As a second volume to lukes gospel, it joins what jesus began to do and to teach 1. Hence higher level councils act as courts of appeal for church trials and. As we have seen, peters sermon on the day of pentecost expanded the church from about 120 people to over 3,000 people. But ye shall receive power, after that the holy ghost is come. The book of acts and modern church life reading acts. This is an excellent comparative look at five different types of church. The bible is deliberately vague on the subject of church government. God isnt fond of big denominations for the same reason he discouraged israel from having a king. However, we must not insist that all other churches be like ours, but rather acknowledge the rich history and continuing value of churches which adhere to other systems of leadership. The traditional title for the book of acts is the acts of the apostles because of its focus on the ministries of peter and paul and the development of the early church. All we know about church government is in the book of acts.
The answer is, in the book of acts we see a concentrated effort made to strengthenedifybuild up the new christians and newly formed local churches. Issues of church governance appear in the first chapters of the acts of the apostles. Out of 5,417 members, we currently have nine church discipline cases in process, which represents 0. Much of our knowledge about the early church is dependant upon acts. Though the threefold categorization of ministry types is convenient. What does the bible say about the form of church government. The book of acts provides us with numerous glimpses of the unfolding early church. There are four basic forms of church government in existence today. The lord was very clear in his word about how he wishes his church on earth to be organized and managed. Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy ghost, teaching them. For information regarding wayne jacksons book, the acts of the apostlesfrom jerusalem to rome, phone the office of courier publications toll free 18888182463. In this section, the new church is located in jerusalem.
This is a lesson about the governance of the church of jesus christ, both. The book of acts makes at least four important contributions. When the church in jerusalem learned that the gospel had gone to antioch of syria, it sent barnabas to go to antioch to assist the new disciples. At the moody church, we maintain a system somewhat similar to a presbyterianstyle of church leadership because we believe that this structure is biblically preferable. Those who turn from sin and to jesus in faith and repentance will be raised to eternal reward. The bible will show the serious reader that the church was established. In the early church, some regarded christians as jews who have received jesus as the promised saviour.
Details in this sacred document are checkable, and they pass the test of historicity with flying colors. Jan 12, 2012 the book has more to tell us about the rapid expansion of the church than about historical peculiarities of the early church. Its initial chapters describe the church s founding and early years. To prove this point, let us take a quick look at church growth in the book of acts, with a special view to the church in jerusalem. Some have concluded that theophilus was the magistrate who heard pauls case in rome and that acts and luke was a legal brief in pauls defense isbe, theophilus. As such, it provides us with a valuable account of how the church was able to grow and spread out from jerusalem into the rest of the roman empire. Second, the local church is to be autonomous, free from any external authority or control, with the right of self government. At the moody church, we maintain a system somewhat similar to a presbyterian style of church leadership because we believe that this structure is biblically preferable. The letter refers to the authoritative group as we and us. The book of acts is a key historical record of what the early church believed and practiced. It shows how the early church coped with pagan and jewish thought, the roman government and hellenistic society. They worked toward this goal by nurturing the church and increasing the size of the church through the gospel. Those who turn from sin and to jesus in faith and repentance will.
The theme or key to the book of acts is found in 1. Church the establishment of the church bible charts. Acts is a text that is used widely in church planting circles and. The only exceptions refer to cases in which one elder is being singled out for some. The church has a mission, a work, a worship, and an organization, and there is no better place in the bible to find these things described and proscribed than in the book of acts. Church growth in the book of acts a church of christ can and will grow spiritually and numerically when it is faithful to the word of god. Acts 1 new international version niv jesus taken up into heaven.
And this kind of blessing continued throughout the book of acts. The record from the book of acts couldnt be clearer. There are basically three types of church government that have developed in the various christian denominations. While experiences like pentecost the initial outpouring of the holy spirit are unique, many of the activities provide models that we can wisely transfer into our campus context.
In the book of acts, gods purpose was to build his kingdom in christ through the apostles. Many believed the word of the gospel, repented, baptized, and added to the church 2. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints has received a similar. In the same way, luke seems to emphasize that this expansion was a work of the spirit rather than giving us a definitive, normative description of how all believers receive the holy spirit. Three local church government styles oligarchy and theocracy are two forms of an elder form of church government. The mischiefe that prelaty does in the state i adde one thing more to those great ones that are so fond of prelaty, this is certain that the gospell being the hidden might of christ, as hath been heard, hath ever a victorious power joynd with it, like him in the revelation that went forth on the white horse with his bow and his crown conquering, and to conquer. Nov 23, 2014 though the forms of church government vary in the new testament, they appointed elders to continue their leadership roles. Pauls arrest and fouryear imprisonment by the roman government in acts. It might seem strange to even ask of the book of acts ought to apply to the modern form of the church. Furthermore, historically, acts mentions over thirty countries, more than fifty towns or cities. In other cases, the biblical evidence for congregationalism is less convincing, especially in acts.
The book of acts ends just as it begins, emphasizing the apostles role as those who expanded gods kingdom on earth, through their proclamation. The book of acts the work of strengthening local churches. Each congregation and center of leadership is to have a plurality of elders acts 14. In churches practicing congregational polity authority is vested in the church. As we approach the book of acts, we must always keep in mind that luke wrote out of his background in the old testament and first century beliefs about the kingdom of god in christ. Posted on mon dec 09, 20 by deb december 10, 20 the church also said that church discipline is rare at mars hill. Jun 29, 2007 the jerusalem council in acts 15 should not be regarded as a permanent paradigm for regional authority. Different forms of church government moody church media. Koren the right principles of church government page 2 his kingdom by this word, when he said.
In the book of acts, god blessed the apostles by giving them converts almost every time they preached the gospel. This column has been supplied to contrast with the theocratic government which is believed to be more biblical. All scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. They are episcopal, presbyterian, congregational and nongovernmental, but it should be noted that those terms are by no means restricted to their corresponding denominational name e.
The new testament refers a number of times to elders who served in the role of church leadership acts 14. New church governance book sets forth 5 perspectives, by david roach. Book of acts overview insight for living ministries. Many continue to argue the qualities of this system and the biblical merits.
To continue the story begun in the gospel of luke ac 1. Leadership in the early church during its first hundred years. As acts goes on we see the church spread outward from jerusalem. At the same time, it was likely the primary reason for many of the abuses that led to the reformation. A study of the conflict and prestige of episcopal church authority with other forms of church polity as they affect interchristian relations and ecumenism.
The church was not to be patterned after the old earthly israelite kingdom acts 1. Thus the members of the church can have confidence that their elders are not unaccountable and free to act out of their own selfinterest. No church with an oligarchy, like that listed below, has been observed. Having studied different modules in church planting, i developed an aspiration to explore how the book of acts might inform church planting today because the acts narrative describes the development of new churches as a key component in the mission of the early church movement. Ecclesiastical polity is the operational and governance structure of a church or of a christian. Others disbelieved and some began to actively oppose the ministry of the apostles. Three examples of mixed responses to the apostles can be seen in acts 14. Church government or sometimes church polity is that branch of ecclesiology study of the church that addresses the organizational structure and hierarchy of the church. The book of genesis records the origin of the physical universe. The bible reveals the what, where, and when of the establishing of the church. Acts 1 niv jesus taken up into heaven in my bible gateway. A church striving to live the new testament experience and be as close to jesus christ as possible.
Besides having the same god, christians today have the same goal that the church had in the book of acts. The real question is whether the church in the book of acts is a model for the modern church to follow. Acts is the only biblical book that chronicles the history of the church immediately after jesuss ascension. Mar 05, 2014 in other cases, the biblical evidence for congregationalism is less convincing, especially in acts. Experience the transforming power of pentecost and catch the fire as god uses the passion of peter james brolin and john andre jacobs to send the flame of faith racing throughout jerusalem and around the world. It could also have been titled the acts of jesus christ, because it describes what jesus continued to do and teach through the church after he was taken up to heaven acts. Ludlowthe book of acts was written by luke after his gospel as the second part of a. One finds embedded in acts a record of christian defenses made to both jews e. There are basically three types of church government that have developed in.
The elders were within the church in each church acts 14. This is the second lesson in our series the book of acts. Using the terms elder and bishop interchangeably, the church government described and commissioned in the early church was marked by a plurality of elders titus 1. Paul and the early church were not at odds with the laws of the old testament. The book of acts records the beginning of the church, the birth of the church. God wants his people to be led by his spirit, with minimum interference from the undershepherds.
Ludlowthe book of acts was written by luke after his gospel as the second part of a great twovolume work on jesus christ and the early christians. This is a common theme throughout the book, not just in akins essay. First, christ is the head of the church and its supreme authority ephesians 1. As noted earlier, there are three parts to this god is still speaking acts bible study. In only three decades, a small group of frightened believers in jerusalem transformed. Also the power to bind and loose and to act as an authority figure in the. Acts tells the story of a new and emerging church, led by the apostles. Jan 29, 20 this form of government was the rule in the early church until the time of the reformation. Acts records the origin of the spiritual body which we designate as the church. Whereas the gospel of luke focuses on the life and ministry of jesus christ, the acts of the apostles builds upon what jesus did and taught see acts 1.
The book of acts provides a bridge for the writings of the nt. Acts facts the spread of christianity the six parts of. Somewhere between these two events the church was established. Acts is a marvelous example of the flawless accuracy of the bible. There will be a future physical resurrection of the dead. Acts shows what the early church believed and practiced.
For example, i do not find it persuasive to take the description of barnabas being sent by a church in acts 11. Brand, perspective on church government book summaries. Church government or sometimes church polity is that branch of. Pdf various types of church polity chetachi godson.