Plurality
“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.” (1 Timothy 5:17)
Eating lunch one warm summer afternoon, someone asked me for a chip. So, I gave them what they asked for - one individual chip. Needless to say, they were not amused. But as a pastor, words and the details of words are important. The Holy Scriptures are inspired and authoritative down to the very syllable. This means that we cannot treat the language of Scripture in the same way that we treat “Terms and Conditions” (which we all say we read). If Jesus will argue over the tense of a verb and Paul over the plurality or lack thereof of a noun, then we would do well to slow down and heed the details of words.
But what does this have to do with the passage at hand? Well, Paul says “elders” – plural. Whenever the apostles address a church, they always refer to “elders” – plural. For years, that point escaped me. That is, until I became Presbyterian where it became a theological issue. But it was not until I entered the pastorate that it became a practical issue. The plurality of elders showcases to us the size and scope of the work before us – work too massive, burdens too heavy, and trials too long for one man to bear alone. Far too many pastors (far more than compared to other the majority of other professions) leave the ministry due to “burnout” and fatigue because they alone bear a burden of which Scriptures commands them to share. Before you say that “Well, they have Jesus,” let me remind you that only one man has borne the grief of a people alone, and it crushed Him (Is. 53:10). That person was Jesus. If He commands a plurality of elders, it is because He is speaks from experience.
If you have ever said in the hearing of your pastor, “It must be nice to only work on Sundays,” I would encourage you to apologize. Your pastor and/or elders may float around Raymond as graceful as a duck on the water, but underneath churns a whirlwind of long nights, of tearful conversations, of hard words, and of harsh criticism. Those men are worthy of double honor. Pray for them, send them a card, take them out to lunch, encourage them at some other time besides on the way out from Sunday service.
As a point of personal privilege, I would ask that we all continue to pray for the recovery of Dr. Mark Strum from the First Baptist Church of Raymond and for the ongoing encouragement of Jordan Broyles and Justin Medders as they hold the fort down until Pastor Mark’s return.
