Commentary on Acts 11:29-30

By Bob Myhan

²⁹Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. ³⁰This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. 

Every case of congregational benevolence involved saints as the ultimate recipients. Authorized congregational benevolence is of two kinds: intra-congregational, wherein a congregation takes care of its own needy members; and inter-congregational, wherein one congregation helps another to care for its own needy members.  

This is the first mention of “elders” among saints in the book of Acts. Luke uses it without explaining it because by the time of his writing the term is well known. The term “elders” may simply refer to older men or it may be used in a technical or official sense. Let us briefly consider a few things about elders, in order that all who read may understand the role of these men.

As Paul and company were on the return trip from the third missionary journey, the following occurs.

From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. (Acts 20:17)

While with them in Miletus, he tells them,

“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” (Acts 20:28)

Thus, we see that elders are overseers or supervisors of the flock, that is, the church of God where they have been appointed. Not all the “older men” at Ephesus would have been overseers; only those who had been appointed as such would be referred to by that term in the technical sense.

Peter, in his first general epistle, appeals to the elders among those to whom he writes.

The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. (1 Pet. 5:1-4)

To “shepherd the flock” is a figurative way of saying “oversee the church.” The “flock” is composed of “sheep” and “sheep” need to be shepherded, or overseen. It has been suggested  that sheep are among the most helpless of animals, which is probably why they are used so much as a figure for both the lost and the saved. We will consider more of the above passage at a later point.

Between his two Roman imprisonments, Paul wrote letters to Timothy and Titus, young evangelists whom he had trained. He gave them several qualifications for those who were to serve as overseers.

This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. (1 Tim. 3:1-7)

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-- if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. (Titus 1:5-11)

It is not to our purpose to study the qualifications in depth at this time; we merely mention them to give a sense of the gravity of the office.

In our short study we have seen four distinct words used with reference to the office we have been studying: elder, overseer, shepherd and bishop. Two other words are pastors (Eph. 4:11) and presbytery, which is collective. (1 Tim. 4:14)

Elder and presbyter are used to translate the Greek word, presbuteros; pastor and shepherd translate the Greek word, poimenos; and overseer and bishop render the Greek word, episkopos. So three Greek words and six English words are used for this office.

These men are to oversee the church, not merely because they are old men but because they meet the qualifications that have been set down in the Spirit-inspired word of God and have been duly appointed to the office. Hence, Barnabas and Saul delivered the benevolent funds to the elders rather than to the individual needy members of those congregations. The elders in each church would then see that the needs of the individual members were met.

Some may be thinking, “But how do we know there were congregations in Judea besides the one in Jerusalem at this time?”

Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.... Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. (Acts 8:1, 4)

Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. (Acts 9:31)

Thus, there were plural congregations of the Lord’s people in Judea and there is no reason to think otherwise than that each congregation had elders.

(To be continued)

Just Five Minutes

Borrowed

Five minutes is all it takes to make a positive or a negative impression on guests to our worship services and Bible classes. Those first impressions often determine whether our guests will return. Because those first five minutes are so important, we should do everything we can to make sure our guests are sought out, greeted and made to feel welcome. ALL of our members are asked to take one simple step to help make sure our guests feel welcome.

For the first five minutes after each worship service or Bible class is dismissed, why not look for guests to greet? Introduce yourself and welcome them back. This is probably the most important thing we can do to be seen as a friendly and warm congregation.

We can talk amongst ourselves after the visitors have left. After all most of the members stay around for half an hour or so after the service or class is over.

Will you invest five minutes in eternity? &

Our Dress in Worship

By Ron Boatwright

Even though worship is not a "dress parade", we often become sloppy and revealing in the way we dress for worship. Clothes contribute to the emphasis we place on worship. This does not mean we have to wear expensive clothes. But the way we dress should be in keeping with the dignity of the occasion. "In like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation … which is proper for women professing godliness with good works."

Modest clothing is what “women professing godliness" wear (1 Timothy 2:9-10). A woman [or a man] whose clothing is immodest is not professing godliness by the way she/he dresses.

Women who expose themselves to men by the clothing they wear are contributing to the sin of lust. "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28).

If she dresses so as to entice, she becomes guilty of contributing to his sin of adultery. In our actions as well as our clothing, we are to "Abstain from all appearance of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

Some think they have to follow the style and fashion of the world, regardless of how short and revealing or inappropriate clothing gets. But we are told in Romans 12:2, "And do not be conformed to this world." Why? Because this world is going to be lost, and if we conform ourselves to this world we will also be lost with it. We are "to keep ourselves unspotted from the world" (James 1:27).

When we worship we are actually in the presence of the Lord. He deserves our very best. “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God" (Romans 12:1).

Our dress should show a moderate opinion of self by being pure, proper, chaste, and decent rather than showy, sloppy or lewd. Let’s honor the Lord in the way we dress. &