Part 1 of 3-Part Series | Biblical Study
Now that we understand why God established elders and what the biblical terms mean, we face the practical question: What exactly are elders supposed to do? Many lay elders serve for years without a clear understanding of the four biblical responsibilities elders must fulfill. They attend meetings, vote on budgets, and handle administrative tasks, but never grasp the core functions that Scripture assigns to pastor-elder-overseers.
What Are the Four Biblical Responsibilities of Elders? The four biblical responsibilities elders must fulfill are: teaching and feeding the flock, leading and governing the church, protecting against false doctrine, and caring for individual members through pastoral ministry.
These four biblical responsibilities elders carry aren’t optional add-ons for highly motivated leaders—they’re the essential duties that every elder must embrace to faithfully represent Christ’s Church at the local level. Furthermore, understanding these functions transforms how elders approach their calling and how local churches structure their leadership.
Mastering these four biblical responsibilities elders must fulfill distinguishes biblical leadership from mere administrative service in today’s church context.
Biblical Elder Responsibilities: Teaching and Feeding the Flock
The Biblical Foundation
Paul’s first qualification for elders is that they must be “able to teach” (didaktikos – 1 Timothy 3:2). This Greek word doesn’t just mean capable of public speaking—it refers to skill in instruction, the ability to explain and apply God’s truth effectively.
The teaching responsibility appears repeatedly in passages about eldership:
- Acts 20:20: Paul taught “publicly and from house to house”
- Ephesians 4:11-12: Pastor-teachers are given “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry”
- 2 Timothy 4:2: “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season”
- Titus 1:9: Elders must be “able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict”
Understanding “Able to Teach”
This requirement doesn’t mean every elder must be a gifted preacher or seminary graduate. The Greek word didaktikos encompasses various levels and styles of teaching:
Formal Teaching: Some elders will preach from the pulpit, lead Bible studies, or teach Sunday school classes. These are the most visible expressions of the teaching gift.
Personal Instruction: All elders must be capable of explaining biblical truth in personal conversations, discipleship relationships, and counseling situations. When someone asks about salvation, marriage, or Christian living, elders should be able to provide biblical guidance.
Corrective Teaching: Elders must be able to identify and address doctrinal error. This requires not just knowledge of what the Bible teaches, but understanding of what it doesn’t teach. Moreover, they need sufficient biblical literacy to spot false teaching and explain why it’s wrong.
Equipping Ministry: The ultimate goal of elder teaching is to “equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:12). Elders don’t just dispense information—they develop other believers’ capacity for ministry and spiritual growth.
The Feeding Metaphor
Jesus’ command to Peter—”Feed my sheep” (John 21:16)—uses the metaphor that defines pastoral ministry. Shepherds lead sheep to good pasture; pastors feed the flock with God’s Word. This feeding ministry takes multiple forms:
Regular Nourishment: Like sheep need daily food, believers need consistent exposure to Scripture. Elders ensure the local church provides regular, substantive biblical teaching that promotes spiritual growth.
Specialized Diet: Different sheep have different nutritional needs; different believers need different kinds of spiritual food. New converts need milk (basic doctrine), while mature believers need meat (deeper theological truth). Therefore, elders must discern and provide appropriate spiritual nourishment.
Emergency Care: When sheep are sick or injured, they need special attention. When believers face crises, temptation, or spiritual struggles, elders must provide targeted biblical counsel and support.
Modern Applications
In today’s local churches, the teaching ministry manifests in various ways:
Pulpit Ministry: While not every elder preaches regularly, all should be capable of filling the pulpit when needed and should contribute to the church’s overall teaching ministry.
Small Group Leadership: Elders often lead Bible studies, discipleship groups, or Sunday school classes where they can provide more personal instruction than public preaching allows.
Personal Discipleship: Every elder should be actively discipling other believers, helping them grow in their understanding and application of Scripture.
Doctrinal Oversight: Elders must evaluate all teaching ministries in the local church—from children’s programs to adult classes—ensuring doctrinal accuracy and biblical fidelity.
This teaching responsibility serves not just the local congregation but strengthens The Church universal by preserving and transmitting biblical truth to the next generation. Therefore, this represents one of the most foundational four biblical responsibilities elders embrace in their ministry calling.
Elder Leadership Responsibilities: Governing and Direction
Biblical Leadership Language
The New Testament uses specific Greek words to describe the elder’s leadership function:
Proistemi (1 Timothy 5:17): “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor.” This word means “to stand before, lead, manage, or preside over.” It implies active leadership, not passive oversight.
Hegeomai (Hebrews 13:17): “Obey those who rule over you and be submissive.” This term means “to lead, guide, or go before.” It emphasizes leadership by example rather than authoritarian control.
Poimaino (1 Peter 5:2): “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you.” The shepherding metaphor includes leading the flock to good pasture and away from danger.
The Nature of Biblical Leadership
Biblical leadership differs fundamentally from worldly models of authority:
Servant Leadership: Jesus’ teaching about greatness through service (Mark 10:42-45) applies directly to elder leadership. Biblical elders lead by serving, not by dominating or controlling.
Leadership by Example: Peter commands elders to be “examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:3). Elders lead primarily through their personal example of faithful Christian living, not through positional authority alone.
Submitted Authority: Biblical elders exercise authority under Christ’s headship and according to Scripture’s standards. Additionally, their leadership isn’t autonomous but accountable to the Chief Shepherd.
Protective Leadership: Like shepherds who lead sheep away from predators and dangerous terrain, elders guide the local church away from harmful influences and toward spiritual health.
Practical Leadership Functions
Elder leadership manifests in several key areas:
Vision and Direction: Elders provide spiritual vision for the local church’s ministry, ensuring alignment with biblical priorities and The Church’s mission. They help the congregation understand God’s calling and move in that direction.
Decision-Making: While elders should involve the congregation in appropriate ways, they bear responsibility for major decisions affecting the church’s spiritual health and ministry direction.
Conflict Resolution: When disputes arise within the congregation, elders must provide wise, biblical mediation that preserves unity while addressing underlying issues.
Resource Allocation: Elders oversee how the local church’s resources—time, money, facilities, and people—are deployed for kingdom purposes. This stewardship serves both the local congregation and The Church’s broader mission.
Succession Planning: Wise elders identify and develop future leaders, ensuring continuity of biblical leadership for the next generation.
Balancing Authority and Humility
Biblical leadership requires careful balance:
Authority Without Arrogance: Elders must exercise real authority while maintaining humble, servant hearts. They make difficult decisions when necessary but always with the flock’s spiritual welfare in mind.
Confidence Without Control: Biblical leaders provide clear direction without becoming controlling or manipulative. They persuade through teaching and example rather than coercion.
Firmness Without Harshness: When correction or discipline is needed, elders act with firmness grounded in love, seeking restoration rather than punishment.
Biblical Elder Functions: Protecting Against False Teaching
The Biblical Mandate
Paul’s farewell address to the Ephesian elders contains one of Scripture’s clearest statements about the protective responsibility of eldership:
“For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears” (Acts 20:29-31).
This passage reveals several crucial truths about elder protection ministry:
External Threats: “Savage wolves” represent false teachers who attack from outside the local church. These might be cult leaders, prosperity preachers, or advocates of unbiblical ideologies who seek to deceive believers.
Internal Threats: Even more dangerous are men who “rise up from among yourselves”—trusted leaders within the local church who gradually introduce false teaching or lead people away from biblical truth.
Emotional Investment: Paul’s reference to warning “with tears” shows that protective ministry isn’t cold doctrinal policing but heartfelt concern for the spiritual welfare of God’s people.
Constant Vigilance: The command to “watch” implies ongoing alertness, not occasional attention to doctrinal issues.
The Apologetic Function
The word elegcho in Titus 1:9 describes the elder’s responsibility to “convict those who contradict” sound doctrine. This Greek word means to expose, refute, or bring to light. It’s the same word used for the Holy Spirit’s work of convicting the world of sin (John 16:8).
This apologetic function requires elders to:
Know Sound Doctrine: You can’t protect what you don’t understand. Elders must have sufficient biblical knowledge to recognize truth and identify error.
Identify False Teaching: This requires discernment to spot subtle deviations from biblical truth, not just obvious heresies. Many false teachings contain enough truth to sound plausible to undiscerning believers.
Confront Error Biblically: Elders must be willing to address false teaching directly, using Scripture to expose error and call people back to truth. Furthermore, this often requires courage since false teachers are sometimes popular or influential.
Protect the Vulnerable: Special attention must be given to new believers, young people, and others who might be particularly susceptible to deceptive teaching.
Contemporary Threats
Today’s local churches face threats that parallel those confronting the early church:
Prosperity Theology: Teaching that promises health and wealth in exchange for faith or giving. This false gospel appeals to human desires but undermines the true nature of Christian discipleship.
Progressive Christianity: Movements that maintain Christian language while abandoning biblical authority, particularly regarding sexuality, gender, and the exclusivity of salvation through Christ.
Christian Nationalism: Ideologies that confuse political identity with Christian faith, potentially compromising the gospel’s universal message and The Church’s prophetic voice.
Moral Relativism: Cultural pressures to adapt biblical standards to contemporary values, particularly regarding marriage, sexuality, and personal ethics.
Therapeutic Gospel: Reducing Christianity to personal fulfillment and emotional healing while minimizing sin, repentance, and discipleship.
The Courage to Protect
Protective ministry often requires elders to take unpopular stands:
Confronting Popular Error: False teaching often gains traction because it tells people what they want to hear. Elders must be willing to oppose popular but unbiblical ideas.
Addressing Influential People: Sometimes the source of false teaching is a wealthy donor, prominent family, or charismatic personality. Biblical elders prioritize truth over relationships or financial considerations.
Standing Against Cultural Pressure: When society pressures the local church to compromise biblical standards, elders must provide steady, principled resistance grounded in Scripture.
This protective ministry serves not only the local congregation but guards the purity of The Church’s witness in the community and the world. Consequently, this protective function stands as one of the most challenging four biblical responsibilities elders must courageously fulfill.
Biblical Elder Calling: Caring and Personal Ministry
The Heart of Elder Ministry
While teaching, leading, and protecting are crucial functions, the caring ministry often receives the least attention in modern churches. Yet Scripture consistently emphasizes the personal, relational dimension of eldership.
Peter’s description captures this beautifully: “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2-3).
The Shepherding Metaphor Extended
The pastoral imagery reveals multiple dimensions of caring ministry:
Personal Knowledge: Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own” (John 10:14). Biblical pastors know their people individually—their spiritual condition, family situations, struggles, and growth areas.
Individual Attention: Large flocks require multiple shepherds because sheep need personal care. This is why the New Testament consistently presents plural eldership—the caring load must be distributed among multiple qualified leaders.
Crisis Response: When sheep are injured, lost, or in danger, shepherds respond immediately with personal intervention. When believers face spiritual crises, family problems, or life challenges, elders provide hands-on care and support.
Gentle Restoration: Shepherds handle sheep with appropriate firmness and gentleness. Elders must know when to comfort the struggling and when to confront the sinning, always aiming for restoration rather than punishment.
Biblical Examples of Caring Ministry
James 5:14: “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” This passage assumes that elders are accessible, caring leaders who respond personally to members’ needs.
Acts 20:31: Paul reminded the Ephesian elders that “for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.” Effective caring ministry requires sustained personal investment over time.
Galatians 6:1: “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.” Elders must be involved in the difficult work of personal restoration when believers struggle with sin.
Practical Caring Ministry
In contemporary local churches, caring ministry takes various forms:
Regular Contact: Elders should maintain ongoing relationships with church members, not just crisis intervention. This might involve phone calls, visits, shared meals, or participation in significant life events.
Counseling and Guidance: While not every elder is a trained counselor, all should be capable of providing biblical counsel for common life issues—marriage problems, parenting challenges, work difficulties, and spiritual struggles.
Prayer Ministry: Elders should be known as men of prayer who regularly intercede for the congregation and are available for prayer requests and urgent spiritual needs.
Discipleship Relationships: Every elder should be actively discipling other believers, helping them grow in their faith and develop their own ministry capabilities.
Family Ministry: Since family health directly impacts church health, elders should take special interest in supporting marriages, helping parents, and ministering to families in crisis.
The Challenge of Caring Ministry
Pastoral care is often the most demanding aspect of eldership:
Time Intensive: Real caring ministry requires significant time investment. Elders must be willing to sacrifice personal convenience for the spiritual welfare of the flock.
Emotionally Draining: Dealing with people’s problems, sins, and crises takes emotional toll. Elders need their own spiritual support systems and regular refreshment.
Requires Maturity: Caring ministry demands wisdom, patience, and emotional stability. This is why Paul requires that elders not be recent converts—this ministry requires proven character and spiritual maturity.
Often Invisible: Unlike preaching or leading meetings, caring ministry often happens privately. Elders must be motivated by faithfulness to Christ rather than recognition from people.
Yet this caring ministry is essential for representing Christ’s Church well in the local community. When elders provide genuine pastoral care, they demonstrate The Church’s love and concern for people, creating a powerful witness to the gospel’s transforming power.
This pastoral dimension completes the four biblical responsibilities elders need to fulfill comprehensively in their service to Christ’s Church.
How the Four Biblical Responsibilities Elders Integrate
These four biblical responsibilities elders carry don’t operate independently—they integrate into comprehensive pastoral ministry:
- Teaching provides the foundation for all other ministry
- Leading gives direction to teaching, protecting, and caring
- Protecting preserves the integrity of teaching and caring
- Caring creates the relationships that make teaching, leading, and protecting effective
When local churches have multiple elders functioning in all four areas, they provide balanced, comprehensive pastoral care that serves both the immediate congregation and The Church’s broader mission.
Implementing the Four Biblical Responsibilities Elders Need
Understanding these four biblical responsibilities elders must fulfill helps lay leaders evaluate their own ministry and their church’s leadership structure. Are you functioning as a biblical elder in all four areas, or just attending meetings and making business decisions? Does your local church structure support these biblical functions, or does it limit elders to administrative roles?
The church—Christ’s universal body—desperately needs local churches led by elders who embrace their full biblical calling. This requires men willing to teach, lead, protect, and care according to Scripture’s standards, regardless of cultural expectations or organizational convenience.
Biblical eldership isn’t a part-time hobby or honorary position—it’s a comprehensive calling that requires spiritual maturity, time commitment, and heart investment. However, when implemented faithfully, it provides the kind of leadership that honors Christ, serves His people, and advances His kingdom.
Most importantly, these four biblical responsibilities elders fulfill create a biblical framework that transforms both individual leaders and entire congregations when properly understood and implemented.
Are you fulfilling all four biblical responsibilities of eldership? Take our comprehensive Elder Ministry Assessment to evaluate your effectiveness in teaching, leading, protecting, and caring.