Alan Gross
Well-Known Member
THE DEMOCRATIC FORM OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT PROVED
1. It may be argued from the very word ekklesia, which was chosen by Christ to designate His churches. The word designates something that can assemble. A world church or a national or a provincial church could not assemble under present conditions. Like the Greek cities, each assembly is independent and therefore complete in itself as to the government of itself.
2. The whole matter of discipline, formative and corrective, was committed by Christ through the apostles to each individual church, and not to church officers or to a higher body. #1Co 5:1-13;
"Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations" (#Ro 14:1);
"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them" (#Ro 16:17);
"Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us" (#2Th 3:6);
"And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglects to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican" (#Mt 18:17).
3. It is the duty of the whole church to maintain unity in its faith and practice.
"Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits" (#Ro 12:16);
"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment" (#1Co 1:10);
"Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace"
(#Eph 4:3);
"Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel" (#Php 1:27).
A. H. Strong says: "A quiet and peaceful unity is the result of the Holy Spirit's work in the hearts of Christians. New Testament church government proceeds upon the supposition that Christ dwells in all believers. Baptist polity is the best polity for good people. Christ has made no provision for unregenerate church membership, and for the Satanic possession of Christians.
It is best that a church in which Christ does not dwell should by dissension, reveals its weakness, and fall to pieces; and any outward organization that conceals inward disintegration, and compels a merely formal union after He has departed, is a hindrance instead of a help to true religion."
These are plain words and our hearts should be exercised by them. There is much outward union today, where there is no unity of the Spirit in the faith.
OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH
There are only two commissioned officers in a New Testament Church, namely, the pastor and deacon. The pastor is also known as bishop and elder. Bishop, meaning overseer, denotes the duties, and elder, the rank of office. Bishop and elder are equivalent terms.
"For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre" (#Tit 1:5-7).
When the church is looked at as a flock of sheep, the bishop is called pastor or feeder of the sheep.
The deacons are to be helpers to the pastor. Their official duties consist primarily, if not exclusively, of looking after the temporal and material needs of the body, such as feeding the poor, financing the church, etc. The pastor is to be free from temporal and secular matters that he may give himself to that which is exclusively spiritual, prayer, and the ministry of the word. He is to teach and, therefore, must give himself to study. He must be "apt to teach".
"A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach" (#1Ti 3:2);
"And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient" (#2Ti 2:24).
In order to have something to teach he must study.
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (#2Ti 2:15).
The members must support him with their carnal things.
"Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things" (#Ga 6:6);
"If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?...Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel" (#1Co 9:11,14).
Deacons ought to be men of spiritual power, for they are to handle the money of the church:
"Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre" (#1Ti 3:8).
They are to be sound in the faith, for they are to support the pastor when he preaches the truth. Much criticism of the pastor could be silenced, when he preaches unpopular doctrines if the deacons,
"holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience" (#1Ti 3:9)
would give their support. Next to the pastor, the deacon needs to be learned men in the once-delivered faith.
1. It may be argued from the very word ekklesia, which was chosen by Christ to designate His churches. The word designates something that can assemble. A world church or a national or a provincial church could not assemble under present conditions. Like the Greek cities, each assembly is independent and therefore complete in itself as to the government of itself.
2. The whole matter of discipline, formative and corrective, was committed by Christ through the apostles to each individual church, and not to church officers or to a higher body. #1Co 5:1-13;
"Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations" (#Ro 14:1);
"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them" (#Ro 16:17);
"Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us" (#2Th 3:6);
"And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglects to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican" (#Mt 18:17).
3. It is the duty of the whole church to maintain unity in its faith and practice.
"Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits" (#Ro 12:16);
"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment" (#1Co 1:10);
"Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace"
(#Eph 4:3);
"Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel" (#Php 1:27).
A. H. Strong says: "A quiet and peaceful unity is the result of the Holy Spirit's work in the hearts of Christians. New Testament church government proceeds upon the supposition that Christ dwells in all believers. Baptist polity is the best polity for good people. Christ has made no provision for unregenerate church membership, and for the Satanic possession of Christians.
It is best that a church in which Christ does not dwell should by dissension, reveals its weakness, and fall to pieces; and any outward organization that conceals inward disintegration, and compels a merely formal union after He has departed, is a hindrance instead of a help to true religion."
These are plain words and our hearts should be exercised by them. There is much outward union today, where there is no unity of the Spirit in the faith.
OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH
There are only two commissioned officers in a New Testament Church, namely, the pastor and deacon. The pastor is also known as bishop and elder. Bishop, meaning overseer, denotes the duties, and elder, the rank of office. Bishop and elder are equivalent terms.
"For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre" (#Tit 1:5-7).
When the church is looked at as a flock of sheep, the bishop is called pastor or feeder of the sheep.
The deacons are to be helpers to the pastor. Their official duties consist primarily, if not exclusively, of looking after the temporal and material needs of the body, such as feeding the poor, financing the church, etc. The pastor is to be free from temporal and secular matters that he may give himself to that which is exclusively spiritual, prayer, and the ministry of the word. He is to teach and, therefore, must give himself to study. He must be "apt to teach".
"A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach" (#1Ti 3:2);
"And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient" (#2Ti 2:24).
In order to have something to teach he must study.
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (#2Ti 2:15).
The members must support him with their carnal things.
"Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things" (#Ga 6:6);
"If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?...Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel" (#1Co 9:11,14).
Deacons ought to be men of spiritual power, for they are to handle the money of the church:
"Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre" (#1Ti 3:8).
They are to be sound in the faith, for they are to support the pastor when he preaches the truth. Much criticism of the pastor could be silenced, when he preaches unpopular doctrines if the deacons,
"holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience" (#1Ti 3:9)
would give their support. Next to the pastor, the deacon needs to be learned men in the once-delivered faith.
