27.The Book of Hebrews grounds
The Book of Hebrews grounds N.T. Elders in the O.T. Church In Heb 3:3-6, we are told that Christ "was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He Who has built the house has more honour than the house." For Christ was and is "a Son over His Own house." Nevertheless, just as the Old Testament Church was designed by Christ (and merely constructed by Moses) so too the New Testament Church as its fulfilment and replacement was also designed, and is being built toward its completion, by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself "Whose house are we."
Similarly, in Heb 7:5f, Moses was admonished by God when he, as the Lord’s agent, was about to start constructing the tabernacle. "For see," God said to Moses, "that you make all things according to the pattern shown to you on the Mount[ain]!" It was there that Moses, together with the Elders of the Older Testament’s Church, waited upon the Lord.
Christ has obtained a much more excellent ministry! He exercised His fine ministry also through the rule of Elders in His Older Testament Church. So too, He now exercises His still more excellent ministry also through the rule of Elders in His Newer Testament
Church. See Heb 13:7; Heb 13:17; Heb 13:24. "Christ," says Owen (XV:245f), is seen in "His faithfulness in and over the house of God, wherein He is compared unto and preferred above Moses. Heb. iii.3-6. Now the faithfulness of Moses consisted in this, that he did and appointed all things according to the pattern showed him in the Mount [Heb 7:5]; that is, all whatever it was the will of God to be revealed and appointed for the constitution, order, rule, and worship of His Church and nothing else. But it was the will of God that there should be all those things in the Gospel Church state also." For the Church in both Old and the New Testament times was and is the same Presbyterian system in which Christ ruled, and keeps on ruling, through His Elders in their graded ecclesiastical Courts. In Heb 10:23-29, Christians everywhere are urged (also today) not to neglect the gathering of themselves together and are warned about the testimony of two or three
Elders also in Old Testament times. Deu 17:6-9. Thus, in the very next chapter (Heb 11:1-4f), Members of especially the New Testament Church are reminded of the faith and action of the Presbuteroi Abel and Enoch and Noah (whom also Owen regards as Seniores). Cf.
Heb 11:1-4f with Heb 12:1-2f & Heb 12:6-9 & Heb 12:22f with Heb 13:7; Heb 13:17; Heb 13:24.