Eldership

[Peter Debelak]

I don't have any particular thoughts about "appoint" or "appointment" just yet, but I thought I compound the issue a bit and tie it in to something we've been discussing in 1 Timothy 5.

19Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. 20Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

So the traditional reading is that the reader today should not accuse/receive accusation against an elder except before 2-3 witnesses. Then, in my experience, many read "them that sin" verse 20 as anyone who sins in the congregation should be rebuked before all.

I think it should be obvious that verse 20, though, refers to elders who, if proven to have sinned before 2-3 witnesses, should be rebuked publically as an example to the congregation. (this does not mean this shouldn't happen with others, just this context is talking about elders - be they officers or elderly).

The second issue, then, with this traditional reading is that it wasn't written to the general audience, it was written to Timothy who was in a super-leadership role - someone who we are not sure has a modern day counterpart.

Thus, the person whom Paul contemplates 1) receiving accusations against elders and 2) publically rebuking elders is Timothy (if you take 1 Timothy as words spoken as specific admonitions for our authority/role, you raise larger questions). If we don't have a framework for having a modern day Timothy-type, then I have no idea how these verses would or even could be applied today. Whatever modern day counterpart there is to Timothy, his role, I suppose, would include to reprove, rebuke and exhort (2 Tim 4:2).

But he got his "office" or "role" from the apostle and the apostle gets his office/role from... which brings us back to "doh!, a deer, a female...."

Just some more fodder for thought while I contemplate further the points you brothers bring up and kick around some other contemplations (actually, I thinking of the concept of "recognition" - i.e. whereby "appointments" or "canonization" are not installations but rather recognitions. I'll probably start a separate thread...)

Peter