These three offices have not proceeded from the needs of the congregation or from an urge to have a solid organization under the leadership and government of capable men. These three offices are there by divine ordinance.
[12] From Eph. 4:11 we already learned that ministers of the Word who take care of the flock with the staff of the Word are a gift from the exalted Christ.
The apostle Paul stated clearly at his farewell from the overseers of the church at Ephesus that the Holy Spirit had made them overseers over the flock of Christ, Acts 20:28. We also read that Paul and Barnabas "appointed elders for them in every church," Acts 14:23. From his letters to Timothy and Titus it is clear that the apostle treats the offices of elder and of deacon as not something originating from human thinking or need but as the fruit of divine will and care for the churches.
In our Church Order we do not speak about various functions within the church by which the task of the office-bearers is rendered somewhat lighter. We mention here only the offices, not various positions or helpers. When discussing the articles which deal with the offices separately, we shall pay attention to this point as well.
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