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Why a special double issue of our magazine on church government, when there are so many other critical issues before us? Many people yawn when they hear the subject of church government So, why a special issue on it?
Kevin Reed answers: "The church is not a mere social club. The church is a kingdom established by Christ and subject to his rule. In the Bible, he has given an ecclesiastical government by which his people are to be ruled. Just as Christ has instituted civil government to ensure civil order, so he has established church government to preserve order in the church. A man is not free to dispense with the church's government anymore than he is at liberty to disregard the civil authorities." (Biblical Church Government; 1983, Kevin Reed. pg. 3.)
Why a special double issue of our magazine on church government, when there are so many other critical issues before us? Many people yawn when they hear the subject of church government So, why a special issue on it?
Kevin Reed answers: "The church is not a mere social club. The church is a kingdom established by Christ and subject to his rule. In the Bible, he has given an ecclesiastical government by which his people are to be ruled. Just as Christ has instituted civil government to ensure civil order, so he has established church government to preserve order in the church. A man is not free to dispense with the church's government anymore than he is at liberty to disregard the civil authorities." (Biblical Church Government; 1983, Kevin Reed. pg. 3.)
Why a special double issue of our magazine on church government, when there are so many other critical issues before us? Many people yawn when they hear the subject of church government So, why a special issue on it?
Kevin Reed answers: "The church is not a mere social club. The church is a kingdom established by Christ and subject to his rule. In the Bible, he has given an ecclesiastical government by which his people are to be ruled. Just as Christ has instituted civil government to ensure civil order, so he has established church government to preserve order in the church. A man is not free to dispense with the church's government anymore than he is at liberty to disregard the civil authorities." (Biblical Church Government; 1983, Kevin Reed. pg. 3.)
aU :of. which will be presented in this issue. Part .I begins with the question . ' . I.; Why Overly Concerned About. W hy a special. of out magazme on church . . . government, when there . are so many . other critical issues before us.? Many people yawn when they hear the subject of church government So, why a on it? . Kevin Reed answers: "The chmth is not a mere social club. The church is kingdom established by Clnist and sub- ject to his rule. In die Bible, he has giv- en an ecclesiastical government by which his people are to be ruled. Just as Christ has instituted civil govem:tllent to ensure civil order, so he has estab- lished church to preset'Ve or- der in the A man is nOt free to dispense With the govemment anymore than he is at liJ:)erty to dis- regard the ciVil (Biblical Church Government; . 1983, Kevin Reed. pg._ 3.) . Over 150 years ago Presbyterian preacher and scholar, Samuel Miller; wrote: ". . . . it is plain, from the word of . God, as well as from uniform experi- ence; that the govern:rnent of the church is. a matter of great importance; that the FORM as well as the ADMINISTRA- TION of that govenuilent is more vital- ly connected with the peace, purity and edification of the church, than many Christians appear to believe; and, of consequence, that it is no small part of fidelity to our Master in heaven to 'hold fast' the forin . of ECCLESIASTICAL ORDER, as well as the 'form of sound words' which he .has delivered .to the (Samuel Miller, T_lu! RUling pg. 20, as q\ioted by in Biblical. Church Goverhment, 5.} . Th' Counsel of Chalcedon Jan.Feb., 1990 page 2 Samuel Miller continues in his book. Presbyterianism: The Truly Primitive . and. Apostolical Constitution of the Church of Christ, (1835): . . ".The church, being a social body, called out of the world, and constituted by .the authority of Jesus Christ, indis- pensably needs a form of government No society can exist in purity and peace without order. And no order can be maintained without authority, laws, and a set of officers to apply the laws, and administer the form of order which may have been adopted. Our Master in hea- ven has commanded 'his body, the church,' to preserve within her borders purity of doctrine and holiness of con- versation (behavior); and for this pur- pose to 'warn the unruly;' to admonish the careless; reclaim the wandering; and to cut off those who are obstinately cor- rupt, either in faith or practice .. All this she was commanded to do, and actu(llly did peifo!m, all the civil govem- ments of the world were leagued against her, and the fires of martyrdom were kin- dled on every side. --- "Now; it is obviously impossible for the church to fulfill these obligations, without such an ecclesiastical constitu- tion, such a system of laws, and such a body of officers, as will enable her to apply to her members that authority which her Master has vested in her, 'for edification and not for destruction.' Hence, the necessity of organizing' the church under some distinct and definite It is not asserted, 'or believed by us, that any one form of government is essential to the existence of the church; but, simply, that if purity and peace be maintaine<(, must be some form . adopted; and that that form which is de- \ I I I I i
?roper Church Government? by Joe Morecraft, ill rived from the word of God is, undoubt- edly, the best, and binding on all. "The Presbyterian Church claims to derive her form of government from the Holy Scriptures. She is persuaded that the New Testament most distinctly pre- sents, as existing in the Apostolic Church, all the three features which constitute the peculiarities of her ecclesi- astical polity, viz. the parity of her min- isters; the government of the church by ruling elders; and the attainment of the unity and cooperation by courts of re- view and control. She aims to avoid the unauthorized pretensions of Prelacy on the one hand, and the lax, inadequate scheme of Independency on the other; and to adopt that system of ministerial equality, and efficient representation in the government of the church, which at once guards, as far as possible, against the encroachments of clerical ambition; secures the rights of the people, and pro- vides for the exercise of pure and whole- some discipline in the most edifying manner." (pg. 44-45) One last illustration of the impor- tance of biblical church government- A friend of mine is being used of God in a nation enslaved under a Marxist, totali- tarian government to plant the ftrst Pres- byterian church in that nation's history. This church, once a Methodist church, explained why it became a Presbyterian church in a letter to my presbytery, ap- plying for membership. The pastor wrote that he and his congregation not only believe the Westminster Standards to contain the system of doctrine taught in the Bible, they also wanted to be a model for freedom and order to their Marxist overlords and to the people of their nation. They believed they could do that best by re-organtzmg into a church governed by elders, who repre- sent the church constitution (the Bible), and who are freely elected by the people to do so. Praise God for their insight and courage. May God richly bless their efforts and witness, as he protects them from those who would do them harm. When the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia in the late 1780's to hammer out a new constitution, the model the delegates used to create our re- public, (i.e., a nation governed by law, not by the majority as in a democracy), was the republican-representative gov- ernment of the Presbyterian Church. In this age of Marxism, socialism, t o t l i ~ tarianism, big governments, monstrous federal and state bureaucracies and wel- fare states, which absorb out wealth, perpetuate poverty, destroy morale and integrity, retard productivity, diminish liberty and pervert justice, the model of Presbyterianism with its representative government is needed more than ever. Civil governments with centralized pow- er have failed, along with their episco- pal ecclesiastical counterparts. Democra- cies, ruled by the whims of the mobs manipulated by media and elitists, have failed, along with their congregational ecclesiastical cou'llterparts. Political and ecclesiastical representative govern- ments based on the word of God are the only social institutions, along with the family, which can guarantee "liberty and justice for all." n The Counsel of Chalcedon Jan.-Feb., 1990 page 3