Dead Sea Scrolls
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 53, No. 1 – Fall 2010
Managing Editor: Malcolm B. Yarnell III
By Cornelis Van Dam. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2009. 283 pages. Softcover, $17.99.
The Elder is one volume in P&R’s new Explorations in Biblical Theology series that tries to find the middle ground between academic and semi-popular books. This “solidly reformed” series’ target audience ranges from the seminarian to the “thoughtful lay reader.” Van Dam does a good job at connecting with his target audience by writing a book that is easily read, full of Scripture references, and seasoned with a few footnotes and two bibliographies.
Van Dam’s chief goal is to “enhance a biblical understanding and functioning of the office of elder” (xii). His central presupposition is that there is continuity between Old Testament elders and New Testament elders. This continuity “need not be doubted”; yet, his justification is not convincing. Add to this the presence of some contradictions and the blurring of some biblical categories, and one gets the feeling that Van Dam’s system, rather than the text of Scripture, is driving his theology. To use N.T. Wright’s analogy, it would seem that the roaring lion of Scripture is here often turned into a tame pet made to stand on its hind legs and dance a jig.
A prime example is the discussion about the typically reformed division between ruling and teaching elders. Van Dam uses his presupposition of continuity with the Old Testament to justify this division. While he claims that New Testament (ruling) elders are truly parallel with Old Testament elders, Van Dam claims a different parallel for the “minister of the Gospel,” who is analogous to the Levitical office of the priest as an administrator of the Word and official spokesmen for God. Yet, according to Van Dam, he is “in essence a specialized elder” (117). So, besides the obvious question of what Van Dam does with the concepts of the priesthood of all believers and Christ being our only mediator with God, one wonders: if the “minister of the Gospel” is indeed a specialized elder, why is he paralleled to the Old Testament priests and not to the Old Testament elders? It seems that his theological system forces this two-step. A similar suspicion arises when ruling and teaching are presented as separate gifts to justify separate offices. Yet, only ten pages later, the pastor is declared to need multiple gifts. So, since a pastor should have multiple gifts, why does the differentiation of gifting force two separate offices?
The discussion on church discipline, while initially encouraging, is similarly affected by his system and also harmed by inconsistencies. While the initial phases of church discipline are enacted by the congregation, in Van Dam’s view, the elders are the only ones who can move forward with the final step of church discipline and with re-admittance to the body due to true repentance. They are the gatekeepers who can shut the doors of the kingdom and separate the excommunicated one from “blessings such as forgiveness of sins” (174). In light of these strong statements, one is confused to learn that the elders cannot condemn the excommunicated one to hell. What then does it mean to exclude one from “blessings such as forgiveness of sins,” and to shut the doors of the kingdom? The need for church discipline is also unclear: at times, the focus, driven by the Old Testament parallel, is on the purity of the body, and at times, the focus is on the repentance of the sinner.
In addition to major jigs, there are also several other smaller reels that continue to weaken this volume. Van Dam is not consistent with his understanding of the interrelation between office and authority. At times, Van Dam associates the authority of the elder with God or with the Word, but not with the office as such. At other times, he associates authority with the office itself. The distinction between spiritual gifts and church offices seems to be acknowledged when useful, but ignored when not. Passages teaching about apostles are applied to elders without justification, just to mention one example.
On a positive note, Van Dam reveals his pastor’s heart when he exhorts elders to know the Bible and to know their flock. For him, the role of an elder “is not about getting something,” but about giving (201). These biblical exhortations are much appreciated in an age of pastor-as-CEO. Also much appreciated is his stance that women should participate in the church, but that they do not need to be an elder in order to use their gifts in the body.
While this volume had a few good points, it was overall very disappointing. I would still strongly recommend it to all who wish to understand Presbyterian and Reformed theology with respect to the office of the elder. In a time when many Baptists are often more enamored with following systems of theology than the Bible itself, I hope that an attentive reading of this volume will douse their torrid love affair for manmade systems and bring them back to the careful study of the lion of Scripture.
