“Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God..” (Mt.22:29). While the Sadducees erred on the subject of life after death, there are some today that err on other biblical subjects. For example, there are a number of brethren who have mistaken views about the eldership. First, some think the elders are a governing board, like in the business world. While elders are to oversee the sheep, this does not mean they are to exercise dominion over their faith. Not even an apostle dared to dominate the faith of others (2Cor.1:24). Peter warned elders who might be presumptuous in thinking and acting as rule makers not to be “…lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1Pet.5:3). Second, some mistakenly think that elders can arbitrarily make decisions without giving consideration to the congregation. Such has resulted in much friction and ill-will between some congregations and elderships. This misconception arises from elders who view their role as one of power that gives them the right to set policy without consulting their brethren. But it forgets that one of the qualifications of being an elder is not being self-willed (Tit.1:7). Decisions made behind closed doors, without input from the congregation, have created many problems. And third, some have the mistaken view that an elder can never be removed from the eldership. The folly of this error is easily seen. Suppose a man is appointed to the eldership who later comes to believe that Jesus was not bodily resurrected from the dead, shall he not be removed from the eldership? Or, suppose he becomes promiscuous, shall the brethren continue to allow him to serve? For those who are looking for a specific passage that says you can remove an elder, they will find it right below the passage that says you can remove a preacher. Of course, neither is in the Bible! But common sense, along with a proper view of the Scriptures, teaches us that just as surely as a preacher can be removed from the pulpit, an elder or deacon can also be removed from their positions within the local congregation. If they no longer meet the qualifications, or lose the respect of the brethren, or act as lords, or become promiscuous, or start teaching error, etc., they should and must be removed. For those who labor under the illusion an elder cannot be removed, the words of Jesus would be a fitting description of them – “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures.”