Local Churches

1
Local Churches Human Organizations

• May churches of Christ use human organizations in
  carrying out their work?

2
Local Churches Human Organizations

• May churches of Christ build and/or maintain
  organizations of human design and origin?

3
Local Churches Human Organizations

• Is every conceivable relationship between a local
  church and a human organization a proper one?

4
The Organizationof Local Churches

• The organizational structure of local churches
  consists of
• "saints with the bishops and deacons." (Phil.
  11)
• The supposed need for greater--more
  extensive--organization than this stems from the
  desire, on the part of congregations, to do more
  work than they are able to do.

5
The Responsibilityof Local Churches

• Authority
• Ability
• Opportunity
• Responsibility

6
The Responsibilityof Local Churches

• Authority
• Ability
• Opportunity
• Responsibility

In the absence of one or more of those three
elements, churches have no responsibility to act.
7
The Work of Local Churches

• Edifying saints
• Then those who gladly received his word were
  baptized and that day about three thousand souls
  were added to them. And they continued
  steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and
  fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in
  prayers. (Acts 241-42)

8
The Work of Local Churches

• Edifying saints
• And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some
  prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and
  teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the
  work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of
  Christ, till we all come to the unity of the
  faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to
  a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of
  the fullness of Christ

9
The Work of Local Churches

• Edifying saints
• that we should no longer be children, tossed to
  and fro and carried about with every wind of
  doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning
  craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking
  the truth in love, may grow up in all things into
  Him who is the head--Christ-- from whom the whole
  body, joined and knit together by what every
  joint supplies, according to

10
The Work of Local Churches

• Edifying saints
• the effective working by which every part does
  its share, causes growth of the body for the
  edifying of itself in love. (Eph. 411-16)

11
The Work of Local Churches

• Edifying saints
• Relieving saints
• Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders
  and signs were done through the apostles. Now all
  who believed were together, and had all things in
  common, and sold their possessions and goods, and
  divided them among all, as anyone had need. (Acts
  243-45)

12
The Work of Local Churches

• Edifying saints
• Relieving saints
• Now the multitude of those who believed were of
  one heart and one soul neither did anyone say
  that any of the things he possessed was his own,
  but they had all things in common. And with great
  power the apostles gave witness to the
  resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace
  was upon them all. Nor was

13
The Work of Local Churches

• Edifying saints
• Relieving saints
• there anyone among them who lacked for all who
  were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and
  brought the proceeds of the things that were
  sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet and
  they distributed to each as anyone had need. And
  Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles

14
The Work of Local Churches

• Edifying saints
• Relieving saints
• (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a
  Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land,
  sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the
  apostles' feet. (Acts 432-37)

15
The Work of Local Churches

• Edifying saints
• Relieving saints
• Supporting evangelists
• Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who
  plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit?
  Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the
  milk of the flock? Do I say these things as a
  mere man? Or does not the law say the same also?
  For it is written in

16
The Work of Local Churches

• Edifying saints
• Relieving saints
• Supporting evangelists
• the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox
  while it treads out the grain." Is it oxen God is
  concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for
  our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is
  written, that he who plows should plow in hope,
  and he who threshes in

17
The Work of Local Churches

• Edifying saints
• Relieving saints
• Supporting evangelists
• hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have
  sown spiritual things for you, is it a great
  thing if we reap your material things? If others
  are partakers of this right over you, are we not
  even more? Nevertheless we have not used this
  right, but endure all things lest

18
The Work of Local Churches

• Edifying saints
• Relieving saints
• Supporting evangelists
• we hinder the gospel of Christ. Do you not know
  that those who minister the holy things eat of
  the things of the temple, and those who serve at
  the altar partake of the offerings of the altar?
  Even so the Lord has commanded that those who
  preach the

19
The Work of Local Churches

• Edifying saints
• Relieving saints
• Supporting evangelists
• gospel should live from the gospel. (1 Cor.
  97-14)

20
The Work of Local Churches

• Edifying saints
• Relieving saints
• Supporting evangelists
• Now you Philippians know also that in the
  beginning of the gospel, when I departed from
  Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning
  giving and receiving but you only. For even in
  Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my
  necessities. (Phil. 415-16)

21
The Work of Local Churches

• Edifying saints
• Relieving saints
• Supporting evangelists
• Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you
  might be exalted, because I preached the gospel
  of God to you free of charge? I robbed other
  churches, taking wages from them to minister to
  you. And when I was present with you, and in
  need, I was a burden to no

22
The Work of Local Churches

• Edifying saints
• Relieving saints
• Supporting evangelists
• one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from
  Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept
  myself from being burdensome to you, and so I
  will keep myself. (2 Cor. 117-9)

23
There Are Only Three ThingsNecessary for Any Work

• Supervision -- someone to oversee the work
• Servants -- someone to assist the supervisors in
  the things that are to be done
• Supplies -- materials with which to do the
  things that are to be done

24
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders - also called presbyters, bishops,
  overseers, pastors, and shepherds - are to
  oversee the local church and its work.
• Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the
  flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you
  overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He
  purchased with His own blood. (Acts 2028)

25
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders - also called presbyters, bishops,
  overseers, pastors, and shepherds - are to
  oversee the local church and its work.
• (1 Peter 51-4) The elders who are among you I
  exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of
  the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of
  the glory that will be revealed Shepherd the
  flock of God which is among you, serving as
  overseers, not by

26
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders - also called presbyters, bishops,
  overseers, pastors, and shepherds - are to
  oversee the local church and its work.
• compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain
  but eagerly nor as being lords over those
  entrusted to you, but being examples to the
  flock and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you
  will receive the crown of glory that does not
  fade away. (1 Peter 51-4)

27
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders - also called presbyters, bishops,
  overseers, pastors, and shepherds - are to
  oversee the local church and its work.
• Only qualified men may be elders.
• (1 Tim. 31-7) This is a faithful saying If a
  man desires the position of a bishop, he desires
  a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the
  husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of
  good

28
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders - also called presbyters, bishops,
  overseers, pastors, and shepherds - are to
  oversee the local church and its work.
• Only qualified men may be elders.
• behavior, hospitable, able to teach not given to
  wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but
  gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous one who
  rules his own house well, having his children in
  submission with all

29
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders - also called presbyters, bishops,
  overseers, pastors, and shepherds - are to
  oversee the local church and its work.
• Only qualified men may be elders.
• reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule
  his own house, how will he take care of the
  church of God?) not a novice, lest being puffed
  up with pride he fall into the same condemnation
  as the devil.

30
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders - also called presbyters, bishops,
  overseers, pastors, and shepherds - are to
  oversee the local church and its work.
• Only qualified men may be elders.
• Moreover he must have a good testimony among
  those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach
  and the snare of the devil. (1 Tim. 31-7)

31
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders
• Deacons, also called servants, and ministers are
  to assist in the work under the oversight of the
  elders.
• (Acts 61-7) Now in those days, when the number
  of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a
  complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists,
  because their widows were neglected in the daily
  distribution.

32
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders
• Deacons, also called servants, and ministers are
  to assist in the work under the oversight of the
  elders.
• Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the
  disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we
  should leave the word of God and serve tables.
  Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you
  seven men of

33
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders
• Deacons, also called servants, and ministers are
  to assist in the work under the oversight of the
  elders.
• good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and
  wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business
  but we will give ourselves continually to prayer
  and to the ministry of the word." And the saying
  pleased the

34
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders
• Deacons, also called servants, and ministers are
  to assist in the work under the oversight of the
  elders.
• whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man
  full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip,
  Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas,
  a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before
  the apostles

35
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders
• Deacons, also called servants, and ministers are
  to assist in the work under the oversight of the
  elders.
• and when they had prayed, they laid hands on
  them. Then the word of God spread, and the number
  of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem,
  and a great many of the priests were obedient to
  the faith. (Acts 61-7)

36
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders
• Deacons, also called servants, and ministers are
  to assist in the work under the oversight of the
  elders.
• Only qualified men may be deacons.
• (1 Tim. 38-12) Likewise deacons must be
  reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much
  wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery
  of the faith

37
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders
• Deacons, also called servants, and ministers are
  to assist in the work under the oversight of the
  elders.
• Only qualified men may be deacons.
• with a pure conscience. But let these also first
  be tested then let them serve as deacons, being
  found blameless. Likewise their wives must be
  reverent, not

38
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders
• Deacons, also called servants, and ministers are
  to assist in the work under the oversight of the
  elders.
• Only qualified men may be deacons.
• slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.
  Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling
  their children and their own houses well. (1 Tim.
  38-12)

39
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders
• Deacons
• Contributions are for the purchasing of supplies
  and/or services.
• (1 Cor. 161-2) Now concerning the collection for
  the saints, as I have given orders to the
  churches of Galatia, so you must do also On the
  first day of the

40
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders
• Deacons
• Contributions are for the purchasing of supplies
  and/or services.
• week let each one of you lay something aside,
  storing up as he may prosper, that there be no
  collections when I come. (1 Cor. 161-2)

41
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders
• Deacons
• Contributions are for the purchasing of supplies
  and/or services.
• Now all who believed were together, and had all
  things in common, and sold their possessions and
  goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had
  need. (Acts 244-45)

42
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders
• Deacons
• Contributions are for the purchasing of supplies
  and/or services.
• (Acts 434-35) Nor was there anyone among them
  who lacked for all who were possessors of lands
  or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of
  the things that were sold, and laid them at the
  apostles'

43
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders
• Deacons
• Contributions are for the purchasing of supplies
  and/or services.
• feet and they distributed to each as anyone had
  need. (Acts 434-35)

44
Local ChurchesAre All-Sufficient

• Elders
• Deacons
• Contributions are for the purchasing of supplies
  and/or services.
• Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having
  received from Epaphroditus the things sent from
  you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable
  sacrifice, well pleasing to God. (Phil. 418)

45
Local ChurchesAre to Do Their Own Work

• It may purchase, from a human organization,
  products and/or services to which it is entitled.
• But it may not transfer the oversight of its work
  to a human organization.
• And it may not transfer the doing of its work to
  a human organization.

46
Local ChurchesAre to Do Their Own Work

• Nor may it contribute funds to a human
  organization.
• It doesnt matter whether the human organization
  is doing something the local church is authorized
  to do or not.
• If the scriptures authorize the local church to
  do a thing, let the local church do that thing.

47
Local ChurchesAre to Do Their Own Work

• Some brethren argue that God has actually given
  to local churches certain responsibilities that
  they are not equipped to fulfill.
• Therefore, they argue, these responsibilities
  must be delegated to human organizations, and
  since these are supposedly church
  responsibilities local churches may contribute
  money to the human organizations that do the
  work.

48
Local ChurchesAre to Do Their Own Work

• But to say that God gave to local churches any
  responsibility, without equipping them to fulfill
  that responsibility, is to insult the infinite
  wisdom of God.
• One might as well say, Where God has failed, we
  have succeeded! We have discovered a way for the
  church to do its work!

49
Local Churches Human Organizations
EDIFICATION EVANGELISM BENEVOLENCE
LOCAL CHURCH
HUMAN ORGAN.
50
Local Churches Human Organizations
EDIFICATION EVANGELISM BENEVOLENCE
LOCAL CHURCH

HUMAN ORGAN.
51
Local Churches Human Organizations
SUPERVISION SERVANTS SUPPLIES
LOCAL CHURCH
HUMAN ORGAN.
52
Local Churches Human Organizations
SUPERVISION SERVANTS SUPPLIES
LOCAL CHURCH

HUMAN ORGAN.