THINGS
“UNCOMMON” THAT ARE COMMONLY BELIEVED AMONG US
Autonomous Church Government
Acts 14:19-23
Introduction
1. As we
look around the world of denominationalism, we find that there are a number
of kinds of church government.
2. One
question that comes to mind in seeing this considerable diversity is, “Does the
Bible have anything to say on the subject?”
3. In
churches of Christ, we commonly believe that the Scriptures supply us with the
form of church government that God desires.
4. We
believe that this biblical pattern includes: local autonomy, heavenly rather
than earthly headquarters, qualifications and responsibilities for elders and
deacons, and a style of leadership that is very different from that of the
world.
5. How is
it that something this “uncommon” is commonly believed among us.
I. The
Local Autonomy Of The Church (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5).
A. The New
Testament shows no government beyond that of the local congregation.
1. Each
congregation was to develop its own autonomous government overseen by a
plurality of elders.
2. In the
Apostolic Age when miraculous endowments were present for the establishment of
the church (Eph. 4:11-12), even the Apostles worked within the context of local
congregations (Acts 13:1-3).
a. The
Apostles gave doctrine to the churches and settled matters of dispute (I Cor.
2:10-16; I Cor. 11:17-34), but their office was for a limited time (I Cor.
13:8-13; Eph. 4:11-16).
b. The
pattern established by the Apostolic ministry was for autonomous congregations that were shepherded by elders
(Acts 20:17-32).
B. The
Jerusalem Council of Acts 15:1-29, does not violate this principle of local
independence.
1. This
was a miraculously endowed gathering (15:28), and thus the resolution adopted
was clearly with the help of a direct revelation from the Holy Spirit.
2. No
such revelation is available today.
3. The
New Testament in its complete form is the standard that thoroughly furnishes us
today (II Tim. 3:16-17; Jude 3; cf. Jn. 14:26; 16:13).
4. No
mere council of men has any authority over groups of churches.
II. The
Heavenly Headquarters Of The Church (Eph. 1:19-23).
A. The
church Jesus built has no earthly headquarters, simply because the Head of the
church is quartered in Heaven (Acts 2:33; Col. 3:1-3).
B. Even
Jerusalem in the early days of the church was not the headquarters for the
church (Gal. 2:1-10).
1. Paul
took his orders from Christ, not from Jerusalem (vv. 7-10).
2. Those
in Jerusalem were not above others in the church (v. 6).
C. Again,
we are reminded that the local congregation was the highest expression of
earthly church government.
III. The
Qualifications And Work Of Elders And Deacons (I Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9).
A. As we
might expect, if God gave offices for the local church (Phil. 1:1), then He
gave qualifications for the offices.
1. Elders.
a. Elders
or presbyters, overseers or bishops, pastors or shepherds (the KJV uses six
English words to translate three Greek words) are designations all referring to
the same office (Acts 20:17, 28; I Pet. 5:1-4).
b. Today,
contrary to New Testament revelation, a “pastor” is commonly seen to be a
preacher with nothing to do with work within an eldership.
c. It is
very uncommon to find the common New Testament pattern of local church
government present today.
d. The
work of elders was primarily that of shepherding and overseeing the local
church in a mature manner—as the biblical designations for the work imply.
2. Deacons.
a. Deacons
served under elders in the church of the New Testament (Phil. 1:1).
b. The
name “deacon” is but the common term for a servant or minister.
c. In the
special work that also used this name, there were qualification relating both
to character and life situation.
d. Unlike
today, when the place of deacons often replaces that of elders, in New
Testament times deacons were not congregational decision makers.
e. Acts
6:1-6 demonstrates the role of deacons in relationship to church leadership (as
the church was developing toward maturity, Apostles, at first, functioned
somewhat as elders in a local congregation).
B. The
leadership of the local congregation, though authoritative (Heb. 13:17), is not
exercised as in secular institutions (Matt. 20:20-28).
1. Serving,
not lording over, is a distinctive feature of biblical leadership.
2. In
fact, no one elder has any more authority than any other member of the church,
that is why “elder(s)” were appointed in all the churches.
3. An
elder’s authority is exercised in pursuing the decisions of an eldership, as
these decisions reflect the will of Christ (Eph. 2:20).
a. There
is no “one man” rule in the church, except as it is in the Man Jesus Christ.
b. Elders,
therefore, must be careful not to speak unilaterally for the eldership.
4. Shepherds
are to know the congregation and be willing to serve the best interests of the
brethren with their very lives (cf. Jn. 10:11-15).
5. It
might well be said of shepherds that they should “smell like sheep.”
Conclusion
1. Though
“uncommon” in this world, the pattern for the church’s government is
nevertheless easy to see.
2. If God
had wanted it another way, He would have given it another way.
3. We
were promised all things in Christ (Jn. 14:26; 16:13; II Pet. 1:2-3).
4. Let us
“contend earnestly” for what we were “once for all given” (Jude 3).
ESJ
2/27/00
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