Rev. Angus Stewart
The offices of elder and deacon were appointed, and are used greatly, by our Lord Jesus Christ, the sole king and head of the church. Thus it is a good thing for a man to desire to serve Him in these ecclesiastical positions (I Tim. 3:1).
However, just as one can err through evil motivations, as we saw last time, so too there are illicit methods of seeking church office.1 Often those who desire to be a deacon or an elder for the wrong reasons resort to unlawful means to obtain their end.
Four Sinful Examples in Scripture
1) Numbers 16 records the first instance in God’s Word of people trying to obtain church office by wicked ways.2 Korah the Levite, and Dathan, Abiram and On who were leaders in the tribe of Reuben, Jacob’s oldest son, used two main arguments. First, they criticised those already in office. Moses and Aaron, they claimed, exalted themselves over the Lord’s congregation (v. 3). Second, the rebels perverted the office of believer (v. 3). One could say that Korah, Dathan, Abiram and On were “levellers,” seeking to bring Moses and Aaron down, and the people of Israel up. However, their goal was not really equality but self-exaltation!
When these four thought that the time was right, they went public and directly confronted the two brothers whom God had appointed as the principal leaders of His people. They engaged in a show of power, bringing with them 250 prominent Israelites, in order to intimidate Moses and Aaron (vv. 1-3). Numbers 16 states that the Almighty swallowed up (vv. 30-34) and burnt up (v. 35) these wicked men, before slaying 14,700 sympathizers with a plague (v. 49).
2) If these rebels in the wilderness sought a higher office, King Uzziah in II Chronicles 26 sought an additional office, the priesthood, by burning incense on the golden altar before the veil in front of the holy of holies (vv. 16-20). Significantly, his attempted usurpation of the Aaronic privilege came “when he was strong” (v. 16) through military victories, tributes from his vassals, impressive building projects, agricultural prosperity and equipping the army (vv. 2, 5-15). These successes in his lengthy reign (v. 3) occasioned the proud overreach (v. 16) even of believing Uzziah (vv. 4-5)!
3) Impostors used many wiles to gain acceptance as prophets in the Old Testament. In Zechariah 13, they alleged that they were the recipients of divine visions (v. 4) and claimed that their wounds were the result of suffering for the Word of God (v. 6). They even wore the rough clothing (v. 4) which was associated with Elijah (II Kings 1:8) and other true prophets.3
Other Scriptures speak of false prophets using props (I Kings 22:11; Eze. 13), performing miracles (Deut. 13:1-2), claiming revelatory dreams (Jer. 23:16, 21, 25-26, 32) and telling people what they wanted to hear (I Kings 22:6, 11-13; Isa. 30:10; Micah 2:11). Their purpose was to intrude into the prophetic office in order to gain prestige and financial support.
4) The classic example in the New Testament narratives is Simon Magus (Acts 8).4 Simon’s method to obtain the ability to give the Holy Spirit to others—an apostolic privilege (vv. 17-18)—was offering Peter and John money (vv. 18-20). Simon’s infamy has been underscored by the coining of the term “simony,” the giving of bribes to attain ecclesiastical office. This sin has been rife in (false) churches for many centuries and was developed to a high degree of institutionalization in the late Middle Ages, when it was fiercely denounced by John Wycliffe and Jan Hus, among others.
Attempted Usurpations of David’s Royal Office
After Saul’s various efforts over many years to kill David (I Sam. 18-II Sam. 1), and the civil war with Ishbosheth and the northern tribes (II Sam. 2-4), finally, David became ruler over all Israel (II Sam. 5). Not only did Jesse’s youngest son face the longest and fiercest opposition of any biblical character before entering into public office but, even when installed as king, three men wickedly sought to usurp his position.
The earliest was David’s handsome but murderous third son, Absalom (II Sam. 15-18).5 Especially the opening verses of II Samuel 15 reveal his cunning methods for obtaining the regal office. First, the prince assumed royal dignity by riding in a chariot with 50 men running before him (v. 1), doubtless flaunting his beautiful hair (14:26). Second, he pretended to be interested in advancing justice in Israel (15:2-4, 6), while criticising the working of King David’s legal system (v. 3), though Absalom’s only care was to promote himself. Third, he flattered and kissed those who came to see him (v. 5). Thus he “stole the hearts of the men of Israel” (v. 6). In effect, he got the votes of many church members by schmoozing them. One could add, fourth, that Absalom won over not only many of the people but also some of the leaders in Israel, like Ahithophel (v. 31).
The second ungodly aspirant to Israel’s throne in David’s day was Sheba, the son of Bichri (II Sam. 20). Though this Benjamite’s rebellion is not as well known as Absalom’s, at one time it looked to be even more dangerous than that of David’s third son (v. 6). Sheba seized upon the church divisions between Judah and the other tribes (19:41-20:2) to make his bid for the kingship over Israel.
The third would-be usurper of David’s crown also saw his opportunity in the weakness of Israel’s second king (I Kings 1). The son of Jesse was now elderly and frail (v. 1), and largely ineffectual (v. 6). Prince Adonijah copied aspects of his older half-brother’s template for rebellion: he paraded with chariots, horses and 50 footmen (v. 5), and he enlisted the support of leading figures in the kingdom (vv. 7, 9). Unlike Absalom, however, he did not raise an army to fight for the throne; he simply proceeded to his public coronation with a large feast (vv. 9, 19, 25).
A significant part of the explanation for the numerous attacks upon, and attempted usurpations of, David’s royal office, both before and after his coronation, lies in the fact that this man after God’s own heart (I Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22) was an illustrious type of King Jesus, our crucified and risen Saviour, whom some, even in the professing church, do not want “to reign over” them (Luke 19:14, 27; Acts 4:25-27). Instead, they and all the ungodly prefer to follow the Antichrist (John 5:43; Rev. 13:8; 17:17), who sets himself up as if he were the rightful ruler of the world.
Wrong Methods Used in Our Day
Even a brief reflection on the many scriptural examples referred to above will suggest sinful schemes used in our day in order to obtain church office. Some of the ways included in the above instances or other scriptural passages may well be too crude for anyone to get away with in a fairly solid or well instructed church.6 Other methods are peculiar to Old Testament days and institutions and/or to biblical periods when God was giving direct revelation.
One ploy is to cultivate or “suck up” to existing office-bearers in order to get nominated. This may involve wining and dining the elders and/or minister and/or the deacons. Shame on those who try this and shame on those who allow themselves to be flattered and manipulated!
Second, a would-be elder or deacon may claim that God told him that he would become an office-bearer or that He gave him a dream to this effect. Such is not only foolish self-seeking but also contrary to the sufficiency of the 66 books of the Bible for Jehovah no longer communicates directly with anyone on earth (Heb. 1:1-2; Rev. 22:18).
Third, some will perform tasks that are often done by elders or deacons merely to be seen of men in order to gain church office.
A fourth tactic is to criticise existing office-bearers or the other men on the duo or trio for elder or deacon.
Fifth, a man may even descend to electioneering, so as to get the male confessing members not to vote for his “opponent(s)” but to vote for him. He may even enlist his wife or children or parents or friends to canvas for him. This is to treat the church like a political institution and is far from fitting behaviour “in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (I Tim. 3:15).
Sometimes one sees bad signs in a man who starts visiting or attending the church. He wants to “feel out” the church: “If I became a member, would they let me preach or ‘bring a word’? How soon could I get to be a deacon or an elder?” Such people often talk about their gifts and achievements, what they have to offer the church. In reality, they do not so much want membership but leadership in the church. The former is a means to the latter. Such people, with the wrong motivation, indicate that they would be likely to use wrong methods in seeking church office.
Right Way to Seek Church Office
The right way to seek to become a deacon or an elder fits perfectly with, and flows from, the proper motivation: honouring the Triune God in Jesus Christ by serving His body, the church. People who have a good spiritual attitude do not have to manipulate or take things into their own hands because they are confident that “promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another” (Ps. 75:6-7).
Faithful men walk in the fear of the Lord. They are content with the biblical principles and ecclesiastical steps outlined in Belgic Confession 30-32, Church Order 22 and 24, and the “Form for Ordination of Elders and Deacons.” Here is the opening section of Belgic Confession 31:
We believe that the ministers of God’s Word, and the elders and deacons, ought to be chosen to their respective offices by a lawful election by the church, with calling upon the name of the Lord, and in that order which the Word of God teacheth. Therefore every one must take heed not to intrude himself by indecent means, but is bound to wait till it shall please God to call him, that he may have testimony of his calling and be certain and assured that it is of the Lord.7
Notice the very practical argument in the second sentence against using unlawful methods to obtain church office. He who is patient and truly believes in the sovereignty of God will not resort to using “indecent means” to become an elder or deacon. Instead, if it pleases “God to call him” to church office through “a lawful election by the church,” such a man will possess a good conscience, having the “testimony of his calling and [so being] certain and assured that it is of the Lord”—something that ecclesiastical schemers and intruders never enjoy.
