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Biblical Elders and Deacons
Christ's will as revealed in Scripture is the pattern for the church, and Nehemiah Coxe unfolds aspects of that pattern that relate to church leadership. "The edification and beauty of the Church is much concerned in her order, not such an order as superstition will dictate, or litigious nicety contend for, but such as sets her in a conformity with Christ's will; and particularly the filling up of the offices which He has appointed, with persons duly qualified for the administration of them, and the regular acting both of officers and members in their respective positions."
101 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 25, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 12, 2025
One of the best, concise resources on the biblical offices from a Particular Baptist perspective.
March 18, 2018
Many quotables from this great Particular Baptist divine.
July 26, 2022
Are you looking for a work that covers biblically what are elders in the church, deacons and their relationship with members of the church? Check this work out by English Particular Baptist Nehemiah Coxe! This work is biblical, practical, convicting and yet encouraging. It made me think about my church and led me to pray for the church to be more strengthen with leaders who can be biblical.
The booklet is in six parts. It begins with a look at Titus 1:5 with the opening and then in part two covers deacons and part three on elders. Part four is on “A Pastor’s Duty towards His People” and part 5 reciprocate that with “The People’s Duty towards their Pastors” and this is followed by a conclusion. There’s also a quick biographical sketch of Nehemiah Coxe which I thought was good as I don’t imagine many Christians would know him (I only learned of him within the last year, and that’s from a Reformed Baptist pastor’s conference). The last page also feature a helpful “Questions for reflection and discussion” that I thought was great since I’m going to be using this for my book discussion with the deacons in my church.
Overall there’s nothing tremendously new with what I learned here; yet it minister to my soul. I love how under deacons and elders it describes their office, along with duties and recommendations to those holding these offices. In the same vein I really appreciate the second half of the book that went over the pastor’s duty towards the people and vice versa the people’s duty towards their pastors. For the people he not only was practical but even discusses motive to these duties. That was quite pastoral! The longer I’m a Christian the more I feel its important to teach and preach about the motivation with what we do; and also to have those motivations be biblical and Gospel driven. As I read the booklet I’m reminded on page 21 about the eternal focus we must have with ministry: “Consider that it is the care and charge of souls that is committed to you; not the temporal concerns of this life, but the affairs of eternal life are the business of your stewardship” (21). May elders, pastors, deacons and members not forget that perspective.
This is published by Chapel Library and I thought this copy I had have a nice cover and also the glossy page stood out compared to other booklets I had from them; I don’t want to judge a book by its cover and whether its glossy obviously but I appreciated it being printed on better quality paper since these booklets I plan to save for future discipleship with others; so I’m grateful for that trajectory it seems Chapel Library is pursuing with their publishing. I recommend this booklet and also would encourage others to support Chapel Library.
The booklet is in six parts. It begins with a look at Titus 1:5 with the opening and then in part two covers deacons and part three on elders. Part four is on “A Pastor’s Duty towards His People” and part 5 reciprocate that with “The People’s Duty towards their Pastors” and this is followed by a conclusion. There’s also a quick biographical sketch of Nehemiah Coxe which I thought was good as I don’t imagine many Christians would know him (I only learned of him within the last year, and that’s from a Reformed Baptist pastor’s conference). The last page also feature a helpful “Questions for reflection and discussion” that I thought was great since I’m going to be using this for my book discussion with the deacons in my church.
Overall there’s nothing tremendously new with what I learned here; yet it minister to my soul. I love how under deacons and elders it describes their office, along with duties and recommendations to those holding these offices. In the same vein I really appreciate the second half of the book that went over the pastor’s duty towards the people and vice versa the people’s duty towards their pastors. For the people he not only was practical but even discusses motive to these duties. That was quite pastoral! The longer I’m a Christian the more I feel its important to teach and preach about the motivation with what we do; and also to have those motivations be biblical and Gospel driven. As I read the booklet I’m reminded on page 21 about the eternal focus we must have with ministry: “Consider that it is the care and charge of souls that is committed to you; not the temporal concerns of this life, but the affairs of eternal life are the business of your stewardship” (21). May elders, pastors, deacons and members not forget that perspective.
This is published by Chapel Library and I thought this copy I had have a nice cover and also the glossy page stood out compared to other booklets I had from them; I don’t want to judge a book by its cover and whether its glossy obviously but I appreciated it being printed on better quality paper since these booklets I plan to save for future discipleship with others; so I’m grateful for that trajectory it seems Chapel Library is pursuing with their publishing. I recommend this booklet and also would encourage others to support Chapel Library.
June 12, 2026
Nehemiah Coxe writes this medium length essay on church offices in a Baptist church. He focuses on deacons, elders and, most helpfully, the duties of a congregation to their pastor and the duties of a pastor towards their congregation. I think he is missing an emphasis on the importance of a congregation’s “office”; something about the ways church leaders "equip the saints for the work of ministry," and members function in accountability and the work of the church more specifically.
“The edification and beauty of the church is much concerned in her or-der, not such an order as superstition will dictate, or litigious nicety con-tends for, but such as we have already described, which sets her in a conformity with Christ's will; and particularly the filling up of the offices that He has appointed with persons duly qualified for the administration of them, and the regular acting both of officers and members in their respective positions.”
“These ministers are sometimes called elders, because of their gravity and precedence in the house of God, perhaps with some respect to the paternal authority and preeminence of the heads of families and elders of the people amongst the Israelites of old; and at other times bishops or overseers, because their work is to take the oversight of the flock, and to acquit themselves as faithful watchmen who watch for the souls of the people committed to their trust, that they may give an account of them to the great Shepherd with joy and not with grief. And because it is incumbent on them to feed the church with the words of eternal life, and to open the mind of God to them from the Scriptures that they may by their ministry be instructed unto His kingdom, they are also styled pastors and teachers.”
“[He must not be] self-willed, proud and heady; not violent, nor soon angry, but a man that has good government of his passions, and whose meekness disposes him to instruct and exhort men with all longsuffering and teaching (2Ti 4:2).”
“It is not enough that the things you speak be true, but you must manifest them to be so by strong and convincing proof. Make conscience of giving, what in you lies, the very sense of the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures that you speak about; and weaken not excellent truths by wringing them out of such texts as intend another thing. The Word of God is sacred and must be handled with all religious respect and reverence. Divine things will admit of no trifling.”
“The ministry is warfare, undertaken at the command of Christ, for the service of your souls;”
“The edification and beauty of the church is much concerned in her or-der, not such an order as superstition will dictate, or litigious nicety con-tends for, but such as we have already described, which sets her in a conformity with Christ's will; and particularly the filling up of the offices that He has appointed with persons duly qualified for the administration of them, and the regular acting both of officers and members in their respective positions.”
“These ministers are sometimes called elders, because of their gravity and precedence in the house of God, perhaps with some respect to the paternal authority and preeminence of the heads of families and elders of the people amongst the Israelites of old; and at other times bishops or overseers, because their work is to take the oversight of the flock, and to acquit themselves as faithful watchmen who watch for the souls of the people committed to their trust, that they may give an account of them to the great Shepherd with joy and not with grief. And because it is incumbent on them to feed the church with the words of eternal life, and to open the mind of God to them from the Scriptures that they may by their ministry be instructed unto His kingdom, they are also styled pastors and teachers.”
“[He must not be] self-willed, proud and heady; not violent, nor soon angry, but a man that has good government of his passions, and whose meekness disposes him to instruct and exhort men with all longsuffering and teaching (2Ti 4:2).”
“It is not enough that the things you speak be true, but you must manifest them to be so by strong and convincing proof. Make conscience of giving, what in you lies, the very sense of the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures that you speak about; and weaken not excellent truths by wringing them out of such texts as intend another thing. The Word of God is sacred and must be handled with all religious respect and reverence. Divine things will admit of no trifling.”
“The ministry is warfare, undertaken at the command of Christ, for the service of your souls;”
February 4, 2025
Well detailed and helpful thoughts from Coxe on both elders and deacons. In addition, he does a wonderful job showing what a congregation and pastor are both to expect in the dynamics of the church. There's a wonderful joy that comes from a church that's united with the ministers of the gospel that they have entrusted to lead.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews