From Our Banner: April, 1972.

It is generally agreed among Presbyterians that the Minister or teaching elder and the ruling elders constitute the Session which govern or rule the congregation. To ascertain how the Session should rule, we must turn to the Word of God for sure guidance. Clearly it is the duty of the Session to rule in accordance with the directions given in the Scriptures.

It is held by some that Church Sessions are not ruling with the amount of authority or with the same strictness which characterised sessions in earlier days. Before deciding whether Sessions should govern the congregations with greater strictness it should be profitable to examine the verb "rule" which occurs fairly frequently in the New Testament in reference to the duties of elders.

There are two verbs in the Greek New Testament; both are translated "rule" in the authorised English version. One of these verbs occurs in the Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 13 verses 1, 17 and 24. These verses read: "Remember them who have the rule over you." "Obey them who have the rule over you." "Salute them who have the rule over you." The Greek word used in these three verses is hegeomai, which means "lead the way" or "go first." So the verses may be rendered "Remember, obey and salute those who lead you." It is significant that in the marginal reading of the authorised version the term "guides" is found instead of "them who rule." This means that the elders "rule" by leading or guiding the flock - the congregation. The same Greek word is found in Luke 22: 26 where the Lord's words to his followers was, "He that is chief (i.e. 'goes before' or 'leads the way') be as he that doth serve." The pre-eminence spoken by the Lord was not that of position but of service. Weymouth renders it "your leaders," and so does the more reliable Berkeley Version.

The other word translated rule in our A.V. is found a number of times in 1 Timothy and in Romans 12:8, and means to "set before or in front" or "to set at the head," e.g. a literal rendering of 1 Tim. 5: 17. "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honour," would be "Let the elders who lead the way well . . ." Neither of the Greek verbs translated "rule" bear any semblance of meaning to despotic rule. Indeed they tend to bring to remembrance the following exhortation. "Feed the flock of God. . . not as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples (models) to the flock" (1 Peter 5: 2-3). All this shows that the elders are to "rule" by setting a worthy example and by teaching the truths of God's Word. These are their chief duties as set forth in God's Word. As Dabney remarked "the elders rule by teaching."

Dr. John Owen the great Puritan divine and scholar in his monumental commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews has a good deal to say concerning the words in Chap. 13: "Those who rule over you," he writes, "is used for the officers of the church, that is, such as go before, who guide and direct the church, which is the nature of their office; for they have such a rule as consists principally in spiritual guidance. This ought to be the care of the guides of the church, namely to leave such an example of faith and holiness" (pp. 116-7). "Of the meaning of the word here used it signifies properly, guides or leaders . . . All the names given by the Holy Ghost unto those who preside in the church, are exclusive of rigid authority, and pregnant with notions of spiritual care, duty and benignity. Styles or titles of magisterial power, of earthly dignity, of rigid authority, are foreign to evangelical churches; your guides, your leaders, who rule by rational guidance and conduct . . . The rulers or guides here intended, were the ordinary elders or officers of the church . . . They are not owners but stewards: they are not sovereigns but servants." (Book 4: pages 752, 755).

Those who hold that the Session should exercise a rigorous rule over the congregation, will find nothing in the New Testament to favour their view. It is possible that some will lay hold of the word "obey" in Hebrews 13: 17. "Obey them who have the rule over you." John Owen had this to say in reference to this word "obey," and the truth of his statements may be verified by consulting a Greek lexicon: "It is with respect unto their teaching, preaching or pastoral feeding, that they are commanded to obey them. For the word signifies an obedience on a persuasion, such as doctrine, instruction or teaching doth produce . . . It is their duty so to obey, whilst they teach the things which the Lord Jesus hath appointed them to teach." (p. 753).

The question arises: should discipline not be exercised? It is clearly deducible from Scripture that the Session having the spiritual oversight of the local congregation should take all lawful means at their disposal to promote the glory of God and the good of the flock. To this end, the people must be protected from false teaching, because such has a harmful effect. Therefore such teaching must be refuted, and any among the flock who after repeated admonitions, cling to doctrines which are harmful are to be cut off from the congregation in accordance with Titus 3: 10. "A man that is a heretic after the first and second admonition reject."

Also the Session, insofar as it is possible, should not allow the members to live immoral lives. Therefore there is need for corrective action. Sometimes wrong doers are sincerely sorry for their misdemeanours, and are not likely so to sin again. Many such cases, if dealt with at all by Session, should be dealt with most tenderly. Some Sessions believing that it is their duty to deal sternly with such cases, have trodden roughshod over broken hearts, and completely failed to do the will of Christ. No case of discipline should be undertaken lightly, and when undertaken a very important objective should be the good of the offender Any action of the Session which is motivated by a censorious spirit is alien to the will of God, and may have disastrous effects upon the congregation and upon the cause of Christ in general.

The Scriptures make it plain that all elders, whether designated teaching or ruling elders, are appointed to give Spiritual leadership to the congregation. In Hebrews 13: 17, church members are directed to obey the elders insofar as the nature of their leadership (their example, teaching and ruling) is in harmony with God's will as set forth in the Scriptures. It cannot be over emphasised that the Bible stresses that the chief duty of the elders is to provide Spiritual leadership, for it represents them as Spiritual guides and leaders.

Consequently those who hold office in the church should avoid everything which smacks of despotism, and as far as convenient, should make known their decisions and the reasons for them. The Session is a closed court, but it does not follow that all the proceedings of a closed court should be kept private. Frequently it is a great advantage to the congregation and to the office-bearers if the decision or decisions of the Session be made known. The doing of this leads to a closer co-operation on the part of the congregation generally with the session, for it produces in the congregation a more intelligent understanding of and a consequent deeper interest in the work of the church. Thus the Session will fulfil its Scriptural ministry of leadership in enlisting the mind, heart and hand of the congregation in the work of the Lord.