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a. The representative government of the local church.
Reformed churches differ, on the one
hand, from all those churches in which the government is in the hands of a single prelate or
presiding elder, and on the other hand, from those in which it rests with the people in general.
They do not believe in any one man rule, be he an elder, a pastor, or a bishop; neither do they
believe in popular government. They choose ruling elders as their representatives, and these,
together with the minister(s), form a council or consistory for the government of the local
church. Very likely the apostles were guided by the venerated custom of having elders in the
synagogue rather than by any direct commandment, when they ordained elders in the various
churches founded by them. The Jerusalem church had elders, Acts 11:30. Paul and Barnabas
ordained them in the churches which they organized on the first missionary journey, Acts
14:23. Elders were evidently functioning at Ephesus, Acts 20:17, and at Philippi, Phil. 1:1. The
Pastoral Epistles repeatedly make mention of them, I Tim. 3:1,2; Tit. 1:5,7. It deserves attention
that they are always spoken of in the plural, I Cor. 12:28; I Tim. 5:17; Heb. 13:7,17,24; I Pet. 5:1.
The elders are chosen by the people as men who are specially qualified to rule the Church.
Scripture evidently intends that the people shall have a voice in the matter of their selection,
though this was not the case in the Jewish synagogue, Acts 1:21-26; 6:1-6; 14:23. In the last
passage, however, the word cheirotoneo may have lost its original meaning of appointing by
stretching out the hand, and may simply mean to appoint. At the same time it is perfectly
evident that the Lord Himself places these rulers over the people and clothes them with the
necessary authority, Matt. 16:19; John 20:22,23; Acts 1:24,26; 20:28; I Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11,12;
Heb. 13:17. The election by the people is merely an external confirmation of the inner calling by
the Lord Himself. Moreover, the elders, though representatives of the people, do not derive
their authority from the people, but from the Lord of the Church. They exercise rule over the
house of God in the name of the King, and are responsible only to Him.
b. The relative autonomy of the local church.
Reformed Church government recognizes the
autonomy of the local church. This means:
(1) That every local church is a complete church of Christ, fully equipped with everything that is
required for its government. It has absolutely no need of it that any government should be
imposed upon it from without. And not only that, but such an imposition would be absolutely
contrary to its nature.
(2) That, though there can be a proper affiliation or consolidation of contiguous churches, there
may be no union which destroys the autonomy of the local church. Hence it is better not to
speak of classes and synods as higher, but to describe them as major or more general
assemblies. They do not represent a higher, but the very same, power that inheres in the