We're turning to Acts chapter 20. Acts chapter 20, and we'll begin our reading at the verse 17 of the chapter. So it's Acts chapter number 20, the Acts of the Apostles, the chapter 20 and the verse number 17. And from Miltas, he, speaking of Paul, sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church. And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know from the first day that I came unto Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears and temptations which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews, and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house. Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit on to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy in the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men, For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take ye therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch and remember that by the space of three years I cease not to warn everyone night and day with tears. And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. I have coveted no man's silver or gold or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities and to them that were with me. I have showed you all things, how that so laboring you ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive. And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all. And they all wept sore and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him onto the ship. Amen, and may God bless the public reading of his word. Let's pray and keep the word of God open before us. Our loving Father, we thank Thee, O God, for the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We thank Thee for the love that He has for His church. We read it here within this very passage of Scripture, how Christ gave Himself for the church and purchased the church with His own blood. We thank Thee, O God, that we are a purchased people. And Lord, as we come, dear Father, to understand Thy Word and preach the Word today, pray, O God, that Thou will give to us understanding, the willingness to submit to the teaching of Scripture, in all matters of faith and practice. Close us now in with Thee, send Thy Spirit, help this preacher, in all of his human weakness we pray, and grant, O God, great glory and praise to be brought to the Lord Jesus Christ, for we offer prayer in His wonderful and precious name. Amen and amen. Well, last Lord's Day, we did commence a series of messages that are designed to assist the communicant membership of this congregation when it comes to the electing of elders on the 11th of October of this year. Last week we did commence by thinking about the term elder and how we see it in both the Old and the New Testament. And we gleaned on that occasion with respect to the term that an elder is to be male and of a spiritual age that does not find him a novice when it comes to the Christian faith. We then thought about the office or the origin of the office of an elder among the covenant people of Israel, although we did point out that Israel was not the only nation or people group that used elders in the governance of their affairs. We suggested to you that with the increase of family and the increase of numbers within the nation, there was that need within the congregation of Israel to have those within leadership, Those that were designed or designated as leaders within their families becoming elders to represent them. in the nation as a whole. And then I concluded by showing you the threefold role that the Old Testament elder fulfilled within the nation. There was the representative role that he fulfilled. He was one that was delegated by others to represent them in the matters of the state. There was the ruling role that he fulfilled. He was placed in the nation to rule on small matters, matters of discipline, matters that needed to be judged. according to the word of God. And then there was the rehearsing or the recalling role that the elder fulfilled. He was to bring to the attention of the people of God the law of God. As guardians, custodians of the truth, the elder was assigned and entrusted with the task of faithfully handing down the unadulterated truth of God's word to the next generation. Now, as I mentioned, we want to think about the elder as we find him in the New Testament this Lord's Day, and then we'll get to the characteristics, the criteria set forth in particular passages of Scripture with respect to the elder. Now, you'll know from our reading, or your reading of the Old Testament or New Testament Scriptures, that there was a group of men that resented A group of individuals that opposed the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that grouping of men were known as the elders. Now they're often coupled together with other individuals. Sometimes we read about the chief priests and the elders, or we read about the scribes and the elders. And so we find this grouping of people, this office, being fulfilled even in the times of the Lord Jesus Christ, and they were individuals that opposed the work and the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were older men. They were those who represented the people. They were individuals that exercised a certain amount of authority within the nation of Israel. Yes, they were under Roman authority, but the Romans allowed the elders, the chief priests, the scribes to continue to fulfill their office. Even though they were under the rule or under the control of the Holy Roman Empire, these individuals existed. And as they existed, they made up a body that was known as the Sanhedrin. It was also known as the Great Council. And it had supreme authority in both the civil and ecclesiastical affairs of the nation of Israel. Now these elders, they play a significant role in the condemning of Jesus Christ to death by crucifixion. Think of that. These were men who were to be custodians of the truth. These were men who were well-versed within the scriptures. These were men who knew the scriptures, who recited the scriptures, who daily read the scriptures, and yet we find them involved in the very condemnation and the very crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now what I want you to see from that is that the office of eldership had degenerated. It wasn't as it ought to have been whenever we find it in the times of the Lord Jesus Christ. As I said, these were the individuals who were now condemning and going to crucify the one of whom the Old Testament Scriptures spoke of. Scriptures that they were supposed to have been acquainted with and to be guardians of. And yet the office had degenerated into such a state that they now were opposed to the very Son of God. You see, an office, whether that office is within society at large, whether it is an office fulfilled with someone within our government, or whether it is an office within the church, an office is only as good as the individual who holds the office. That is true when it comes to the office of a minister. It's only as good as the man who fills the office. And it is certainly true when it comes to the office of eldership, because the office of eldership rises and falls on the character of the one who holds that office. And that's why we're going to consider in coming weeks the biblical characteristics that an elder ought to possess to some degree, praying that this congregation, and I know you to be a discerning congregation, but praying that this congregation will place into the office of elder only that man or those men who fulfill the criteria set forth in the Word of God. And so this is an important matter, and it will determine the direction of travel that this local congregation will go and also play a part in the direction that our denomination will go. And so this is an important matter. As we saw last week, the office of elder was a familiar office to those within the Jewish nation because it was an office that was prevalent in the religious landscape their past. Indeed the New Testament Church which remember was at the beginning primarily Jewish in its makeup until the Gentiles are brought in by the Apostle Paul and Peter's ministries. The New Testament Church I believe inherited the office of elder from their Jewish past. It's not until Acts chapter 11 verse 30 that we see the office of elder connected with the New Testament church. Let's turn there, put a marker in Acts chapter 20. We'll be coming backwards and forwards to that passage, and so put a marker in there. But Acts chapter number 11 and the verse number 30. This is the first mention of elders with respect to the Christian New Testament church. Now, the background is that certain prophets have come to this church here in the scriptures, down to Antioch. Prophets, verse 27, in those days came prophets from Jerusalem on to Antioch. Now, we understand with the coming of the complete canon of scripture that the office of prophets is no longer existent within the church of Jesus Christ. God has no new message for the church. The message that God has for his church is found in the books of Genesis through to the book of the Revelation. There's no word of prophecy required. God has given to us the perfect, complete canon of Holy Scripture. And so the office of prophet, eventually, with the moving into the New Testament era, into the New Testament church, with the completion of Holy Scripture, the prophets are no longer required, for the church has been given the last word. Do you not read that in the book of Hebrews? God has spoken unto us by his Son. That's the word that we listen to. That's the word and our rule of faith and practice, the scriptures of holy truth. But we find these prophets coming down to Antioch, and we read in the verse 28, and there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the spirit that there should be a great dearth throughout all the world, which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. By the way, that's how you know a prophet is a true prophet. What they say comes to pass. Many an individual, and they say that they've got a word from God, and they make sure that that word is about 150 years off, because in case it doesn't come to pass, and it will not come to pass. But these individuals, they prophesied, and it comes to pass. And we read in the Old Testament, that's how we were to know whether a prophet was a prophet of God. What they said came to pass, but that's just by the way. This church here in Antioch, remember, that's the place where they were first called Christians, When that company of believers heard about this great dearth, this great famine, this great pressure that's going to come upon the whole world, they as a company of people, as a congregation, in their selflessness, they hold a collection. They gather a bit of money together. And what do they do with that money? Well, they don't hoard it to themselves, but rather they send it up to Jerusalem. Notice in the verse number 30, which also they did. Sorry, we'll read verse 29. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief onto the brethren which dwelt in Judea, which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. This money is being taken up to Jerusalem and is going to be given to the elders within the Jerusalem church. Now there are many things that are highlighted from these verses but let me highlight two. Firstly, there are elders within the Jerusalem church. Now how they have come to be, we're not told. But it would only stand to sense that the largely Jewish congregation in Jerusalem modeled itself on the existing model of government within the Jewish synagogue. And what was that model of government? It was namely rule by eldership. ruled by eldership. And so we have elders here in Jerusalem. The second thing that we learn is that the church in Antioch did not see themselves as an independent work, but rather they saw themselves as part of a cohesive body of believers that were interdependent, not independent. In other words, we see an embryonic form, Presbyterianism. not congregationalism in this form of church government as it is established within the New Testament church. And it is, as it were, in the days of the apostles. This was something that had to develop because it began in Jerusalem, but then we have the Gentiles brought in. We have other places where the gospel is gladly received. And as a result, the church enlarges. And as they see the church enlarging, then they realize that there needs to be some form of structure. And the form of structure being that the churches are interdependent. not independent, and we're going to see this borne out in a few moments' time. Now, the Jerusalem church was the most logical place that elders would be first established, because that was the first church established after the day of Pentecost. 3,000 souls are added to the church in Jerusalem. There's an influx of individuals. We have deacons there found in their place, and then it seems between Acts 6 and Acts 11, Something happens within the church in Jerusalem, there is the spiritual maturing of the church, the government structure within the church, and now these individuals, elders, are now in place within this Jerusalem church. But as you look through the book of Acts, you'll find that these Jerusalem elders are often associated with the apostles. Now turn to Acts chapter 15 this time. Acts chapter 15. I'll begin reading at the opening verse. I want to read the first four verses initially. And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phinehas and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles, and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done for them. Now, this event in Acts chapter 15 is a key, fundamental event within the early New Testament So fundamental is it that I believe that if this matter is not dealt with, the church of Jesus Christ would have very quickly died within the Gentile nations. But that was not God's purpose. Now, what is this matter about? Well, this matter that has caused such problems, such uproar within the church is so important because it is a doctrinal issue. And what is the doctrine? It is the doctrine of justification. How is a man, how is a woman made right with God? Now we read in the verse 15 that certain men had come down from Judea and had come into the church and they were teaching that for an individual to be saved they had to be circumcised as well. For them to be saved, they had to be circumcised after the manner of Moses. In other words, an individual was not saved by faith alone, in Christ alone, by grace alone, to the glory of God alone, but rather that they had to be saved and then some form of works had to be performed by them in order to bring them into an acceptable standing before God. Now, as I've said. This causes great turmoil within the church, so much so that a delegation is sent to the church in Jerusalem for the apostles and for the elders, or what we have in the original, the presbyters, to rule on the matter. They are going to rule on the matter. It's not the local church. This church is not going to rule on the matter. Because the highest court within the New Testament church is this body in Jerusalem that's made up of apostles and made up of elders. And it is to them that the appeal is going to be made. Now in Congregationalism, the appeal is made to the local government structure, whether that is the pastor or deacons, pastor elders, that is their final rule, or their final body, their final court of rule. But not within Presbyterianism. Rather, the highest court within our presbytery is our presbytery itself, or within our church denomination. And we find it here. Here's a local church, there's an issue, there's a problem. They do not rule on the matter, but rather the matter is taken to the highest court, and the court is made up of these individuals. What we have here in Acts 15, cutting aside and taking all that I've just said, this is a presbytery meeting. This is a presbytery meeting. We know that to be so because there is someone in the chair. Now you would think Paul or Peter should have been in the chair, not an interesting thing. Rome teaches that Peter was the first Pope. Well, why is he not here in the chair? he's not in the chair look looked with me let me see if I can find the verse verse number 13 verse number 13 and after they had held their peace james answered said saying men and brethren hearken unto me james calls this discussion To a conclusion, James is in the chair, James is moderating here within this particular event in the Jerusalem church in this presbytery meeting. In other words, we have a moderator, someone who's guiding the discussion and debate is had. And you'll read it, you take Acts 15, read it for yourself this evening or this afternoon. You find debates, you find discussion taking place. And what happens then is that the presbyters, they come to a settled conclusion. And the conclusion is this, circumcision is not necessary for salvation. Circumcision is not necessary for an individual to be saved. Now verse 23, look, cast your eye there. This is after all that has, verse 22, them pleased at the apostles and elders with the whole church to send the chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, named Judas, surname Barsebas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren, and they wrote letters by them after this manner. The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting on to the brethren, which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Sicilia. Now it's not just to Antioch this letter is sent, but we find here that this letter, and you'll be able to read the contents of the letter, it's really setting forth the doctrinals, a stand of the New Testament church, the biblical stand of the church that a man cannot be saved by anything else but by the grace of God. This letter is sent to all of the churches within that particular region at that particular time. And it infers that this ruling is binding on all churches. It's binding on all the churches in the New Testament. And that's what happens in our presbytery. Presbytery discuss and debate in line with accordance to the Word of God and they come to decisions. Some of those decisions are difficult to take. Some of those decisions we may not agree with. But as it's sent down by the presbytery, under God, then we as a church submit ourselves to the ruling of the presbyters, to whom you as a congregation have entrusted your voice to, to debate and to discuss within presbytery meetings. And so this is why this matter is so important, because there are times within our presbytery that there are issues that do arise, issues of great debate, issues of great divergence. And yet we come to a settled understanding and a settled matter. And so we need godly men, men of the Bible, spirit-filled men, those who know the scriptures, in order that they might understand what the scriptures teach and then base the teaching and the directive on these very matters. And so an elder, is to be an individual that is to be an active participant in the debates and discussions that take place within the presbytery gatherings, because that is the final court of all matters, the earthly courts. The Scriptures are the final court, but the earthly court of matters that are settled, are spiritual and are settled within the context of the teachings of Holy Scripture. And so we remind those individuals that feel themselves that God would have them, this is part of your role to fulfill. Now, Jerusalem was not the only church that had elders. We could see or call Jerusalem the mother church, and she's going to have, as it were, It is from Jerusalem that the believers are sent, tarry ye in Jerusalem until you receive power, and ye shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, Samaria, and Judea, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. But she is the mother church, as it were. She's going to become the prototype, the model upon which the other daughter churches are going to Based their government structures on turn to Acts chapter 14 and you'll find the Apostle Paul on his first journey Look at the verse number 21 Acts chapter 14 verse 21 and when they had preached speaking of Paul and the missionary band when they preached the gospel to that city And a taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, that we must, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God. And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord on whom they had believed. Now, Paul and Barnabas, they are on their missionary journey. They've made their way through their cities. These cities are made up of Gentile believers, the vast majority of them. And Paul, as he sees that, we find them ordaining elders, verse 23, they ordain them elders in every city. church, elders in every church. You see, Paul believed that it was part of God's proper order and government and orderly function of the church that elders should be elected in every single church. These are other churches outside of Jerusalem. They have their elders. There is a plurality of elders, not just an elder. Not just a pastor, but they're elders, there's plurality here, with respect to the office. There's elders in every church, representing that church, within the church, and then at presbytery level. And so they ordain. Now, it's very interesting that verse 23, and it's basically the word ordained, underline it, at least in your mind. Do you know what that word literally translates to mean? A hand reacher. or voter by raising the hand. That's what the word literally translates to mean. A voter that raises the hand. It was used in reference to Greek legislative assemblies where they would vote by the raising of the hand. And we find that same Greek word used in the verse 19 of 2 Corinthians chapter eight. There it's translated the word chosen. This ordination of elders, what I'm trying to get across, it involves some kind of formal voting procedure. when it comes to the ordination of elders within the cities that Paul visited. Can I say, brethren and sisters, that such a formal voting procedure will take place within a few weeks' time within the congregation. Presbytery has ruled that an elder must receive not less than 51% of the votes cast on that night at a properly convened congregational meeting. Now a minister requires 66%, an elder requires 51%. Now you may say, preacher, I have no interest in coming, and I don't believe that there's any men that are suitable for eldership. Well, by your absenteeism, by your absenteeism on that night, it will cause that a man will need less votes. And so you need to be here. You need to be here. as a congregational communicant member to cast your vote on that particular night. And so there is a formal that it's carried in this word, this ordained them elders. There's some kind of formal voting procedure that takes place within these churches. A decision is made within the church for these men to fulfill the office. And such will happen here. Now turn to Titus chapter two. Titus in the chapter, no sorry, Titus chapter one. You'll find the apostle Paul, he instructs Titus to do the very same thing in every church on the isle of Crete. You'll know that Titus served the Lord in Crete. Verse number five, for this cause, look at it, for this cause left I thee in Crete. That thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting. And what is one of the things that is wanting? To ordain elders in every city as I have appointed thee. Think of that there. Think of that phrase, every city. Did you know in the times of Titus and Paul that there were 100 cities on the island of Crete? Every city had a church. What an amazing impact the gospel had on the island of Crete. Now you go to Crete today and you'll not find, to my knowledge, any faithful there might be, not to my knowledge, but they're not in every city. That's what happens whenever a church apostatizes. Whenever a church doesn't hold to the teaching of God's word, just a bit like Ephesus and Laodicea and the churches that we find in the book of the Revelation, not one of them exists today. And none is to say that this church will exist in the next five, 10, 20, 30 years. I pray it will. But here we have every city had a church. And so every church had elders. He was to ordain elders in every church. There was to be a governing structure within the church, even on the island of Crete. And if you read the book of Acts along with the church letters of the Apostle Paul and the letters of the Apostle Peter, you'll find that elders are specifically mentioned existing in other churches. We spoke about the church in Jerusalem, we spoke about the church in Crete, the church of Jesus Christ, but I'm sure you'll put a marker there in Acts chapter 20. Look at the verse 17, and from Miltus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church. So here we have Ephesus, they have their elders. Turn to Philippians, the chapter number one. Philippians in the chapter number one, in the verse number one, Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi with the bishops and the deacons. Now you may say, well preacher, there's no mention of elders in that verse, no mention of them. Well there is, because it's the term bishops, the term bishops. You see, the word bishop and elder is an interchangeable term. It is a synonymous term. It can be used one time bishop, other time elder. Now follow through, follow through this thinking, follow through this scripture. We believe that this word bishop can be translated elder. because of the account that we just read in Acts chapter 20. So we're back again in Acts chapter 20. Now you'll remember that Paul calls the elders of the church. We're in no doubt about that. Verse 17, Acts 20, the elders of the Ephesian church has been called. But cast your eye down to verse 28, a well-known verse. He's speaking to the elders here, take heed therefore unto yourselves In other words, watch your own walk, and then watch the walk of the flock of God. And to all the flock of God, which the Holy Ghost hath made you bishops. That's the word. Overseers. Same Greek word. that has made you overseers to feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood. He's speaking to the elders, he says to them, you're the overseer, but the word in the literal in the Greek is the same word as bishop that we have in Philippians chapter one. I trust you follow the line of reasoning. Elders called overseers, same word bishops. If Paul calls these Ephesian elders, overseers and reuses the term bishops, then I believe that we can be just in saying in Philippians chapter 1 that this text concerning bishops in the church of Philippi is referring us to the office of elders. There are elders and there are deacons within the church in Philippi. 1 Peter chapter 1, 1 Peter chapter 5 and 1, we need to go very quickly. There are churches in the northwest province of Asia Minor, Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia, and they have all ruling elders within them. 1 Peter 1, verse 1 tells us who Paul is writing to. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontius, Galatias, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. Then turn to chapter 5, verse 1. The elders which are among you. Among whom? Among those that I'm writing to. I've told you who I'm writing to. The saints scattered through Pontius, Galatia, the elders which are among you, I exhort, who am also an elder. So Peter saw himself as an elder of the church. And here we have elders presented to us existing in these particular localities that Peter is writing to. In all of these regions, there is a plurality of elders in existence. And so I trust that you see very quickly the existence in the New Testament church of eldership. and they were for the benefit and for the well-being of the body of Christ. I'll soon be finished, but let me go a little further because there is a distinction. There is a distinction of office within the eldership of the church. Now, though there is a distinction, let me say that their offices do have an underlying unity and purpose to them. They are to shepherd the flock of God. to care for the flock of God. 1 Timothy 5, verse 17. I think this is maybe the last reference for today. We want to look at it. 1 Timothy 5, the verse number 17. Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and the doctrine. There are two kinds of elders presented to us in this verse. There are elders who rule, let the elders that rule well. And then there are those who labor in the word and the doctrine. And this distinction is highlighted in the word especially, especially they. who labor in word and in doctrine. Now that word appears on some other occasions. Galatians 6 verse 10, 1 Timothy 5 verse 8, Titus 1 verse 10. And whenever they're used or whenever that word is used especially, there are two different classes of people always in view. So he's not speaking of the same person. There are those who rule well, And then there are those who labor in word and in doctrine. And so I believe what we have here is that there are two classes of elders, in the sense some of them preach and others don't. The Geneva Bible translation note states concerning this verse, there were two types of elders. One dealt with the government only and looked to the behavior of the congregation. The other, in addition to that, dealt with both preaching and prayers to and for the congregation. And so Paul makes a distinction within the office of eldership within the New Testament. We term them as the ruling elder and the teaching elder. The teaching elder. The teaching elder is the one who labors in word and doctrine. That word labor, it translates to mean to feel fatigue. It means to work hard, to toil, to be wearied, to be exhausted with toil, burdens, or grief. If there's anyone contemplating the ministry and wants to be a teaching elder, take note. The preacher and the work of a preacher involves hard work, study, and I tell you, it has its burdens and it has its many griefs. And so the teaching elder is the one who is to study and to expound the word of God within the congregation. In other words, they are to be the minister, the pastor. But then there's another kind of elder, and that is the ruling elder. Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor. The word rendered rule is from the verb meaning to be over, to preside over, to have the care of. It alludes to this pastoral role of a ruling elder, that they are to fulfill within the congregation. They are to care for the congregation. They are to be concerned in your absenteeism. They are going to be concerned about your spiritual well-being and your spiritual growth and the things of God. They are to care for the families that are placed under their care. John Brown of Haddington in his Systematic Theology wrote, it is plain from Scripture declarations that Christ has appointed rulers in his church that are not appointed to preach the gospel. Differing gifts qualify men for teaching and for ruling. Such rulers are necessary for the assistance of pastors. Now, while the teaching and the ruling elders are distinct offices, I believe, within the church, both offices, both are elder offices. They're both called to serve the church. In other words, there is a thought of equality, not hierarchy. Equality, not hierarchy. That's Episcopalianism. That's Romanism. Hierarchy. but there is the thought of equality. There is to be no domineering of one office over the other, but both the ruling and the teaching elders within the church are mandated by God to care for the flock of God over which he has by his providence and overriding sovereignty made them the overseers. But having said all that, Christ is the head of his church. He is the chief shepherd, I the under-shepherd with the ruling elders. Ephesians 1, 20 to 22 reminds us that Christ is the head of the church, the head of the body. He alone is to be preeminent in the church. And he alone is the one who governs his church. He is the one who has given these offices to the church. And he alone, therefore, is the ultimate source of authority for them. David Dixon, the 19th century preacher and author, he said, the eldership under some form or another is absolutely necessary for a healthy and useful church. He said, we need no new machinery in the Christian church. It is all provided. ready to our hand in the Presbyterian system. What we need is motive power to set it going and keep it going. He said, we need the baptism of the Spirit to fill us elders with love and zeal that we may labor in our office and that the work of our hands would be established. Now in the will of God next Lord's day, want to begin by looking or want to begin looking at the biblical qualifications of a man who is to hold the office of elder, you will find those qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 3, verse 1 to 7, and Titus chapter 1, verse 5 to 11. There is a considerable overlap between those two passages of Scripture, but I commend those passages of Scripture for your prayerful consideration, for your reading, for your study in coming weeks, but that's for another week in the will of God. But I trust that what we have considered today, it might cement at least in your minds that Presbyterianism, Presbyterianism is a form of church government with an elder and eldership rule at the heart of it. is a form of government that is presented to us in New Testament Scriptures. And I trust that having seen that, as we have seen it in the Scriptures, that you as a congregation will see the need to strengthen the eldership then within this congregation. May God lead and guide us in these affairs in coming days. Amen. Let's bow in prayer. Our loving Father, we give, O God, again these matters to Thee. We see it in the book, Lord, this need for elders, this need to be ordained to the office of eldership, this role, this role to rule, this role to teach. We see, O God, The role, the responsibilities of the Old Testament elder reflected in the role and responsibility of the New Testament elder. That to represent them at presbytery level, that to rule, to govern. and that to recall and to rehearse the word of God, to teach the scriptures. Will God help me to fulfill my role? How far short I fall, give me grace. Give us grace, Lord, and help us, we pray. We offer prayer in Jesus' precious name. Amen. Let's turn to the hymn book 371. My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine. For thee all the pleasures of sin I resign. 371, those that have to leave, Free to do so, those remaining, please continue to sing to the glory of God. 371, my Jesus, I love Thee.