Church Government

 

Basic Christian Doctrines 44

 

1.   The Local Church Should Be Independent.

God has ordained each local church as an entity in itself. There is no warrant in the Bible for denominations. Indeed, passages such as I Cor.1 would forbid denominations. A local church can and should be friendly with other local churches. They can co-operate in a variety of things. But there is to be no outside meddling or authority. The only exception to this was in the days of the Apostles. But there are no more Apostles. The council in Acts 15 was supervised by Apostles. Any council today may be useful for consultation, but can carry no authority. Thus, there are no denominations, headquarters, official canons, or the like.

 

2.   Church and State are Separate.

God has ordained three basic institutions: the family, the State and the Church. None may encroach upon the sphere of the others. The Kingdom of the State may not exert authority in the Church. The theory of Erastianism says that the reigning monarch is the head of the Church, as in England. But the Bible does not  permit State churches. Nor does it permit Church states, such as a theocracy (except for OT Israel). State citizenship cannot equal church membership. Taxes and tithes are different. The State must not persecute the Church. It has the power of the sword over criminals, but not the power of the Word over Christians. Nor is the Pope over either State or Church. Christians may and should be involved in State functions as good citizens, but Church and State must be distinct kingdoms. Neither rules the other.

 

3.   The Bible is the Final Authority in the Church.

Creeds, confessions of faith, catechisms and constitutions are useful. But they are not final. Only the Bible is final. Tradition ("the way we have always done things around here") is also subject to the Bible. Catholicism reverses all this by placing the authority of the Church over that of Scripture, whereas the only authority any church or officer has is through the Word of God. No pastor is the "king of the congregation". Only Christ is King and rules by His Word.

 

4.   Church Constitutions Are Useful.

Though not the final authority, church constitutions can indeed serve a useful purpose. They state exactly where a local church officially stands on certain doctrines and practices. Otherwise, church government easily degenerates into mob rule. Many groups, especially some cults, say they have no constitution. Some "Brethren" churches also disdain constitutions. But upon further investigation, almost all have some sort of written agreement. Secret documents are dangerous, so a church constitution should be open for all to read.

 

5.   Church Government is Neither Democratic Nor Dictatorial.

The local church is not a pure democracy, in which every person has the same vote as everybody else. That idea is from pagan Greece, not the Bible. It is even questionable whether members are allowed to vote at all, except on the approval of deacons. What if a majority of new believers outnumbered the mature believers, and took over and went off onto strange fads? Children don't rule their parents. Members are to follow their leaders (Heb. 13:7, 17, 24). The leaders are not to be dictators, but to imitate the loving serving leadership of Christ (I Pet.5:2-3).

 

6.   Elders Are Ordained by God to Rule the Church.

 

God has chosen to raise up those who are called elders. The word for elder is PRESBUTEROS, from which we get the word presbyter. Originally the word meant older man, who exerted authority by reason of the wisdom of his years. Later it came to be a word in Greek that referred to a local magistrate (cf. alderman). In the NT, it refers to those who are God-ordained to exert authority in the local church. They rule by the Word. They need not be older, but neither should they be new converts or children. In addition to spiritual maturity, I Tim.3 and Titus I lists many other requisite qualifications. They are to be men only, not women (I Tim.2:11). 

 

7.   Elders, Pastors and Bishops are the Same.

Two other important terms are used to describe this office. One is the word pastor, which means shepherd. Actually, he is an under-shepherd, under the Chief Shepherd (I Pet.5:4). Shepherds are to look after the sheep, that is, members of their local flock. They are to provide food and water (the Word of God), tend to their personal needs (like counselling, visitation, encouragement), warn them of danger (rebuke, church discipline, warning of wolves, etc), and so on. Then there is the word bishop, used in Titus I and elsewhere. This is not someone in authority over the pastors of many local churches, as taught by Rome, Episcopalianism, Methodism and others. A bishop is simply an overseer, a superintendent, a leader. It is the same office as pastor and elder.

 

8.   There are No Priests, Cardinals or Popes in Scripture.

The Bible gives elders and deacons, but no other officers. Every believer is a priest. There is no separate office for priest or vicar in the NT comparable to the priests or Levites in the OT. Bishops are elders. There isn't even the slightest hint of anything like cardinals in the Bible. And the only parallel to the idea of Pope in Scripture is the one who sets himself above the Church of God claiming rights for himself which belong to Christ alone (2 Thess.2). There was a High Priest in the OT, but the NT fulfillment is Christ, not the Pope. Nor are there other offices, such as "The Prophet" (as in Mormonism). Some churches say they have Apostles, but the Biblical Apostles had a unique office. The only apostles that continue are simply missionaries.

 

9.   Elders are Equal in Authority.

The Bible teaches that there should be a plurality of elders in each local church. This is a safeguard against any one pastor from having too much authority. A  lone authority is easily corrupted. One elder may serve "full-time" and be financially paid by the church, but he has no more authority than the others. Elders are thus accountable to each other. Together they form a team of leadership and service.

 

10. Deacons are Servants of the Church.

 

Elders are to rule, deacons are to serve. Deacons do not have authority. Yet they are to be highly qualified and spiritually mature. They are not as essential to the church as elders. Still, they fill a very useful place in the ongoing work of the local church. Their major work is to tend to the physical needs of church members, such as the poor, ill and elderly. Maintenance of church property and finances are also their job. It would seem from passages like Luke 8:2-3 and I Tim.3:11 that women may serve as deaconnesses, especially in areas of service to other women (especially widows) and where women are naturally more gifted than men. Elders are selected by elders, deacons by the whole church under the approval of the elders.