2. Consensus Rule
INTRO: Some churches are episcopal in their form of government; such a church could be compared to a monarchy. Other churches are rules by a plurality of elders or a presbytery; this could be called rule by aristocrasy. Still others follow congregational rule; these could be called a democracy. Which, if any, is the NT pattern for church polity?
****What dispute were the disciples having in Lk 22:24-27? 22:24. Note: "greatest" is from megas (basis for "megalomaniac, magaphone")
What does it mean to "lord it over" (22:25) someone? From kurieuo (#2961), "to be master, rule, control" (BAG, p. 458). Thayer said it means "to have dominion over" (p. 365). It is to "boss around"!
What does it mean to "exercise authority" (22:25) over someone? From exousiazo (#1850), "the right or power to do with something or someone as one sees fit" (BAG, p. 279). It is to have something or someone under your control.
Why did the kings of the Gentiles call themselves "Benefactors" (22:25)? "Benefactor" is from the Latin word for "good." Thus, it was a public relations stunt, designed to blunt the ugly harshness of their rule by force. Example: The People’s Republic of China.
What was wrong with the kings of the Gentiles calling themselves "Benefactors" (22:25)? It was not really true; it was misleading, hypocritical, more rhetoric than fact.
Jesus declared, "but you are not to be like that" (22:26a). They were not to be like what?
What does "instead" mean (22:26)? "Instead" is an adverb used as a substitute or equivalent, as an alternative for something else. The actual Greek text has no verb and is even sharper: "but you, not so!"
Based on 22:26, is it acceptable for the church to have "great" people in it? Do we have people who stand out among us? How so? Yes ("greater"). The NT is not anti-leadership. The point is that leaders exist for the sake of the church, not visa versa. Leaders are to be great in service. Examples of poor leaders: Eze 34:1-4, 21-24, Jer 23:1-2.
What does it mean to be like the "youngest" (22:26)? From neos (basis for "neophyte, neonatal") "young, lowest in rank" (Reinecker, p. 207). The youngest in a society usually has the least respect, position, social status, or authority.
How much authority does the youngest person in a social group typically have?
What does it mean to be like "the one who serves" (22:26)? The Greek here is diakonos, a "waiter".
How much authority do waiters typically have?
What literary function does 22:27 serve? It not only rubs in the point made in 22:26, but it sets us up for the ultimate example of leadership: the Lord Jesus Himself. Though being God, He humbled Himself to the point of becoming a man, and a servant at that (cp. Mt 20:25-28, Phlp 2:5-7).
1. What can we learn about the authority of church leaders from Lk 22:24-27?
APPLICATION: Technically, the NT never states that elders have authority over the church. This is because the church leader’s authority is to be that of a child and a slave — precisely those in society who have no authority in the normal sense of the word. Rather than lording over the church, they are to lead by example. This type of "authority" will not work in secular governments nor business, but only in a redeemed community.
TRANSITION: The words of Jesus here must be the primary frame of reference for all else that the NT says about church leaders.
****In Mt 23:1-7, why was Jesus critical of these religious leaders?
1.) 23:3b-4 (hypocrisy).
2.) 23:5-7 (sin of pride, love of prestige, and self-glorification).
****What application did our Lord offer His disciples in Mt 23:8-12?
Why was Jesus so against titles (Mt 23:8-10)?
Why did Jesus emphasize that they were all "brothers" with "only one Master" (Mt 23:8)?
How does Mt 23:11 fit into the logic of Jesus’ argument?
2. How should Mt 23:8-12 impact the leaders of our churches today? On a surface level, it suggests we not address leaders by such honorific titles as "reverend", "pastor" or "doctor." On a deeper level we must realize that our only Master is indeed Jesus and that we are all brothers. Church leaders are to lead as humble servants, not exalted lords.
3. It is critical to properly assess the relationship that existed in the NT between the local elders and the church. By examining the following texts, what can be gleaned about the prominence of elders in NT church life? Ro 1:7, 1Co 1:2, 2Co 1:1, Ga 1:1-2, 11, 3:15, 4:12, 28, 31, 5:13, 6:1, Ep 1:1, Php 1:1, Col 1:1-2, 1Th 1:1, 5:12-13, 2Th 1:1, Heb 13:24, Jam 1:1, 1Pe 1:1-2, 5:1-3, 2Pe 1:1, Jude 1, Re 1:4. There is a decided lack of emphasis on church leaders in NT writings. The apostles wrote to entire churches (not just the leaders). The writers of the NT letters did not just bark orders. Instead they urged, persuaded, argued, and convinced whole congregations. The "brothers" were treated as equals and were appealed to as such (notice for instance the use of the word "brothers" throughout the letter to the Galatian churches)! With the exception of Php 1:1 church leaders are not even mentioned in the greetings. It is not until 1Pe 5* that leaders are written to directly. The letters to Timothy and Titus are mistakenly referred to a "pastoral epistles," but Timothy and Titus were not pastors—they were apostles, sent by Paul to organize the churches in Ephesus and Crete and then to move on to other locations.
This emphasis on entire churches rather than on just the leadership of the churches arises from the fact that responsibility for decision-making rests with the ekklesia (church) as a whole. Elders are not lords nor C.E.O.s over the church. Churches are to be elder-led, more so than elder-ruled.
*That God’s flock in "under" the care of elders or "entrusted" to them, does not mean the elders have dictatorial powers over the church. In that sense, a picket on guard duty has the camp under his care. It is entrusted to him. But, the picket (sentry) has no authority over the camp. He is a servant to the camp. His stewardship is to guard against enemy infiltrators and even defectors.
4. The Greek word for "church" is ekklesia (#1577). What was the most common secular use of ekklesia? Outside the NT, ekklesia was used almost without exception to refer to a political assembly that was regularly convened for the purpose of making decisions. According to Thayer’s lexicon it was "an assembly of the people convened at the public place of council for the purpose of deliberating." The lexicon of Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich, and Danker defines ekklesia as an "assembly of a regularly summoned political body." In Colin Brown’s New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, ekklesia, in the time of the NT, is said to have been "clearly characterized as a political phenomenon, repeated according to certain rules and within a certain framework. It was the assembly of full citizens, functionally rooted in the constitution of the democracy, an assembly in which fundamental political and judicial decisions were taken . . . the word ekklesia, throughout the Greek and Hellenistic areas, always retained its reference to the assembly of the polis." In the ekklesia, "every citizen has the right to speak and to propose matters for discussion . . ."
NOTE: Colin Brown’s reference to "every citizen" needs clarification. It is a fact that women were not allowed to speak at all in the Greek ekklesia (Piper & Gruden, Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, p. 150). The Encyclopedia Britannica Micropaedia, Volume 3, states that "the ecclesia became coterminous with the body of male citizens 18 years of age or over. . ." (p. 771, italics mine).
5. How is the secular usage of ekklesia seen in its use in Ac 19:23-41? Check out the Greek behind "assembly" (19:32, 41) and "legal assembly" (19:39). These occurrences of ekklesia (rendered "assembly," "legal assembly," and "assembly") refer to a decision-making meeting of "craftsmen" (19:24). They were "called" (19:25) together by Demetrius into the town theater (19:31). The idea was to decide what to do about Paul (19:25-27, 38), though there was so much confusion the majority did not know why they had been summoned (19:32). This is an example of ekklesia where it is used to refer to a regularly summoned political body (in this case, silver craftsmen and those in related trades, 19:25). They convened (as a sort of trade union) to decide what to do about a damaged reputation and lost business (Ac 19:27). As it turns out, they overstepped their jurisdiction in wanting to deal with Paul, so the city clerk suggested that the matter be settled by the "legal" ekklesia, Ac 19:37-39 (rather than by the trade union ekklesia).
6. Why do you suppose that Jesus (in Mt 16:13-20 & 18:15-20) choose such a politically "loaded" word as ekklesia (rather than something like sunagoge) to describe His people and their meetings? Evidently because Jesus intended for the meetings of Christians to parallel the meetings of the Greek legislators in the sense that male believers are to decide things in their meetings and in the sense that any male kingdom citizen could speak and propose matters for discussion (women were not allowed to speak at all in the Greek ekklesia, nor in the Christian ekklesia, 1Co 14:33-34). Had Jesus merely wanted to describe a gathering, he could have used sunagogue, thiasos or eranos. Significantly however, He chose ekklesia.
God’s people, when they meet, have a decision-making mandate. A "church" is fundamentally an assembly (or meeting) of qualified (i.e., believing male) Kingdom citizens who are authorized (and expected) to make decisions, pass judgments, and weigh issues. The church is to function as a citizen-judiciary (or city council). Though this decision making need not necessarily occur at every meeting (there aren’t always issues to resolve), understanding that the church has the authority as well as the obligation to settle things is important. Any church whose meetings focus solely on praise music and teaching, to the exclusion of grappling corporately with problems and resolving issues, is failing to fulfill its full purpose as an ekklesia.
A look at church history also serves to confirm this political idea behind ekklesia. For centuries, the church actually controlled the state government (i.e., the Holy Roman Empire or Calvin’s Geneva). Though the wrong application of ekklesia, it suggests that people throughout the years have understood the political nature of this word.
7. How do the following texts illustrate that the responsibility for making decisions resides in the church as a whole, rather than in its elders? Mt 16:13-20, 18:15-17, Ac 1:15-16a, 21,23 & 6:2-3a, 5a, 6a, 14:23 (see margin translation), 15:1-4, 5-35, 1Co 5:4-5, 12, 6:1-4, 14:23, 26, 29. That Jesus expected decision making from the ekklesia is seen in Mt 16:13-20. After promising to build His ekklesia on the rock of Peter’s revealed confession, Jesus immediately spoke of the keys of the kingdom of heaven and of binding and loosing. Keys represent the ability to open and to close something, "kingdom" is a political term, and binding and loosing involves the authority to make decisions. Then in Mt 18:15-20, the ekklesia (18:17) is obligated to render a verdict regarding a brother’s alleged sin, and once again binding and loosing authority is conferred upon the ekklesia. In Ac 1:15-26, Peter charged the Jerusalem church with finding a replacement for Judas. In Ac 6:1-6, the apostles looked to the church corporately to pick men to administer the church’s welfare system. Ac 14:23 (NIV marginal translation) indicates that the church elected its own elders (though in other passages the apostles appointed them). In Ac 15:1-4, the church of Antioch decided to send to Jerusalem for arbitration, and then the whole church in Jerusalem was in on the resolution of the conflict (15:4, 12, 22, 23 in KJV), agreeing with the deliberations of the leaders. In 1Co 6:1-4, ordinary believers are declared competent to judge disputes. Finally, Paul continued this idea in 1Co 14:29-30, where it was made clear that judgment was to be passed on prophetic revelation when "the whole ekklesia comes together" (14:23).
Thus, church members are to be like citizen-judiciaries who meet together to deliberate and decide issues, or to render judgments (when necessary). This form of government works tolerably well in a smaller (house) church where people love each other enough to work through any disagreements. It is virtually impossible to operate this way in a larger (institutional) church.
8. Taken as a principle, what do 1Co 1:10, Ep 2:19-22, 4:1-6, Php 2:1-2, 4:2 & Col 3:12-17, imply about majority rule (democracy) versus consensus in decision making? Cp Ps 133:1.
Ps 133:1 — "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!"
1Co 1:10 — "I appeal to you brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions amoung you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought."
Ep 4:3-6 — "Make every effort to keep the unity of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord; one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
Phlp 2:1-2 — "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose."
Col 3:15 — "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace."
Majority rule is a 51% dictatorship and tends to work against unity.
Consensus works toward unity. Individual church members must be in fellowship with the Lord, put the interests of others ahead of themselves, and be willing to love each other despite any differnces and until those differences are resolved.
What does the word "consensus" mean? General agreement, representative trend or opinion. It is related to the word "consent" or "consensual." Another word for consensus might be unity, oneness, harmony, or mutual agreement.
PRACTICAL CONCERN: Some feel government by consensus is too utopian, that it would never work. It is important to remember that the process a church goes through in achieving consensus is often just as important as the consensus that is finally achieved. It takes time, commitment, mutual-edification, and a lot of brotherly love. It truly can work in a small, house sized church. We must love each other enough to put up with each other! Do we really trust in the Holy Spirit to work in our lives and churches?
9. What provisions has God made for helping a church to achieve unity (consensus)? Jn 17:11, 20-23 (Jesus’ prayer), 1Co 10:17 (Lord’s Supper), Ep 4:11-13 (church leaders).
10. Based on Heb 13:7, how are leaders to influence the flock? Cp 1Th 5:12-13, 1Pe 5:1-3. Through teaching and a life-style consistent with that teaching. They are to be respected because of the value of their work (service), not because of any delegated authority. A church leader’s "authority" lies in his ability to persuade with the truth.
11. Do a word study on "obey" and "submit" as found in Heb 13:17. What do these words mean and how are they different in meaning from hupakouo ("obey," used in Ep 6:1, 5) and hupotassomai ("submit", used in Ro 13:1, Col 3:18, 1Pe 2:13)? Cp. 1Co 16:15-16.
1.) The normal Greek word for "obey" is hupakouo and is used in Ep 6:1, 5 (children & slaves). The word behind "obey" in Heb 13:17 is different from this normal Greek word. From peitho, it means "to persuade, to convince." Found here in the middle or passive form, it actually means "allow yourselves to be persuaded by your leaders" (see its similar use in Ac 5:40 & Ga 5:7-8). The church in not to mindlessly obey its leaders. Instead, there is to be discussion, dialog, reasoning, and persuasion. The church is to be open to being persuaded by what the leaders have to say, rather than responding in robot-like obedience. Thus, the NT never actually states that the church is to obey church leaders!
2.) The common Greek word for "submit" is hupotassomai and is used in Ro 13:1 (government), Col 3:18 (husbands), Ep 5:21 (one another), & 1Pe 2:13 (kings). Once again, this is not the word used in Heb 13:17 for "submit." Instead, hupeiko is used — a word that occurs only here in the entire NT. Outside the NT, hupeiko refers not to a structure (like to the government) to which one submits, but to a process or battle after which one yields (surrenders). Thus, "surrender." It was used of combatants. Submission still occurs, but the picture is one of serious discussion and dialog prior to one party giving way.
Notes:
1.) The word "authority" (Heb 13:17) found in the NIV is absolutely not in any Greek manuscript. Along this line, the NT never explicitly states that elders have iron-fisted authority over the church!
2.) The word "leaders" here is from the root hegeomai (2233) and simply means "leaders" or "guides." No dictatorial powers are necessarily implied!
Jam 3:17 — "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere."
What does it mean for leaders to "keep watch over your souls" (13:17)?
Being an elder is not a glamorous job!
Beresford Job has observed,
"I would say that elders have moral or spiritual authority as opposed to positional authority (which would be represented by hupotasso). It's people deciding to follow one's example because one has proved oneself to them. Hence elders having stringent qualifications (which are the character and personal holiness of long experience with the Lord) and being raised up from among those they are going to lead (or how else could those recognizing them as elders know they come up to those qualifications?)
Check out Jos 1:1, 10, 16-17. Notice the order here: God speaks to Joshua, Joshua speaks to the people, and the people speak to Joshua. And what they speak to Joshua is that they'll follow as long as God is with him. It is a conditional submission (as long as God is with him) and not a positional thing (i.e. just because Joshua says so.)
I think Heb 13:17 refers to the general attitude there should be towards elders. Rebellion is often aimed at them as the leaders, so the antidote to that is a humble attitude that gives them the benefit of the doubt. That is, if people 'come out fighting' all the time, then what good is that? Heb 13:17b pleads with people to make their job a little easier, and this is what certainly will, (I speak from long experience!), as also Paul in Thessalonians also tells the church to esteem those that rule over them (proistemi) highly. So it's not having to submit to elders whatever they say just because they are the elders."
"DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!" What we are dealing with in the final analysis is a delicate balancing act. The church is to be open to being "persuaded" by its leaders. In the course of on-going discussion and teaching the flock is to be "convinced" by its leaders. It is not mindless obedience. After a battle (wrangling over ideas), the church should "submit" (yield) when necessary to break an impasse. Since the authority to make decisions resides in the church as a whole, this submission evidently occurs during times of grid-lock, when an issue arises that must be resolved but can’t be resolved. In such cases, the elders function as predetermined arbitrators.
In this sense, the church is like a senate, with the authority to make decisions and render judgments that are binding on its members. The elders are just fellow senators who are on some type of special senate committee to study issues, make recommendations, teach, inform, or prompt. However, the elders are not to normally to make decisions on behalf of the senate. They don’t preempt the senate. Elders are senator-servants to the whole senate. However, the senate will occasionally find itself in grid-lock, unable to resolve an issue. In such cases, the elders serve as arbitrators or tie breakers and in such instances the church is to "submit" (hupeiko) to their leadership and wisdom.
NOTES ON POSSIBLE OBJECTIONS:
1.) In 1Th 5:12-13, "respect" ("esteem", NKJV) is from oida, "to know, to be intimately acquainted with, to stand in a close relation to, to understand" (BAGD, p. 556). "Over" (5:12) is from proistemi and though it can mean "be at the head of, rule, direct," it can also mean "be concerned about, care for, give aid." Given the tenor of the rest of the NT concerning leadership, it most probably should be taken to mean the latter.
2.) In 1Ti 5:17, "direct the affairs of the church" ("rule" in NASV) is also from proistemi (see above).
3.) How does 1Co 16:15-16 figure into all this? Concerning 1Co 16:15-16, it is the leader’s role to help the church reach consensus. This command to "submit" must be understood in the context of all the other passages. More mature brothers like Stephanos are called to aid the church in reaching consensus. Such men deserve to be listened to by virtue of their maturity and proven character. Thus, occasionally the leaders will need to "pull rank," as in 1Ti 1:3 or Tit 2:15 or Phlm 8. This same Greek word for "submit" is found in 1Pe 5:5. It has to do with seniority of older men over younger men, not to elders over the church.
How do the following apostolic "authority" texts fit into the idea of government by consensus? 1Ti 1:3, 4:11, 5:17, 6:17, Tit 1:12-13, 2:15, 3:10. Though they were apostolic workers, Timothy and Titus clearly functioned as elders until local elders were appointed. Thus, the elders that they appointed could be expected to do the same types of things that the apostolic workers did on the local level. From this is it clear that it is proper for elders, in exercising leadership, to authoritatively reprove, speak, teach, and guide. Elders are to "rule well" and "oversee" the churches, taking the initiative in prompting and guarding. As mature believers, their understanding of what constitutes right or wrong behavior and doctrine will most probably be correct. They naturally will often be among the first to detect and deal with problems. However, if those they confront refuse to listen, the elder’s only recourse is to then present the matter to the whole church in accordance with the Mt 18 process. Authority, ultimately, still rests with the church corporately.
INSIGHT: What authority did the Apostle John, beloved by Jesus, have over the wayward Diotrepes? 3Jn 9-10.
12. Read the chapters entitled, "The Pastor’s Authority" & "Consensus Governing" in Ekklesia . . . To The Roots of Biblical Church Life. What is the NT pattern for church government?
SUMMARY:
1. Churches are indeed to have leaders.
2. There is a decided lack of emphasis on church leaders in the NT.
3. Leaders are to have the same authority as slaves and children (or at least so said Jesus).
4. Churches are to be more elder led than elder ruled.
5. Leaders are to lead by persuasion, example, life-style, influence, and teaching.
6. Consensus is the NT pattern of church government (not majority rule, not elder rule). Church government is to be by consensus, not command. Authority resides in the church as a whole, not its leaders.
7. Leaders are not to have titles (reverend, pastor, doctor, canon, father), Mt 23:8-12.
OBJECTION: How would you answer the following objection? "It is a fact of apostolic history that the churches to whom Paul wrote were newly planted. They were in the incipient stage of development. It was one of the apostle’s axioms that an elder should not be a recent convert and that a man must be tested for some time before assuming that office and function. Far too much is made of that early situation. Government was by consensus then, but out of necessity, not out of principle. Paul’s instructions to Titus to amend what was defective in the churches and appoint elders in every place rather debunks the argument for government by consensus. It was a passing stage of ecclesiastical development. Babies wear diapers for a time and that is normal. But hopefully they outgrow that stage. Maturity in the ekklesia must also come and that means the appointment of elders, which is a shift away from rule by consensus. We must not build a paradigm of church life from what was a peculiar and passing stage in the progress of the fledgling church."
ANSWER:
1. The Lord Jesus’ words of Mt 18 cannot be avoided. We are to tell it to the "church," not the elders.
2. The fundamental meaning of ekklesia refers to a decision making body.
3. Further, the Jerusalem church had both elders and apostles, yet the whole church was in on the decision making process (Ac 15).
4. The groundwork laid by the apostles was foundational. To replace that with something else is dangerous ground, especially when that something else is based on a supposed expectation of development beyond the NT texts. This is the point of Jesus choosing ekklesia as His preferred word for the church. Each church is it's own legislature! And this is the great protection against hierarchical structures, which by definition turn churches from being families into organizations - the very thing the Early Church Fathers eventually did.
Again, there is a delicate balance to be reached between the leading role of elders and the ekklesia-type responsibilities of the church as a whole. Too far one way and you set up a pope. Too far the other and you have a ship with no rudder. In essence, both arguments for the leadership of the elders and for the corporate responsibility of the entire church are valid. These need to both be emphasized. On one hand, you have elders leading by example, guiding with teaching and by moderating the give-and-take discussion of the assembly. They have no final right of veto on any of the proceedings. On the other hand, you have the flock. They can do what they want but are exhorted to follow their elders and to allow themselves to be persuaded by their arguments. Elders’ words have weight because and only to the extent that the people give it to them. Elders deserve honor due to the position God has placed them in. This idea is similar to the way elders were respected in Israelite towns throughout the Old Testament. They did not have any actual authority or power, but they sure did accord a great deal of respect. To not listen to the wisdom of an elder was tantamount to calling yourself a fool and a rebel.
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW:
In the consensus process, exactly who is it that makes the decisions? Men and women both? Or only the men? 1Co 14:33-35, 1Ti 2:11-15. In his commentary on 1Co 14:33-35, R.C.H. Lenski quotes from an Opinion of the Theological Faculty of Capital University, Columbus, Ohio: "How the granting of voice and vote to women in all congregational meetings can do anything but place women completely on a level with men in all such meetings and gravely interfere with their divinely ordered subjection and obedience, we are unable to see." (The Interpretation of I and II Corinthians, p. 617).
In the Greek underlying 1Ti 2:12, there is no preposition in the text for "over." This makes sense in that no man in the church (including elders) has authority "over" any other man. Since there is no actual preposition in the Greek text (it is implied in the Greek noun), it must be supplied for English. A better, and grammatically acceptable, rendering would therefore be "of". The men of the church do have the authority to do something that the women do not: to make decisions together in consensus.
What if there are some folks involved with the church who are uncommitted or who are new converts? Do their voices "count" in the consensus process? This is precisely where Heb 13:17 comes into play. They are to listen to and yield to the wisdom of the elders.
What if people begin coming to the church after consensus is reach on an issue? Must the process begin all over again? No, they would be coming with the understanding that the church is already moving in a certain direction. They would be free to try to persuade the church differently, but otherwise must "submit" to the previous decision of the church. This is another example of where Heb 13:17 would be important to remember.
What if consensus is reached by all but one man? Should he be allowed to throw a "monkey-wrench" into the whole process? That depends on who that one man is, his maturity level, and his character. Certainly stubborn, in-the-flesh, socially maladjusted, rebellious, or contentious people should not be allowed to derail the church. This would be another occasion for Heb 13:17 to be applied.
What if a church leader falls into sin or error? How is that to be dealt with? Ac 20:25-31, 1Ti 5:17ff, Mt 18.
What function do elders serve in a church? During the Battle of Midway (World War II), a lone American bomber squadron discovered and attacked the Japanese fleet. Tragically, the squadron attacked without American fighter escort. It proved suicidal. All the bombers were shot down by Japanese fighter planes and all but one of the airmen were killed . Elders are to the church what the Amercian fighters were supposed to be to the bombers: protection. See Ac 20:29-31. Elders also provide direction, teaching, help the church to achieve consensus and to grow into maturity. More on this will be examined in a following lesson. Church leaders are to be: plural, male, unsalaried, homegrown, non-hierarchical, and servant-like.
**** = Ask this question before having someone read the text aloud.
Revised 08/03
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