THE CHURCH AND AUTHORITY.

 SOME INDICATION OF CONGREGATIONAL AUTHORITY.

The issue of the church is off center until we recognize there are no “churches” at all in the NT. The Greek word “ekklesia” appears exactly 117 times.  It was a word of the civic and political world of the NT.  It was used by the Greeks for the idea of calling people together or calling to assembly. It meant an assembly of people called together for a purpose.  To start out on the right foot in a discussion of the “ekklesia” we need to set aside the made up word of the Bishops Bible and the KJV and translate it into meaningful English. Translated it is “assembly.” The Lord Jesus Christ is building an “assembly” (Matt. :16-20) It will assault the very gates of hell and prevail. Just two chapters later Matthew informs us of the Lord’s instructions in dealing with a sinning brother. The end of the process is this assembly. The assembly of people gathered in name of Jesus Christ , the son of the living God, are the highest and final authority on the matter. Their authority is such that it invokes the very authority of Heaven (Matt. 18:15-20).

We should expect the assembly to have such authority. Paul will later inform us that the Lord has a very sacrificial personal relationship to His assembly (Eph.5:22-33). He is the head and the assembly is to submit to Him. No person, principle, or entity, can stand above or between this relationship.  Christ is the direct head over those gathered in assembly.

We also see in scripture that those viewed as being in the assembly are the saved through simple faith in Christ. They have been Justified, Regenerated, Adopted, and placed into a royal Priesthood and made part of a living temple.  The scriptures reveal many other blessings bestowed on these. They have all been placed into union with Christ and are a part of His Spiritual body (Rom. 6; 1Cor.12:12-14). They are repeatedly called saints by the Apostles because of their being set apart to Christ. Paul makes a very important point of telling each believer that no one stands between them and their Lord (1Tim. 2:5-6). The assembly of the saints is composed of those saved who gain their blessings directly from God. They each have a personal relationship with God through Christ. Therefore, their individual relationships give them authority when they meet and act together. After giving the qualifications for Elders and servant ministers of varying tasks, (Deacons?), Paul then gives the assembly of the living God, and God’s household, as the pillar and ground of the truth. The assembly, not the Elders are the highest authority entrusted with the truth of God.

In Acts we see the Apostles, who possessed special Authority directly from God, and entrusted as Jews with the continuing oracles of God, acknowledging the authority of the assembly. At chapters 6 the Apostles bring the assembly of saints into the selection process to select ministering servants for assistance in ministry. They ask the assembly to select and “the whole multitude” is involved in the process. The point is the assembly selected. Did they vote? Possibly, or probably, as it is a simple process that was practiced by the Jews in selecting city leaders and by the Romans for various things. They most likely did not throw darts. They most likely did vote.  Those who claim they did not vote often focus on the Greek word “episkeptomai.”  After out Greeking the Greeks by giving undue credence to word etymology, they fail to handle the entire passage and immediate context which clearly indicate the multitude was involved in the process. This passage is more likely indicating voting than not. It should also be noted that Acts indicates that the assemblies as a whole were involved in sending out missionaries (Acts 11:22: 13:1-3). At Acts 14:23 Apostolic authority allows  Paul with Barnabus to appoint Elders in every city church. The Greek word allows for selection by hand raising. Perhaps the Acts 6 process was used.

The very word assembly, used to denote the entity of assembled saints makes these saints together the highest earthly authority for God on earth in this age. The assembly gets its authority from the individual saints who each have a personal priestly relationship to God. It is the believers Priesthood.

Believer Priests assembled together become the final authority. They must recognize the Elders. They must read the scriptures for themselves and determine truth. The Apostles recognized this authority.  If one sets aside the assembly as the final spiritual authority they no longer have a legitimate assembly of Christ. They have bypassed divine authority and have merely a humanly constructed religious institution with a managing board and religious customers.

It should be noted that congregational government existed in the early church centuries, the middle ages among medieval evangelicals, separatist in England and among the separatist Pilgrims who came to North America.