The Presbyterian form of government is the nearest to the teachings of the Holy Scriptures on church government. Historically, this was one of the glorious fruits of the Reformers, particularly John Calvin and John Knox. After centuries of abuse by the episcopal government of the Roman Catholic Church, the restoration of church government to conformity with the teaching of God’s Word brought great blessing and helped to preserve many Presbyterian and Reformed churches from falling into abuse and error. There are three reasons given below to show why Presbyterianism is the preferred form of church government.
A. Presbyterianism is better than other forms of church government.
1. Episcopalian government has the advantage of being efficient and speedy in doing the Lord’s work. However it is easily subject to abuse. When absolute power is invested in one man, “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” The sad state of the Anglican church testifies to the failure of this form of government. The doctrine of the depravity of man argues against it.
2. Congregational government is based on two principles: first, that the governing and executive power in the church is in the brotherhood; and secondly, that the church organisation is complete in each worshipping assembly, which is independent of every other. But there have been problems with churches that have adopted this form of government – much time and effort needed in decision making, politicking, party spirit and schism. Baptist churches are notorious for constantly splitting into smaller congregations because of disagreements. The autonomy enjoyed by each congregation also means that there would be little or no accountability to the larger community of believers. This situation can lead to a congregation easily falling into error, and even going to extremes, if it comes under the influence of a false teacher.
3. Although the presbyterian form of government has not totally removed all abuses and errors in churches that have adopted it, it has nevertheless greatly reduced the incidence and intensity of these things.
B. Presbyterianism is based on Scriptural Principles.
1. There are four underlying principles behind this form of government:
a. Christ is the great Head of the church universal. All church government must be subject to Him alone (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18).
b. The people have a right to a substantive part in the government of the church. And yet all things must be done decently and in order (1 Corinthians 14:40).
c. Elders, who labour in the word and doctrine, are the highest permanent officers of the church, and all belong to the same order. This means that there is plurality of leadership (Acts 14:23; 1 Timothy 5:17; 1 Peter 5:1).
d. The outward and visible church is, or should be, one, in the sense that a smaller part is accountable to a larger, and a larger to the whole. Hence, the leadership of local churches (the session) are accountable to the larger body known as the presbytery, and presbyteries are accountable to a larger body known as the synod (Acts 15:1-29).
2. Christ has in fact vested all ecclesiastical power in the church as a whole, none of its members being excluded; yet not in the church as a mob, but as an organised body consisting of members, their representative ruling elders, and pastors or teaching elders. Ruling elders are properly the representatives of the people, elected by them for the purpose of exercising government and discipline in conjunction with pastors (Acts 6:1-6).
3. This church government is responsible for the admission of new members into the congregation, exercising pastoral care and discipline over the members, providing for the instruction of the flock and regulating the public worship (1 Peter 5:1-4). But “all church power, . . . is only ministerial and declarative; that is to say, the Holy Scriptures are the only rule of faith and conduct; no church court ought to pretend to make laws to bind the conscience in virtue of its own authority; all decisions should be founded upon the revealed will of God.” (Article 5.7 of the Constitution of Life B-P Church)
4. To become an elder, a person must be ordained by the laying of the hands of elders of the church (1 Timothy 4:14)
5. Elders* must be men (1 Corinthians 14:34,35; 1 Timothy 2:11-14). They must “be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; . . . . Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.” (1 Timothy 3:2-7; see also Titus 1:6-9) (*the Scriptures refer to elders also as bishops or “overseers” – see Acts 20:17,28 and Tit 1:5,7. The former designation highlights his office while the latter highlights his function.)
6. Deacons must “grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives* be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.” (1 Timothy 3:8-12) (*the word “wives” here may also be translated as “women” which may refer to deaconesses.)
C. Presbyterianism is the ideal system for maintaining proper church discipline.
1. The session of the local church becomes the proper governing body that carries out the discipline of any of its members. Its decisions are final with respect to the matters within its jurisdiction.
2. However, if the disciplined member thinks that the decision of the session is unfair, he can appeal to the higher body – the presbytery, and if he is not satisfied with the presbytery’s decision, he may appeal to the synod.
3. Disciplinary decisions of any local church session are supported by other local church sessions within the same synod. Therefore if a member is included in one church, he is also included in the rest and if he is excluded from one church, he is also excluded from the rest (cf. 1 Cor 5:4,5). If a minister is ordained in one church, he is considered worthy of ministering in any one of the rest, and if he is rightfully deposed in one church, he ceases to be a minister in any of the rest.
The details for the actual outworking of the presbyterian form of government are usually laid down in the constitution of the church (see Articles 11-18 of the Constitution of Life Bible-Presbyterian Church).
According to Thomas Witherow, “Our conclusion is, that, while the prelacy of Rome and England is in direct opposition to the form of ecclesiastical government that was sanctioned by inspired men; and while Independency [congregationalism] approaches much more nearly, but still falls short of the primitive model, the Presbyterian is, in point of government, the only Apostolic Church.”
We do not assert that the Presbyterian Church is in everything an exact copy of the Apostolic or “New Testament” church. There are some things found in the one that must be forever wanting in the other; and conversely there are some things wanting in the one that are found in the other. But in doctrine they are the same; in worship they are the same; in government, all the main principles of the one are found in the other. There is no other church, we believe, of which the same statements can be made.
There may be a few exceptional situations where the leadership of a church will best be handled by just one or two persons: E.g., when a church is newly formed and none of the members are spiritually mature enough to be nominated as office-bearers. There may also be a few exceptional cases where a theologically-trained woman may lead the church, e.g. when no men are qualified or willing to be office bearers (c.f. Deborah in Judges 4:4).
References Used:
A. A. Hodge, The Confession of Faith, Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1869.
Life Bible-Presbyterian Church Membership Handbook 1995.
The Life Bible-Presbyterian Church Vision Magazine, 1986-87.
Bob Phee, Lecture Notes on Systematic Theology, FEBC.
