Congregational Church Government and Baptist Polity — Unit 2: Congregational Government: Matthew 18, Acts 6 and 15, and 1 Corinthians 5

Key Verse

"And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector." (Matthew 18:17, NKJV)

Learning Objectives

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1. Define congregational government and list the main decisions a Baptist congregation makes.

2. Explain what Matthew 18:15-20 teaches about the church's authority.

3. Show from Acts 1, Acts 6 and 2 Corinthians 2 how the early congregation took part in choosing and acting.

4. Explain how Acts 15 and 1 Corinthians 5 support congregational government, and answer the presbyterian and episcopal readings of these passages.

5. Describe how a congregation and its leaders share the work, so that congregational government is not a rule of the crowd.

What We Mean by Congregational Government

In Unit 1 we saw that Christ is the head of the church. We now ask how He governs through the people. Baptists answer that, under Christ, the final human authority for the church's life rests in the local congregation of baptized believers. No bishop, council, convention or board stands above it. Every member has a voice, because every member belongs to Christ and has His Spirit.

This does not mean that the congregation does everything. A congregation has pastors who teach and lead, and deacons who serve. It also does not mean that the members may do as they like. They are under Scripture. What it means is that on the matters that touch the life of the body, the body decides under the Word of God.

The matters that a Baptist congregation has authority over are these:

• who is received as a member, and who is removed from membership;

• the choice of its pastor and deacons;

• its statement of faith and church covenant;

• its use of money and property;

• the care it takes to guard the ordinances;

• the sending of missionaries and the sharing of its gifts with other churches;

• its decision to join with other churches in an association or convention, and to leave it.

The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) describes a church as an autonomous local congregation that acts under the lordship of Christ through democratic processes. The older confessions, including the Second London Confession (1689), say that Christ has given His church the power to receive and to cast out members, and that its officers are chosen by the church. We now look at the Scriptures on which this teaching stands.

Matthew 18:15-20: Tell It to the Church

This passage is the first and most important text. Jesus teaches what to do when a brother sins against another. First, go to him alone. If he will not hear, take one or two others, "that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established'" (Matthew 18:16). If he still refuses, "tell it to the church." If he refuses even the church, he is to be treated as an outsider (Matthew 18:17).

Notice what Jesus does not say. He does not say "tell it to the bishop," or "tell it to the apostles," or "tell it to the council of elders in the next town." He says, "tell it to the church." The final court of appeal for a member's sin is the assembled congregation.

Then Jesus gives the congregation authority: "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 18:18). The words are plural, "you," and they are spoken in the context of discipline. Jesus then promises that where two or three are gathered in His name, He is in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20). This verse is often used for prayer meetings, and it is true there. But in its place it is a promise about the church's judgment. When the church gathers to deal with sin in His name, Christ Himself is present.

The objection: this is not about the church as we know it

Some scholars say that when Jesus spoke, no Christian church existed yet. He must have meant the Jewish assembly or synagogue, and the passage does not describe a congregation with its own authority. Others say that Matthew wrote for his own community later, and that the words reflect its life.

Our answer. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus had already said, "I will build My church." He was speaking ahead of the day of Pentecost, and He used the same word, ekklesia, in Matthew 18. His disciples would soon meet as a church, and He prepared them for it. We also note that Paul applied this very pattern, as we will see in 1 Corinthians 5. Whether Matthew's gospel was written early or late, we receive it as the Word of God and the words of our Lord. The text shows that the Lord gave His people the responsibility for the discipline of their own body.

The Early Congregation Acts

The book of Acts shows us a church that acts together. We select three scenes, remembering that Acts tells the story of the church in its early days and does not by itself make laws for all time. We use it because it agrees with the Lord's teaching and with the letters.

The choice of Matthias

Before Pentecost, about one hundred and twenty believers were gathered (Acts 1:15). Peter spoke to the group about the need to replace Judas. The company put forward two men, and then they prayed and cast lots (Acts 1:23-26). The way they chose, by lot, was a special moment before the Spirit came, and Baptists do not use lots. But the people present took part. Peter led, and the company acted.

The choice of the seven

In Acts 6 a complaint arose that the widows of the Greek-speaking believers were being overlooked in the daily distribution. The twelve apostles called "the multitude of the disciples" together (Acts 6:2). They did not decide the matter alone. They told the whole group to "seek out" from among themselves seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3). The saying "pleased the whole multitude" (Acts 6:5), and the believers chose the seven. Then the seven were set before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them (Acts 6:6).

Look at how the work is shared. The apostles led: they saw the problem, called the church, taught the standard and prayed. The congregation acted: it chose the men. This is the pattern Baptists follow. The leaders teach what the qualifications are, and the congregation chooses the person. We will return to this passage in Units 6 and 7, because most Baptists see here the beginning of the deacon's office.

The word "appointed" in Acts 14:23

Some objectors point to Acts 14:23, where Paul and Barnabas "appointed elders in every church." They say this shows the apostles choosing leaders alone. We accept that the apostles had a special authority that no one has now. But the verb used here, cheirotoneo, comes from words that meant to stretch out the hand, and in ordinary Greek could refer to choosing by a show of hands. Scholars debate how far this meaning remained in New Testament times. The same word appears in 2 Corinthians 8:19, where Paul says a brother was "chosen by the churches" to travel with him. So the word does not prove that the apostles chose alone, and it allows that the churches took part. We hold this point modestly. The strong passages are Matthew 18, Acts 6 and 1 Corinthians 5.

Acts 15: The Council at Jerusalem

The council in Acts 15 is the passage that presbyterians and some others cite as the model for a ruling body above the local church, so we handle it with care.

The question arose at Antioch. Some men from Judea taught that Gentile believers must be circumcised to be saved (Acts 15:1). The church at Antioch sent Paul, Barnabas and others to Jerusalem. There "the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter" (Acts 15:6). Peter, Barnabas, Paul and James spoke. James proposed a judgment from Scripture, quoting the prophets. Then "it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church" to send men with a letter (Acts 15:22). The letter was written in the name of "the apostles, the elders, and the brethren" (Acts 15:23). When it was read at Antioch, the church rejoiced at its encouragement (Acts 15:31).

The presbyterian reading

Presbyterians see in this chapter a first general assembly. Elders from several churches met, decided a matter for all churches and sent their decision to be obeyed. They say this justifies standing courts above the congregation.

Our answer. We agree that this is a model of cooperation, and Unit 3 will show how Baptists cooperate. But there are four reasons why it does not set up a ruling court above the churches.

First, the apostles were present. Their authority as the Lord's chosen witnesses cannot be passed on to a modern assembly. Second, the whole church was involved: the letter came from the brethren as well as the elders, and "the whole church" agreed with the decision (Acts 15:22). Third, the question was a matter of gospel truth, about how sinners are saved. The council settled it from Scripture and from the experience of God's work among the Gentiles. It did not create a continuing court to settle local matters. Fourth, the church at Antioch was not forced. It received the letter and rejoiced. The authority of the decision came from the truth it stated, not from a power to punish.

The episcopal reading

Those who follow the episcopal model say that James, who spoke the final word at Jerusalem, was the first bishop of Jerusalem, and that the church has always had bishops who decide.

Our answer. James gave his judgment, but the decision was reached by "the apostles and elders, with the whole church." Even if James held a place of special respect, Acts 15 shows no single ruling bishop. It shows a church deciding together under the Word.

1 Corinthians 5: The Church Must Act

The Corinthian church had received into its fellowship a man who lived in open immorality, and the believers were proud instead of grieving (1 Corinthians 5:1-2). Paul does not tell them to wait for an apostle to arrive and fix it. He tells them what to do. They are to gather, "when you are gathered together" (1 Corinthians 5:4), and remove the man from their fellowship. At the end of the chapter he says to put away "the evil person" from among them (1 Corinthians 5:13).

Paul spoke as an apostle, and he gave his own judgment. But he addressed the whole church and held the whole church responsible. If the pastor alone, or an outside bishop, had authority to discipline, Paul would have written to him. He wrote to the congregation. The action was the action of the assembly.

In his second letter, Paul writes about the same man. The punishment "inflicted by the majority" was enough, and the church should now forgive and comfort him (2 Corinthians 2:6-8). Two points stand out. The church acted by a majority, which shows that it did not wait for every vote. And the church had the power not only to remove but also to restore. We will study this in Unit 5.

Leaders and the Congregation Together

Some pastors fear that congregational government will take away their leadership. It does not. The New Testament calls on churches to honor their leaders. Believers are to "recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you" and to "esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake" (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13). They are to obey and submit to those who watch over their souls (Hebrews 13:17).

The way to hold these together is to see two kinds of authority. The pastor has the authority of the Word: he teaches, warns, guides and sets an example, and the church follows because it believes he speaks for the Lord. The congregation has the authority of the body: it decides, under the Word, who belongs, who serves, and how it uses its resources. A pastor who leads well will seldom face a church that goes against him on a matter of Scripture. A church that is well taught will seldom need to override its pastor.

How the congregation decides

Baptists usually decide by vote in a church business meeting. Some churches seek full agreement, others accept a majority. The New Testament does not give one rule, but it gives guidance. Paul says to keep "the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3), and 2 Corinthians 2:6 shows that a majority decision stood. A wise church works for wide agreement, prays before voting, allows honest discussion, and does not push a narrow vote on a grave matter. Unit 10 will return to business meetings.

Pastoral Application

A pastor takes a call to a church where the deacons have governed for twenty years. They meet privately, and the congregation hears of their decisions afterward. The deacons have just voted to remove a member for a moral failing without telling the church. The member's mother, a faithful woman, comes to the pastor in tears.

The pastor first listens to her and promises nothing. Second, he meets the deacons kindly. He asks them to study Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 5 with him and does not accuse them of bad motives, because they have served faithfully. Third, he asks that the action be set aside until the steps of Matthew 18 are followed, and that the matter come before the church. Fourth, he teaches the congregation over several months what the Lord gave them to do. Fifth, he asks the deacons to remain the church's servants, as Acts 6 shows, and gives them honor for their work. The pastor wants a church that does what Scripture asks, not a church that has simply moved power from the deacons to himself.

Summary

Congregational government means that under Christ the final human authority rests in the local congregation of baptized believers. In Matthew 18:17 Jesus tells the aggrieved brother to take the matter to the church, and He promises His presence and gives the church the power to bind and loose. In Acts 1 and Acts 6 the congregation takes part in the choice of leaders, while the apostles lead and teach the standard. Acts 14:23 does not prove that the apostles chose alone. In Acts 15 the council acted with the whole church, and it is a model of counsel and cooperation, not of a standing court. In 1 Corinthians 5 and 2 Corinthians 2, Paul holds the congregation responsible for discipline and restoration. Leaders and the congregation work together: the pastor with the authority of the Word, the congregation with the authority of the body, both under Christ.

Further Reading

• J. M. Pendleton, Church Manual (1867), chapters on church government and discipline.

• J. L. Dagg, Manual of Church Order (1858).

• The Second London Confession (1689), chapter 26, and the New Hampshire Confession (1833).

• The Baptist Faith and Message (2000), article on the church.

• R. B. C. Howell, The Deaconship (1846), on Acts 6 and the church's choice of its officers.

• James Leo Garrett Jr., Baptist Theology (2009).

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