The Structure of the Church

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The Structure of the Church A Brotherhood Fellowsh
ip A Spiritual Relationship Only
No Earthly Headquarters No Treasury No Corporate
Work
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Misconceptions of the Structure of the Church A
Church-hood
The Unit is Not The Local Church
Church-hood Requires A New Headquarters
Rest not visible
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The one Church Is Composed of Many Local
Congregations
Local congregations are not different
The local units are to be united (Spiritual Twins)
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The Structure of the Local Church
The Local Church Is the Only Functional Unit To
do Gods work
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But a team of horses can not be worked with a
single harness. The size or scope of the
organizational structure must equal the size and
scope of the overseen. When two o more churches
are linked together in any project, act
collectively, the elders who direct the project
must act as double or multiple harness with
respect to that project. Calling them local
elders, as indeed they may be in one capacity,
does not alter what theyre doing in their roll
as overseers of the larger working unit, nor have
we changed what theyre doing by giving them this
position voluntarily. So we have changed Gods
plan for government or polity. We have made
diocesan elders.
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The Structure Of The Church
Gods Harness
A New Harness
Local Church Local Elders Acts 1423 I Pet
52 Gods Design
Sponsoring Churches Overseeing Elderships A Team
Harness Unknown to the scriptures
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The Biblical Pattern
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Pattern Principle Does A Pattern Exist ? The New
Testament Teaches
Hebrews 85 2 Timothy 113 Titus 27-8
Philippians 317 Philippians 419 1 Corinthians
111
Some Brethren Teach
No Patternism
How May A Pattern Be Violated That Does Not
Exist?
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We are to have fellowship one with another, and
the Lord gave no pattern for congregational
cooperation. How then can one violate a pattern
that does not exist? (G.K. Wallace The Gospel
Advocate 1956)
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Those within the Restoration Movement whove
written on the subject usually have assumed that
at least some of the New Testament examples are
binding. In contrast the New Testament seems to
provide no basis for this conclusion. Neither
churches nor individuals in the New Testament are
presented as patterns to be identified in
specific details. There is no evidence that new
Testament writers exercised selectivity in
choosing particular actions or patterns to be
copied.
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We have approached the area of hermeneutics with
the idea that they had a complete set of
documents, which we know as the New Testament,
and that they searched these scriptures to
determine Gods pattern in church organization,
structure, and practice. I submit to you that is
an incorrect assumption. Bill Swetman, The
Nashville Meeting
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Defining Terms
Cooperate Cooperate - (1) To act or operate
JOINTLY with another or others, to concur in
action, effort or effect. Websters Unabridged
Dictionary (Emph. Mine, tr)
Note Two kinds of Cooperation
Joint - Collective concurrent - Independent
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Collective Action Collective Action - 3.
Characteristic of the experience in common or the
united action of the members of an aggregation or
group distinct from that of individuals.
Websters Dictionary (Emph. Mine, tr)