WHAT IS THE SCRIPTURAL ORDER OF A CHURCH?

1. What is the Scriptural Order of a Church?

a) God is a God of order. Nature and the whole world show order, 1 Corinthians 14:33.

b) In the church, too, there should be order, God's order. Everything should be done according to God's plan. This plan is found only in the New Testament.

c) There were three classes of people in the church at Philippi: saints, bishops, and deacons, Philippians 1:1. All the saints were also priests.

d) Who were the bishops? Today we see on bishop ruling over several churches. But in Philippi there were several bishops in the same church. Bishops are overseers. They are also called elders, Titus 1:5, 7. In 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:7-9 we see what kind of a person as elder has to be. The most important work of the elders is to care for the sheep of God's flock, that is, the Christians in the church. They should not be looking for money, for they will receive their reward from the Chief Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ when He comes again, 1 Peter 5:4. Believers should remember these leaders and should obey them, Hebrews 13:7, 17.

e) The word deacon means a servant. the deacons serve the church in different ways, for example, a Sunday School leader. Almost as many things are expected of a deacon as of an elder, see 1 Timothy 3:8-13. In Acts 6, deacons were chosen by the church to look after money matters, but elders are chosen by the Lord to look after His beloved church.

f) Christ also gives gifts to the church: shepherds, teachers, gospel preachers, Ephesians 4:11. These are to prepare the saints so that they can teach others, unto the building up of the body of Christ, Ephesians 4:12.

g) These gifts are for the whole body of Christ. But there is nothing said in the New Testament about uniting any group of churches under the control of one man or a group of men. In fact, the word "church" is used only of the whole body of Christ or the a single church in one city. Each of these churches had to give account to the risen Head, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ. There was fellowship among them, but no one church was over any other church to tell the believers in that church what they must do.