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Question: How does one become an ordained elder?

Answer: An elder in Yahshua’s congregation is not a title that one goes to seminary school for to receive a certificate to put on the wall, but an elder is a job description that someone is fulfilling in the Congregation of Yahweh.

1st Tim 3:1 Faithful is the Word: If anyone desires the office of an Elder, he desires a good work.

1st Tim 3:2 He who becomes an Elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, alert mentally, sensible, of good behavior, hospitable, and able to teach;

1st Tim 3:3 not a drunkard, or one whose hand is quick to strike, but humble, not contentious, not loving money;

1st Tim 3:4 ruling his own house well, having children in subjection with all purity.

1st Tim 3:5 But if anyone does not know how to rule his own house, how will he care for a Congregation of YAHWEH?

1st Tim 3:6 He should not be a new disciple, lest being puffed up he may fall into the condemnation of the devil.

1st Tim 3:7 But he must also have a good witness from those outside, that he not fall into reproach and into a snare of the devil.

If one is fulfilling these requirements in the congregation than the elders will recognize this before the congregation and lay hands on him and anoint with oil for elderhood.

Question: Why do you sometimes write the words ‘B’Shem Yahshua’ at the end of the brethren letters? What does this term mean?

Answer: The words B’Shem Yahshua means ‘in the name of Yahshua’, but when this phrase is used it is showing an Elder is not only writing in Yahshua’s name, but with “His Authority”. This is why Elder Don does not always put this phrase at the end of everything he writes; only when he is writing on Congregational matters that show that he is making a decision with the full authority of Yahshua who is the head of the congregation behind him.

One must be extremely careful when using this term as it is given mostly to the elders in the congregation to have the authority of Yahshua for loosing and binding.

Mat 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against her.

Mat 16:19 And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven. And whatever you bind on earth shall occur, having been bound in Heaven. And whatever you may loose on the earth shall be, having been loosed in Heaven.

The loosing and binding is in making decisions according to scripture in the congregation. A member would rarely use this authoritative phrase except if he maybe writing to an unbeliever and showing the authority of scripture as laid out by Yahshua in the word.

For more information on Yahweh’s Judicial Order in scripture please study lesson 14 in our Bible Lessons online at www.coyhwh.com