“LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS”
The book of Judges shows us a period of time when there was no king in Israel. There was the law of Moses which provided the law system for the Jews to live by. The absence of the king meant there was no one to enforce the law of God. Twice we find that expression about that period of time. There was no king and every man did that which was right “in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6; 21:25). Under the time of the kings, when the man who sat on the throne had his heart set on God, the nation prospered. When the one in authority left the way of God, the nation suffered.
God spoke through the prophets to prepare the heart of the people for the coming of the Messiah (Hebrews 1:1). God in the last days spoke to man through His Son (verse 2). Since man cannot direct his own steps there is a need for revelation from God (Jeremiah 10:23). The Jewish people in possession of the oracles of God had an advantage over all other races during the time of the law of Moses (Romans 3:1,2). Even in possession of such oracles we find a history of disobedience to the will of God. Men given law still need someone to enforce, teach and apply that law.
The apostles received their messages directly from the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4; I Corinthians 2:12,13). They took this message from God and spread it throughout the whole known world (Colossians 1:23). From the beginning of the church in Acts 2, the church was governed by the apostles’ doctrine (Acts 2:42). God set certain ones in the church such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, elders and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). These offices in the church were set up by God for the perfecting of the saints, the work of the ministry and the edifying of the body of Christ (verse 12).
These direct things from God would either continue to our present day or they would cease to exist. Paul left Titus in Crete in order that he would ordain elders in every city (Titus 1:5). Less anyone try to establish a false concept here, Luke records that elders were ordained in every church (Acts 14:23). Each church then governed itself under the plurality of men called elders, bishops, pastors or overseers. One eldership was never over the church or eldership of another. The writer of Hebrews explains that we are to obey them that have the rule over us, that is, the elders (Hebrews 13:7,17).There is a danger that men once placed into this position of authority may lose their “spiritual compass”. Paul told the elders from the congregation at Ephesus, “…Also of your own selves shall men arise …to draw away disciples" (Acts 20:30). God no longer sets men in directly as He once did. Now men are set in who meet the qualifications set down in I Timothy 3; Titus 1 and I Peter 5. Elders, like individual Christians, are to continue to grow in their faith toward the Lord Jesus (II Peter 1:5). If they cease that growth, the spiritual life will begin to wither (John 15:6).
There are indeed two sides to this “coin”. On one side is the leadership provided by men who have met the qualifications and continue to grow in the grace of our Lord. On the other side is the membership who follow them considering the end of their conversation (Hebrews 13:7). Both sides must continue to work together to allow God to work in their lives for the salvation of men’s souls (I Corinthians 3:6). Each Christian must be compelled by a desire to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3). Everyone working together will result in the growth of the church and individual souls as well.
Some men are no doubt seduced by power. Such a person in the eldership represents a grave danger to the spiritual life of any church. Some of the qualifications then of an elder deals with the attitude of his heart. Whether Diotrephes was an elder or not is not known but his attitude reflects the danger of men seduced by power (III John 9,10). On the other hand there are followers of the Lord who do not trust the wisdom or knowledge of the elders and will constantly try to circumvent their authority. Such individuals have no respect for God’s wisdom or authority.
What every church needs today are good men who lead and good brethren who will follow their conversation. Such leaders and followers will always produce a growing, faithful and strong church in the community for the cause of Christ.