Local Church Autonomy

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Local Church Autonomy

• Acts 2028

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Definitions
Local church A group of Christians meeting in a
physical location.

• In the New Testament
• Cenchrea (Rom. 161).
• Thessalonica (1 Thess. 11).
• Smyrna (Rev. 28).

• Modern times
• Tuckerman, AR.
• Orleans, IN.
• Evendale, OH.

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• Different from the universal church.
• Consists of all Christians everywhere.
• Those who are obedient to the gospel (Acts 247).
• Those who have Christ as the head (Col. 118).
• These are the ones who meet in local churches.

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• Autonomy.
• A compound word of Greek origin.
• Auto meaning self.
• Nomos meaning law.
• Webster says this word indicates the right of
  self-government.
• This word is not found, per se, in the New
  Testament, but the principle is there.

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• Simply put, we are affirming that a local church
  has the right to employ a system of governing
  itself.
• There is no hierarchy, ALA denominationalism.
• There is no banding of two or more churches
  together.
• There is no case of one church submitting to
  another.
• In Gods system, there is nothing larger than a
  local church and there is nothing smaller than a
  local church.

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Divine Limitations

• Elders in every church (Acts 1423).
• Supplemented by deacons (Phil. 11) and preachers
  (1 Tim. 13 2 Tim. 42, 5).
• No other position is found.
• Limitations enjoined by Gods word.
• Elders are limited to the local church (Heb.
  1317 1 Peter 52 Acts 2028).
• There is no indication that elders of the church
  in Antioch had any kind of jurisdiction over the
  churches of Galatia.

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• NT churches were capable of performing their own
  respective work
• The local church sent out preachers (Acts 1122).
• The local church supported preachers (Phil.
  415-18).
• The local church made up its own funds to deliver
  to the needy (1 Cor. 161-3 Acts 1127-30).
• The local church sent such funds directly to the
  other church (1 Cor. 163-4 Acts 1130).
• No extra-church agency was utilized.
• No church had oversight of another church in
  these works.

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Do Not be Deceived

• It will not be those in denominations who call to
  operate outside of local church autonomy.
• It will be brethren who do so.
• This was what happened and gave rise to division.
• Missionary societies.
• Preacher schools.
• Benevolent organizations.
• Each one requires a surrender of local church
  autonomy.

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• This has been taking place among us for well over
  a century.
• Any call for one church to join another may sound
  sensible and logical.
• However, the real issue is not sensibility or if
  it is logical it is whether it is Scriptural!
  Does it come from heaven or from men (Matt.
  2125).