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Should a Church really have a presbytery?

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by stilllearning, Nov 29, 2009.

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  1. stilllearning

    stilllearning Active Member

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    I have heard all kind of excuses over the years, as to why it is a good idea for a church to have a presbytery;
    But the reason these excuses are even given, is because it is an extra-Biblical body.
    --------------------------------------------------
    A body that seems to clearly be unBiblical.......
    Hebrews 13:17
    “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that [is] unprofitable for you.”

    The pastor is the one who is going to have to give an account, about how the Church was lead;
    Therefore he shouldn’t be undercut, by some kind of “ruling body”!
     
    #1 stilllearning, Nov 29, 2009
  2. Trotter

    Trotter <img src =/6412.jpg>

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    While I feel the congregation should have some say in some things, for the most part it should be the pastor and his staff making most of the choices (with the emphasis on the pastor). The deacons are there to help with the ministry and (in our church) to act as a sounding board for the pastor. The deacons can't overrule the pastor (unless he is outside what the bible teaches), but they can offer suggestions and recommendations.

    Basically, there should not be a "governing body" that sits over the pastor, nor should EVERYTHING be voted on by the congregation.
     
    #2 Trotter, Nov 29, 2009
  3. Deacon

    Deacon Well-Known Member
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    The term "the pastor" (as used in the first two posts) itself is unbiblical.

    In the church, elders are usually spoken of in a plurality.

    A presbytery (a ruling body of elders) is biblical.

    Rob
     
    #3 Deacon, Nov 29, 2009
  4. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
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    Oops.
    Did you get your Presbyterian Book of Church Order mixed up with your Bible?
     
    #4 Jerome, Nov 29, 2009
  5. stilllearning

    stilllearning Active Member

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    Hello Deacon

    You said......
    That may be the case, but in the Bible there is always a pastor who makes the final decision......
    Acts 15:13
    “And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men [and] brethren, hearken unto me:”
    &
    Acts 15:19
    “Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:”
     
    #5 stilllearning, Nov 29, 2009
  6. Deacon

    Deacon Well-Known Member
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    Our task as a Christian is to be ‘made anew’ [Rom. 12:1]. One of the disciplines involves laying aside what we know by our experiences and submitting ourselves to biblical teachings. This means we don’t bend the scriptures into our understanding of things but we bend ourselves into its mold.

    Case in point : the American church usually has a single, authoritarian leader, a pastor. That’s how most of us understand church leadership and church structure.
    But the scriptures, rarely use the term ‘pastor’ when speaking of church leadership. The word, “pastor” means “shepherd”. It’s only translated that way once in the NT [Eph. 4:11]. The general term used in scripture is “elder”. And that term is usually found in a plural form.

    Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
    1 Timothy 5:17 AV 1873

    The word “elder” here in Timothy in Greek is” presbuteros” from which we draw the word Presbyterian and presbytery.

    The role of “pastor/shepherd” is one aspect of an elder.
    A strong case can be made that all elders were of equal status even though they had different gifting.

    Rob
     
    #6 Deacon, Nov 30, 2009
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