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Study 01 of 18

The Early Church Model of Leadership

Where the office of elder comes from

Hands-free narration of this study — good for the car.

Synopsis

The handbook opens by grounding the elder's office in the New Testament itself. Leadership in the earliest community of believers was accorded to 'the apostles and elders' (Acts 15:22), and Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in every church (Acts 14:23). As the church grew from hundreds to thousands, structure became necessary: deacons were appointed first (Acts 6) to assist in the care of members, then elders were selected to give leadership to an ever-expanding church, and as the original apostles died the elders assumed their leadership roles. The Seventh-day Adventist Church stands in that tradition — the elder is not a modern committee invention but the continuation of an apostolic pattern.

Key points

  • Leadership in the New Testament church was shared by apostles and elders (Acts 15:22).
  • Deacons came first (Acts 6), then elders as the church expanded.
  • Elders inherited the leadership of the congregations as the apostles passed away.
  • Structure arose from the practical growth of the church, not from ambition.
  • The handbook seeks to give guidance to the elder's role 'in this tradition of the early church.'

Key texts

  • Acts 15:22
  • Acts 14:23
  • Acts 6:1-6
  • Acts 11:30
  • Acts 20:17, 28
  1. Comprehension

    1. According to the handbook, to whom was leadership accorded at the beginning of the New Testament church?

  2. Scripture

    2. Read Acts 14:23. What did Paul and Barnabas do in every church they planted?

  3. Comprehension

    3. Why, according to the handbook, did the early church need structure at all?

  4. Scripture

    4. Which office was appointed first in Acts 6, and why?

  5. Comprehension

    5. What happened to congregational leadership as the original apostles died?

  6. Scripture

    6. Read Acts 20:17 and 28. What does Paul call the Ephesian elders, and what is their charge?

  7. Doctrinal Clarity

    7. Why does it matter that the elder's office is apostolic rather than merely denominational?

  8. Contrast

    8. Contrast a church that appoints elders as a formality with one that appoints them as the apostles did.

  9. Application

    9. How did the relationship between deacons and elders work in Acts 6, and how does it work in your church?

  10. Application

    10. Name one way your congregation's leadership structure reflects — or fails to reflect — the Acts pattern.