In Stan's Telegram chat room the other day, we were talking about a lot of things actually and I mentioned the decentralization of everything . Even the church was decentralized and autonomous. I was asked to expand that thought, but I had to leave and to me that wasn't the time or place to do that, so. As we begin this journey back to the first century there is an important question that must be asked.
Is it "Necessary"?
And as Stan has asked, does everything have to be decentralized or can there be an intra-jurisdictional element of "governance". An autonomous company. That incedently, grows other autonomous companies. Lets open the dialog about the Bible though.
Put it a different way, what was God's plan then for the "administration" of the first century church.
First of all Paul gives instruction to Titus and Timothy to set in place a leadership structure he called elders. Note he didn't give the exact same instruction to other churches; Ephesus. Corinth, Phillipi, nor Colossae. So, was it "world wide doctrine"? To ask the question a different way. When Paul started the churches in the cities he went to as a missionary, how did he propose the "governance" of those bodies.
He didn't collectively, because they were all autonomous. There wasn't a set plan for the entire church in the first century because all churches were and are different. John wrote to seven churches in Asia in Revelation and he didn't point them to a regulating body of any kind. Why? They were all different. All needed a message, but there was different information in each message.
Why didn't Matthew, Mark, John again or Luke in two books mention the governance of the church? The churches are autonomous and decentralized. There is no Central Board of Directors, Missionary Society, or Conference mentioned anywhere.
The Modern church
The Word of God has now been canonized. What that means is that it has been brought to our attention to be the Word of God. I myself don't believe in breaking down the Bible as the Word of God verse by verse. That method of cateloguing scriptures was added. In my opinion it is not the right way to approach the written Word of God. In The book of Revelation John writes that the Revelation was to be read and was to be heard. Now seeing as how there were no inkjet printers in the first century it was undoubtedly read aloud. But it is interesting to note that those things written were to bless those who read it...in the first century, and those who heard the reading ... in the first century, so, here we are 2000 years later and we think that the meaning changed because we have the blockchain. No it has to bless us and them equally. The Words "Soon come to pass" doesn't mean that the steemchurch would proclaim the "recently fulfilled prophecy".
We now have the same scripture revealed to us in the Old and New Testaments that they did. All given by inspiration.
One Body Many Members Make Up His church
Now, it is that Paul wrote two letters to the church at Corinth. He wrote to the "church of God in Corinth". In the first letter toward the end he outlines the gifts given to members of the church. STOP. - Notice that there are no capitalized name of the churches. - CONTINUE. Paul wrote that the body is a unit that is made up of many parts. He goes on to talk about the foot and the hands and parts that were all for a purpose, and "if all were eyes how would we hear". and some parts were more...how shall we say it, delicate.
As it is there are many parts. but one body. With Christ at the Head. And we were all by baptised by one Spirt into one body.
Gifts For The church
So in the church in Corinth there were many people but only one church. Paul also said, that there was a hierarchy of gifts there in Corinth, first of all apostles, then prophets, then teachers, then workers of miracles, gifts of healing, those able to help others, then gifts of administration, and lastly those speaking in different languages. But he didn't give the same explanation to each church written to, in the New Testament.
Every member was an individual part of the body. Each functioned as God gave him a gift to perform. Their unity was in Christ as the head of the church. Not Jerusalem or Constantinople. or Rome. Autonomy. Self named under the head of the churches. He doesn't even call the churches that he wrote to by the same name. They would come to be called Christians.
We have been given an example of the churches when the church was "new." there wasn't a central nothing except... God through the head of the churches, Christ Jesus. The central Bible or the Word of God. Living because He was resurrected. Spoken as we read it aloud and prophesy and teach. Scripture, written to establish doctrine, for reproof, and give instruction in righteousness. The Word - Living, Spoken, and Written. All of these are Jesus. Always have been.
The Old Testament was written to show man he was utterly sinful and needed a Savior from our sin. The New Testament was written to tell us we are still utterly sinful, and that Jesus is the Promised Savior from sin.
Last point
We are to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Thats our function as well. To be obedient to the Truth we have received.
Let us all just be Christians. Throw off the Centralized Church and embrace the autonomous nature of the first century church. Why? Because centralization wasn't authorized.
But don't take my word for it. Read it and study for yourself.
Let he who has ears let him hear. Is that appropriate here?
