In 1 Timothy 5:19-20 the Apostle Paul charged Timothy, saying, “Against an elder do not receive an accusation, except on the word of two or three witnesses. Those who sin [referring to the accused elders who have sinned] reprove before all [referring to the church] that the rest also may be in fear.” Timothy was an apostle (1 Thes. 1:1; 2:6) and was also a representative of the Apostle Paul. Regarding the matter of eldership, Paul’s charge to Timothy indicates the following two points: First, after the apostles had handed the church over to the elders appointed by them for their care, if the elders did not conduct themselves properly, the apostles still had the position to intervene, even to judge. Second, the apostles had the position to reprove the elders who had sinned. This shows the authority of the apostles in relation to the elders. The elders are to submit themselves to the authority of the apostles. This is concerning dealings on the negative side.
On the positive side, the apostles visit the local churches established by them again and again to strengthen them, to instruct them, and to enlighten them that they may know how a local church should conduct itself in order to accomplish God’s purpose on the earth today. This is the proper relationship between the apostles and the churches.
According to the Bible we see also that the apostles are corporate, not individual. When the Lord Jesus first appointed apostles, He appointed twelve at the same time. In the book of Acts the apostles moved and worked as a corporate body, not as individuals. Not only so, because there is so much to the Lord’s work that it is beyond what a few can handle, God has sovereignly arranged some to be one with the apostles to serve them and their work.
In the Old Testament God appointed priests to serve Him. The priesthood was a group of people, not individuals. Their service involved many items, such as killing the oxen, slaying the lambs, offering sacrifices, sprinkling the blood, caring for the temple, lighting the lamps, burning the incense, preparing the showbread, and collecting the offerings from the people. For this reason, besides the priests God prepared a group of Levites to minister to the priests and to their services. This is a clear picture in the Old Testament.
Although it was the Lord Jesus Himself who was carrying out the ministry in the New Testament, every time He moved He did not act individually, but He brought with Him a group of people. This group of people, like the Levites who served the priests, followed the Lord, served the Lord, and took care of whatever He needed. They were those who served the Lord Jesus and His ministry.
In Acts, particularly in Paul’s ministry, in addition to those who worked together with Paul and were apostles together with him, there was still another group of people serving Paul and his work. For example, Luke (Col. 4:14), who was a doctor, followed Paul and served him as his personal physician. Besides Luke, there were others such as Mark (2 Tim. 4:11) who also followed Paul, serving him and his ministry. Hence, the Apostle Paul also had a group of “Levites” serving him.
This is the outline of the administration of God’s move in the New Testament. This is the topmost way of administration in human society. This is neither autocracy nor democracy. There is only teaching and correction; at most, administration and oversight, without lording it over or controlling. None of the political terminology ever used in human history could possibly express such a way.