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it IN YOUR BIBLE! The business of WAITING ON TABLES---of feeding,
serving, the MATERIAL needs of the widows and orphans!
And WHY were they appointed? So that the apostles might
devote their time to the PREACHING of the Gospel, and the
WITNESSING TO THE RESURRECTION, which they were sent to do,
INSTEAD OF this business of ministering to the PHYSICAL needs of
women!
The business for which the seven were appointed had nothing
whatsoever to do with receiving and disbursing tithes for the
ministry and preaching of the Word!
We should like to see any text in the New Testament showing
that there ever was appointed any BOARD to act as a TREASURY for
the tithes of the disciples, and to receive and disburse the
money for the whole church! We say such a thing IS UNSCRIPTURAL
and unless SCRIPTURE can be produced for it, such a practice
ought to be discontinued!
If there is ONE LINE of scripture for such procedure under the
New Testament, the editor of The GOOD NEWS agrees to print it in
the next issue---if any can supply it! This is our challenge,
and we await replies!
JESUS' TEACHING ON CHURCH GOVERNMENT
There is not one single HINT in the New Testament of any
Church BOARD with authority to rule, to govern, to decide
doctrine, or to handle tithes and church finances (the whole
church). In the later number we shall devote an article to
explaining Acts 15, which certainly sets no such example.
Jesus never organized, or re-organized His church! There is
NO SCRIPTURE for it!
All authority and power to rule is limited solely to each
LOCAL congregation. But there is NO BIBLE AUTHORITY for any
super-government, or organization with authority over the local
congregations!
The plain teaching of Jesus is JUST THE CONTRARY! Listen!
"Jesus called them unto Him, and saith unto them, Ye know that
they which are accounted to RULE over the Gentiles exercise
lordship over them; and their great ones exercise AUTHORITY
upon them, But so shall it NOT be among you." (Mark 10:42).
The AUTHORITY---the GOVERNMENT---the RULERSHIP---was turned
over to the Gentiles for 2520 years---until Christ RESTORES the
kingdom at His Second Coming!
WHERE CHURCH GOVERNMENT ORIGINATED
How then, did ORGANIZATION, and the idea of CHURCH GOVERNMENT
get into the Church?
It came out of BABYLON! Spiritual BABYLON---that is, ROME!
The same as nearly all other false doctrines of Satan.
In the early 4th Century, Constantine, the Emperor, who
officially started SUNDAY observance in the Western World, saw
his Empire in danger of disintegrating.
At the time a great controversy was raging among the leaders
of Christianity, over Dr. Arius' doctrine concerning the origin
of Christ, as opposed to the Trinity doctrine.
We quote from Encyclopedia Britannica, (article ARIUS):
"This controversy over Arius' doctrine reached even the ears