The Church Connected

What do the Scriptures teach about the organizational connection between particular churches?

Again, just as the question from yeserday, there is no clear-cut command by God, declaring how His church, universally should be connected or organized together locally as particular churches. But a study of God’s Word and a theological understanding of God’s people should lead to a consensus of belief in how local churches must be connected universally. I would call the organizational connection between particular churches to be an independent, interdependence.

First, there are clear cut issues and points in the Bible that deal with each church independently. Each church is to have their own set of Elders (1 Tim. 3:17, 5:17-25, Titus 1, Acts 20:17-38). Each local church celebrates the ordinances, within their local body. Christians must become members of a local church where spiritual oversight and “faith family” worship and the “one another’s” takes place. Each local church should have a “confession” or statement of faith, that that local body holds to. This also leads to each local church separating from false teachers and false gospels. In Scripture, each local church had their own divisions, problems, and sin, that is directly dealt with by the New Testament writers. One local church is not bound to certain decisions of other local churches because of the uniqueness of the sin problem (building decision, leadership decision, missions/evangelism decision, financial decisions). The Scriptures very clearly show a uniqueness and “independence” to the local church in each town or location.

But the Bible is also very clear that every local church has a dependence and connection to one another. There must be a unity (1 Corinthians 1:2, Ephesians 4:12-13) between the local churches. There must a universal family connection between local churches (Romans 16:16, 2 Cor. 13:13, Col. 1:4). The Bible shows local churches gathering and uniting together to support gospel workers (2 Cor. 8:18, 3 John 5-6). The Bible shows local churches supporting one another in financial aspects and crisis (Rom. 15:25-26, 1 Cor. 16:1-3). The Bible makes clear certain theological points that must connect all churches and all churches in connection must unify around (Acts 15). There is a mandate in Scripture to pray for other churches and be concerned with the well-being of other churches (Ephesians 6:18). As Jonathan Leeman states, “local congregations of the New testament were very much integrated with one another” (Baptist Foundations pg. 375).

With both of these two points clear, I believe Scripture points to a good practice of a group of local churches tied together in unity, common goals, like doctrine, working together to both expand the kingdom in their part of the world and across the world. Yet each of these local churches connected together, must function independently with their own leaders, dealing with their own sin and problems, living holy as a faith family under the preaching of the Word in that local community. To simply say, I believe the Bible pictures a loose affiliation of local churches, living independently as a faith family, yet connected and interdependent on one another to live the great commission and holiness.