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On the Subject of Eldership
Harrell Davidson |
We have before us a series of questions on the subject of the eldership. In fact, there are 12 questions altogether. We are happy to deal with them, but it will take a several issues of The Gospel Preceptor to answer them all. We are confident, that due to the subject matter, there may indeed be those who disagree with us, as most of the questions are judgment questions. This, then, will probably precipitate other questions. We are not going to list the qualifications of elders here. Our readers will find those in 1 Tim. 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9. First Peter 5:1-4 ought also to be taken into consideration. Question: Our first question is, "Of what age should the children be at the time of adoption?" Answer: The word "adoption" is found only five times in the entire Bible and not one of them has reference to an elder or his qualifications. The words "adopt" or "adopted" are not found in the Holy Scriptures. Therefore, we must somehow read the mind of the person asking these dozen questions. If the querist has in mind adopting children in order to qualify as an elder, we find no Scripture that legislates in this matter. However, we need to observe that adoption would be a Scriptural way to have children. We commend those who adopt. An adopted child or children could qualify one to be an elder with some considerations in mind. First, it is generally understood that the earlier in a child's life that they are adopted plays an important role in their maturity and this is especially true when we have reference to a child being reared in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (cf. Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21). We knew a man who was an elder in the Lord's church who had three adopted children. They were adopted at different ages. He and his good wife taught them the truth from the time they adopted them. They grew up obeying the Gospel in their teen years. They were faithful to their parents in everything. They helped qualify this brother to be one of the best elders that we have ever served under. Second and last, children that are adopted after they have some maturity can be difficult to teach or instruct in the way of the Lord. We had a neighbor back home that was a vile woman. She left her four children at home with a note on the door telling those who found them that they could rear them or do whatever was thought best. The community had one Christian family that adopted a 10-year-old boy who had a first grade education and did not even know the days of the week. The Christian couple gave every effort possible in the rearing of this child. At age 16 he was in trouble with the law. He was a "hot" check artist and a common thief. He ran away from his adopted parents and joined his harlot mother in a northern state. He finally married and had a family of his own. The last anyone heard from his oldest son was that his father had four different families scattered throughout the adjacent 48 states. Seemingly, it was impossible for the good Christian man and woman to reverse a trend that had already been set in the mind of the young man. His wife had to divorce him upon learning that he had other families scattered around the countryside. His own sons do not know the whereabouts of their father. Adoption would be one way to have children. It would be Scriptural. If they were reared properly and faithful they could qualify a man to be an elder, all other qualifications being met. We will deal with question two in the next issue. |