Pastor Is Master, Isn't He?
Part 2
CHUCK SMITH:
Is the church to be led by the bishop, or by the board of elders?
Is it the episkopos or the presbyteros?
COMMENTARY:
This is not really a rhetorical question for Chuck Smith, as
he insists that the local church is led by a bishop, even though
earlier he maintains that Scripture is not clear on this question.
Chuck Smith is really asserting that the church is led by the
bishop. But the Scripture teaches that church is ruled by a board
of elders. I have also heard it said that pastoring is not a
committee. Yes it is, at least in the sense that it is a group
of men who have met the qualifications of and elder described
in I Timothy 3:2-7
CHUCK SMITH:
These divisions are so pronounced that today we have two denominations
representing both sides of the issue.
COMMENTARY:
Yes doctrine does divide. It is intended to. (Chuck Smith maintains
the Calvary Chapel is non-denominational...so would that then
mean there are really three forms of government?) But the divisions
described here are differences that were not derived from Scripture.
There are really three major forms: Congregational, Episcopal,
and Presbyterian. But it is one form which is Scriptural in the
New Testament (Presbyterian) and two more forms of government
which developed historically. What adds to the confusion is that
Chuck Smith first talks about Bishop vs. Elder as the two forms,
then he goes on to described THREE forms: Congregational, Episcopal,
and Presbyterian in which he maintains the Bible is not clear
on. Then he proceeds to defend a Episcopal form of Church Government
that he says is the form that the Bible clearly does teach as
the correct form which he warns everyone who follows and of the
other two or three, or which is it? This is not confusion on
Chuck Smith's part?
Chuck Smith further states in his book WHY GRACE CHANGES
EVERYTHING, Pages 174-175, "Now, I have always
detested arguing Scripture with people." But the Apostle
Paul and the Deacon Stephen argued Scripture. Perhaps Chuck Smith
meant to invoke the following Scripture:
pastor who has even more if not absolute authority in a local
church? Even the Scripture that Chuck Smith quotes states that
a person desiring to be a bishop desires a noble task. So there
is nothing wrong with this yearning, and if fact, it should be
a pre-requisite. It just astounds me that someone would say that
it is elders who want power when there is money in the bank but
pastors are not like that, i.e., when there is money in the bank
they would not tend to be the ones who are hungry for power.
Peter and Jude warn us against false shepherds (pastors), not
elders. So the clear and present danger in Scripture is directed
at primarily single pastor leaders that they rightly identify
as false shepherds. If Chuck Smith wants to be consistent and
insist that shepherds are defined as the one person over a single
flock are singular, his rightful indictment would be against
single false pastors, not plurality of leaders. Chuck Smith's
warning is more consistent with pastors to take heed than it
is for elders. II Peter Chapter 2 and the Book of Jude could
not make this more clear.
CHUCK SMITH:
It's necessary to have godly men who recognize that God has called
and ordained you as the pastor of the church. Men who will work
with you and support those things that God is directing you,
as the pastor, to implement within the church. A good Board is
one of the greatest assets that you can have in your ministry.
I thank God that here at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa we have been
blessed with great men of God serving on the Board. We usually
look at the Saturday night prayer meetings or at the all night
prayer watch for men to serve on the Board. We want men of prayer.
We want men who are seeking God and the will of God. We are blessed
with such men on our Board, and I thank God for them.
Continued Part 3
