church cooperation

8/4/2019 Church Cooperation

1/15

The teaching of the New Testament serves as thecreed of the Christian and furnishes him to every

good work (2 Tim. 3: 16, 17). All that is believed

and practiced is to be in the name of the Lord

Jesus (Col. 3: 17). What, therefore, is taught andobserved on every subject, including congregational

cooperation is of great importance.


2/15

Apart from the guidance of the

word, man is only limited in his

ideas about church cooperation byhis fertile imagination. As a result,

all manner of arrangements are

observed in the religious world.


3/15

Too many look to

Catholicism as the model for

church cooperation, seeingthe ultimate source of

cooperation being the Pope

of Rome. However, such is

a false model (Matt. 16: 18,19, I Tim. 4: 1-6, 2 Thes. 2:

3-10).


4/15

Using the model of

denominational churches in

their consociations alsoconstitutes a flawed model.

Such an arrangement

basically came out of

Catholicism and did not existin New Testament times (cp.

I Cor. 1: 10-13).


5/15

Many have sought to

persuade denominations,

which have diametricallyopposed teaching regarding

salvation, how to live, and

life after death to unite in

their cooperation. Hence,unity-in-diversity is very

common.


6/15

"All the churches, in those primitive times, were

independent bodies; or none of them subject to

the jurisdiction of any otherNor does thereappear in this first century any vestige of that

consociation of the churches of the same

provinces, which gave rise to ecclesiastical

councils, and to metropolitans." (Mosheim,Ecclesiastical History, Vol. 1, pg. 72).


7/15

Elders were appointed in each local church and

these men who met special qualifications only

superintended where they served (Acts 14: 23, I

Pet. 5: 1-3). Hence, the circumstances of a group

of men (elders) serving over an area involving

churches is foreign to the teaching and examples

observed in the New Testament.


8/15

Local church

Acts 14: 23

Local church

I Peter 5: 1-3


9/15

Both the original falling away and also subsequentapostasies have involved a distortion of localchurch government. Such has then afforded thedevil more liberty and ease in bringing in more

wide-spread digression. The more organizationallybound, the more local churches can be affected in asingle effort.


10/15

In the matter of the propagation of the gospel,

there were no missionary societies, sponsoring

churches, or other organizational tie

arrangement characteristic of the work of the

early local churches. The scriptures have not left

man to decide how such work is to be done (cp. I

Tim. 3: 15, Phili. 4: 15, 2 Cor. 11: 8).


11/15

Church

Church

Church Church

Church


12/15

Missionary

Society

Local

church

Local

church

Sponsoring

Church

Local

church

Local

church


13/15

29: Then the disciples,

every man according to

his ability, determined to

send relief unto thebrethren which dwelt in

Judaea: 30: Which also

they did, and sent it to

the elders by the handsofBarnabas and Saul

(Acts 11).

Antioch

Churches in Judea


14/15

1: Now concerning thecollection for the saints,as I have given order tothe churches of Galatia,even so do ye. 2: Uponthe first day of the weeklet every one of you layby him in store, as God

hath prospered him,that there be nogatherings when Icome (I Cor. 16).

Jerusalem

Churches sending to one


15/15

God has supplied the teaching and the pattern asto how He expects things to be done. Man needs

to respect what God has taught and cease

attempting to improve on Gods arrangement,

whether it be the plan of salvation for the aliensinner, the worship of the church, or how local

churches function and are governed!

church cooperation

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