The History of the Office of Elder (6): After the Reformation
This article concludes a historical series on the office of elder by examining its restoration and development following the Protestant Reformation, particularly within Reformed and Presbyterian churches. The author documents how Reformed confessions, church orders, and ordination forms codified the understanding and practice of the elder's role in spiritual oversight and church discipline. This resource provides valuable historical context for understanding the scriptural basis and confessional grounding of Reformed church polity.
Previous article in this series: March 1, 2013, p. 153. God used the great Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century to restore the office of elder to its rightful place in the church of Christ -- particularly in Reformed and Presbyterian churches. Having treated this restoration in our last article, we now conclude our treatment of the history of the office of elder by noting some highlights of this history after the time of the Reformation, and making a concluding analysis of this...
Full article available on sb.rfpa.org