Elders Rule! But Congregations Decide

sifilings
Church & Ministry
Church Polity
Elders
Congregational Polity

“They understand ‘ruling’ to mean that elders make decisions for the congregation, and they understand ‘obeying’ to mean that the congregation knuckles under to those elder-made decisions. The question is whether this construal really does justice to the evidence.”
Elders Rule! But Congregations Decide

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Discussion

Profile picture for user Rob Fall
Rob Fall
Wed, 03/05/14 8:54 pm

Brother Bigelow in unable or unwilling to answer the questions set to him. So, he has retreated into silence on this topic.

This is the scenario I laid out for him on Dr. Sno’s blog:

New York City has five boroughs. These are contiguous with five counties. Until the 1898 consolidation, each were independent and had subsidiary town and village governments. In 1898, they were consolidated into New York City (one city with five counties).
So the question becomes, in 1898 should the churches in the consolidated political subdivisions have consolidated their ministries into one. Today, may a church be planted in a borough without one? Or does the fact a church exists in Manhattan require someone from Brooklyn to attend there?

Hoping to shed more light than heat..

Profile picture for user James K
James K
Wed, 03/05/14 9:48 pm

Some observations:

1. The original post was about Kevin arguing for an emasculated pastoral role.

2. Several statements were made by Kevin which were easily demonstrated to be false.

3. Schisms really do exist and are a problem. Ted sees this issue of such great importance that he has attempted to explain why so many schisms exist and the remedy. There are unanswered questions that I would like to see him address.

4. The “newness” argument is really tired and played out. CT says to DT you are new, but both are at least 1600 years post apostolic church. Catholics would say the same to reformers, and on and on. If something is taught in the NT, it is true, regardless of finding historical support. I am questioning my own memory on this, but I think Ignatius argued for the one church per city and he possibly knew John the apostle. It has been awhile since I read his work.

5. Jay, those verses you posted about “churches” didn’t prove anything either way because Galatia was a region, not a city.

6. Unity is not taken seriously in our day and age. It is something that exists in whispers and myths. Take every baptist church in a city and see how many can get along. Sad.

7. Ted, I would like to see how you would divide up a city, especially in light of living in the world’s melting pot.

1 Kings 8:60 - so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other.