As in other areas, innovations have crept into the organization of the New Testament church. In fact, it seems that
it was in this area that innovations first made their entrance into this sacred body. We read in Acts 20:28-30, "Take
heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to
feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood For I know this, that after my departing shall
grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking
perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." The apostle Paul is talking to the Elders of the church of
Ephesus. He tells them that from among themselves men would arise and draw away disciples. This was done.
Through the organizational makeup of the Lord's Body, Satan found a way to destroy that which was good. And it
eventually led to the Dark Ages.
What type of organization did the church have? Where were its headquarters, and who ruled it? All of these
questions are important, and demand an answer. First of all we must remember that Christ is the head of the
church. Eph. 1:22-23, "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the
church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." Col. 1: 18, "And he is the head of the body, the
church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence." Since
Christ is the head, and He is in heaven, the church has no earthly headquarters. If it did, that would be proof that it
was being governed by human beings, and not God. Thus any other organizational makeup that the church might
have must be in harmony with the teachings of the scriptures, and the Head, Christ.
It might be well to point out presently that there is no such organization as is common to human denominations,
known in the Bible. No boards, directors, superintendents, etc., etc. The papal system is also unscriptural. There is
no authority for a universal earthly head of the church. This entire system came about by a misuse of power and a
misinterpretation of the Scriptures. In New Testament times each congregation was an independent group. They
had their own Elders and Deacons. They exercised no authority over other congregations. Nor were they engaged
in unscriptural cooperative efforts. This is what is known as "congregational autonomy;' meaning that each church
was a unit within itself. That is the way it should be today, but alas, innovations! Just how long this continued, we do
not know. We do know that soon after Paul had the conversation with the Ephesian elders the trend away from
things scriptural started. The churches formed organizations, grouped themselves together. For example, the elders
of one church would get together with the elders of another church and so on until many churches were represented
Men were chosen out of the group to represent them at even larger meetings with other groups until this process
built and built. Finally, the end was the election of one man to become the universal Bishop over the entire church.
He was called the Pope. Now, granted, this did not happen overnight. In fact, it took years and years even for the
first few steps to take place. But in time the gigantic monster of anti-scriptural organization reared its ugly head. That
which had begun so success fully was at least for the present destroyed, or greatly hampered. Today, religious
organization is built largely upon the likes and dislikes of man. The main objective is to "get the job done." The "how"
isn't even taken into consideration. That is with reference to its being scriptural. What we need now is for the church
to return to the original plan of organization: each church a unit, with Elders and Deacons. Phil. 1: 1, "Paul and
Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and
deacons..."
