Articles
Is It Appropriate to Choose Not to be Identified with a Local Congregation?
When someone chooses not to be identified with a local congregation, they are refusing to follow the government of Christ. It is as wrong as having women serve in the eldership or having some man serving as the head of a congregation in place of an eldership. I realize those are strong sentiments but consider the logic of my thinking here. Jesus chose his apostles. He then gave the apostles the “keys” to the kingdom, that is, they were to set the kingdom up in accordance to the Lord’s will. Notice the following passages:
Titus 1:5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
1 Peter 5:1 -2 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
Both Paul and Peter speak of elders having oversight of the church. That is not the building, but the people. We see that there are not only to be a plurality, but they are to “take oversight” of the congregation. When someone chooses not to become a part of a local congregation, they are choosing not to be under an eldership. Therefore, they are choosing not to be under the government of our Lord Jesus Christ. So, it is as great a sin as a congregation having women elders or choosing one man to be the only elder or bishop.
