Acts 14:23

‘And when they had appointed for them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.'

And when they arrived back in those unwelcoming cities that they had left in such haste, they appointed elders in every church, mature men whose faith had stood the test of the days of waiting, and who could therefore be relied on to remain true for the future. Then they prayed together, with fasting (the fasting was so that the prayer might be able to be continuous and not be interrupted), and in their prayers commended the elders and their churches to the Lord on Whom they had believed. It would not be long before he would write to them his ‘letter to the Galatians'.

‘Elders.' The position of ‘elder' was probably at this stage mainly based on the idea of synagogue elders, thus controlling the affairs of the gathering, having overall control over the services, selecting speakers to speak, keeping charge of scrolls, and no doubt themselves partaking in the ministry as prophets or teachers. They appear to have been appointed by Paul and Barnabas but it must be seen as extremely probable that it was in consultation with all the believers. The believers alone would have sufficient knowledge of the men to be able to make a sensible decision as to who was finally suitable. Despotically appointed rulers inevitably make bad leaders.