I was recently told by an elder (not at the congregation where I preach) that he felt like some of the members where he was located did not have the appropriate respect for the eldership.  An issue arose that caused a few members to question the authority of the elders.  They did not like the response of the elders and eventually left the church.

This, sadly, is not uncommon among us.  Sometimes members conclude that they do not have to obey the elders because they are just men.  Yes, they are just men, but we must obey them, for pretty much the same reason we must obey the civil government—they have been ordained (appointed) by God (Romans 13:1).

Can’t the same thing be said about elders?  Are they not appointed by God?  The Bible teaches that they are.

Acts 20:28 (KJV)
²⁸ Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

How does the Spirit make overseers?  He does it through the word that He has revealed, namely the qualifications that He has set forth.  By these qualifications, God determines what kind of men will serve as elders in local churches.  This is why making sure that elders qualify is critical.  However, we must recognize that these men appointed by the Holy Spirit have authority over the local church.  The Hebrews writer makes this clear.  

Hebrews 13:17 (ESV)
¹⁷ Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Some have argued that this passage is not referring to elders, or at least not to them exclusively.  I would argue against them.  Who else, except perhaps the apostles of Christ, would this passage describe?  Who else are charged with keeping watch over souls?  The elders are the only ones in the local church who have the authority to do this.  So, we must obey the elders of the local church where we are members.  The word “obey” in Hebrews 13:17 means “to yield,” and that is exactly what we must do when the elders make decisions.

What is the nature of the authority that elders possess?  Are they restricted to commanding only those things that are specifically commanded in the New Testament?  The answer is no.  Elders must be guided by the word of God (Acts 20:32), and they cannot, therefore, give any commandments that would contradict that word.  They can, however, use their judgment in directing the church.  They have the generic authority to make choices concerning specific commands that have been given.

Let me give you an example of this.  A part of the threefold work of the church is edification (Ephesians 4:12).  One of the five acts of worship in which we find the New Testament church participating, and doing so under apostolic guidance, is teaching and preaching (Acts 2:42; 4:32-33; 5:42; 20:7; 1 Timothy 4:16; 1 Timothy 5:17).  It is in our assembling together where the work of edification primarily takes place.  The point is this: local churches are commanded by God to teach and preach.

It is up to the discretion of local elders to decide how often the local church should assemble.  We know that we are commanded by God to do so on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:20-27; 16:1-2), but an eldership can exercise their authority and, for the edification of the saints, demand more.  If they do, we must obey them.

Someone says, “They can only demand what the scriptures specifically say.”  Remember, elders are appointed by God just like the civil government.  Do we only have to obey the civil government when they command what is specifically stated in the word of God?  Of course not.  The only difference between the civil government and elders is the realm over which they have been put in charge.  They are both God’s servants.  The civil government can command in the civil realm and elders can command in the spiritual realm.  Governments are restricted to the cities, states, and countries that appointed them and elders are restricted to the local church that appointed them, but they both have the authority to command.

God has charged elders to feed the flock, but has not specified how to do it (Acts 20:28).  They must use their judgment to fulfill this responsibility.  If an eldership decides that the local church is going to meet sometime during the week to be fed, they have the right (authority) to make such a decision, and to make it mandatory.  The job of the saints is to obey their rule.  It is in these kinds of situations that the Hebrews writer tells us to submit to them.  Are you recognizing the authority of the elders under which you serve?  If not, you will incur God’s judgment (Romans 13:2).

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.