Free PDF and Review: Biblical Elders and Deacons Nehemiah Coxe

Nehemiah Coxe. Biblical Elders and Deacons.  Pensacola, FL: Chapel Library, August 25, 2015. 32 pp.

4 out of 5

Free: Chapel Library

Purchase: Amazon

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.

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