 4:14.)
The principle of division of elders into two
classes is announced in 1 Tim. 5:17. One class of
elders has its work of ruling, principally, and the
other class has its work of teaching, nrincinallv. i.
e.j to "labor in word and doctrine." These two
classes are associated together in teaching and governing
the Church of God. This distinction is indicated
in certain other references to the Apostles
Peter, James, and John. (1 Pet. 5:1; the first
verse of 1st and 2d John; James 5: 14.)
The existence of certain Courts of the Church,
i. e., certain Assemblies of officers having authority
and special responsibility placed upon them in
behalf, first, of the local church, and then in hehalf
of the Church at large, and these Courts composed
of exactly the same elements or officers as
ineml>ers, i. e., of Apostles and other presbyters,
appears in many places. The elders of the local
church at Jerusalem were recognized as those in
authority in the distribution of gifts sent by distant
churches; the "decrees" of the Apostles and
elders in the Assembly at Jerusalem, were delivered
to all the churches to keep (Acts 15 and 16:
4, 5). In this connection it is worthy of note that
the Apostles in this whole matter did not claim
nor did they exercise anv superior authority over
the other elders on the occasion of the coming together
of the Apostles and elders to consider the
affairs of the Church of God. The words recorded
U T H [ August 6, 191o
as spoken by the Apostles 011 such occasions indicate
very clearly that the Apostles were, and so
considered themselves, 011 a parity with the other
members of these Church Assemblies, or Courts.
Wherever sucli Courts were established the Apostolic
authority in matters pertaining to the general
government and even in matters of doctrine
was superceded by the authority of the Assembly.
or Court. This is very clear from certaiu definite
expressions of deference to the ciders in the words
of the Apostles. Then the Apostles John and
Peter call themselves "elders.''' John twice calls
himself an elder (presbyter) ; l'eter calls himself
a "fellow-elder" when he is writing to exhort the
elders of certain churches. 1 Pet. 5:1. It might
not bo wrong to say that while the Apostles lived
the Church Assemblies, or Courts, were composed
of three classes of elders, or presbyters, viz..
Apostle elders, teaching elders and ruling elders,
the class line not being absolute, but approximate;
:ll) li.lvinrr in nnni "? -1 il !l - Jl
' *"0 '** mill UU Uljllill illllllliriiy IMC
right to rule conjointly with other elders, or presbyters,
in the Church Courts. After the office of
Apostle ceased, the Courts or Assemblies of the
Church were composed of the two remaining classes
of elders, and are Fcripturally composed of those
two elements to this day, viz., the presbyters who
teach (and rule when the occasion demands), and
the e'klers who rule (and teach when the occasion
demands), i. e., the ministers and the ruling elders.
This is the only possible meaning of certain simple
references in the records of the early Church
Thus it appears that the principle of church
government indicated in the Scriptures is that of
Presbytery, or the representative form of govern
ment. The Courts of the Church are all Presbyteries,
because composed of presbyters, though
these Courts may be called by different names in
order to distinguish them in their separate provinces
or relations, the one to the other. In the
Presbyterian Church we call them by the names of
the Session, the Presbytery, the Synod, and the
General Assembly.
As there are only two classes of elders or presbyters,
it is right that only two Courts shall have
the right of ordination, i. e., the Session and Pres
nytery. l he indication in the early Church
among the followers of Jesus, is that the Apostles
had authority to ordain officers in any church
until a Session of ordained presbyters had been
established in the place; after that it seems that
when the Apostles were present they had a place
simply equal to the other presbyters who were
rightly members of the Assembly or Presbytery.
The use of such terms as bishop, pastor, etc.,
in the Scriptures does not sot aside this principle,
nor does it contradict the representative idea in
church government, for the simple reason that
these terms are used interchangeably with the
term presbvter or elder, as in Acts 20:17, 28;
Titus 1:5-7.
The wisdom* of the system of government appointed
of God for His Church appears on a little
solemn thought. The influence of government is
identified with the local church in the plurality of
the elders elected by the local church from among
themselves, and yet there is authority in the government
of the local church that comes continually
as the representative of the higher Court, the
Presbytery, through the minister who is a member
of the Court above The safety of the system of
government is thus largely provided for; the local
relation being otherwise liable to overcome the inclination
to do right, and the representative of the
higher Court being liable to lack the sincere and
deep sympathy necessary to the correct combination
for wise and Christian government of the
Church of the living God
There is safety also in this system of government
when matters arc to he considered in the
higher courts. Ifcre the matter is removed from
any undue personal elejnent that might he brought
(Continued on page 5.)