Fundamentals: Organization of Church

     "And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved," Acts 2:47 informs us regarding the early church.
     This tells us two things about salvation and our relationship with the church.  First of all, members don't vote to allow people to enter their group.  God does the adding.  And, whenever a person obeys God's conditions for salvation, he is automatically added to the church.  This does not allow him the option to reject the church.  To be saved is to be in the church.
     To reject the church is to reject God's plan for working in the world.  Take another look at Ephesians 4:14-16 and see if this isn't true.
     It is also to reject God's stated will as far as worshiping Him is concerned.  Ephesians 3:21 says, "to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever."
     The church is Christ's kingdom.  To reject the kingdom is to reject the king.  Check Luke 19:12-27 and see how God feels about people who reject the kingdom.
     The church is the bride of Christ.  To reject the bride is to reject the groom.  Ephesians 5:23 states that Jesus is the savior of the body.  Verse 25 says that Jesus loved the church and gave Himself up for her.
     But how many kingdoms are there?  How many bodies are there?  How many brides are there?  How many churches are there?  Men say that there are many.  They say that we can all disagree on doctrine and still be brothers.  They say that having thousands of denominations is the same as having one body.  What does the Bible say?
     In all honesty, we must point out that most of those who believe that having many denominations is all right deny either by word or deed that it matters what the Bible says.  They can find plenty of reasons why their ideas are more acceptable than what the Bible teaches.  But our appeal is to those who accept the Bible as the inspired word of God.  What does it say?
     Ephesians 4:4 says there is one body.  This same passage goes on to affirm that there is only one faith and one baptism.  If you haven't read Ephesians 4 lately, please take the time to do so.
     How can we tell which one is the right one?  Why don't we just let the Bible tell us?
     Now, anyone who says that we say we are the only ones going to heaven is putting words in our mouth.  Our position is that only those who obey what is written in the Bible will go to heaven.  Actually, this is not our position.  It is the Bible's position.  Our position is to make our actions correspond with those set forth in the Bible.  Now, then, what does the Bible teach about the church?
     The New Testament teaches a certain structure for the church.  Each local congregation is autonomous.  That is, there is no structure above the local congregation.
     When a local congregation has men who are qualified, it has elders.
     "For this reason I left you in Crete," Paul writes in Titus 1:5, "that you might set in order what remains, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you."  Notice that every congregation had a plurality of elders.
     The qualifications for these men are given in Titus 1:6-9, as well as in 1 Timothy 3:1-7.  There are several requirements, each of which must be met by each man.  One of these is to be married and have believing children.
     The importance of this becomes evident when we realize that the New Testament uses various words for this same office, including elder, presbyter, pastor, shepherd, overseer, and bishop.  Yes, the New Testament places a plurality of bishops in each congregation, and all must be married and have believing children.
     There are so many terms for the same office simply because some, such as elder, refer to the qualifications while others, such as pastor or shepherd, refer to their job.  Still others, such as bishop or overseer, indicate the character of the work they do.  This is compounded by the use of Greek forms of some of these words, thus the existance of episcopos and presbyter.  But, contrary to modern usage, all refer to the same thing.
     In Acts 20:17 Paul calls the elders from Ephesus to meet him at Miletus.  In verse 28 he identifies them as overseers or bishops, as well as shepherds or pastors.
     It's not hard to see what a mess the religious world has made of this system.  Many use the term "pastor" to refer to the preacher.  Others have a single "bishop" over large numbers of local congregations.  Not only is he single in the sense that he is the only one while the Bible requires a plurality over each local group, but he is also single in the sense that he is not married.
     And still other religious groups send young, unmarried men around bearing the title of "elder."
     What has happened to create the present situation?  

     History bears out the facts about what we have been saying.  The first congregations were led by elders.  Eventually, these elders started to meet to discuss doctrinal matters.  Only as certain congregations grew more powerful did they begin to exercise authority over the others.  This continued until a hierarchy was established.
     So Peter never was at the top of an ecclesiatical system.
     "Therefore I exhort the elders among you," Peter says in 1 Peter 5:1, "as your fellow-elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed."
     Instead of returning to the New Testament pattern, the protestant groups simply established systems of their own.  But the biblical system remains the same.
     Preachers are not pastors, unless of course they happen to also be elders according to the New Testament definition.  It is not the job of the preacher to shepherd the congregation.  It is the job of the elders.
     Another thing that is closely related is the use of other unscriptural titles for preachers.  Some are refered to as "Reverend."  This term is used just once in the entire Bible: in some translations of Psalm 111:9.
     "Holy and reverend (or awesome) is His name," this verse says of God.  To call a man "Reverend" is to call him "God."
     In Matthew 23 Jesus talks about the religious leaders of His day.
     "And they tie up heavy loads," He observes beginning in verse 4, "and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.
     "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries, and lengthen the tassels of their garments.
     "And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called by men, Rabbi.
     "But do not be called Rabbi; for one is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.  And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
     "And do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.  But the greatest among you shall be your servant.  And whoever humbles himself shall be exalted."
     What would Jesus say to us today?  Have things changed much in nearly 2,000 years?
     What should we call our preachers?  Obviously, one correct title is "preacher."  Many passages, including Romans 16:25 and 2 Timothy 4:2, use this term.  Another correct title is "minister" or "servant," as we find in 1 Corinthians 3:5.  Still another is "evangelist," found in passages such as 2 Timothy 4:5.
     Can women serve in this capacity?  Some religious groups today are saying "yes."  But what does the Bible say?
     "Let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness," Paul instructs in 1 Timothy 2:11-12.  "But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet."
     "Let the women keep silent in the churches;" the apostle writes in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, "for they are not permitted to speak, but let them subject themselves, just as the Law also says.
     "And if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church."
     This does not mean that women are to be treated as second-class Christians by any means.  But it does make it clear that God's plan does not include women preachers.
     Some insist that this was Paul's bias, while others say that the instruction was valid only for that time or that city.  Two verses later, however, Paul has these words, "If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord's commandment."
     Verse 33 ends with this statement, "as in all the churches of the saints."
     Does it sound like this was Paul's opinion?  Does it sound like it was intended for only one congregation?
     Another group of men involved in the work of the church is known as deacons.  The qualifications for deacons are found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13, following those given for elders.  The term "deacon" comes from the Greek word for "servant."  So deacons are simply those who have been selected to serve in a special way in the church.  They do not play a role in governing the congregation, they simply serve.
     Does it matter how the church is structured?  Does it matter what we call people?  The religious world says, "No!"  The Bible says, "Yes!"  Which one are we going to accept?
     We all want to be free from sin.  Can we be free while we practice something that disagrees with the Bible?
     According to the word of God, only the truth will set us free.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission."