They have no legislative power, and therefore lawgiving is no function of theirs. The Messiah was careful to repeat that he only taught what he had heard and learned from the Father. The Apostles were peculiarly attentive to inculcate that they had received from the Lord whatever they taught the disciples; and the primitive elders and bishops gave all attention to inculcate only the commandments of the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour; and James says there is but ONE LAWGIVER who is able to save and to destroy.

      1. As they are required to be apt or fit to teach, it is their duty to teach "the whole counsel of God." In doing this, they are to regard the church as consisting of little children, young men, and fathers--as consisting of masters and servants, husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and sisters, and subjects of political government. As to the manner of this teaching, they are to have the Scriptures read in the congregation, applied to all contingencies, and diligently examined and considered by all the disciples. They are to call forth all the gifts and talents of the congregation, and to give directions concerning reading, exhortation, and prayer. It is not presumed that they are to be the only readers, teachers, exhorters, intercessors, or singers in the congregation. But they are to preside over all, to give directions to all, as far as public edification is concerned. They may call upon A to read; upon B to expound a difficult word, phrase, or passage; upon C to pray; upon D to sing; upon E to preside at the Lord's table; upon F to exhort; or they may give a general invitation to all to minister to the general edification. But no one is to read, speak, teach, or exhort in the congregation without a special call or leave of the bishop presiding for the day. They will deliver didactic discourses, admonitions, and exhortations as the exigencies of the community require. And they will occasionally labor; in the word, or preach the gospel where the presence of unbelievers makes it necessary. The elders who thus labor both in the word and in teaching, as Paul teaches, are worthy of the highest honor.

      2. They are "to rule well." Presidency and ruling, though much akin, are not identically the same. To preside may sometimes imply no more than preserving order and decorum in the regular proceedings of a public worshipping assembly. But "to rule well" has respect more immediately to the disorders which are incident to every earthly community--from which the church of Jesus Christ never has yet [125] been fully exempt. The discipline of the church is as essential as its doctrine: for no church can be prosperous or happy, however zealous for the doctrine according to godliness, if there be in it lax discipline, or if transgressors of the law of Christ are suffered to pass with impunity.

      To rule well is one of the most difficult attainments. It calls for meekness, candor, firmness, courage, patience, and indefatigable attention to the first indications of remissness or delinquency. So peculiar is the assemblage of attributes requisite to ruling well, that they are more rarely to be met with than the gifts of eloquence and the highest didactic powers.

      To anticipate and prevent transgression, delinquency, or actual apostacy, is much more desirable and profitable than to reprove and punish it when actually consummated. He that rules well his own family is best prepared to rule well the church of God; and he that rules well his own family needs not to be informed that more depends upon watching the dispositions and frailties of his children, and guarding them from error and disobedience, by removing them from temptation, or by removing temptation out of their way, than in correcting them for actual offences. Much the larger part of all the errors, follies, and faults of children and of disciples might have been prevented under a discreet and attentive administration. Timely remonstrance, counsel, and the interposing oneself between temptation and the occasions of error in practice, are the great secrets of a good administration, and require degrees of wisdom and devotion seldom to be met with. More youths and more disciples have been saved from ruin by the judicious watchings of those entrusted with their fortunes, than have ever been reclaimed by corrections and rebukes. On this point a hint must now suffice: for we only aim at a full development of what is meant by ruling well. On the subject of discipline we shall have a better opportunity to illustrate good rule as contrasted with bad rule.

      3. Besides the teaching, presidency, and ruling well in the public assembly, there is a class of duties comprehended in constant visitation, of paramount importance to the edification, good order, and growth of a congregation. Private, is often much better than public teaching; and reproofs, corrections, and instructions are frequently given with greater effect by the fireside than in the synagogue.

      Paul, in his exhortations to the Ephesian bishops, gives his own example as the best illustration of what he would enjoin. Speaking on the class of duties to which I now allude, he says, "For the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one, night and day, with tears." Again, he says, "You know how I have been conversant among you all the time, from the first day that I entered Asia, serving the [126] Lord with all humility, and with tears"--"teaching you publicly and privately"--"watch, therefore, remembering" these things, etc. Well might this Apostle say, "He who desires the office of a bishop, desires a good WORK." A work, indeed, which if not divided among a plurality of persons, will require much of the time of an individual or two, even in a congregation of one hundred members.

      They are the most useful and successful preachers and teachers of Christ who go from house to house, and mingle with the people in their daily and constant avocations. In sickness and in health, in business and in leisure, in the most intimate social intercourse, they will find numerous occasions of doing good, and of speaking with effect, which will not occur in a meeting house or public assembly.

      When the Apostles in Jerusalem, though all present in one church, and aided by many such men as Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas, found it expedient to give themselves up to the ministry of the word and to prayer, and to have persons appointed to attend on the tables of the widows and the poor; may we not learn that the work of teaching and preaching Christ, of presiding over a Christian congregation with dignity and profit, of ruling well, requires a devoted heart and an undivided attention, and that every business ought to have some persons set over it?

      To go into all the particular duties of the Christian bishop, would require us to transcribe much of the epistles; we therefore dismiss the subject, having noticed the three classes of duties already stated.

[A. C.]      

Source:

Alexander Campbell. "The Duties of the Bishops." The Millennial Harbinger Extra 6 (October 1835): 504-507.

[MHA2 125-127]