The
1689 Confession of Faith - A midweek bible study notes
Chapter
26 - Of the Church
1689.26.7
Of the Power and Authority Entrusted by Christ to each Local Church
Recapitulation
Chapter
4: Christ, the alone Head of the Church, is invested with all power and
authority…
Chapter
5: Christ executes the invested authority to gather the redeemed into local
churches…
Chapter
6: Christ’s local churches are made up of visible saints, those called out of
the world…
Paragraph 7: Christ gives to EACH local church all power and authority needful for her
calling and duties…
The
subject of rule and discipline in the local churches, both formative and corrective, is
repeatedly emphasized by Christ; the rule and discipline presuppose the power
and authority to do so.
-
Each church is held solely responsible for managing her own affairs; Christ
never asserts, assumes, or remotely implies that the other churches may
exercise church discipline/rule by intervening in another church's affair. He
alone is the all-capable Head of each local church.
-
Too many think otherwise; denominational churches and feudalistic mindsets are
common.
-
ALL power in any way required for each local church to fulfil her calling by
the Lord has been committed to her by the Lord Himself. There is therefore NO
higher ecclesiastical power outside or above the local church.
-
Each local church constituted according to the mind of Christ, has complete
sufficiency of all the power and authority from Christ, to carry out her
calling and manages her affairs, according to the command of Christ; the church
has no other business.
-
This is the glorious liberty of each local church, even the smallest or the
weakest enjoys under the headship of Christ; guard this precious liberty
jealously; there are too many, with sincere intention, who want to usurp
Christ, and lord over other churches.
b.
Therefore popular forms of church government are not according to the Bible:
-
Episcopacy (by a hierarchy of individuals), e.g. RCC, Anglican Church;
-
Presbyterianism (by a hierarchy of committees), e.g. all kinds of presbyterian
churches;
-
Congregationalism (by the members of the church)
These
are not according to Christ's mind as declared in His word.
Independency
(by the elders with congregational consent) alone is the biblical form of
church government.
c.
The church in Jerusalem (Acts 15) had a unique authority in the outworking of
redemptive history, and therefore was NOT normative for any other local churches
in subsequent ages; it does not repudiate Independency.
-
It was the church with the twelve apostles who were the foundation of the
church. It was also the first and ONLY 'mother' church of Christianity. The
church in Jerusalem was unique.
-
Acts 15 provides no basis for Episcopacy or Presbyterianism or Popery. These
man-made forms are handmaids to ecclesiastical tyranny.
Paragraph 7 deals with the subject of the power and authority of a local church.
(1689.27.7) "To
each of these churches therefore gathered, according to his mind declared in
his word, he has given all that power and authority, which is in any way
needful for their carrying on that order in worship and discipline, which he
has instituted for them to observe; with commands and rules for the due and
right exerting, and executing of that power.”
14 Matt. 18:17, 18; 1 Cor. 5:4,
5, 5:13, 2 Cor. 2:6-8
Five distinct matters related to this power and authority are stated in the paragraph.
1.
The Stated Recipients of the Power and Authority Entrusted
a.
“To each of these churches therefore gathered, according to his mind declared
in his word..."
-
To each of these churches: each church individually and separately, independent
of other churches.
b.
A local church is a group of believers GATHERED according to Christ’s mind, as
described in the previous paragraph,
-
“A local church is a body of believers in Christ, baptized upon a credible
profession of faith, and voluntarily associate under a special covenant for the
maintenance of worship, the truths, the ordinances, and the discipline, of the
gospel according to the word of God.”
c.
To each of these churches: power and authority are invested in the churches;
please note, the power is not invested in individuals!
-
The power invested in the churches is to be exercised and administered
according to the mind of Christ alone.
d. Christ’s mind concerning the gathering (calling out and institution of them into) HIS churches is declared in His word, the Holy Scriptures. Mt 28:19-20.
2.
The Sovereign Source of the Power and Authority Entrusted
a.
To Christ alone, as Head of His church, has been given “ALL power in heaven and
in earth.” Mt 28:18
b.
Christ alone has all the power and authority needed by the churches…
- A
church has none to give to another church.
- A
church does not need any apart from that of Christ.
c.
Christ has entrusted all necessary power and authority needed by each local
church, freely and sovereignty.
- A
church gathered according to the mind of Christ does not lack, or stand in need
of any, from another church, or any other source.
3.
The Complete Sufficiency of the Power and Authority Entrusted
"...
which is in any way needful for their carrying on..."
a.
All power and authority needed by a church for her calling, works and
government have been entrusted to her by the Lord Jesus Christ; none is needed
from any other outside the church.
b. A local church gathered according to the mind of Christ is not deficient or lacking in any power needed for all her calling, works, and discipline.
4.
The Specified Purpose of the Power and Authority Entrusted
a.
"... for their carrying on that order in worship and discipline, which he
has instituted for them to observe…”
-
The purpose of being entrusted with that power and authority is very specific.
-
The words “order in worship and discipline” sum up the calling and the work of
the church. The church has no other business.
b. What Christ Himself has instituted to be observed, He has given the necessary power and authority to be observed.
5.
The Regulated Administration of the Power and Authority Entrusted
a.
"... with commands and rules for the due and right exerting, and executing
of that power."
(This
last clause is carefully elaborated in the next paragraph, a beautiful logical
progression.)
b.
“with commands and rules”: the power and authority entrusted to the church by
Christ must be executed and administered according to His expressed will.
c.
The due and right exerting, and executing of that power entrusted is defined by
the commands and rules laid down by Christ, the head of the church.
-
This is to safeguard a church from ecclesiastical tyranny, and the Lord’s flock
from being lord over by hirelings.
Questions
1.
Does a loose gathering of believers constitute a church? Why?
-
How does the Confession define a church?
2. "Pastor-teachers are needed for the well-being (health), but not the being (existence) of the church." Discuss.
3. How does the Confession assume that church membership is commanded by Christ?
4. What context does Mt 18:15-20 presuppose?
5. "Biblical discipleship requires believer's baptism, church membership and submission to Christ's appointed authority in the local church." cp Mt 28:19-20. Comment.
6. Do 'parachurch' organizations (eg. non-local church-based Seminaries, Bible Colleges, Student Fellowships, etc ) have Christ's authority committed to them? Why?
7.
Does the Independency form of Church government mean isolationism? Why?
8. Why is Independency the stalwart against ecclesiastical tyranny?
9. How does Christ command Christians to join local churches?
10. How are NON-Independency forms of church government hand-maids to ecclesiastical tyranny?
