Posts by Thomas Overmiller
The Congregation and its Relationship to One Pastor or Many Pastors
A Biblical Study on the Question of Multiple Pastors in a Church (Part Three of Four) The NT teaches congregational polity. This means that authorities outside the congregation do not make decisions for the church (as Presbyterian churches practice). It also means that a single pastor or a group of elders do not exercise ultimate…
Read MoreBalancing Pastoral Leadership with Pastoral Accountability
A Biblical Study on the Question of Multiple Pastors in a Church (Part Two of Four) While the NT does not require every church to appoint multiple pastors, it does reveal that multiple churches benefited from this arrangement. That said, how did multiple pastors within a congregation relate to one another? On one hand, any…
Read MoreHow Many Pastors Did NT Churches Have?
A Biblical Study on the Question of Multiple Pastors in a Church (Part One of Four) What is the right number of pastors for a church to have and how should a church approach the selection of a new pastor? To answer these important questions, we need to consider thoughtfully what the NT says (and…
Read MoreThanking God for Other Christians
When was the last time you thanked God for other Christians? When was the last time that you prayed, saying, “Thank you God for [so and so],” naming another Christian whom you know? From his letter to the believers at Ephesus, we learn that Paul did this continually. In the opening chapter of his letter,…
Read MoreCommitted to Mutual Ministry
Once upon a time, the Little Red Hen found a grain of wheat. “Who will help me plant this grain of wheat?” she asked. “Not I,” said the cat. “Not I,” said the goose. “Not I,” said the rat. “Then I will plant this grain of wheat by myself,” said Little Red Hen, and she…
Read MoreThe Inconvenient Love of Christ
Tucked away in the record about the crucifixion of Jesus is a touching, intimate moment that includes a little-known statement by Jesus (John 19:25-27). This statement is the third saying of Christ on the cross, and though it may be the least familiar, it deserves our careful attention. This brief moment and unfamiliar statement teach…
Read MoreUnderstanding the Glory of Your Inheritance
To pray for other believers, you may follow Paul’s example. He thanked God for his brothers and sisters in Christ (Eph 1:15-16). He also asked God to give them an understanding spirit (Eph 1:17). First, he prayed that they would increase in understanding the full scope of their calling (Eph 1:18). Then he prayed that…
Read MoreWhy Study the Old Testament?
The New Testament (NT) speaks directly to those who will become and who already are followers of Christ in the church. Christ launched the church following his resurrection to earth and return (ascension) to heaven and he continues to expand it today. This period spans approximately 2,000 years and counting. The Old Testament (OT), however,…
Read MoreThe Two Mothers of Moses
Gen 49:5-7; Exo 2:1-10; 6:20; Acts 7:20-22; Heb 11:23-26 In an ideal world filled with sunshine and buttercups, rainbows and butterflies, lemonade and candy, one nice, happy, cookie-cutter family raises children who go on to marry people from other nice, happy, cookie-cutter families, and this story just keeps going. But thanks to sin, this has…
Read MoreThe Full Scope of Your Calling as a Disciple
In a long, extended sentence, Paul demonstrated how to pray for other believers (Eph 1:15-21). First, he thanked God for those believers who came to mind. He did this “continually,” which means that whenever they came to mind, he prayed for them; and whenever he prayed for them, he did so with an underlying gratefulness…
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