tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617194.post142957259830998136..comments2024-03-07T06:52:34.516+00:00Comments on Exiled Preacher: Is the pope really head of the visible church?Guy Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09184743462264437085noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617194.post-44796944402348985292010-07-24T10:53:57.339+01:002010-07-24T10:53:57.339+01:00Mervin,
Apostles were not local church leaders in...Mervin,<br /><br />Apostles were not local church leaders in the sense that they were responsible for one single congregation. In the NT the only leaders for a single congregation were the elders/bishops. Since the passing of the apostles there is no office of men that stands over the local churches. That is why church government is not hierarchical. <br /><br />But that does not mean "every Christian should be guided by the Holy Spirit to do what is right in his own eyes." The task of elders is to lead local church. They are responsible for the orthodoxy of the church's teaching, and the administration of discipline. <br /><br />When necessary elders of local churches may meet together to resolve disputes as in Acts 15 or formulate confessions of faith (as with the Savoy Declaration or the Second London Baptist Confession). But, again, the occasional gathering of elders does not constitute an additional tier of government that stands over the local churches.Guy Davieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09184743462264437085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617194.post-50705872446606147642010-07-24T04:01:03.554+01:002010-07-24T04:01:03.554+01:00"The New Testament knows nothing of hierarchi..."The New Testament knows nothing of hierarchical Church government..."<br /><br />I don't believe the above statement is accurate. In fact, the New Testament seems to show that the Church of the New Testament was much more hierarchical than we might wish. You wrote, "Local Churches were led by their appointed elders. Elders served under the authority of the apostles." If the laity in a local church are "led by" elders, and the elders are "under the authority of" the apostles, then isn't it hierarchical by definition?<br /><br />Look at the council of Jerusalem in Acts 15. A bunch of former-Pharisee Christians examine their Scriptures and find things like this, "An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the LORD's Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised" (Exodus 12:48). So they determine, from Scripture, that "the Gentiles must be circumcised" (Acts 15:5). But the council (led by the apostles) decides differently. So, do we see here a Church that believes that "Christ continues to infallibly teach and guide the Church through the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scriptures"? Or do we see a Church that is guided by a hierarchy of divinely-appointed men?<br /><br />So it's not accurate to claim that the New Testament knows nothing of hierarchical Church government. The Catholics aren't putting the bishops in place of Christ; they're putting the bishops in the place of the apostles (i.e., divinely-appointed men who can authoritatively interpret Scripture for the Church on earth). We Evangelicals might argue that we don't need anyone to authoritatively define doctrine for us. We might argue that every Christian should be guided by the Holy Spirit to do what is right in his own eyes. Unfortunately, Acts 15 says differently.Mervin Bunterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02814401265802688558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617194.post-74573202763949801942010-07-22T09:35:08.805+01:002010-07-22T09:35:08.805+01:00Good post.Good post.Gary Benfoldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11371307545924645897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617194.post-68797838742373067382010-07-22T08:56:52.682+01:002010-07-22T08:56:52.682+01:00"Hopefully it goes without saying that anti-p..."Hopefully it goes without saying that anti-papal bigotry is out of place."<br /><br />It didn't go without saying, though; I'm not sure we'll see none of ranting and braying. It won't discourage the Pope's followers, though I feel it may contribute to the willing amnesia of many Evangelicals towards the real need for continued conflict with Rome and its teachings, given that most will want to have nothing to do with placard waving.<br /><br />It's possible, by the way, that Ratzinger plans to beautify the bones of Newman, but I think you mean beatify.Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02072015658089535103noreply@blogger.com