The Organization of the Church

Scriptures show that Jesus is the head of the Church: "And He put all things in subjection under his feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is his body" Ephesians 1:22-23. It stands to reason that, having a heavenly head, the church has no earthly headquarters. We have no councils or synods where men decide what the church is to do. All legislative authority belongs solely to Christ in heaven. Moreover, as there is only one head, Christ also has but one body.

Only in regard to various local bodies does the Bible speak of a plurality of churches. However, this is not to say there are churches of a different type. They all have the same divinely appointed head, mission, teaching, practice, and organization, as 1 Corinthians 4:17 clearly shows: "I have sent to you Timothy, … and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every Church."

On the local level, the executive government of churches rest upon qualified elders among those bodies within scriptural limits: "Therefore I exhort the elders, …shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God." 1 Peter 5:1-2.

Deacons are also part of a scripturally organized church (1 Timothy 3).

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