1. The church:
organisation
and ordinances
Chafer: chapter 39
Monday 29 August 2011

2. You are establishing a new church plant.
You have freedom to choose any
leadership and governmental structure
you like. The only restriction is that you
should be able to justify it biblically.
What do you choose?
How would you practice church life, what
meetings, ordinances, routines, traditions
- what would you do, what would be
essential for people to do in order to be
part of the church?
Discuss in groups of 4, and present your
conclusions to the class
Monday 29 August 2011

3. Christ
Pastor
Elder Elder Elder Elder
Deacon Deacon Deacon Deacon Deacon
Sunday Women Youth
school
Congregation
Monday 29 August 2011

4. Leadership?
Believers
baptism Christ
Confession of
faith / born
again
Repenting/ Pastor
growing
Elder Elder Elder Elder
Deacon Deacon Deacon Deacon Deacon
Sunday Women Youth
school
Congregation
Monday 29 August 2011

5. A. Church government
The church, Body of Christ includes
every Christ joined together, baptised in
the Spirit.The head directs the body. The
Body of Christ needs no organisation - it
is spiritual and supernatural.
The local church needs organisation and
there have been 3 basic forms since
apostolic times.
1. Episcopalian - a bishop or similar has
power to direct the local church - this
has extensive organisation e.g Roman
Catholicism, Anglicanism etc.
Monday 29 August 2011

6. 2. Representative form of government
recognising appointed representatives
of local churches usually on a
geographical basis - Reformed or
Presbyterian structure. Often the reps
for a small local group (presbytery)
come under the direction of a larger
body or synod which in turn comes
under the direction of a larger body or
general assembly. Rules and extent of
authority vary but the essential feature
is of authority lying within a body of
appointed representatives.
Monday 29 August 2011

7. 3. Congregational government
where authority lies in the local
congregation and important
matters are decided by the
congregation with no reference to
of other churches or officials.
E.g. Baptist churches.
Local churches might be subject in
some degree to higher bodies etc.
But essentially the local church
determines its own affairs, elects
and ordains its own ministers, and
directs use of the money.
Monday 29 August 2011

8. All 3 types can be seen to some extent in the early church.
Initially the Apostles had authority - this passed after the first
generation of Christians.
Acts 15 shows representative government - apostles/elders are
authoritative on doctrinal questions raised by churches. (They
were not elected in a modern sense).
Monday 29 August 2011

9. Chafer, “As churches matured and no
longer needed apostolic supervision
the government of the local church
seems to have passed to each local
church itself.”
E.g. The 7 churches in Rev 2-3 which
are seen as subject not to human
authority but to Christ.
Chafer suggests modern church govt
is more extensive and complicated
than the Bible shows.
Monday 29 August 2011

10. B. The order of the church
Order refers to those having authority
and leadership in the local church.
In the NT we see people designated
bishops and elders - leaders in the local
church. Maybe the titles were different
but the meaning the same?
NT elder idea probably came from elders
in Israel - Matt 16:21, 26:47, 57, Acts
4:5, 23 - a mature person worthy of
holding a position of authority. A bishop
was always an elder but not vice versa
but usually they mean the same - Titus
1:5, 7
Monday 29 August 2011

11. There were more than 1 bishops or
elders though they might have had
differing leadership roles.
They had roles in leading the church
- 1 Tim 3:4-5, 5:17
Protected the church from moral or
theological error - Titus 1:9
Oversaw the church as a shepherd
would a flock - Acts 20:28, Heb
13:17, 1Pet 5:2
Initially appointed by apostles but it
seems as churches matured they did
this form themselves recognising
spiritual qualities - Acts 14:23,
20:28, Titus 1:5, 1Pet 5:2
Monday 29 August 2011

12. Deacons concerned themselves with
the need for physical things though
they could have spiritual gifts - Acts
6:1-6, 1 Tim 3:8-13.
They were set aside for office by the
apostles - Acts 6:6, 13:3 - or
appointed by elders 1 Tim 4:14
There is a distinction between the
task they performed and the
spiritual gift they had - Philip had
the office of deacon but in spiritual
gift was an evangelist - Acts 6:5,
21:8
Monday 29 August 2011

13. Deacons concerned themselves with
the need for physical things though
they could have spiritual gifts - Acts
6:1-6, 1the church today, some
“in Tim 3:8-13.
churches tend to recognise a
They were set aside for office by the
apostles -pastor as 13:3 elder and
single Acts 6:6, the - or
appointed by elders 1 Tim 4:14him
other officials who assist
in spiritual matters as deacons.
There is a distinction between the
This does not seem, however, to
task they performed and the
spiritual gift they had - Philip had
be based on biblical practice.”
the office of deacon but in spiritual
gift was an evangelist - Acts 6:5,
21:8
Monday 29 August 2011

14. C. The ordinances of the
church
For most Protestant churches these
are baptism and the lord’s Supper.
(some others recognise footwashing.)
Roman Catholics add others
Monday 29 August 2011

15. 1. Water baptism has been the subject of
many controversies and has resulted in major
divisions of the organised church.
a. Is water baptism a ritual or does it confer
some supernatural benefit on the recipient?
b. Mode of baptism - immersion, sprinkling,
pouring water?
Many believe it is a ritual representing a
spiritual truth but does not confer any
supernatural grace on the recipient.
Those believing it confers supernatural grace
differ in what this is: baptismal regeneration
where the believer is given new birth through
baptism; others think of it giving an inclination
to faith and obedience to the Gospel
Monday 29 August 2011

16. Mode of baptism: in what sense is the word
baptise used? To immerse or plunge into a
liquid, (the Greek “to dip” is never used of
baptism). Some argue that baptism is used in a
secondary sense of initiation in which one
passes from a former relationship into a new
one.
Christ spoke of his sufferings as a baptism -
Matt 20:22-23 - Israel was declared to be
baptised into the cloud and sea - 1 Cor 10:2 - so
it is argued that physical immersion into water
is not necessary for scriptural baptism.
Baptism has been practiced by pouring water
over - fulfilling the image of outpouring of the
Spirit. This has been argued over - a lot!
Monday 29 August 2011

17. Christ was immersed - the Philippian
jailer was probably not as it was late
night, so it is thought he was
“sprinkled” - acts 16:33.
Most people practicing ritual baptism
immerse and so avoid the sprinkling
argument - the question becomes is
the person born again and baptised
in the Spirit into the body of Christ?
Look up the arguments in a Bible
dictionary.
Question: At what age can a
person be baptised?
Monday 29 August 2011

18. Infant baptism is practiced by some but not
really found in the Bible.
It is argued by some to be the equivalent of
setting aside a baby to God like circumcision in
Israel. Acts 16 - household baptised - did this
include children? No clear case of infant
baptism in the Bible - hence many churches
offer a dedication service.
Infant baptism is based on the hope that the
child we get saved.
Regardless of mode baptism shows that the
believer is now united with Christ partaking of
all that he has accomplished in death and
resurrection.
Baptism has been practiced throughout church
history.
Monday 29 August 2011

19. 2. The Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ
the night before his death as a symbol of the
believers participation in the benefits of his
death.
It supersedes the Passover.
1 Cor 11:23-29
Bread = body of Christ
Cup = new covenant n his blood
Again this has been the subject of many
controversies with 3 main views.
Roman Catholic - transubstantiation, the bread
and wine are changed into the body and blood
of christ and so you literally take Christ’s
body and blood though your senses might not
realise this.
Monday 29 August 2011

20. Lutheran view - consubstantiation (not a term
used by Lutherans), the bread and wine
remain the same but the presence of the body
of Christ is in each and so you take the body
of Christ in the Lord’s supper.
Zwingli suggested the memorial view - here
there is no supernatural change in the
elements it is simply a memorial to the death
of Christ - Calvin suggested that Christ was
spiritually in the elements.
Chafer suggests the Bible takes the 3rd line
with the idea that we are using the elements
to symbolise the missing presence of christ -
hence we do this “‘till he comes”
Monday 29 August 2011

21. 1 Cor 11:27-29
So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the
cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will
be guilty of sinning against the body and
blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine
themselves before they eat of the bread and
drink from the cup. For those who eat and
drink without discerning the body of Christ
eat and drink judgment on themselves.
This needs to be a serious consideration in
taking the elements.
The Lord’s Supper points us at one time both
back and forwards.
Chafer suggests that the first Christians
probably practiced this once each week, on the
first day. Certainly it should not be infrequent.
Monday 29 August 2011

22. Monday 29 August 2011