God has always required His people to give; since we own nothing but merely steward what is already His, the Christian gives himself first and then his means — liberally, freely, willingly, as he has prospered, regularly through the church and as need arises among men….
The power of example is greater than the power of teaching; every Christian is an example whether he chooses to be or not, and his only real choice is what kind of example to be — so each is called to be an example in word…
The New Testament church had a simple, God-given organization — apostles in the foundation age, then elders (a plurality overseeing each congregation), deacons who serve, and evangelists who preach — with Christ alone as Head and no office above the local church. The New Testament never…
A study from 1 Timothy 5:1–2 on Church Of Christ. Ed Rangel examines the New Testament pattern for the local church and its scriptural foundation.
A sermon by Ed Rangel from 1 Timothy, exploring Sin and its application to Christian life and faith.
Salvation is in Christ, and to be in Christ is to be in His body, the church; therefore no one — however good — is saved outside the church, because every saving blessing God gives is found only there. This question makes people uncomfortable, and it…
When God’s people borrow the world’s religious vocabulary, they soon borrow the world’s religious ideas; faithfulness therefore requires that we hold the pattern of sound words and call Bible things by Bible names. This is a lesson about words, and someone will object that words are…
The Bible honors women’s service, teaching, and labor in the gospel, yet apostolic teaching restricts authoritative public teaching over men in the church (1 Timothy 2:12; 1 Corinthians 14:34–35). Rooted in creation—not culture—this calls for submission to divine structure over modern preferences.
When great authority has been given to any person it increases opportunities for service, temptations for self-exaltation and conse- quences for failure. Possession of authority brings grave responsibility. No greater responsibility rests on any man today than that which comes from the authority granted elders in the Lord’s church. Hence, we have the Spirit’s commendation, “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor,” and his warning, “Take heed therefore to yourselves . . . for I know this . . . of your ownselves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them.” Elders are called upon to feed, to rule, to take the oversight of, and to watch in behalf of the souls of God’s people, knowing that they must give an account for this stewardship. The very seriousness of such responsibility should impress all with the gravity of the task. Elders should be keenly alert to the possibility of failure and diligently guard against the de- velopment of any defection. Two focal points to watch are: first, an indifference toward their God-given responsibilities as shepherds of the church, and second, a misuse of the position of honor and authority to which they have been elevated. Indifference can stifle the growth of the church and hinder the spread of the gospel; abuse of power can create a despotic monster which will seek to dominate and enslave the consciences and the lives of those who are subjected. – Bob F. Owen
God’s qualifications for elders are both firm and merciful. They are firm because the flock must be protected. They are merciful because God does not require perfection—He requires proven faithfulness, stability, and spiritual maturity. Some cases are settled by direct Scripture. Other cases demand wise judgment by the local church, because the local church must live with the outcome.