10/27/2024
Jason says he can't find the institutional church or the house church model in the New Testament, but only a centralized authority controlling multiple house churches. I don't agree with his model but it does merit discussion. Jason doesn't think an Institutional Church divided into multiple campuses or having multiple small groups is biblical, but he puts what he calls a "house church" over other house churches, meaning IN THE SAME CITY there might be his house church ministry over many house churches, and other house church ministries over other groups of house churches.
Biblically, there are multiple churches, meaning parts of the universal church that live close enough to gather, in a REGION like "the churches of Galatia" (Gal. 1:2); but only one singular church, meaning all true born-again believers, the part of the universal church, close enough to influence each other in each CITY AND SUBURBS, like "the church of God which is at Corinth" (1 Cor. 1:2), and "the saints which are at Ephesus" (Eph. 1:1). Brother Andrew got this one thing mostly right. There was no centralized authority that could automatically, organizationally make decisions for house gatherings. Instead, there was a plurality of elders in each city that had responsibility and authority for all gatherings in that city, not automatic decision making authority, but a God-given responsibility and an authority that the gatherings were morally obligated to be inclined to respect and follow when possible (even Peter at one point led the Antioch Syria believers astray, Gal. 2:11).
We call them "house churches" for convenience but we actually mean "the part of the church that meets in a particular house," "Greet Priscilla and Aquila, ... likewise greet the church that is in their house" Rom. 16:3-5. No institutional church is biblical, either with or without small groups, though even institutional churches have some fruit in evangelizing unbelievers and edifying believers; and house churches often lack good doctrinal teaching (as do institutional churches). What we are missing is that the elders in each city area, whether in an institutional or house church should meet, as many as are willing, and minister, to as many church gatherings as are willing. But unregenerate unbelievers should be excluded, and any groups of elders that won't exclude them should be fled from, in order to meet with a group of elders that will exclude them. "Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, receives us not. ... Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that does good is of God: but he that does evil has not seen God. Demetrius has good report of all men," 3 Jn. 1:9-12.
Hopefully, the church will meet in houses more and more and in other venues less and less. But there should never be any official organization at any level; never any direct decision making authority over any other. Even the apostles and elders of the church at Jerusalem could only tell the Gentile churches what they ought to do but had no organizational decision making authority over them - they could only persuade, not rule. "We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth," Acts 15:27. https://ntrf.org/decision-making-strategy-video/
Btw, you can't choose what church you belong to or what structure any church or churches have. If you're born again, you're part of the church of God in the city area where you live, and the born again elders in that city area are your elders whether they like it and know it or not. You can only choose where you'll meet, and the elders can choose who they meet with and if they will do their duties or not. You can't choose or change the structure of the church or any part of the church in any city. You can only describe it as it is and the only way it will ever be, and act in accordance with it or not. God doesn't see your organizations. An elder in your 'church' organization has no more authority and responsibility over anyone in your own organization than he does in some other 'church' organization in your city area. Realizing that would help stop the personal kingdom building that elders focus on.
And the church that meets in houses shouldn't isolate themselves from the church that meets in large buildings; nor the church that doesn't recognize any centralized human authority isolate themselves from those that, mistakenly, do.
Using the following abbreviations: IC=Institutional Church, SG=Small Group, HC=House Church, E=Elder; graphically,
The Institutional Church's model is
Binghamton IC->SG SG SG / IC->SG SG SG.
Jason's model is
Binghamton HC->HC,HC,HC / HC->HC,HC,HC
The biblical model is
Binghamton E E E E --- HC HC HC
And the best we can do today is
Ecumenical (includes unbelievers) E(IC) E(IC) E E E HC HC; Non-Ecumenical (includes only believers) E(IC) E(IC) E E E HC HC
That's what I think; what do you think?
https://youtu.be/MrjL2kU3CkQ?si=6HUFkaeiA3y02_N2
Are you a church leader looking to redefine the essence of pastoral leadership rooted in the early church and scripture? Then this podcast episode is for you...
