Magyar Egyház, 1993 (72. évfolyam, 1-5. szám)

1993-12-01 / 5. szám

MAGYAR EGYHÁZ

11. oldal

human predicament, conflicts can also serve as opportunities for growth in Christian life and character.,

The same principle applies to congregations. Christian churches also can grow through conflicts and problems. They offer unparalleled possibilities for the service of elders. Pastors and elders are a team called to be problem managers, conflict solvers in the congregation. They should be part of the solution.

We are going to refer only to three specific fields in conflict management.

1. ) God calls elders to be agents in church discipline. Most of our congregations fall short of Calvin’s four criteria of a true Christian church. That is, a.) the pure preaching and hearing of the Word of God; b.) the administration of the sacraments according to the institution of Jesus Christ; c.) the exercise of diakonia; and d.) the exercise of church discipline.

Undoubtedly, we have problems with the first three requirements. Nevertheless, none of them are so completely disregarded in our congregations as discipline. The misconception and misuse of freedom in the United States may hinder church discipline, but it never can excuse the lack of it. True, we are afraid that the admonished members may leave, and they often do. Yet, how about being afraid for their eternal destiny when they show unmistakable signs of open disobedience to God?

Here is help from God’s Word, how to exercise tough love in His family. Please read: Matthew 16:19, 1 Corinthians 5:11-13; 2 Corinthians 2:7-8; 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 15; 1 Timothy 1:20; 5:1-9; James 5:19, among other scripture references.

2. ) God calls elders to fulfill the honored ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:20). Peace making in cases of interpersonal conflicts between members, elders, pastor and people receives the blessing of the Lord: “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). In Christ’s church we can achieve the desired perfect peace only by forgiving each other seventy times seven and some more.

Preventive peace keeping offers even better results. When elders throw gossips, backbiting, character bashing, slander, envy, jealousy in the garbage, they will find less need for conciliatory services.

3. ) God also calls elders to the bedside of sick members. The “Why me God?” syndrome indicates a conflict between the sick persons’ faith in God’s love and their predicament. We read in James 5:14- 15: “are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up, and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.”

Since the Roman Catholic church uses this passage as the basis of the last rights, we Protestants have neglected the call to this remarkable service. It offers a blessed role in solving the problems sickness can cause.

Not everybody among us has the gift of physical healing. Nevertheless, our visiting the sick may contribute to it. The Word of God, prayer can induce the spiritual, psychological and emotional healing of the patients. In turn, their inner healing can be conductive to their physical well being. The joy of your presence conveys them the presence, care, forgiveness, and the love of Christ. There is no more fertile soil for the gospel than the heart of a sick person. The Lord sends us elders to sow the seed of a healing relationship with Him which may eliminate the spiritual conflict sickness causes. Do not leave this blessed service entirely to your pastors! God specifically assigned it to the elders of the church.

COMPENSATIONS

Please remember that on entering the office of an elder, you begin a function of great distinction of honor.

It is not only the oldest office of the church of Jesus Christ, it also existed in Judaism at Old Testament times. We can read about the first elders in Exodus 18. Leadership imposed more duties on Moses than he could cope with. His father-in-law advised him to “look for able men among all the people, men who fear God, are trustworthy, and hate dishonest gain” (another list of qualifications in Exodus 18:21). Then elders took office the first time in the history of our salvation. It is not a small honor to be a part of an approximately four thousand years of sacred tradition.

Please remember also that the book of Revelation abounds in references to the twenty four elders standing in heaven around the throne of God (Revelation 4:4, 10; 5:5-14; 7:11, 13; 11:1; 14:3; 19:4). How did they get to that place of honor? Possibly by giving evidence of fulfilling the divine qualifications solely by His grace, by faith, and by the guidance of the scriptures. Moreover, by serving Him faithfully in the visible church of Jesus Christ. Then, God invited them to stand around His throne and sing, Soli Deo Gloria! So we can justly say that the office itself is a compensation, an honor, and a reward.

Although we also know that being an elder is not a paying job, elders still may receive some kind of compensation they could do well without. Misunderstanding, constant and unjust criticism, character bashing, slander are some of the denominations their salary is cashed out. In this context, we should remember that as servants of Jesus Christ, we cannot and should not expect better treatment than our Master and Lord received. For leaving His glo-