Chapter 7: Church Officers - General Classification

7-1. Under the New Testament, our Lord at first collected His people out
of different nations, and united them to the household of faith by the ministry
of extraordinary officers who received extraordinary gifts of the Spirit and who
were agents by whom God completed His revelation to His Church. Such
officers and gifts related to new revelation have no successors since God
completed His revelation at the conclusion of the Apostolic Age.

7-2. The ordinary and perpetual classes of office in the Church are elders
and deacons. Within the class of elder are the two orders of teaching elders and
ruling elders. The elders jointly have the government and spiritual oversight
of the Church, including teaching. Only those elders who are specially gifted,
called and trained by God to preach may serve as teaching elders. The office
of deacon is not one of rule, but rather of service both to the physical and
spiritual needs of the people. In accord with Scripture, these offices are open
to men only.