"Take Me to Your Leader..."

By Dwaine E. Dunning

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     Those who are attempting to "restore the Church of the New Testament Scriptures in its doctrines, ordinances and life" need to give much thought to the polity of the church, its "arrangement" as to responsibilities and relationships among its members. The importance of the office of the eldership is generally recognized; but much confusion still exists as to the specific manner in which the elders are to serve the congregation, and almost nothing is known as to the responsibilities--if any!--which the members of the congregation have toward the elders.

     Almost anybody who knows the traditional presentation of the eldership among the Churches of Christ could produce with little difficulty a two-part outline, consisting of: (1) Qualifications, and (2) Duties. The usual result of a treatment

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of this kind is to frighten good men out of any thought of "desiring the office," and to convince the congregations that the elders they have do not meet the qualifications or that they are not properly performing their duties.

     Much is made in some circles of the "authority" of the eldership. This is an extremely unfortunate word. "All authority hath been given unto me, in heaven and on earth," our Lord stated with finality. Misunderstanding the responsibility of the eldership is a frequent cause of sorrows among the Lord's people. It can give rise to the "ruling elder" problem; another frequent abuse is that of a dictating "Evangelist" who "sets the church in order" by selecting "New Testament elders" who remain in "authority" as long as he, the "Evangelist," approves of them. Either of these abuses of the eldership is an almost certain means of achieving disorder or division in the church.

     There are several words which help to define the qualifications and the responsibilities of the eldership. Two of these are well known; the others are almost entirely unknown. The two words which are well known are really not well understood. They are presbuteros and episkopos, "elder" and "overseer." It is amazing to see how many people who ought to know better will define "elder" as "old man." Grammar-school English ought to convince one that this is wrong. "Elder" is the comparative of the idea of age. Leaders of the church are not young or old.

     Too many congregations draw their active (?) leadership from among elderly saints who haven't thought of a new idea in twenty-five years. Consequently the program of the church is heartbreakingly ossified, a rigid tribute to the time when the elderly overseers were themselves elder men, still possessing some of the imagination, resilience and energy of youth, but with those characteristics of mature wisdom which come only with age and experience. Some men, of course, grow old gracefully, retaining qualities of leadership which the church ought to continue to use. Others definitely need to be "promoted" to an office which, if not Scriptural, is eminently practical, that of "Elder Emeritus." In this honored but innocuous post they may continue to preside graciously at the Lord's Table, and receive the appreciative respect of the congregation for their past efforts on behalf of the church, but the active leadership is in the capable, because adaptable, hands of their sons.

     The term "Bishop," or Overseer, episkopos, is also subject to much confusion and misunderstanding. One of the most destructive wrong ideas in history was when theologians tried to justify one-man rule of many churches, "episcopacy," by confining the term episkopos to an administrator over many congregations, while presbuteros was applied exclusively to the local church. Equally wrong is the idea of the Overseer as a sort of "Egyptian overseer," a whip-cracking slave-driver who drives, rather than leads. Arrogance almost inevitably accompanies authority, or the idea of it. It is axiomatic that "power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely."

     The other words relating to the "Oversight," as the British churches say rather than "Eldership," include poimen, "pastor," and hegemon, the best translation of which is "leader."

     The term "pastor" is today applied almost exclusively to the professionalized "clergy." However, in the New Testament Scriptures the term refers to the same group of men who are also called Elder, and Bishop or Overseer.

     "Pastor" is the Latin equivalent of the Greek poimen, "shepherd." In Acts 20:28, Paul tells the Ephesian elders, also called overseers in the context, to "feed the church of God," previously referred to as the "flock." In Greek, both "flock" and "shepherd" derive from the same word, and in this passage the word translated "feed" is the verb form of the same. "Feed the flock" means "as a shepherd, provide for the flock."

     Far more neglected is the word hege-

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mon. Some at least know what "pastor" means, although it is almost always applied to the wrong people in the church. It is not too hard, once we are straightened out as to who is the "pastor," to relate the term to the flock as it ought to be. The elder as an overseer feeds the flock. This tells us what he does in his oversight. But hegemon tells us how he is to do it.

     The verb hegeomai and its noun cognate hegemon have a very rich meaning. It is incredible how they have been neglected. As many know, some Greek words have more than one meaning. Dunamis can be translated either "power" or "authority." Koinonia means "communion, communication, a sharing, that which is shared," among other things. Hegemon also has a dual meaning, and shades or gradations within its two general definitions which, if more generally understood, would be of the greatest help to the church, and especially those whose task it describes.

     The English term "hegemony" is, of course, the Greek word transliterated. It refers to a power by influence, domination on some basis other than constitutional authority. England does not own Spanish territory around its Gibraltar naval base; but it has vast influence, hegemony, in Spanish territories dependant economically upon the base's payroll.

     Hegemon means, primarily, leadership. When the Ten Thousand Greeks under Xenophon were about to fight with Pharnabazus, they adopted a war-cry which sounds almost sacrilegious to us Christians: "Zeus soter, Herakles hegemon," "Zeus Savior, Hercules Leader." Zeus was the premier god, but their situation as wanderers far from home, fighting a battle against great odds, caused the Greeks to address a second appeal to the deified hero Hercules, who as a "wanderer" himself would "identify" with the Greeks in their situations. (Anabasis, VI. 29).

     Thus, in the New Testament Scriptures, hegemon is the term in Matthew 2:6 for the "princes of Judah" and for the "Governor," the Messiah of God. Applied to Quirinius, (Luke 2:2) the Roman deputy of Syria, the term is used in reference to one who administers on behalf of another; not of one who is a king in his own right, but who derives authority from a higher power. Joseph, in Acts 7:10, is described thus as "governor" of Egypt.

     In Acts 15:22 the word is used to show that Barsabas and Silas were "chief men among the brethren."

     These, and others, are variations of the first primary meaning of the term. The second primary meaning is to think, to account, to deem. This dual meaning the Greek term shares with the Latin duco, "I lead" or "I think."

     Putting both meanings together gives a singularly rich and understandable definition of the work of the Christian elder, a leadership, under the authority of Christ the King, which is based on thinking. Not just leadership, but reasoned, logical, intelligent, persuasive leadership! The word thus tells the Christian elder or overseer who is to "feed the flock" exactly how to do it.

     This writer feels that it is a mistake fraught with terrible consequences to think of any Christian as having "authority." Rather than accepting the idea of authority and then carefully limiting the areas of it, it would seem to be much better simply to leave "all authority" in the hands of Him Who claimed it. An eldership properly constituted, with accurate definition of its field of service and thorough understanding of its responsibilities, will not need authority as such.

     There should be no question but that "leadership" is ever so much better than crack-the-whip "overseership."

     Who, actually, are the elders or overseers? Are they not, as Barsabas and Silas, "chief men among the brethren" because of natural talents for leadership? There is a natural selection which brings to the foreground those who are best "qualified" for leadership. Though this does not always hold true, in a majority of cases it will. It is obvious that many problems arising in the church are due to those who would like to be leaders, but whose qualifications are not commensurate with their ambitions, which

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the church can see if they cannot!

     Leadership is based on initiative, aggressiveness, ability to inspire, and courage. These, however, are not enough. George Armstrong Custer had all of these qualities, and they combined neatly to destroy him, two brothers, a nephew, and Troops C, E, F, I and L of the Seventh Cavalry at the Little Big Horn, one summer day almost ninety years ago. A considerable fund of knowledge, well-seasoned with common sense, is also necessary for the effective leader.

     Consequently, the Christian leader, the hegemon, serving as Christ's deputy, must know what he is doing. He must know the words of the Master in order to "feed his lambs." He must not only tell them what Jesus said, but by his life and example he must show them what Jesus meant.

     Three times the word hegemon is used in Hebrews 13, with the unfortunate translation "rule" in almost all versions-- Barclay being a notable exception. "Remember them that have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation...Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you...Salute all them that have the rule over you." By using the term "rule," the King James misses the point of verse 7. "Remember your leaders...follow their faith, considering what their kind of living leads to. Follow your leaders; they are watching out for your souls."

     This is the responsibility of the flock to the shepherd. Follow your leaders! Leadership is pointless without follower-ship! Theodore Roosevelt, with commendable candor, wrote about the two charges he led up San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War. Yes, two. The first consisted of Lt. Col. Roosevelt on his little brown horse (the only horse to arrive in Cuba with the First United States Volunteer Cavalry) waving his .38 six-shooter, his pince-nez spectacles twinkling fiercly in the sun as he hollered "Cha-a-a-a-rge" and spurred up the hill, followed by the color sergeant and three or four of the Rough Riders (on foot). Eyes intent on his objective. Col. Teddy was not immediately aware of the fact that an enthusiastic and irresistible soldiery following its Colonel ought to be making a lot more noise than he could hear. He looked around, and the charge came to a screeching halt. He had to go back down the hill, prod the shamefaced Rough Riders out from behind palms and palmettos, and try it again. The second charge is the one we read about in the history books. That Col. Roosevelt was indeed a worthy leader of men is in this writer's humble judgment shown by his willingness to write about the first one, afterward. Not every participant in history has shown himself reluctant to suppress the less adulatory incidents which will take place...

     There are many more interesting and valuable things which may be said about this neglected word hegemon. Our Lord used it in saying in Luke 22:26, "He who would be a leader among you should be as one who serves." Properly understood, this would care for the problem of misplaced ambition in the church. The leader among Christians is not one who promotes himself, but who builds the Kingdom of the Messiah.

     Let all Christians, leaders or followers, remember the admonition in 1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13: "We beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake, and be at peace among yourselves." In this case, "are over you" is a bad translation of pro-istemi, to place before, protect, guard, give aid, another of those rich Greek words which cannot be translated with just one English term. "Esteem them very highly in love for their works' sake, and be at peace among yourselves." Yes, peace in the Lord's House is based on mutual respect and esteem--not so much for the worth and worthiness of the Lord's servants as for the worth and

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worthiness of the work done by the Church. Not "esteem them highly" because they have met all of the qualifications in 1 Timothy and Titus and are therefore such good men, but because the work they do is worthy of the highest respect and esteem! A little thought should convince us all of the worth-while nature of this principle, and of its value in promoting peace in Christ's House.

     God grant to His people good leaders, and also the good sense and Christian grace to honor the work they do. Thus the House of God will be at peace, and in unity will convince the world that God sent Christ!