The pastoral and practical principles on which the churches in the New Testament were based
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Date
2005
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Abstract
The New Testament does contain sufficient information in order that we may arrive at a reasonably clear understanding of the principles upon which the churches of the New Testament were based. The Scriptures do not give us a model of how churches must look and thus provides sufficient leeway to apply those principles within the context of different socio¬economic groups, cultures and ages.
One of these principles is that of the "Priesthood of Every Believer". This principle, should effect every aspect of the structure of the church and the relationship between ministries and the flock. Thus ministries are intended to truly be servants of the churches and not masters or lords over assemblies. This does not leave leaders without authority, but it is an authority based on relationships, and of the flock recognising the gifts of the leader, rather than a delegated and imposed authority.
Since leaders are not "staff or in the "employ" of the church, the question as to how they are to meet their temporal needs arises. The Scriptures draw no distinction between "full-time" and "part-time" ministries and both those who make tents and those who receive money from the church need to look to their Master - Jesus Christ for the supply of their needs. At the same time the labourer is worthy of his hire and local churches must take care of the needs of those who devote themselves to the work of the ministry.
Ministries, as listed in Ephesians 4:11, do continue beyond the first century. Unfortunately tradition and modern trends have resulted in many of these ministries being grossly misunderstood and many modern forms of particularly the pastor, apostle and prophet are grotesque aberrations of the Lord's original intent. These aberrations have, to a large extent, resulted in the rejection of the notion that they do continue.
While the Lord Jesus clearly intended for local churches be autonomous and not part of a larger organisation (except the Church Universal), they are by no means intended to be so independent that they do not interrelate with other assemblies. Thus local churches are self-sufficient, self governing and self-propagating while, at the same time, being in loving and supportive relationship with churches and men outside the local church.
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Submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Theology in the field of Practical Theology at the University of Zululand, 2005.
Keywords
Christian leadership, Church--Biblical teaching, Leadership--Religious aspects--Christianity