IntroductionGraphical Mouse Rollover of gradual change of organization over time4 Competing views of organizationOutline: 33-150 ADOutline: 150-250 ADOutline: 451-588 ADOutline: 588-606 ADOutline: 606 AD-TodayIntroduction
Graphical Mouse Rollover of gradual change of organization over time
4 Competing views of organization
Outline: 33-150 AD
Outline: 150-250 AD
Outline: 451-588 AD
Outline: 588-606 AD
Outline: 606 AD-Today
In order to function successfully, it is essential that every institution have a government to oversee it and execute its chosen policies of operation. The church about which we read in the Bible is no exception to this need.
The New Testament church is not a democracy. It is not an institution where every member has voting rights as to what it does and what it does not do. Quite to the contrary, it is a monarchy. It is a divine monarchy. Jesus Christ is the head or king. The Bible teaches in Ephesians 1:22-23, that God "gave him to be the head over all things to the church. Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all". He is the one and only lawgiver. The Bible says in James 4:12, "There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?". In Christ legislative, executive and judicial powers meet and merge. He possesses all authority as we learn from Matthew 28:18. He has made the laws for his church. He executes them. He will one day judge all according to his system of Biblical truth.
The New Testament church composes all the saved throughout the whole world. This is true because according to Acts 2:47, the Lord adds "to the church daily such as should be saved". Over the church universal there is no functioning government on earth. There is no central earthly headquarters. The New Testament speaks of the church in a local setting such as the church at Antioch, at Ephesus or at Corinth. People in a given geographical area work together as a local congregation. Each of these is independent. There is NO sort of ecclesiastical tie that binds them into a highly centralized organization. They may cooperate with other congregations in the performance of a needed work. But each one still maintains its own autonomy. There is great wisdom in this plan. Such means that if one departs, its nearest neighbor need not deviate from truth. If one becomes lukewarm as Laodicea did in Revelation 3.
Find a local congregation of the New Testament church in your own home town.
World-Wide Organization of the Church
Introduction:
Types of government:
Before 150 AD, the office of a Bishop was the same as the office of an Elder (Presbytery). Local churches consisted of a Presbytery (a group of Bishops/Elders), deacons and saints (common members). Bishops were elders, and they are two terms that describe a single office, just like you see in the Bible. This is proven by the record of history from 1 Clement, Polycarp to the Philippians.
After 150 AD a trend started where one of the men who made up the presbytery, became elevated within the local church. He began to exclusively wear the title of Bishop, and the rest of the men were called "the Presbytery". Now we have the first stage of apostasy. Although Bishop and Elders were one and the same office, even used interchangeably in scripture, the two terms gradually came to describe two separate offices. The office of Bishop was held by only one man. The office of elder (the presbytery) was held by a group of men. So now you have one man ruling over a single congregation, under him being the Elders, then the deacons, then the saints (common members).
A. Biblical:
In the Bible, there was no organization larger than the local church. Individual local churches, functioning independent and autonomous of each other, with no ties between them is the pattern we see. Within each local church, the pattern is that of a plurality of men who meet the qualifications of 1 Tim 3 and Tit 1, with total control over the congregation. Under them are deacons, who serve as servants of the elders to assist, as instructed, to govern the local church. Pulpit preachers have no more authority than common members, unless they are also one of the elders.B. Congregational
: Every member gets an equal say in church government. Church buildings are owned by the local church. (Congregational, Baptist, Pentecostal, Brethren)C. Episcopal:
Episcopal is a transliteration of the Greek word for "bishop or overseer". All local churches are ruled from a central point. The Roman Catholic church with its Pope in Rome and the Jehovah's Witnesses with their "Governing body" in New York city are excellent examples. Local churches have no say on theology and local leaders are appointed by someone outside each local church. Church buildings are owned by the central world headquarters. (Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Jehovah's Witness, Episcopalian, Anglican, Methodist)D. Presbyterian:
Presbyterian is a transliteration of the Greek word for "elder or presbyter". The "eldership" or "presbytery" are a group of men chosen from within the congregation to rule the congregation in all matters. There are different types of Presbyterian governments in denominations. Some have a three tier organization where the elders are over the pulpit preacher, who is in turn over the congregation. These churches will usually call their pulpit preacher a "Pastor", which seriously confuses things, since in the Bible, pastors, elders and overseers are the same office. (Presbyterian and Reformed).E. Theocratic:
"Theocratic" means "God-governed". Theocratic governments combine "church and states". Israel in the Old Testament was a perfect example of a theocratic government. God communicated directly with the High Priest, who in turn ruled over the rest of the Priests, who in turn ruled the people. They were not only the religious rulers, but also in all civil matters as well. They had the power to sentence someone to death, impose civil fines for business corruption etc. The Catholic church and Jehovah's Witnesses claim to be Theocratic in that they believe God directly communicates with the Pope, and the writers of the Watchtower Magazine. Both religions, if given the opportunity through a large enough majority of the population, would run the state. Islam is also a religion that is theocratic, since its aim, as mandated by the Koran, is to take over the world and impose a dictatorship under Shariah law. The difference between the theocratic governments of Israel and Islam are that Israel's government was geographically bound within the promised land of Palestine, whereas Islam is geographically aggressive for new territory to a world level.Find a local congregation of the New Testament church in your own home town.
