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The Church Jesus Built

The Organization of the church

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The Organization of the church

•Why be concerned about “church Organization?–Organization reveals purpose•When God creates something, He has a purpose in mind•Seen in physical realm•Also in the local church

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Why Be Concerned?

•Organization reveals purpose•Apostasy often begins with change in Organization–Earliest departures from New Testament doctrine was a change in church organization.–Modern-day apostasies start this way as well

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Church Organization in the NT

•Elders to Oversee the local congregation–A congregation, once fully developed would have elders•Acts 14:23 “When they had appointed

elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. ”

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Church Organization in the NT

•Elders to Oversee the local congregation–A congregation, once fully developed would have elders - Acts 14:23•Titus 1:5 “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,”

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Elders, Bishops, Pastors

•Elders - presbuteros - presbyter

•Bishops - episkopos - overseer

•Pastors - poimen - shepherd–Acts 20:17 - “From Miletus he sent to

Ephesus and called to him the elders [presbuteros] of the church.”

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Elders, Bishops, Pastors

•Elders - presbuteros - presbyter•Bishops - episkopos - overseer•Pastors - poimen - shepherd–Acts 20:28 - “Be on guard for yourselves

and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers [episkopos], to shepherd [poimen] the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”

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1 Peter 5:1-2 “Therefore, I exhort the elders

[presbuteros] among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of

Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd [poimen]

the flock of God among you, exercising oversight [episkopeo] not under

compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain,

but with eagerness;”

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Elders, Bishops, Pastors

•Elders - presbuteros - presbyter•Bishops - episkopos - overseer•Pastors - poimen – shepherd

–Not three distinct offices …–But different ways to describe the men and their work

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Elders•Appointed only after meeting stringent qualifications–Qualifications are listed in 1 Tim. 3:1-7 & Titus 1:5-9

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1 Timothy 3:1-7

“It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it

is a fine work he desires to do. 2 An overseer, then, must be above

reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable,

hospitable, able to teach,…”

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1 Timothy 3:1-7

“… 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. 4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a

man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the

church of God?), …”

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1 Timothy 3:1-7

“… 6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the

snare of the devil.”

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Titus 1:5-9“For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed

you, 6 namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having

children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. 7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, …”

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Titus 1:5-9

“… not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful

word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to

exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.”

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Elders•Appointed only after meeting stringent qualifications–Qualifications are listed in 1 Tim. 3:1-7 & Titus 1:5-9–Note that they “must be”•Husband of one wife•With faithful children

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Elders•In every congregation with elders …–There was a plurality

•The Authority of the elders to oversee was limited–Acts 20:28 "Be on guard for

yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers,"

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Elders•In every congregation with elders …–There was a plurality

•The Authority of the elders to oversee was limited–1 Peter 5:2 - they were to "shepherd the flock of God among you"

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Elders•In every congregation with elders …–There was a plurality

•The Authority of the elders to oversee was limited

•No elder (bishop, pastor) or group of elders had any authority beyond their local congregation

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Deacons

•To serve elders & the congregation–Servants - diakonos - servant, minister–Qualifications - 1 Tim. 3:8-13

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1 Timothy 3:8-13

“Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or

addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, 9 but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 These men must also first be tested; then let

them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. …”

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1 Timothy 3:8-13

“… 11 Women [their wives, KJV] must likewise be dignified, not malicious

gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers

of their children and their own households. …”

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1 Timothy 3:8-13

“… 13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high

standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”

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Deacons

•To serve elders & the congregation–Servants - diakonos - servant, minister–Qualifications - 1 Tim. 3:8-13•Their work is a noble one - 1 Tim. 3:13

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1 Timothy 3:8-13

“… 13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a

high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”

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Members of the congregation

•Saints - hagios - holy one–1 Corinthians 1:2 “To the

church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:”

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Members of the congregation

•Saints - hagios - holy one–1 Corinthians 1:2–Philippians 1:1 “Paul and

Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons: ”

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Members of the congregation

•Saints - hagios - holy one•1 Cor. 1:2; Phil. 1:1

–Also called:•Disciples•Christians•Believers

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Members of the congregation

•Saints - hagios - holy one–Among the members were “evangelists” and “teachers”•Eph. 4:11 “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,”

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Members of the congregation

•Saints - hagios - holy one–Among the members were “evangelists” and “teachers”•Evangelists take the gospel to the lost•Teachers instruct and edify the members

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Members of the congregation

•Saints - hagios - holy one–Among the members were “evangelists” and “teachers”•Those commonly referred to as “preachers” or “ministers” …•May do the work of both evangelist and teacher–2 Tim. 4:5; 2 Tim. 2:2

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2 Timothy 4:5

“But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

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2 Timothy 2:2

“The things which you have heard from me in the presence

of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. ”

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Members of the congregation

•Saints - hagios - holy one–Whether they serve as …•Evangelist•Teacher•Preacher•Minister

–Within the local church they likewise submit to the oversight of the elders

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Philippians 1:1•“To all the saints in Christ Jesus who

are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons ”

•Other than the members (saints), what organization existed was a two-tier system–Bishops (elders)–Deacons

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Changes in the Organization

•Ancient changes–In NT, there is always a plurality of elders (bishops)•Phil. 1:1 “Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus,To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons”

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Changes in the Organization

•Ancient changes–In NT, there is always a plurality of elders (bishops)•Acts 20:17 “From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.”

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Changes in the Organization

•Ancient changes–In NT, there is always a plurality of elders (bishops)•Titus 1:5 “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,”

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Changes in the Organization

•Ancient changes–In NT, there is always a plurality of elders (bishops)–This certainly prevented a one-man rule over a church

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Ancient changes

•During 2nd Century churches began to have only one–That bishop exercised oversight over nearby rural churches as well as the city church–His ecclesiastical territory became known as a “diocese” or “see” (“eparchy”)

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Ancient changes•During 2nd Century churches began to have only one

•Bishops of churches that had been founded by apostles were said to be in succession to the apostles–Their teaching was held to be authentic and their authority of equal importance

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Ancient changes•By 400 AD, the bishop of Rome began to assume extraordinary authority above other Bishops–A. T. Robinson: "Ignatius shows that in the early second century the office of bishop over the elders had developed, … Lightfoot has shown that it was not so in the first century."

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Modern Changes•Many denominations have adopted early changes in church organization–Some emulate an organization similar to Roman Catholicism–Others have a 3-tier system•Bishop (Pastor)•Elders•Deacons

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Modern Changes•Some who have sought to restore New Testament Christianity have adopted changes that are not much different than what occurred in the past–The International Church of Christ has developed a hierarchy of control over churches that emulates the structure found in Catholicism and other churches

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Modern Changes•Some who have sought to restore New Testament Christianity have adopted changes that are not much different than what occurred in the past–The sponsoring-church concept adopted by many churches of Christ has the same effect as changes which occurred in the second century •Elders in one area overseeing other churches or areas

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Import of changes•Does it really matter???–Yes–Reflects an improper attitude toward the Scriptures and the Lord•It gives the idea that, we are free to change whatever we desire•That we can come up with a more efficient plan than the Lord

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Import of changes•Change the organization and you change the purpose–In the NT organization of the local church, the purpose of the elders is to watch and feed the flock over which the Spirit has appointed them

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Import of changes•Change the organization and you change the purpose–When elders become overseers of other churches or works in other areas...•They are no longer shepherds, but administrators•They presume authority in areas they have not been given•They take on works they really can't oversee

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Import of changes•Change the organization and you change the purpose–When elders become overseers of other churches or works in other areas...

•Their purpose as God's shepherds has changed

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Import of changes•Changes in organization upset the "balance of power"–Other than the authority given the inspired apostles, no man or group of men, were given more authority than the elders of a particular church•Even their authority was limited to the church where they were•A plurality of elders in one congregation also kept them in check

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Import of changes•Changes in organization upset the "balance of power"–But when changes in church organization occurred...•It became possible for one man to control one or more churches•It became possible for a group of men to control a group of churches

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Import of changes•Changes in organization upset the "balance of power"

•Then authority over churches which ought to rest in Christ and His apostles now becomes vested in uninspired men!

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Import of changes•Divine wisdom to slow the development of error is hindered–Some changes in church organization were an attempt to restrain error–But whenever you have an organizational structure above the local church, the potential for error's spread multiplies

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Import of changes•Divine wisdom to slow the development of error is hindered–If error creeps in a local church, it is less likely to spread if each congregation is independent and autonomous

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Import of changes•Divine wisdom to slow the development of error is hindered–But if error creeps into a hierarchy like those developed in the second century and later, it can quickly spread to churches expected to submit to such hierarchy

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Church in

Rome

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Conclusion

•A study of church history should illustrate the danger of making changes in the organization of the church

•When Jesus said, "I will build My church...", I believe He knew the best way to do it!

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Conclusion

•The New Testament reveals how He did it through His apostles

•A clear pattern concerning the organization of churches in the New Testament reveals its simplicity and evidence of Divine Wisdom

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Conclusion

•If we are content to "continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching" (Acts 2:42)

•Then we will make sure that we follow their ways in Christ pertaining to the local church!