A Layman’s Look at a Trilogy of Church Related Studies

Reginald A Kemp Sr

Description

Why is it that the first century church was known for turning the world upside down (Acts 17:6) when the church of our day is increasingly less relevant to our society?
A layman's look at the church and its conformance to the pattern established in Scripture.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Christian Living
• Mentoring
• Philosophie et théologie
• Elder
• Clergy
• Leadership

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 21 juin 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9798385001019
• Langue: English

Extrait

A LAYMAN’S LOOK at A TRILOGY OF CHURCH RELATED STUDIES
 
Eldership Qualifications and Duties as Presented in Script ure And How They Apply in the 21st Century Ch urch
The Church vs. The Mutant Ch urch
Come Out of the Steeple H ouse
 
REGINALD A. KEMP, SR
 
 
 
 
 
Copyright © 2023 Reginald A. Kemp, Sr.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.
 
 
 
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ISBN: 979-8-3850-0100-2 (sc)
ISBN: 979-8-3850-0101-9 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023911290
 
 
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 06/20/2023
A LAYMAN’S LOOK
at
ELDERSHIP QUALIFICATIONS AND DUTIES AS PRESENTED IN SCRIPTURE AND HOW THEY APPLY IN THE 21 ST CENTURY CHURCH
REGINALD A. KEMP, SR.
A LAYMAN’S LOOK BOOKS
DELTONA, FLORIDA
CONTENTS
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1:     Qualifications Of An Elder
Chapter 2:     Duties of an Elder
Chapter 3:     Biblical Eldership versus an Ecclesiastical Order
Chapter 4:     Biblical Support for Ordination
Chapter 5:     Paid Elders
Chapter 6:     New Testament Era Church Pattern versus the 21 st Century Church
Chapter 7:     Congregational Form of Church Governance
Chapter 8:     Giftedness Distribution Within or Among Churches
Chapter 9:     Biblical or “Will Worship”?
Appendix
References
Table 2
A LAYMAN’S LOOK
at
ELDERSHIP QUALIFICATIONS AND DUTIES AS PRESENTED IN SCRIPTURE AND HOW THEY APPLY IN THE 21 ST CENTURY CHURCH
FOREWORD
It is difficult to say when this study commenced. The first written summary of my convictions regarding elders dates back to 2001. However, as early as 1962 I was convinced that God had decreed leadership of the church to a plurality of elders. In 2004 I made a few notes on a book by Alexander Strauch regarding biblical eldership. In 2009 I was again confronted with the contrast between the biblical teaching on eldership and the dominate model in vogue of clergy leadership and congregational rule. I decided to do a detailed review of Strauch’s book to check my conclusions regarding eldership and to document my review. This was the total intent at the beginning of this study. However, through a series of circumstances and revelations, what started as a simple book review has morphed into a much broader study.
Right up front I need to warn you that a number of my conclusions will be controversial, even radical. If you are comfortable in your local church setting, this study may give you pause but it is my prayer that it will not adversely affect your faith. Here you will find a challenge to nearly every convention of the 21 st Century church. Here you will find a considerable number of questions that I am unable to answer. Here you will find what some will call an attempt to destroy the church. Here you will find what some will describe as an attempt to destroy the clergy. Here you will find a challenge to the long held tradition of laity and clergy within the church. Here you will find a questioning of the mega church and the building programs of churches today. Here you will find a startling conclusion regarding the congregational form of church governance. Here you will find a discomfort with the format of our so called worship services. You will find in these pages a questioning of the ordination process and of the professional clergy. Here you will find what some will denounce as heresy unbounded, but heresy unbounded is the very charge I lay at the door of the church as it exists today. In short, there is a lot not to like in this study.
It has taken the church centuries to evolve into the sham it is today. I can only hope it doesn’t take nearly so long to bring it back to its biblical roots. We don’t have the time for such an evolution if we are to be effective in carrying out the great commission. There were 6,812,009,152 people in the world in 2009. Every minute there are 245 births worldwide and 102 people die. Every year there are 129 million births and 53 million deaths. How many of these are going to a Christ-less eternity and how many of the 129 million will never hear of Christ because we are too busy playing church in America? This study is suggesting a radical departure from business as usual, the abandoning of the proven failure of the clerical model of church leadership and a return to the biblical model of a plurality of elders. This study is suggesting a departure from political correctness and the resumption of male responsibility for the governance of the church.
As stated above, this is a study that has evolved far beyond my original intention. Accordingly, it is not a structured study to a preconceived outline. As my study progressed and additional considerations surfaced, I added chapters and tried to accomplish a disciplined study of that consideration. I greatly regret the limits of my personal library and research sources and can easily be faulted for a decidedly unscholarly product.
The ultimate purpose of this study is to declare that a church organized in violation of God’s established pattern cannot hope to succeed in turning the world upside down. Elder leadership of the church is not an optional organizational structure! It is mandatory. When Paul instructed Titus to ordain elders at Crete; it was not a suggestion. It was a command. Further, it was to be done in every city. For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: Titus 1:5 One is not at liberty to substitute other organizational structures. Elder leadership is the pattern of Scripture for the church and any other structure is anathema. Modern day church constitutions with elections for leadership positions are a cardinal violation of God’s plan for governance of the church.
I am reminded of Jehovah’s instructions to Moses regarding the Tabernacle, And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. Exodus 25:8,9 There was no option of deviation from the pattern to satisfy one’s personal taste, nor any provision for rearranging the furniture or even changing the color pallet. Certainly, there was no provision for substituting other than the Levites from holding the office of priest. Neither were any other permitted to perform the pattern of the offerings or enter beyond the curtain into the Holy Place. If God was so precise in His instructions concerning the Tabernacle; why do we think He is so cavalier regarding the church, the bride of Christ?
Why are we so prone to substituting deacons for elders? Why are we so determined to choose the clergy over God’s pattern of elders holding the office of bishop and performing the oversight of the church? What in Scripture provides us these options?
It is my strong desire that this study will stir up the hearts and minds of others in the church to join with me to flesh out this study, cleanse it of its dross, provide it with a broader range of research materials and bring clearer, less emotionally involved minds to bear on these subjects.
This is a study to be undertaken by a plurality of God prepared elders to purge it of its errors, but also promote its truths with the goal of returning the church to its biblical foundations. If you are such a man I invite you to contact me and offer your assistance in refining this study.
INTRODUCTION
The word must , Strong’s Number 1163 is applied consistently to the biblical qualifications and duties of elders. The Greek word is dei and denotes that which is necessary, that which is required, a duty, a command. These qualifications and duties are not optional. They are not altered by the passage of time, the cultural structure, or the circumstances of a given congregation.
To help us understand fully the instructions of Scripture regarding the qualifications and obligations of elders, I have included the BDB/Thayers’ definitions using the Strong’s Numbers for each of the relevant Greek words. In addition to the references in the tables below, there are other Scriptures that contribute to the revelation God has provided regarding the duties, responsibilities and qualifications of elders. These will be covered in a summary of the details presented in Table 1 and Table 2.
In his book on Biblical Eldership 1 , Alexander Strauch