Most churches that this author has attended have utilized a congregational approach while still upholding church offices and an order of worship. At Grace Episcopal Church, that this author once attended, the church government was just the opposite of that of the democratic nature of the congregational approach, and it greatly stressed the power of the bishop to be almost like the infallible authority of scripture. This author has also seen the Presbyterian form of church government work such that church elders would petition the pastor for or against a binding decision.
The Episcopal form of church government as seen in the Eastern Orthodox Church (See Morris) is the correct form of church government. The Orthodox Church is a federation of local churches, and does not base itself in the political principles of the State Church. (Ware, 8) The fact however is that the church should be in charge of the state because Christ rules from David’s throne (Luke 1:32) and judges between the nations (Micah 4:3) at the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19). A system like the Episcopal system of government should be used that incorporates the succession of the apostles to the bishops (See Morris) in order to once and for all strike the devil dead and throw the angelic damned into the blazing pool of fire forevermore. (See Revelation 20:14) Until the victory of the cross is completely realized by the complete sealing of the damned in hell for eternity, (See Revelation 20:15) the institution of the church must continue as scripture teaches.
Although Christ teaches to collect the weeds at harvest time and to thus dispose of the damned, (See Matthew 13:30) the fact of the matter is that scripture also teaches at reference to the crucifixion that, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.’” – Matthew 9:36-37 (NIV) The fact of the matter is that church government should be about administering justice enough to realize the victory of the cross of Christ over the devil. Overall, Matthew 24:37-40 describes a great error that people make such that just like in the days of Noah people would be delighting themselves in the world and just like in Noah’s day the damned will be swept away as they do not even realize what is going to happen to them, and so church government and leadership should be about encouraging divine justice in order to restrain God’s judgment and wrath enough to get the sinner saved by Christ’s completed work on the cross and the divine revelation of the gospel of Christ.
Ideally a Bishop would act as an overseer like Christ that is the overseer of our souls, (See 1 Peter 2:25) and the Bishop would administer God’s holy justice by orchestrating the church like building Noah’s Ark. As people are called to the church (like the animals being called to the Ark), the church government has the responsibility of slaying the demons and liberating the elect form bondage. The fact of the matter is that just before Jesus died on the cross he said, “Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” – John 12:31-32 (NIV) Overall, the point is that Jesus performed an exorcism on the entire world by his death on the cross and all people are drawn to him like the animals to Noah’s ark, so how can Church government do any less but to continue on in this work of liberation through administering divine justice?
Truly Acts 6:6 and 1 Timothy 4:14 teaches that church leadership would continue by the laying on of hands from the apostles, (See Morris) and elders would be appointed as well (See Acts 14:23) The ideas was that just as Christ fulfilled Genesis 3:15 by the work of the cross and stepping on the head of the devil, so too scripture teaches, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship.” – Romans 12:1 (NIV) Overall, to this end the apostle Paul describes himself being crucified with Christ, (Galatians 2:20) and the point is that Bishops of the church should continue on in this same tradition of stomping out the devils.
Towers reminds readers that, “The church is a symbol of victory; the gates of hell could not stand against it. The synagogue was a symbol of defeat.” (Towers, 633) The point that is being made is that although Christians would have understood and utilized government from the synagogue model, the fact of the matter is that Christian government was intended to be a safe haven against the damned. Overall, if Bishops continue in the faith and the succession of the apostles, then church government will continue to keep God’s people safe from the power of hell.
Bibliography:
Morris, L. Church Government. Believe Project, 1997. http://mb-soft.com/believe/text/cgovern.htm (accessed, August 6, 2011)
Towns, Elmer. Theology for Today. Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2008.
Ware, Timothy. The Orthodox Church, 4th reprint. London, England: Penguin Books, 1993.