PHILIPPIANS 4:9 “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you” (NKJV).

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION This Is Personal I have family on both sides I have been on both sides Why I changed Can I find it in Scripture? PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION The Church in the New Testament The church=the saved (Acts 2:47, KJV, NKJV, Col. 1:13) “Church” (ekklesia) is a political term. God’s “family” (Eph. 3:15), His “kingdom” (Dan. 2:44, Col. 1:13, Rev. 1:6), His “flock” (John 10:16; Acts 20:28, 1 Pet. 5:2), His “temple” (1 Cor. 3:16, Eph. 2:21), a “spiritual house” (1 Pet. 2:5), His “body” (1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 1:22-23), His “vine” (John 15:4-5) PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION The Church in the New Testament Purpose of Christ’s coming (Matt. 16:18) Purchased with the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28) To be saved, but not a part of the body of those defined as the saved doesn’t add up. PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION The Church in the New Testament Christ’s assembly began at Pentecost Looking forward to it (Matt. 3:2; 4:17; 6:10; 10:7; 16:18; Mark 9:1; Luke 12:31; 23:51; Acts 1:6-8) before Pentecost. Backward to it (Acts 14:22; 28:23; Rom. 14:17; 1 Cor. 4:20; 15:25; Col. 1:13; 1 Tim. 6:15; Heb. 12:28; Rev. 1:9) after Pentecost. PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION The Church in the New Testament Assembly of citizens of a city-state (Herodotus, Histories 3.142; Polybius, Histories 16.26; Laws 764a; Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War 1.87.6). “A lawful assembly” (Acts 20:39) or mob (Acts 20:28, 41) Greek OT (LXX) congregation in wilderness (Deut. 31:30) Synagogue of Christian assemblies (Jas. 2:2; cf. verb form Heb. 10:25) PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION The Organization of the NT Church Universal Sense “My church” (Matt. 16:18) “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. (Heb. 12:22-24) PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION The Organization of the NT Church Local Sense “Church in Jerusalem” (Acts 11:22); “church in Cenchrea” (Rom. 16:1); “church in Smyrna” (Rev. 2:8) “One body” (Eph. 4:4; Col. 3:15) “His body” (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:24) “Churches of Christ” (Rom. 16:16); the “churches of Galatia” (Gal. 1:2); the “churches of Judea” (Gal. 1:22) and the “churches of God” (1 Thess. 2:14) PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION The Organization of the NT Church The Local Church Assembled While one is added to the church upon obedience to the gospel (Acts 2:47, KJV, NKJV), …And identified with a local church upon expressing a willingness to do so (cf. Acts 9:26; 11:26), …That is not the same as being in an assembly of a local church. PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION The Organization of the NT Church The Local Church Assembled Lord’s Supper “as a church,” literally “in [en] the church” (1 Cor. 11:18, ASV) “In [en] the church” Paul says, “I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue” (1 Cor. 14:19) PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION The Organization of the NT Church The Local Church Assembled “Let your women keep silent in [en] the churches, for they are not permitted to speak…” “…It is shameful for women to speak in [en] church” (1 Cor. 14:34-35) Like congress and in congress PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION The Organization of the NT Church Christ is the “Head of the church” (Eph. 5:23) Local or universal? He is the Head universally. PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION The Organization of the NT Church Local church organization? “Appointed elders in every church” (Acts 14:23) “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you” (1 Pet. 5:2; cf. Acts 20:28) An elder is never given authority over multiple congregations, nor is a single elder given authority over a whole congregation. PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION Autonomy and Independence “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you [en humin]” (1 Pet. 5:2) “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which [en hō] the Holy Spirit has made you overseers” (Acts 20:28) Elders are “in” the flock over which they watch. PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION Autonomy and Independence Diotrephes loved “to have the preeminence” (3 John 9) Put those “out of the church” whom John sent (3 John 10) Peter and Gentile converts (Gal. 2:11-12) PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION Autonomy and Independence Congregations were not considered branches extending from some centralized stem. They were independent communities of individuals serving the Lord. PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION Extreme Views of Autonomy Anarchy “A state of disorder due to absence or non-recognition of authority” (New Oxford American Dictionary) In one sense no one is autonomous. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20) “Slaves of God” (Rom. 6:22) PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION Extreme Views of Autonomy Anarchy Local church organization is autonomous. “Head over all things to the church” (Eph. 1:22) “The Chief Shepherd” (1 Pet. 5:4) “Whatever you bind on the earth shall occur, having been bound in Heaven” (Matt. 18:18, GLT) PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION Extreme Views of Autonomy Isolation Fellowship with God = fellowship with one another in Christ (1 John 1:3). “Love the brotherhood” (1 Pet. 2:17) Paul Galatians (Gal. 1:6-9)—Jesus Asia (Rev. 1-3) Pass “by on the other side” Luke 10:31-32)? PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION Church Cooperation “One real hindrance to brotherhood unity has been an ungodly view of church autonomy.” He argued that church autonomy “guaranteed that the world will never be evangelized” and thus concluded that autonomy is “contrary to the very purpose of God and is sinful” (Gordon Ferguson, Boston Bulletin, “Progressive Revelation,” Part 4, June 5, 1988). PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION Church Cooperation “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves” (Gen. 11:4) “Make us a king to judge us like all the nations” (1 Sam. 8:5) “They have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them” (1 Sam. 8:7) PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION Church Cooperation Cooperation Debates in the Restoration Movement “Congregational Cooperation: A Historical Study,” by Earl Irvin West: http://grandoldbook.com/congregationalcooperatio n.pdf David Lipscomb and John T. Poe (1869) PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION Church Cooperation Cooperation Debates in the Restoration Movement “But when a church finds a work to do which it cannot do alone, how shall it act then?” (West) PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION Church Cooperation Cooperation Debates in the Restoration Movement “Precisely as the family acts, when it finds itself unable to roll its own logs, raise its own house, harvest its own grain or pick its own cotton. Let it make known its weakness and wants to its nearest sister congregations or congregation…” PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION Church Cooperation Cooperation Debates in the Restoration Movement “… And let these congregations without any human organization, say whether they will aid the one asking aid or not and send the aid to sustain the teacher, or feed the poor, as congregations, without the intervention of any human organization…” PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION Church Cooperation Cooperation Debates in the Restoration Movement “…So soon then as the work is done each congregation is left perfectly free to pursue its own course without any entangling alliances, with burdensome and frail human machinery or with its sister congregations.” (Lipscomb) PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION Church Cooperation Cooperation Debates in the Restoration Movement “Two farmers, living as neighbors, work side by side. One has work to do that he cannot do himself. So, he asks the aid of his neighbor. Each farmer, pursuing his own independent course, cooperates. The emergency that necessitated the call for aid ends, and the farmers are left free of any encumbering machinery.” (West-Lipscomb) PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION Cooperation in the New Testament No centralized concept of the church (Acts 8:1, 14; 11:19-23; 15:6) PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION Cooperation in the New Testament Benevolence “Relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea” (Acts 11:29b) “Each according to his ability” (Acts 11:29a) “Sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul” (Acts 11:30) PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION Cooperation in the New Testament Evangelism “Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities” (Phil. 4:15-16) PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

CHURCH GOVERNMENT & COOPERATION Must We Follow Biblical Examples? “Learned and received and heard and saw” (Phil. 4:9) Henderson Meeting (1910) Continent of Great Cities (1976-present) “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed” (John 8:31) PERSONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION AUTONOMY EXTREMES COOPERATION NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES