Answer: At this time, the leaders in the church in
Jerusalem were the apostles and elders, (Acts 15:2, 4, 6,
22-23).
MORE INFORMATION AND/OR OTHER SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:
That the Jerusalem church had had elders for some time is
seen in Acts 11:30. Barnabas was sent by the
church in Jerusalem to Antioch because some of the people scattered
from Jerusalem by the persecution in connection with
Stephen's death had traveled to Antioch, preached the Good
News about the Lord Jesus, and a great number of people believed
and turned to the Lord. When Barnabas arrived in Antioch, he
saw evidence of the grace of God, and he encouraged these new
Christians to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.
Barnabas then went to Tarsus to look for Saul, brought him to
Antioch, and for a year they met with the church and taught great
numbers of people. During the time they were in Antioch, some
prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch, and one of them,
named Agabus, predicted (through the Spirit) that a severe famine
would spread over the entire Roman world. Then these new
Christians in Antioch, each according to his ability, decided to
provide help for the brothers living in Judea. Acts
11:30 says, "This they did, sending their gift TO THE
ELDERS by Barnabas and Saul." (This mission was
completed, Acts 12:25.)
