Daily Reading

QUESTION: What is the work of deacons in the church?
ANSWER: The English word deacon comes from a Greek word that means “servant.” Deacons do not rule, nor have authority! They are to serve the congregation under the oversight of the elders.


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Daily Reading

QUESTION: May women scripturally serve as deacons and elders?
ANSWER: The qualifications for these offices are found in I Timothy 3:1-3 and in Titus 1:6-9. That these unchangeable qualifications relate only to men can clearly be seen in these passages by the use of only masculine nouns and pronouns.
Additionally, both elders and deacons are to be the husbands of one wife (I Timothy 3, verses 2 and 12). Women, therefore, cannot fulfill this God-given qualification!
Also, women cannot scripturally become elders and deacons (deaconesses) because such would result in a violation of I Timothy 2:9-15. This scripture forbids women to usurp the authority that God has given to man. Verses nine and ten read, “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.”

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Daily Reading

The statement in the correspondence course is true. “Nowhere do you read of a preacher (erroneously called a “pastor” by the denominations) being head over a congregation.” The “rule” of a congregation belongs only to a plurality of elders within the local congregation (Hebrews 13:7,17; I Peter 5:1-4). The “rule” of a congregation was not assigned to the preacher. He, as all others in the local congregation, is to be under the “rule” of the elders, and is to be obedient to them within the guidelines of God’s Word!


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Daily Reading

The word “pastor” is another word used to describe the work of an elder. It is from the Greek word poimen, which means to “tend’ or “feed, or to “take care of.” In Acts 20:28, as Paul is talking to the Ephesian elders or overseers, he instructs these to “feed” the church of God. The word “feed” in this passage is also from the Greek word poimen (pastor). What Paul then is saying to these elders is, ‘you elders are to “pastor” (feed) the church.’ So then, we can see that the elders are the pastors, not the preacher (evangelist). This is, as well, made clear in the passage questioned. Notice that Paul shows a clear difference between evangelists (preachers) and “pastors.” Why does he make this distinction? Simply because the word “pastor” in Ephesians 4:11 refers to elders, not to preachers (evangelists)!

Daily Reading

QUESTION: In light of a statement in your correspondence course that “Nowhere do you read of a pastor (preacher) being head over a congregation,” would you explain Ephesians 4:11?
ANSWER: The thrust of the paragraph in which this statement was made was to show that the denominational world has departed from the scriptural pattern for the organization of the church. The denominations have rejected the divine pattern by assigning the title of “pastor” to the preacher, or the evangelist, thus giving him the rule over the local congregation. First the word “pastor” is never scripturally applied to the preacher or evangelist. The words preacher and evangelist refer to the same function in the church. In other words, the evangelist is the preacher! Note that Paul told Timothy, in II Timothy 4:2, to “preach the word,” and then in II Timothy 4:5, he told him to “do the work of an evangelist.” Therefore, they are the same!

Daily Reading

QUESTION: If one does not meet the qualifications to be an elder is he allowed to do or carry out the duty of an elder if there are no other elders in the church?
ANSWER: A man who is not qualified to be an elder should not conduct himself as an elder. Neither should the congregation accept him as an elder. Even if the man was qualified to be an elder, he could not scripturally function as such, unless there were others also qualified and appointed. The Bible demands that there be a plurality (more than one) of elders in each congregation (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5). This does not mean that one who is not qualified to be an elder, but yet is a faithful Christian, cannot lead in worship and participate in collective decision-making relative to congregational matters on an equal basis with the other faithful men in a congregation until such time as qualified men can properly be selected to serve.

For Further Information Contact:Truth For The World P.O. Box 5048Duluth, GA 30096-0065e-mail: info@tftw.org

Daily Reading

QUESTION: Is it scriptural for an elder or deacon to be appointed by his fellow elders and deacons without input from the congregation?
ANSWER: No! Some men in the sixth chapter of Acts were to be selected to perform a particular function within the church. These were not to be elders, but, nonetheless, this scriptural selection process was at the direction of inspired men. These told the disciples in Jerusalem to “select ye out among you” the men to serve. Man can devise no better way! The congregation, under the oversight of the elders, then should make the selection with extremely careful consideration to the qualifications of elders and deacons as detailed in I Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:6-9. Certainly, however, this should not be construed to mean that the present elders who “watch for your souls” (Hebrews 13:7) do not have the right (collectively) to reject from the eldership those against whom valid charges are brought, whether as to qualifications or conduct of life!

For Further Information Contact:Truth For The World P.O. Box 5048Duluth, GA 30096-0065e-mail: info@tftw.org