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philologos
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Joined: 2003/7/18
Posts: 6566
Reading, UK

 Re:

Some other threads on SI got me thinking about this old friend.

A recent comment was that 'Philemon' was an 'elder in the church at Colossae'. There is, of course, no evidence for this assumption other than the presumption that Colossae must have had 'elders' and as the letter to Philemon seems to refer to the 'church in thy house' this must mean that Philemon had a responsibility in that church and was consequently an 'elder'.

There are frequent references to 'a church in a house' in the New Testament... Rom. 16:5 (KJVS) Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ. (Priscilla and Aquila)

1Cor. 16:19 (KJVS) The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

Col. 4:15 (KJVS) Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.

“Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer, And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:” (Philem. 1:1-2, KJVS)... but there is no indication that those in whose houses the church met were necessarily the elders there.

The church governance at Colossae is not described. This is interesting as Colossae was probably the smallest 'town' to receive a public letter in the NT period, while Rome was the largest 'town' to receive such a letter. In neither the smallest nor the largest is there any reference to elders/overseers.

This is not to discount the scriptural nature of 'eldership/overseership' but simply to point out that the record is far from complete on the matter and that consequently we need to be circumspect in our conclusions on such matters.


_________________
Ron Bailey

 2005/12/7 13:50Profile





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