Lesson 3 – A is for Autonomy of the Local New Testament Church.
While the early churches were not called Baptist Churches, they were simply established meetings of born-again baptized believers who were assembled together out of a mutual love for God and a commitment to his Word. We could look through the book of acts to see that churches in the first century were completely different than modern so-called churches today. They met in public areas or in homes. They were getting together to have tea and ice cream but were truly focused on worshipping God and serving one another. It wasn’t a social gathering. Church was a meeting of likeminded men and women to learn, worship, obey, serve and give their life to God. It wasn’t about feelings or emotions. The songs they sang they believed. It wasn’t a place to stroke an ego or to get man’s applause. Church was an assembly. That is what the word means.
This assembly, in order to be a biblical church has qualifications. I have heard many people miss use the verse Mattew 18:20″For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” This does not say where two or three are there is a church. No, only that God is with them in their prayers. The immediate context is prayer. Now, It does not take many to make an assembly – two or three is plenty, but there are more qualifications for a biblical church than just an assembly of three people. They must be gathered in his name, not for any other purpose. We can look at the seven Churches of revelation and determine good things for a church and bad things for a church, but they are still a church. A biblical church must have the Word of God as its authority, and therefore it should hold to all of these Baptist essentials and many more. Therefore, while churches in the early centuries would not have called themselves Baptist, Biblical churches in those days would hold to all of these Baptist Distinctives and many more important doctrines.
The second distinctive that we will examine is the Autonomy of a Local Church. Autonomy means self-governed. It is not under the authority of a larger church, or a central Biship. The local assembly decides to follow the Bible as Christ as their leader, and they will give an account for what they do and teach. We see this played out in the first few chapters of the book of Revelation. These churches are assembled in a community, and they decide if they want to build a meeting house, they choose what time they meet and where. They decide when to send out missionaries or any decision it falls on the church. Not a board of directors, not an association, not a pope, not a state or state representative. They are autonomous. They answer to Christ alone.
Ephesians 5:23-27 KJV
23Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
One day, Christ will return for his bride. He will unify all the born again and assemble us together before the throne. All the saved, both Jew and gentile, Greek and barbarian, man, woman and child who are truly saved will be assembled together and collectively we will be the Church of God and the Bride of Christ. Until that day we must assemble as churches throughout the world as if we were the compleat body of Christ in many ways. That is not to say we cannot fellowship with other churches that are likeminded or even other believers in our areas, but churches are not universal. They are local assemblies. We represent the whole, but we are not all that are saved. But a local church should not be under the authority of anyone other than Christ.
Revelation 1: 11 & 20 KJV
11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
Christ recognizes these Churches as distinct bodies, not part of the whole. They are autonomous and as is apparent in chapter 2 and 3, these churches are distinct from each other. They have their own strengths and weaknesses, and they answer to Christ directly. They have power to make their own choices, not forced upon them by an outsider. John is simply conveying a message. He has influence over these churches, but he is not their Lord. He is simply conveying a warning. Even the apostles didn’t have the right to control churches from a distance. They taught the Word of God, but they were simply God’s messengers. Peter – nor Paul ruled from a throne of power over churches that they started. They simply influenced them by teaching the Word. Just as each member of a church has bodily autonomy, the Church body has autonomy to follow God as they are lead. They must follow the Word of God, but even if they do not – they will personally give account for that to Christ.
S.T.
Acts 20:24
"But none of these things move me..."
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