NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH GOVERNMENT

 THE  BASIC  TRUTH  ABOUT  "CHURCH  GOVERNMENT"

I  HAVE  WRITTEN  A  WHOLE  BOOK  ON  TRUE  NEW  TESTAMENT  CHURCH  GOVERNMENT.

I  WILL  PUT  IT  ALL  UP  ON  THIS  BLOG  IN  TIME.

FOR  NOW  LET  ME  GIVE  YOU  THE  BASIC  TRUTH-----

THERE  NEVER  WAS  IN  THE  FIRST  CENTURY  A.D.  A  CENTRAL  GOVERNMENT,  A  DOMINANT  CHURCH  THAT  RULED  ALL  OTHER  LOCAL  CHURCHES.  EVERY  SINGLE  LOCAL  CHURCH  WAS  AUTONOMOUS  UNTO  ITSELF.

THE  APOSTLE  PAUL  CAME  ALONG  AFTER  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT  CHURCH  WAS  FOUNDED  ON  THE  DAY  OF  PENTECOST [ACTS 2].  FROM  READING  HIS  EPISTLES,  ESPECIALLY  THE  EPISTLE  OF  GALATIANS,  IT  IS  VERY  CLEAR  HE  DID  NOT  TAKE  A  BACK  SEAT  TO  ANYONE,  INCLUDING  THE  APOSTLE  PETER.

PAUL  TAUGHT  IN  PERSON  AND  IN  EPISTLES;  HE  TAUGHT  THE  TRUTH  AND  GAVE  CORRECTIONS,  ADMONITIONS,  INSTRUCTIONS  OF  TRUTH,  AND  LEFT  IT  TO  LOCAL  CHURCHES  WITH  THEIR  ELDERS  AND  DEACONS  TO  LIVE  OUT  THOSE  TRUTHS.

YES  HE  TAUGHT  UNDER-STUDIES  OF  HIS  LIKE  TIMOTHY  AND  TITUS,  HOW  TO  OVERSEE  A  LOCAL  CHURCH,  AND  TO  ORDAIN  OTHER  MEN  AS  ELDERS  AND  PASTORS  OF  LOCAL  CHURCHES.

BUT  YOU  CAN  NOT  FIND  PAUL  EVER  SAYING  HE  WAS  IN  CHARGE  OF  ALL  THE  CHURCHES  HE  STARTED;  OR  SAYING  THEY  WERE  "UNDER"  SOME  CENTRAL  HEADQUARTERS  CHURCH  THAT  HAD  RULERSHIP  OVER  ALL  OTHER  LOCAL  CHURCHES.

THAT  KIND  OF  CHURCH  GOVERNMENT  WAS  A  ROMAN  CATHOLIC  INVENTION,  AS  THE  FIRST  CENTURIES  OF  A.D.  CAME  ALONG.

LOCAL  CHURCHES  CO-OPERATED  AMONG  THEMSELVES  IN  SERVING  IN  THE  SPREAD  OF  THE  GOSPEL;  AND  IN  PHYSICAL  NEEDS  WHEN  HARD  TIMES  ETC.  CAME  UPON A  LOCAL  CHURCH/S  IN  A  CERTAIN  AREA,  PROVINCE,  OR  NATION.

WHEN  PERSECUTIONS  CAME  UPON  AN  AREA  IT  WAS  IMPORTANT  FOR  LOCAL  CHURCHES  TO  WORK  WITH  AND  SERVE  EACH  OTHER,  IN  ALL  WAYS  TO  ENDURE  THE  PERSECUTION,  AND  REMAIN  FAITHFUL  TO  THE  FAITH  ONCE  DELIVERED  TO  THE  SAINTS.