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The Organization Of The Church
The New Testament employs the word "church" in two different senses. One is the church in a given locality and the other is the church in the general sense. The latter includes all the local congregations. When Christ said to Peter, "Upon this rock I will build my church" (Matt. 16:18), he spoke of his church or body of saints in the general sense. In this sense the church is universal. It includes all congregations of saints everywhere. One who is a member of the New Testament church in one locality is a member wherever he may be. God adds to the church those who have accepted and obeyed the terms of salvation as stated in the New Testament. Thus the church is universal, not because it includes all who claim to be Christians, but all who do the commandments of God.
The church in the general sense has no earthly organization whatsoever. It is a spiritual body of which Christ is head. Paul says that God "put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all" (Eph. 1:22, 23). There is no scriptural basis either by precept or example for any sort of ecclesiastical system in the New Testament church. It has no earthly head or father. Christ is the head of the church, which is his body. We are to look to him, and to him only, as the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2). He is Lord of Lords, King, Judge, High Priest, Lawgiver, and Saviour of all. Hence, we do not have the right to appoint men to positions in the church which belong to Christ.
The bond of unity between the local congregations of the New Testament church is much greater than any legislated union we might devise. It comes of having a common basis of authority in all matters of faith and practice. That basis is the gospel of Christ. Paul says, "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in. all" (Eph. 4:4-6). Recognizing this oneness, local congregations of the New Testament church are not divided, but they are alike in all essential features, wearing the same name, believing the same thing, and practicing the same things. They are spoken of as "churches of Christ" (Rom. 16:16) and "churches of God" (I Thess. 2:14). They must not only be alike in every essential feature, but they must be identical with the New Testament pattern or else they have no Scriptural reason for claiming to be churches of Christ.
When we speak of the organization of the New Testament church, we have in mind the organization WITHIN the local church. There is no organization of the churches, but only that which is in the local church. There are two groups of officers in each congregation. In writing to the Philippian Christians, Paul greeted "all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons" (Phil. 1:1). Thus, the inspired penman makes a distinction between the saints, or members of the church in general, and these two groups of men the bishops and deacons. These two offices constitute in its entirety the organization of the New Testament church.
The bishops are those who oversee all the affairs of the church. They are referred to as elders or presbyters (Acts 14:23; I Tim. 5:1, 17; Tit. 1:5; I Pet. 5:1), pastors or shepherds (Eph. 4:11; I Pet. 2:25; 5:1, 2), and bishops or overseers (Acts 20:28; 1 Tim. 3:1; Tit. 1:7). These terms are used indiscriminately to refer to the same group of officers The Bible does not refer to a pastor over one congregation, or an elder over a district or a bishop over a diocese. Each local church is to have a plurality of them. "If we think of them as men of mature age and experience, then they are elders or presbyters. If we have in mind the men who take the oversight, then they are bishops or overseers. If we think of them as men who feed and care for the church, then they are shepherds or pastors" (L. R. Wilson: Congregational Development. page 3).
The qualifications of the bishops and deacons are fully given in the New Testament. Paul states the qualifications of the bishops in the third chapter of I Timothy and in the first chapter of Titus. In the two passages Paul lists twenty qualifications, which are as follows: (1) The bishop must be without reproach; (2) the husband of one wife; (3) he must rule well his own house; (4) he must be temperate, (5) sober-minded, (6) orderly, (7) given to hospitality, (8) apt to teach; (9) no brawler, (10) no striker, (11) gentle, (12) not contentious; (13) no lover of money, 14) not a novice; (15) he must be of good testimony from without, (16) not self-willed, (17) a lover of good, (18) just, (19) holy, and (20) sound in the faith. Not only should the elders possess these characteristics, but every Christian should strive to develop them. In this way we become mature Christians. The elders, however, should possess them to a greater degree, especially since they are men older in Christian experience and spiritual growth. This does not mean that they are perfect men. God's standards are all perfect, though his servants are not. Nevertheless, only those who possess these qualifications to a fair degree should be selected to have the oversight of the church.
Let us now consider the duties of the elders. The apostle Peter said, "The elders therefore among you I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, who am also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according to the will of God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, making yourselves ensamples of the flock" (I Peter 5:1-3). Please note: (1) The work of an elder should never be undertaken as a matter of constraint, but willingly. (2) It should never be undertaken for the sake of filthy lucre. (3) The elders must never attempt to "lord it over the charge allotted to them" i.e., they must not be dictatorial in exercising their authority. Thus Jesus said to his disciples, "Ye know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Not so shall it be among you but whosoever would be great among you shall be your servant; and whosoever would be first shall be your bond-servant" (Matt. 20:25, 26).
To these prohibitions Paul adds a number of positive duties. To the elders of the church at Ephesus he said, "Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood" (Acts 20:28). Combining these with the positive duties given by Peter, we have the following: (1) The elders must take heed unto themselves. No man can successfully serve an an elder who does not guard his own steps, striving always to be "without reproach," and to attain greater perfection in all the qualifications set forth in the word of God. (2) The apostle Paul also admonishes the elders to "take heed. . . to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops." This solemn duty demands eternal vigilance, for the elders watch in behalf of the souls of others. (3) The elders are further commanded to "feed the church of the Lord." This signifies that they are to tend or care for the church, as a shepherd does His flock. (4) They must also "take the oversight" of the church. In this sense the elders are bishops or overseers. It is their duty to direct the activities of the congregation, selecting teachers and evangelists and supervising all the spiritual affairs of the church. (5) The elders are also to "rule" the church, not as a tyrant, but as a shepherd rules his sheep by going before. They must be firm and uncompromising on all questions of right and wrong, yet kind and tolerant in matters of policy and mere-preference. (6) The elders are to be an example to the church.
When the elders have the necessary qualifications and are diligent in performing their duties, the work of the Lord will prosper, the church will grow, the members will be strengthened, and God will be glorified. Paul says, "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor" (I Tim. 5:17). Indeed, to have the oversight of the church of our Lord is the greatest responsibility and the greatest honor in all the world.
Let us now consider the qualifications and duties of the deacons. The term "deacon" means servant or minister. Their special duty is to look after the material affairs of the church. However, they may also teach and assist the elders in the edification of the church, as in the case of Stephen and Philip who were deacons in the Jerusalem church. The qualifications of the deacons are given in the sixth chapter of Acts and in First Timothy the third chapter. They include the following: (1) Deacons must be grave i. e., serious minded; not giddy, childish or unbalanced. (2) They must not be double-tongued; but rather, truthful and dependable. (3) They must not be given to much wine. Even in a country, and at a time, when wine was used universally for drinking purposes, the apostles warns against excessive use of it. Hence, deacons must be temperate. (4) They must not be greedy of filthy lucre. As in the case of the elders, the deacons must serve, not for personal gain, but for the love of God and the desire to serve. (5) They must hold the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. Though the deacons are not required to teach, many of them did in New Testament times, and certainly they must have a clear understanding of the word of God. (6) Deacons must also have only one wife. 7) They are expected to rule well their own house. No man should be appointed to look after the Lord's house, who cannot manage his own. (8) Deacons must be of good report. Like the elders, they must be blameless. (9) Deacons must be full of the Holy Spirit i.e., they must possess to a fair degree the indwelling Spirit which God gives to all his children. We receive it in proportion to our Christian growth. Thus, the deacons should be men who are careful to imitate the Great Example set forth in God's word. (10) Deacons must be men of wisdom. They must be competent and capable of carrying on the work in an intelligent manner.
The deacons are servants of the church. When Peter gave instructions concerning the selection of deacons in the Jerusalem church, he said to select men "whom we may appoint over this business." Not only were they assigned specific duties, but they were to look after the business of the church. Hence, deacons should have some business ability. They are to look after the material needs of the members. They should investigate and recommend all cases of charity. They are to handle the collections, deposits, budget, and other financial matters of the church. They should have the oversight of the building and property. In short, they are to perform any task that may be assigned to them by the elders under whose guidance and supervision they serve.
In summary, the organization of the New Testament church consists simply of two groups of officers in the local congregation the elders and deacons. The elders are also called presbyters, bishops, overseers, pastors and shepherds, these terms being used interchangeably throughout the New Testament to refer to the same office. There is no top-heavy ecclesiastical system or central organization between the local churches. Each congregation is an autonomous unit with Christ as sole potentate. When the officers of a congregation are properly qualified and perform their duties diligently, this form of organization works beautifully. It is the most perfect system known to man for carrying on the affairs of the church. You may rest assured God's ways are always right. If his plan is not functioning properly in a given locality, it is only because it has not been put into practice and given a fair trial.