Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:14-15, “I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”
In this letter Paul shares a great deal concerning the divine order of the church. Previous to this passage, Paul set forth male leadership in the church as being the divine precedent (see 1 Tim. 2:8-15) and also the qualifications for men to serve as overseers and deacons (see 1 Tim. 3:1-7 and 3:8-13).
Elders “rule” the church according to the will of God (1 Timothy 5:17) and they shepherd and protect the sheep (1 Pt. 5:2; Acts 20:28-30), as well as serve as a model for other Christians (see 1 Pt. 5:3).
Deacons are special servants of the church who serve under the leadership of the elders. Perhaps we see the development of the office of deacons in Acts 6 (see vv. 1-7). Of course, like everything else, this plan was in the mind of God long before the church was established. These servants, in Acts 6, freed the apostles to give serious devotion to prayer and ministry of the word of God. Deacons allow shepherds to focus more intently on their shepherding role and also aid greatly in the proper functioning of the entire body (see Eph. 4:15-16).
Preachers, as the term implies, teach and “preach the word” (the whole council of God – Acts 20:27) with long-suffering (see 2 Tim. 4:1-4). They are men who are “trained in the words of the faith” (1 Tim. 4:6) so they can “put these things before the brothers” (1 Tim. 4:6). This pursuit involves teaching and training others who will then be able to teach others (see 2 Tim. 2:2).
Philippians 1:1 sets for the basic organization of the church, where it records: “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons.” Paul (an apostle and preacher), along with Timothy (a preacher), address the church at Philippi that consists of saints, overseers and deacons. That’s the Lord’s simple plan for church organization! It makes sense that in His infinite wisdom He organized it the way He did so that she would be primed to fulfill her great mission!
Along those lines, the divine order of the church involves every Christian being involved someway in the building up of the body in love (see Eph. 4:16) and helping the church reach lost souls (see Lk. 19:10; Col. 1:28; 1 Cor. 3:5-8; Acts 8:4). According to Peter, we (Christians) are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pt. 2:9).
Generally, the denominational concept of the church revolves around the “pastor.” Biblically speaking, a pastor is a shepherd, but most who use the term “pastor” are referring to one man who does most or all of the preaching, and is looked to as the leader of the church. While elders can and should teach in some capacity (see Titus 1:9-16; also 1 Tim. 5:17), one man is not to serve over the church. When elders or shepherds are mentioned in Scripture, they are always mentioned in the plurality regarding the local church setting (see Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23; Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Pt. 5:5; Heb. 13:17).
God’s design for the church has an offensive and defensive nature to it. Both, of course, are vitally important for the success and growth of the church. The church teaches the truth (see Eph. 4:15; 1 Tim. 3:15; Mt. 28:18-20) and also defends the truth (see 1 Pt. 3:15; Jude 3; Titus 1:9-16).
There is little doubt that great men and women in times past did not fully comprehend why God instructed them in certain ways… like Noah and Abraham and Gideon; but they trusted God, and God worked powerfully through means that was much more peculiar than anything required of us. Let’s trust God and be faithful to Him in all things. And remember, he can “do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20).
Daren Schroeder
