The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1862-01-02
BIBLICAL SKETCHES.
by " UNCLE WILLIAM"
SKETCH XVI.
THE SCRlPTURAL CHARACTERISTIC
OF A CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

OF A CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
Bishops and elders were not two
distinct classes of Office bearers
The same persons who are called
l-elders in Acts Xxx. II, are called
overseers or bishops in the 2Sth
verse of the same chapter. In
Acts xiv. %, we read that "thev
ordained elders in every church"
That is, as we understand the
words, they ordained the most en-
pericnccd members of the Church.
es, to act as ovCrScers, bishops,
pastors, or elders. In the Epistlc
to Titus, we are informed that RI
tus Was left in Crete to orduim
elders in every city CTit. i. 5.) In
the seventh verse these elders arc
called bishops, so that the terms
elder and bishop are employed to
denote the same person. The Epis-
tie to the Philippians, is addressed
to tho saints, the bishops, and dea-
cons, In the first EpistIe to Tim.
olhy, third chapter, we read OF
bishops and deacons. In the same
Epistle, V. II, bishops are again
called elders. The elders that rule
WELL Bishops, pastors, or elders,
are the only persons that rule in
the Church of God. These bish-
ops or elders were ordained in ev.
cry church, so that every church
had a plurality of elders ordained
over them in the Lord. The elders
who ruled, and the elders who labor
ell in word and doctrine, are placed
in the Word Of God in connection
o"a, one Of the qualifications re
quired in each and all of these
elders or bishops was, that they
should be "aPt to tcach." But VIII,
should the Apostle insist on thi,
qualification in all, with the excep.
ton Of the dencons, indiscriminatc.
ly; if only some were to preach,
and Others were to remain, accord
ing to the Calvinian theory, on tho
list Of lay-elderslip? 1t was in
lispcnsable that every man callcu
Of God, and chosen by the Church
es to labor among them in wore
and doctrine, and to rule over then
in the fear of God, should be sap
to tcach."
The second class of permanen
office bearers in the Church ar,
called deacons for particular ac
count of them, see Acts vi. 5. Tht
bishop aid the deacon are required
to possess the same qualification,
in all respects, except one,-tha
is, aptness to teach /; see 1 Tim. iii
and from the eighth to the thir
teenth verse. This distinct ant
marked difference in their respect
we qualifications proves, that til,
leacon's work is not that of preacl
ing, but to serve tables; or attent
to secular affairs of the church. 4
deacon may preach if qualified bu
preaching is no part of his diacona
work. lie has no more authority
10y virtue ofhis Office, to rule along
with the elders, or to manage th
spiritual affairs Of the Church, THAI
any other member of the CHURCH
: He ought to assist the pastor, an,
so ought every member of th
Church, who is qualified to do it
but if he attend properly 10 hi
own work, his time will be full,
occupied. In the ancient SYM
gogues Of the Jews, there wer
men appointed to whom was in
trusted the care Of the poor. The,
were called parnasin or pastors
1t is probable that the Church a
Jerusalem and the Apostles tool
+ the idea of appointing deacons il
= the Church, from the Office Of tn
: ancient parnasin. The term dea
: con means a servant, or ii minister
and now it is employed to denot
S one who serves others, by distribu
ting the fund of the Church SC
= apart for their poor brethren bu
this was only one part of thei