GOBERNMENT EN THE CHURCH

The government in the Church is theocratic, but of a communitarian nature, not national. The Church itself constitutes a nation (1P.2.9) but it is convenient to emphasize that the people of God, whose leader or head of government is Jesus Christ (Eph.17-23), is not co-ruler with any state authority, because "no servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will esteem the one and despise the other "(Lc.16.13); therefore, "give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's" (Lk.20.25); that is, the Church is autonomous.

   However; in a correct biblical procedure, the divine government within a community of believers is exercised by a group of faithful who qualify for it (1: 3, 1-8, Tit.1: 5-9). These men are called acolytes, bishops, pastors or elders (who in the beginning had the same meaning) and who were collectively referred to as a "presbytery" (1 Ti.4.14).

   In apostolic times some of these elders or pastors were always appointed to constitute the presbytery of each local congregation or church, and now there is no reason for it to be different. This does not rule out that there may be in any congregation a legal representative authorized by the same presbytery.

   It is not biblical for a single person to exercise all authority in a Christian community or congregation. Dictatorships are not valid within the Kingdom of God, nor is any democratic process valid in which "carnal" believers (1Co.3.1-3) and much less ordinary or unbelieving people take part in administrative decisions of any truly Christian entity.

Leadership in organisms under the reign of our glorious King Savior is of too great importance, for these stewards of divine grace can have the great honor of having "given food to the sheep", or, on the contrary, that after having "struck his fellow servants" suffer the harsh punishment of the hypocrites (Mt.24: 45-51).