Church government in the New Testament

Overview

Apostles, elders and deacons, the evidence for how the earliest communities were led, and the debate over how fixed the pattern was.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   Why is it difficult to speak of a single system of church government in the New Testament?

   Model answer

   Different communities show different arrangements, with elders in some churches, overseers and deacons in others and gifted ministries recognised without formal office in Corinth. The evidence points to a period of variety in which structures were still forming rather than to one constitution laid down at the beginning.

2. 2

   What authority did the apostles hold in the earliest church?

   Model answer

   The apostles were the witnesses to the resurrection and the guarantors of the message, and Acts shows them teaching, settling disputes and appointing others. Their authority rested on commission from Christ rather than on election, which is why the office could not simply be handed on in the same form.

3. 3

   How does the New Testament use the word apostle beyond the Twelve?

   Model answer

   Paul claims the title on the basis of having seen the risen Lord, and Barnabas is called an apostle in Acts. Paul also greets Andronicus and Junia as outstanding among the apostles, so the term is wider than the original group.

4. 4

   What is the significance of the appointment of the Seven in Acts 6?

   Model answer

   The Seven were chosen by the whole community and appointed by the apostles with prayer and the laying on of hands, to relieve them of the daily distribution. The passage is often treated as the origin of the diaconate, though Acts never calls them deacons and Stephen and Philip go on to preach and baptise.

5. 5

   What evidence is there that presbyter and overseer named the same role in the New Testament?

   Model answer

   Paul summons the elders of the Ephesian church and tells them that the Holy Spirit has made them overseers to shepherd the flock, and the letter to Titus moves from appointing elders in every town to the qualifications of an overseer in the next sentence. The two terms therefore appear to describe the same people from different angles, one of age and standing and one of function.

6. 6

   What does the greeting of Philippians show about local leadership?

   Model answer

   Paul writes to all the saints at Philippi together with the overseers and deacons. The plural shows a group of leaders rather than a single head, and the two titles are the earliest pairing of the offices.

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