The Church - where do we start?

Friday, 29 October 2010 20:04 Trev McCallum

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The authority, function and responsibilities of the Church have diminished in recent years. Snyder (1977, p. 138 & 143) argues that “the Church is biblically: the community of God’s people, not an institutional or organizational structure,” and it contains no “formal organizational structures.” He (Snyder, 1977, p. 144) goes on to remark that it “is fruitless to try to discover a formal organization underlying the life of the early church.” It is important to note that even though Snyder argues in this manner he does identify a few “structures” from the biblical evidence (Snyder, 1977, p. 146). As far as the institutional Church is concerned Snyder (1977, p. 158) asserts that “the Church will inevitably assume some institutional form, even though the Church is not the institution.” This highlights Snyder’s low-Church theological bias. A bent towards understanding the Bible as a book containing two independent/distinct volumes (i.e. New and Old Testaments) seems to underscore Snyder’s arguments against the institution of the Church. Our doctrine of the Church, its role, authority and responsibilities must be established from the entire counsel of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ). As we seek to unwrap the authority and responsibilities of local churches it is important to understand Church through whole Bible eyes.

I have argued elsewhere for a covenantal approach to Scripture as a whole (see The body follows the Head). “The Bible is a covenant document” (Sutton, 1987, p.122). Our New Testament stands upon the context and authority of the Old Testament (Matthew 5:17-19 , 2 Timothy 3:16-17 etc). Thus we should not seek to build a model of the Church’s authority from the New Testament alone. Any such attempt is reductionistic and does not honour the entire Word of God as authoritative over all of faith and life (Deuteronomy 8:3-4 , Matthew 4:4 , 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ). In considering the authority of the Church modern evangelicals seem to confuse the special and general aspects of Christianity/the Church (Jordan, 1985, p. 2-3). The lines between personal, daily, all of life (i.e. general) worship by every believer seems to be set in antithesis to the corporate, Lords Day (i.e. special) worship of the gathered Church. Understanding this matter from a Trinitarian perspective will shed much light on the subject. God is the one and the many; thus the structure and worship of His saints should reflect both these dimensions/paradigms. We devout ourselves as kings and priests individually every day of the week; and there are also special Church officers who oversee the corporate special worship of God on the Day of the Lord. These special officers are afforded roles, responsibilities, authority and, collectively as a “presbytery”, the most awful weapon/tool (the keys of the kingdom – Matthew 16:18-20 ).

It is important to demonstrate the covenantal structure of the Church, as established from the book of Revelation (Sutton, 1987, pp. 159-166):

Transcendence (Revelation 2:1 and 1:17-20) – Christ is the one who “holds the seven stars” and sends the letters to the angels (or pastors) of the seven Churches. Christ is declared distinctly the Head of the Church (which is created by God). The Church is the body of Christ and is thus divinely instituted. The Church receives delegated, limited authority from Christ (i.e. the keys) and this authority is ministerial and must be administered in a plurality of elders/overseers. True authority is found in the Scripture. Under transcendence the Church is given delegated authority under the headship of Christ;
Hierarchy (Revelation 2:2-4 ) – In Revelation 2:2 we find the presence of authority which is used within a framework of judgment. The Church made judgments through a process of testing doctrine/people to falsify/validify them. This is also seen in Acts 15:6-10 . The Church elders officiate judgment in plurality and thus God establishes a system of government.
Ethics (Revelation 2: 5a) – Here we find Christ commanding the Church at Ephesus to “do the deeds you did at first.” In 1 John 2:4 we are instructed that the one who says, ‘I have come to know Him [Christ] and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” Hence we find an ethical standard for the Church. Biblical law, properly understood, is the Church’s ethical “code” and it helps guard the Church from individual saints “pushing sinful wheelbarrows” to hold the Church ransom (i.e. 1 Corinthians 8:13 );
Sanctions (Revelation 2: 5b) – If the Church at Ephesus does not repent her lamp stand will be removed. In other words when a church refuses to discipline her members (using the sanctions of the keys – maximum being excommunication) she calls down God’s covenant sanctions upon her. The process and responsibility for discipline is both individual and corporate in nature and is declared in Matthew 18:15-18 ;
Continuity (Revelation 2:7 ) – We find covenantal continuity given to those who hear the Word of Christ (i.e. listen, repent and do). Further than this, continuity is given to those who also overcome. This implies dominion taking through serving. There is no neutrality, members of a Church are either partaking/eating of the meal of Christ or Satan (1 Corinthians 10:21 ). God thus provides continuity to His covenant, faithful people from generation to generation.

Covenant is thus central to the establishment, role, responsibilities and authority of the Church of Christ.

The Church is central to all of life. This does not mean the Church “controls” all of life. Rather, life flows out from her to revive every sphere of society. We have looked at the covenant of the Church and the individual/corporate roles within the Church; but what is the Church? Jordan (1985, p. 5 & 18) argues that “the Church is seen in three dimensions...One dimension is the Church as the people of God. As the people of God, the Church stands in contrast to the world. The book of Ephesians focuses on this dimension of the Church, so that after a discussion of the nature of the Church in chapters 1-3, applications are made to all of life in chapters 4-6. The Church is the people of God in all that they do (general aspect) and pre-eminently gathered for worship (special aspect). Thus, a second dimension is the Church as a gathered assembly before God’s Throne, and this stands in contrast to all other, cultural, activities…The book of 1 Corinthians focuses attention on the Church as a gathered assembly. The third dimension of the Church is that it is a governmental institution, and as such stands in contrast to other governmental institutions (state and family). The books of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus focus attention on this dimension of the Church…Christ is the head of the church, the New Testament repeatedly tells us. The church, however, is also a body politic, with eyes, hands, and feet (1 Cor. 12 ). Each part is necessary, but each part does not have the same function. There are rulers and governors - a hierarchy - in the church...[T]he greatest danger to the church comes not from wayward sheep, but from false leaders, savage wolves (Acts 20:30 , etc.).” It is important to observe that the Church is not governed via a democracy. It is theocratic in nature; Christ is the head and He delegates ministerial authority and power to those ordained to serve His body. “Under Christ, the authority of the local church is the board of elders or presbyters in session. The elders are collectively responsible for ruling/shepherding (1 Pet. 5:1-2 ); equipping (Eph. 4:11-12 ); prayer/fasting (Acts 6:4 ; 13:1-3); teaching/preaching (1 Tim. 5:17 ); administering baptism and the Lord’s Table (Matt. 28:19-20 ; 1 Cor. 11:23-26 ); administering church discipline and restoration (1 Cor. 5:1-5 ), and visiting the sick (Jas. 5:14-15 )” (Trinity Church Constitution).

Through the means of locally ordained men (i.e. elders who serve the body) other men are to be identified, interviewed, presented before their congregation and set aside to work as ministers of the Gospel in the local body, or commissioned to work as “missionaries” abroad/locally. Each local Church is governed by a plurality of elders and this session forms an ecclesiastical court wherein discipline is carried out, the sacraments are administered and the corporate worship is overseen. This ecclesiastical court ought to have a higher court (Acts 15 ) to which members of a local church can make appeal. The decision of the higher appeals court is to be final. Further than this, every individual Christian is to come under the authority of local elders/overseers and must submit to them (on issues of the plain teaching of Scripture - 1 Corinthians 16:15-16 , 1 Thessalonians 5:12 , Hebrews 13:17 ). When Christians are under the oversight of their local church disciplinary matters can be administered and taken care of through the officers of the church. Organisations outside of the Church can exist to further the Gospel. The safety mechanism here is that these organisations are not to administer church discipline or the sacraments. Members of these organisations are to be pastorally “cared for” by their local church. Issues of a disciplinary nature are to be taken to the local church elders to whom these Christians submit. It is also important to note here that the mechanism for protecting the ecclesiastical courts with petty or fallacious cases is two fold: 1. there must be two witnesses and 2. if a restitutionary�case (restitution is clearly still practised in New Testament history as seen by Zacchaeus in Luke 19:8-9 and in Philemon) is brought before the church court and the accuser’s case is fallacious, he must make the sought restitution to the person he accused per Deuteronomy 19: 19a (Jordan 1989, p. 168). Thus organisations outside of the local church can and should be used to expand the Gospel. However, they are not to encroach on the institutional Church’s responsibilities of discipline, special worship regulation and the administering of the sacraments. All members of a “para-church” organisation should come under the oversight of a local church and thus be under the care of elders. The “para-church” organisation is to serve the Gospel (i.e. God) and it can only do this through Christians applying the Word of Christ to every area of endeavour. These “para-church” organisations do not have Biblical authority to set aside, ordain and commission men to the special pastoral/eldership/overseeing ministry. That function is tied to the ministerial authority Christ has vested in and delegated to His Church. As the Church of Christ fulfils Her Great Commission more and more “para-church” organisations will be necessary to apply the reign and rule of Christ and His Word to all of life. Thus research institutions, educational facilities, medical research/care, scientific endeavours, etc can all be used to further the Gospel without taking authority from local Churches.