40 Questions About Elders and Deacons

Organized around common FAQs, 40 Questions About Elders and Deacons tackles the major questions that pastors, church leaders, and students ask about congregational church government, a topic of significant interest in the church today. It provides readers with a clear analysis of key biblical passages and succinct answers (4-8 pages each). The unique format of the book allows readers to pick and choose what issues are most pertinent to their interests and needs. Thought-provoking discussion questions for each topic make it ideal for either personal or church-wide study.From the Back Cover"This is a superb treatment of crucial issues related to ecclesiology. It is clear, concise, and biblical. This will be a valuable resource in the years ahead as we seek to think theologically and practically about the church."--Daniel L. AkinPresident, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary"Very accessible and readable. . . . Merkle bases his conclusions solely upon Scripture and is ready to make changes, where necessary and biblical, to the way things have always been done."--Jim NewheiserPastor, Grace Bible Church, Escondido, CADirector, Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship"Merkle clearly possesses a mastery of the subject matter and the important literature. It is a delight to read a book that combines competency and readability such as we find in 40 Questions About Elders and Deacons. Pastors, students, and lay leaders of the church will find it most useful."--Robert H. SteinSenior Professor of New Testament Interpretation,Southern Baptist Theological Seminary"This work is lucid, biblically grounded, and well argued. Scholars, pastors, and serious readers will profit from this work, which is clearly relevant to how we organize our churches."--Thomas R. SchreinerJames Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation,The Southern Baptist Theological SeminaryAbout the AuthorBenjamin L. Merkle is Professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of numerous articles, which have appeared in journals such as Bulletin for Biblical Research, The Journal for the Evangelical Theological Society, Westminster Theological Journal, Evangelical Quarterly, Bibliotheca Sacra, and Trinity Journal. He earned his Ph.D. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he wrote his dissertation on elders and overseers.