Authority and Autonomy of the Local
Church #2
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Definitions:
Authority: the power and right given by Jesus to His
church carry out the work of the great commission.
Autonomy: no body
or institution has power or authority over the Lord's church. Each local body answers directly to Jesus
Christ it's founder and not to a man made outside organization.
Authority was granted to the church in Matthew 16:18-19
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of
heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and
whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Exegesis
Peter,
and rock from verse 18. The word Peter (Grk, Petros) was Jesus nickname given
to Simon, it mean a small moveable stone.
The word rock (Grk, Petra fem.)
means a large outcropping of rock immoveable and steadfast. Jesus is making a play on words, based upon
His question to the apostles of His identity. Peter answers the question for
the group and Jesus responds with, “You are Peter (Petros, a small stone) and
upon this rock (Petra, large immoveable bedrock) I will build my church. The words contrast showing the one who was
the rock which the church would be built upon would be Jesus Christ, the one
who Peter confessed.
With
this agrees the rest of scripture whenever the symbol of a rock is used it
always refers to God or to Jesus Christ. (1Co 10:4, Daniel 2:34, Eph 2:20,
1 Peter 2:6)
Keys:
represent authority. Mt 6:19, Lu 11:52,
Re 1:18, 3:7, 9:1,
20:1 "The keys are the symbol of authority, as we speak of
honouring one by giving him the keys of the city." Robertson's NT Word
Pictures
Kingdom
of Heaven: the word kingdom mean reign
or rule. The kingdom of Heaven is used
synonymously with the Kingdom of God in the Gospels. Basically the Kingdom is
all of God's reign and rule over mankind.
At the time of Christ this was a tentative physical kingdom, dependent
upon the acceptance of Jesus as Messiah. (Luke 17:20-21) At this present time (the church age) the
Kingdom is being populated with citizens of that future Kingdom (Col 1:13,
4:11) and in the future the Kingdom in all its fullness will be instituted here
on earth for a thousand years. (Rev 20:4)
The
church is not the same as the kingdom.
The church is a means of extending the Kingdom of Heaven. The church will be absorbed into the greater
scope of the Kingdom at the end of the Church Age.
Bind,
and Loose: "To bind in rabbinical
language is to forbid, to loose is to permit." (RNTWP) things that would
be lawful or unlawful.
Interpretation:
Jesus was giving to the church through Peter as it's spokesman and later
pastor, the authority to do heaven's work on earth. This authority was fully in
keeping with God's will and was executive not legislative. If this is true then no other organization is
authorized to carry out the Lord's work.
(1Ti 3:15)
The church's
authority is to carry out the Lord's work as His body on earth.
The
authority to preach the gospel, to baptize, to preach, to discipline.
This authority is
contained within the local church itself and not outside the church, as
para-church or extra-church organization.
Any organization
which usurps authority over the local church is not authorized by Jesus.
Synods,
College of Cardinals, Bishops, Presbyters, Episcopals,
Conventions and Associations.
Any organization
which ignores or acts independently of the local church is not authorized by
Jesus.
Evangelistic
or Mission Organizations, Mission boards, Christian
Colleges.
Any person who
ignores or usurps the authority of the church is wrong. (3 John 1:9-11)
Church Polity
Polity is defined
as the way a body governs itself.
The Lord's church
is a pure democracy, all members have an equal voice.
If all believers
are indwelt with the Holy Spirit then all have equal ability to make decisions.
Scripture Examples
Acts 1:26
The apostles put forth their lots
The ancients used pebbles in voting, black for condemning, white in acquitting.-Robertson's
NT Word Pictures
Acts 6:3 The
congregation at Jerusalem chooses the first deacons.
Acts 15:22 All the assembly agrees to
James proposal.
3 John 9 John shows strong disapproval of one man who takes preeminence over others in
the church.
Other forms of Church Polity
Episcopalian Rule by bishops outside the church
itself. One bishop has authority of
several churches.
Presbyterian Rule is by council or groups of men outside
the church.
Pastor Rule Rule is by one man within the church.
Balancing Church Polity with Pastoral leadership
The pastor must
recognize that the church is the true authority.
The church must
realize that God leads through the pastor.
Ephesians 4:11-17
Within the walls of
any true, local New Testament church is the authority of all the Kingdom of
God.
To the church has
been given the power to carry out the Great Commission until Jesus the church’s
founder returns for His bride.
We must never take
or granted such a responsibility nor ever give up to another that which was
entrusted only to the local church.
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