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Lesson 8

T is for Two Offices In a Church – Bishop and Deacon. The Bible only records two offices in the church. A bishop – also called an Elder or a pastor – and a Deacon – which are both ministers or servants. The members of a church are brothers and sisters, and none is higher than another although there is a certain amount of authority and honor given to these two offices and there are requirements for the MEN who hold these offices. The Bible does not teach a hierarchy of priest who control a church. We do not believe in the office of a Pope, or an office of a cardinal.

A – The Office of a Bishop/Elder/Pastor

A bishop is not the head of a church; he is the under-shepherd. Bishop could be defined as overseer. These means he is more of a supervisor than a manager. He has responsibilities, but he is not the voice of God. We often call a bishop a pastor – which means shepherd. This is a good picture of what a Bishop should be. Daily caring for the needs of the sheep, feeding, watering, protecting, serving. A pastor is not a dictator, he does not have authority by force, but by influence. He must meet the requirements of a bishop and part of that requirement is to be apt to teach.

1 Timothy 3:1-7 KJV

1 This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

² A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

³ Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

⁴ One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

⁵ (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

⁶ Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

⁷ Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil

B – The Office of a Deacon

A deacon is a servant; that is what the word means. All members of a church should be servants, but these are men who have met the specific requirements and are called out to be servant leaders. It should be every male member of the church to meet the requirements listed for a deacon, and every female member to meet the requirements for the wives.

1 Timothy 3:1-7 KJV

⁸ Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

⁹ Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

¹⁰ And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.

¹¹ Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

¹² Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

¹³ For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

S.T.
Acts 20:24
"But none of these things move me..."