Have respect for God’s arrangement.
- Acts 14:23
- Titus 1:4-5
- Acts 6:3
- The local church should follow the elders, not whoever complains the loudest.
- Hebrews 13:17
Esteem them highly.
Take responsibility instead of just blaming the elders.
- I Thessalonians 5:14 – Brethren are the ones being urged to action here – not just elders.
Remember that they are humans, not superhumans.
- I Timothy 3:2-7
- Titus 1:5-9
- We must be careful to not be too lenient or too strict with God’s qualifications for elders. After the many mistakes that Peter made, he was an elder!
- I Timothy 5:17-22
Free up the shepherds to shepherd.
- I Timothy 3:8-13 – Qualifications for deacons.
- Acts 6:2-6 – Were these men deacons? It’s not clear. Either way, their job was to free up the apostles to do their work.
- Not just deacons but all members should do their part to serve.