Difference between revisions of "Elder"

<p> Age is the standard of dignity in a patriarchal system. Hence, the office of elder was the basis of government; as in our "alderman," the Arab sheikh = "old man" (&nbsp;Joshua 24:31; &nbsp;1 Kings 12:6). The institution existed when Moses first opened his divine commission to Israel. Even in their Egyptian bondage they retained their national organization and government by elders, who represented the people (&nbsp;Exodus 3:16; &nbsp;Exodus 4:29; &nbsp;Joshua 24:1-2). After the settlement in Canaan they were named "elders of Israel" or "of the land" (&nbsp;1 Samuel 4:3; &nbsp;1 Kings 20:7) or "of the tribes" (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 31:28) or "of the city," (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 19:12, compare &nbsp;Deuteronomy 16:18; &nbsp;Ruth 4:9; &nbsp;Ruth 4:11). </p> <p> They retained their position under the judges (&nbsp;Judges 2:7), the kings (&nbsp;2 Samuel 17:4), in the captivity (&nbsp;Jeremiah 29:1), and on the return (&nbsp;Ezra 5:5); and in New Testament times as one of the classes from which the Sanhedrin members were chosen, and are associated with the chief priests and scribes (&nbsp;Matthew 16:21; &nbsp;Matthew 21:23; &nbsp;Matthew 26:59; &nbsp;Luke 22:66), "the presbytery of the people" (Greek). [[Ecclesiastical]] elders or presbyters (from whence "priest" is contracted) of the Christian church were a class of church governors borrowed naturally from the synagogue; especially as cases occurred of whole synagogues and their officers embracing Christianity. (See [[Synagogue]] ; BISHOP; DEACON; CHURCH.) </p> <p> Paul ordained them on his first missionary journey (compare &nbsp;Acts 14:23). The four and twenty elders (Revelation 4) represent the combined heads of the Old and New Testament congregations, the twelve patriarchs and twelve apostles; answering to the typical 24 courses of priests, "governors of the sanctuary and governors of God" (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 24:5; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 25:31). </p>

<p> An overseer, ruler, leader. Elders, or seniors, in ancient Jewish polity, were persons the most considerable for age, experience, and wisdom. Of this sort were the 7- men whom Moses associated with himself in the government: such likewise afterwards were those who held the first rank in the synagogue as presidents. </p> <p> Elders, in church history, were originally those who held the first place in the assemblies of the primitive Christians. The word presbyter is often used in the New Testament in this signification; hence the first councils of Christians were called Presbyteria, or councils of elders. </p> <p> Elders in the presbyterian discipline, are officers, who, in conjunction with the ministers and deacons, compose the kirk sessions, who formerly used to inspect and regulate matters of religion and discipline; but whose principal business now is to take care of the poor's funds. They are chosen from among the people, and are received publicly with some degree of ceremony. In [[Scotland]] there is an indefinite number of elders in each parish, generally about twelve. </p> <p> See PRESBYTERIANS. It has long been a matter of dispute, whether there are any such officers as lay-elders mentioned in Scripture. On the one side it is observed, that these officers are no where mentioned as being alone or single, but always as being many in every congregation. They are also mentioned separately from the brethren. Their office, more than once, is described as being distinct from that of preaching, not only in &nbsp;Romans 12:1-21 : where he that ruleth is expressly distinguished from him that exhorteth or teacheth, but also in that passage, &nbsp; 1 Timothy 5:17 . On the other side it is said, that from the above-mentioned passages, nothing can be collected with certainty to establish this opinion; neither can it be inferred from any other passage that churches should be furnished with such officers, though perhaps prudence, in some circumstances, may make them expedient. "I incline to think, " says Dr. Guise, on the passage &nbsp;1 Timothy 5:17 , "that the apostle intends only preaching elders, when he directs double honour to be paid to the elders that rule well, especially those who labour in the word and doctrine; and that the distinction lies not in the order of officers, but in the degree of their diligence, faithfulness, and eminence in laboriously fulfilling their ministerial work; and to the emphasis is to be laid on the word labour in the word and doctrine, which has an especially annexed to it." </p>