This?

As part of a group of Christ-followers who meet and live together outside of organized Christianity, I’ve come across the question of whether or not we appoint elders and deacons several times recently.  At this time, we have not appointed any elders or deacons, and I don’t think we have any plans to do so.  Therefore, I’m also asked why we wouldn’t want to do that.

First, let me say that bishop, overseer, and elder simply mean older, more experienced, or mature.  These are ones who demonstrate maturity in how they live out their life in Christ.

Deacon means servant.  These are people who are serving the body in some way.  In Acts, the Apostles chose seven servants to help distribute food and help widows in the church.

I don’t believe either of these were ever intended to be “appointed” as “offices”.  Rather, these are describing functions that the body recognizes people doing to serve the Lord.  Note that the body is recognizing something that is already naturally occurring, not handing out an assignment of leadership or authority.

The question was recently posed in a Facebook Group that I am subscribed to.  Ross Rohde gave an excellent explanation that I am sharing here with his permission:

Elder means exactly what the word implies, more mature. So an elder is someone, male or female, who demonstrates spiritual maturity and therefore is someone who can become an example and who can help people move closer to Jesus (discipleship). Deacons are those who concentrate on serving others and are recognized and respected as such based on their gifting and skill.

Because most of us have never experienced Christianity other than in an institutional format, where titles carry power, control and authority we tend to view these kind of people as positional, which is how the term is used and expressed in institutional Christianity. If, however, we view them organically, such people tend to emerge and are recognized rather than appointed and ordained into a position. I’m aware that Titus 1:5 uses the word “appoint.” This is a translation issues, where the translators assumptions biased the way they chose to translate the word. This could just as easily have been translated “recognize.”

So, in organic Christianity, we recognize and respect those who are mature and can be viewed as examples of spiritual maturity. Such people become examples to us and often disciple us by helping us draw closer to Jesus. We also respect and recognize those who have special calling and/or gifting to serve others, particularly through organizational skill. This calling and ability is recognized, respected and appreciated. In fact, in some contexts it is so necessary that it is sought out, which I believe is what was happening in Acts 6. 

These people don’t have official power over others but rather influence. Power has the ability to control through punishment. If someone doesn’t do what those in power believe they should or have done, or they believe they shouldn’t have done, such a person can be punished through experiencing negative consequences. Even if punishment isn’t used the implied threat is still there. Influence, on the other hand is a gift from the person being influenced. It is also a gift from God because others notice the spirituality of such people and that enlightenment comes from the Holy Spirit. One cannot demand that they are influential nor does it automatically come through position. They either are influential, because of who they are, or they are not.

Positional power can be (and often is) harsh. It doesn’t have to be, but the threat is still there, even if the threat isn’t intended by those who have such power. The mere existence of the power can, and often does wound and harm relationships, even if this wounding isn’t intentional.

This is why, by the way, there is so much talk about “servant leadership” in institutional Christianity based on Luke 22;25-27. Jesus, in this passage, isn’t saying, “As leaders we should serve others.” He’s just saying serve others. We don’t need a position of power to do that. In fact, a position gets in the way, which is why we struggle and talk about servant leadership so much. Jesus didn’t talk about servant leadership at all. He just said serve. The “leadership” idea is introduced out of our institutional context and is not biblical. 

Influence, on the other hand, is gentle and loving. It is often not even noticed. It does not need position or title, merely maturity. It doesn’t need to force or control. In other words, it is an expression of I Cor. 13 love. And, it is a reflection of Jesus behavior. While he had all the positional power in the world, he chose influence. See, Phil. 2:5-11. That’s what eldership and the deaconate looks like (or at least should look like) in organic church.

To add a caveat, in my experience not “appointing” a specific elder(s) or deacon(s) is more healthy for the community because there

Or this?

is not a single person that can fully express Christ by themselves. Each person may be mature in some areas and weaker in others, so the body needs the functioning of all.

One person may be mature in revealing Christ in the Scriptures, while another person may be very mature in counseling people through problems, and another may be mature in drawing non-believers to Christ, and so on.

These attributes are discovered naturally in body life where all are equal and appreciated and free to serve and express themselves as they are led. The Spirit is able to teach and lead the body through anyone depending on the situation.

Functioning together in this way builds up the body and focuses on Christ as Head while humbly recognizing that we all have weaknesses and we need each other to fully express Christ and live together in Him.  

I’m not saying any of this as an armchair observer.  I’ve been part of group that functions in this way for the past five years, so what I’m sharing on this topic is from that experience.

For more excellent discussion on this topic, see chapters 8 and 9 of Reimagining Church by Frank Viola and 58 to 0: How Christ Leads Through the One Anothers by Jon Zens.

Follow the Life!

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It’s tempting to say lavish things in a moment of emotion.  I’ve observed that some Christians (myself certainly included) sometimes make all-encompassing statements about living the Christian life that actually make no reasonable sense. In other words, they will talk the talk, but cannot realistically walk the walk.

For example, one might say, “I’ll never be angry again! I will always control my emotions from now on in the Spirit.”

Wrong…

Even Jesus expressed anger, and God is often said to be angry in the Old Testament. Paul says to be angry, but don’t sin.

The simple emotion of anger is not always harmful or unloving. It is what you do when you are angry that has moral significance. Paul wrote, “Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.”  The Amplified version of this verse reads, “When angry, do not sin,” which surely indicates we may sometimes feel anger. Paul is telling us that anger in itself is not wicked; that what we do when angry can be sinful; and that we should not allow ourselves to remain angry by continuing our destructive, resentful self-talk. He is telling us to deal with the issue promptly.   (William Backus, Telling Yourself the Truth)

So you can expect to be angry from time to time, and that’s okay, even normal. What really matters is how you walk that anger out.

Instead of saying “I’ll never be angry!”, we can rather say something like, “I want to live by the Lord’s life in me, so when I experience anger, I’ll turn to Him before I respond.”

I’m not talking about suppressing anger or other emotions.  That is not healthy either.  Rather than ignoring how I feel, or over-reacting to how I feel, there is a third way of dealing with the emotion or situation in a healthy way.  If you are struggling with anger, fear, depression, anxiety, a particular sin, and so on, there is an opportunity to learn how the Lord would have you deal with it, but it does require that you admit it and face it.  A few ways this could occur are through reading books and articles, talking to mentors or others who have dealt with a similar issue, talking to friends and family that are close to you, praying and spending time with the Lord, asking others to pray with/for you,  and studying the Scriptures for guidance.

Other examples of this could be:

• I’ll never feel physical pain again.
• I’ll never let myself feel emotional pain again.
• I’ll never do ____________ sin again.
• I’ll never be tempted again.
• I’ll never put myself before others.
• Now that I’m a Christian, things will always go well for me.
• I’m going to be a perfect husband/wife from now on.
• I’m going to be a perfect parent.

Living in Christ in my experience hasn’t meant that everything will be perfect.  It has meant that Jesus is there with me through anything that happens.  Our Lord is very practical in His teaching us how to live life in and through Him, and this doesn’t happen through a trouble-free life.  The more we are able to look to Christ and depend solely on Him in our trials, the more He gains ground in us.

F.J. Heugel once counseled a friend, “I don’t know the answer to your problem, but I can tell you how to get through it.”  He was of course, referring to the cross of Christ.

Those who teach us that the blood of Jesus cleanses or eradicates the old nature often fail to enter into and learn the meaning of the Christ-indwelt life as the only lifelong remedy for self. It was the saintly Francis de Sales who said, “It is a delusion to seek a sort of ready-made perfection which can be assumed like a garment; it is a delusion, too, to aim at a holiness which costs no trouble, although such holiness would be no doubt exceedingly agreeable to nature. We think that if we could discover the secret of sanctity we should become saints quickly and easily.” We shall the rest of our lives be making new and fresh discoveries of plague spots in our nature upon which the Cross must be laid. Has the reader not discovered, in spite of many victories over self and sin, how many natural choices and likes and preferences need to have the death-mark of Calvary put upon them? The birth-mark of nature must be contradicted throughout by the death-mark of the Cross. Let us, then, ask the Lord to mark His Cross upon all our natural choices.  (L.E. Maxwell)

Many times, my desire to control an emotion or situation is the fruit of my self-life.  I’m trying to control things out of my own strength.  When I let all things, including my own desires, go to the cross I give up control to Christ and must depend on Him in every circumstance.  And this is exactly what He is after!

Rather than assuming unrealistic expectations, I’m learning to expect trouble in this world, and to turn to Christ in all matters.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.  (John 16:33)

Follow the Life!

*****

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