Please consider, brothers, that you are to be under the authority of elders. We see the church so set up in the very popular book of Acts in chapter 15:
“And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them...
And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. . . Then pleased it the apostles and elders with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas and Silas, chief men among the brethren. . .”
So you see from the very earliest time of the church, with the apostles still around, this is how things were to be run.
If we read the epistles we see that this did NOT guarantee that all the churches would be perfect. Indeed in Revelation Jesus describes the seven churches and some are clearly in great disrepair. Yet, God Himself instituted the church government, such as it is, and we are supposed to be part of it.
“Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.” (please note they are ruling) (1st Tim 5:17)
Titus 1:5 and onwards: “For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.”
Whether called by the interchangeable terms bishops or elders, we are to have them, so God has instructed us, and not be surprised if they sometimes go south or the church has problems. We are to remain faithful and do things God’s way, not our own way.
I am sure that in your locality there is a Bible believing church with faithful elders and deacons serving as described in the Bible. If the elders/bishops/deacons in your church have left the way you may need to go to another church. But you should not leave the church all together. There is no scriptural warrant for that.
I am sure that in your locality there is a Bible believing church with faithful elders and deacons serving as described in the Bible. If the elders/bishops/deacons in your church have left the way you may need to go to another church. But you should not leave the church all together. There is no scriptural warrant for that.
Your whole post is part of the reason I attend. I believe the scripture is clear when it says “do not forsake the gathering together of yourselves”. But I believe one of the main reasons for “church” is for the church to come together in the name of the Lord. I do not want to become what I call an “introverted” Christian. I believe a person can get steeped in all sorts of false doctrine if they do not discuss their “learning” from reading the bible and prayer with other Christians they can sometimes fall into some pretty whacky beliefs. It’s sort of a “centering” activity.
Heck, that is why I brought up the two subjects. I want to see if members of my church can show me where I may have erred in my interpretation of scripture.
I have tried a few. Just because I have not found one yet, does not mean I won't. I am still looking. I have not given up on the idea of attending church. I've simply given up on the one I used to attend. A problem is that my wife still attends it. A week or so again, the minister of said church said he was asked to speak about "guns". He said that while he agreed that people should be allowed to own guns, he questioned whether people need so many. Just what I'd expect from a salvation-via-works lib.