What is an elder for?

Before considering how the work is done, we ask why it exists. What Scripture requires of an elder, why Christ gives this office to his church, and what the office is not.

Outline

• The shepherd image, from Ezekiel 34 through John 10 to Acts 20.
• Oversight is not management: what it means in a congregation of a few hundred.
• The elder as a man under authority: Christ’s, the Word’s, and the consistory’s.
• Why the office was never intended to be carried alone.

For discussion

1. Where have you seen an elder’s work make a visible difference in someone’s life?
2. What do members of your congregation expect of an elder that Scripture does not require?