The Independence of a Church

Memory Verse: 1Corinthians 2:12-16

Prayer:              That this church may ever remain true to the faith and pattern laid down in the
                          New Testament for a church.

Key Verses:       2Cor. 8:1-5,18,19; Jn. 15:1-7; Acts 13:1-5, 15:1-33, 18:1-1l; 1Peter 2:9

1Corinthians 2:13 - There are subjects taught as Bible doctrines that are not; and things taught as not that are!

The Bible always teaches us that the Church is a local, visible, independent Body of believers.

·        The Church at Corinth - 1Corinthians 1:1-2.

·        The churches of Galatia - Galatians 1:2

·        The saints at Ephesus - Ephesians 1:1

·        The saints at Philippi - Philippians 1:2

·        The saints at Colosse - Colossians 1:2

·        The Church of the Thessalonians - 1Thessalonians 1:1

·        The Church at Antioch - Acts 13:1

·        The churches of Macedonia 2Corinthians 8:1

·        The Church of Ephesus - Rev. 2:1

·        The Church in Smyrna - Rev. 2:8

·        The Church in Pergamos - Rev. 2:12

·        The Church in Thyatira - Rev. 2:18

·        The Church in Sardis - Rev. 3:1

·        The Church in Philadelphia - Rev. 3:7

·        The Church of the Laodiceans - Rev. 3:14

There is no universal invisible church in the Bible.  There are no conventions.  There are no “associations,” although they do associate.  There are no “fellowships,” although they do have fellowship.  We support some of the same missionaries that other churches support.  But we don’t tell them who to support or by what amount, nor do they tell us.  We fellowship and we associate, but we are independent as to governance.

A true New Testament church can only be one that had its beginnings with the Lord Jesus Christ during His life and ministry.  An organized assembly whose members have been saved and called out from private homes, baptized according to a scriptural pattern, meeting to teach and preach the message of God’s saving grace (Matt. 28:18-20).  This is a visible, local, independent body, with Christ as its head, answer­ing to no other outside human authority.  We as true Baptists can neither join nor fellowship with religious bodies, so-called, to further the cause of Christ.  We have to be independent from worldly religious bodies, which we do not recognize as having authority from Christ for even existing.  Name any Catholic body or Protestant body, check out their beginning and organization, none can qualify as a Church of Christ.  No hierarchical institution can qualify as a church.  We as Baptists have to keep pure, separate, and independent from all such institutions.

Is there any particular form of church government revealed in the New Testament?  Should a church be independent, or should a church affiliate with a Convention, Association, organized Fellowship, or any other organized body?  These questions will be variously answered by Christian scholars and Bible students. Some of the Baptist groups are:

·        American Baptist Convention (1950) coming out of the Northern Baptist Convention (1845)

·        Southern Baptist Convention (1845)

·        American National Baptist Convention (Negro 1886)

·        American Baptist Association (1924) coming out of the Baptist General Association (1905)

·        Baptist General Conference (1852)

·        Conservative Baptist Association of America (1947)

·        General Association of Regular Baptist Churches (1932)

·        United Baptists (1801)

·        Bible Baptist Fellowship (1950)

And dozens of others.  In most all such groups the people do not always have total control over the local affairs of their churches.  In fact many of these organizations sponsor affairs and programs that are totally unscriptural and the local churches end up sending money for that which they would not support locally.  The other alternative is for a local church to be independent and the people handle and control all of their affairs and missionary giving.  Even here, there is an inherent danger that a dominant, charis­matic pastor will usurp his authority and will persuade the majority of the members to follow or sponsor something that turns out, not to the churches best interest.  I say this after hearing church members over a period of forty years complain that the pastor is a dictator.  Most of these members are not very spiritual or faithful in their church activities.  Yet if the pastor does not exercise a good measure of con­trol over the affairs of the church, soon there may be no church.

A close study of the New Testament clearly teaches us that each church in the New Testament was an Independent church, in which the governing power rested entirely with the people, i.e. the body of the members of each local church, each being entirely separate from and independent of all others, so far as authority and control are concerned.  Baptists claim that a Christian Church is a congregation of baptized believers assoc­iated by mutual covenant, self-governing, and independent of all others; having no ecclesiastical connection with any other, though maintaining friendly intercourse with all of like faith and order.

Each particular and individual local church is actually and absolutely independent in the exercise of all its churchly rights, privileges, and prerogatives; independent of all other churches, individuals, and bodies of men whatever, and is under law to Christ alone.  Christ is the great Lawgiver and His will is found in the New Testament.  Independency is in irreconcilable conflict with Episcopacy and Presbyterianism, and distinctly affirms these three truths:

1.      That the governmental power is in the hands of the members of a church.

2.      The right of a majority of the members of a church to rule in accordance with the law of Christ.

3.      That the power of a church cannot be transferred or alienated, and that church action is final.

It was the province of the apostolic churches to admit members into their communion (Rom. 14:1).  New Testament churches had the right to exclude unworthy members, and they exercised the right (1Cor. 5:4,5,15).  To whom was the command addressed (1Cor. 1:2)?  The apostolic churches had the power and the right to restore to fellowship excluded members who gave satisfactory evidence of penitence (2Cor. 2:6-8). The church at Corinth could not transfer her power to the church at Philippi, nor could the church at Antioch convey her authority to the church of Ephesus.  Neither could all the apostolic churches combined delegate their power to an association or synod or convention (Matt. 18:15-17).

The one loaf of unleavened fine flour used in the Lord’s supper, signifying one pure faith would also teach us that only one undivided body - organization - church as such - not several churches as an Association, nor parts of several - will rep­resent the local New Testament Baptist church. Therefore we cannot believe in, nor practice inter-communion with other churches, even Baptist churches.  Believing such, it is sometimes objected that independent Baptists are too independent, and that their liberty degenerates into license.  Churches cannot be too independent, using the word in a true Christian sense.  Nor can liberty become license.  The liberty which the independence of churches exercises is limited by the laws of Christ as expressed in the New Testament.

Ignorant and foolish men may be charged with many wrong acts.  They may practice injustice and oppression in the name of liberty, and under pretence of independence.  But liberty and independence are, at the very most, only the occasion, and are in no sense to be made responsible for the evils which perverse and wrongheaded persons perpetrate under the shelter of their name.  Church independency has its peculiar liability to misuse and abuse, but it cannot be shown that its difficulties are any more numerous, or any more serious than those to which other forms of Church government are liable.  Flesh is flesh and will try to find a way to rear its ugly head. Indeed, I believe, the divine plan is the best plan, with the fewest evils and the most advantages. The defects lie not in the plan, but in those who admin­ister the government.

Wherein lies the proof that the primitive Church was independent?  The course pursued by the Church at Antioch, in Syria is suggestive.  When a difficulty arose pertaining to the engrafting of Jewish customs upon a Christian polity, respecting which they were in doubt, they sent a delegation to the church at Jerusalem.  From this source, therefore, they would obtain authoritative instruction (Acts 15).  This deputation did not appeal to the Apostles only, but to the whole church.  After a full statement and discussion of the case, and an expressed opinion by James, the pastor of the church, they agreed on what reply to make to the church at Antioch.  The Apostles regarded and treated the churches as independent bodies, having the right of self-government, without subjection to any other authority.  They reported their own doings to the churches, and addressed their epistles to them, as to inde­pendent bodies, and not to a convention or fellowship.  For further enlightenment on the independency of the local church refer to the writings of the following men on the subject: Mosheim, Gieseler, Schaff, Coleman, J. R. Graves,  B. H. Carroll, D. B. Ray, John A. Broadus and A. J. Gordon.