The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1894-01-11
"The Presbyterian the ScripturaI
Form of Church Government"

-
Form Of Church Government"
The following sermon was delivered
by Rev. E. w. MacCorkle at the Presby
terrain church i'll this city on Sunday
December 18th, 1893. Published by re
quest.
AcTs 1f23.-'sAnd when they had ordaine,
elders in every church and had prayed witt
them they commended them to the Lord Oh
Miletus he sent to the Ephssus and called tn,
elders OF the church."
This form of church government die
not originate with the Apostles On tn,
contrary, it is as old as Moses Whel
Moses was sent to the people of Israel il
Egypt, he carried with him the com
mand, go gather the elders of Israeli
these were not only the elders because
of their age, but also because of their
grave characters and merits. And al
that time they were over the people as
their representatives. to regulate theiI
civil as we'll as their ecclesiast cal affairs
1t is often said those were only civil rul
ers, but it can be clearly shown that they
were possessed of spiritual functions as
WE'LL These elders continued and we
find them bearing rule in the days OF
| Joshua. They are still in existence. ir
the DAYS of the Judges, and up to the
period of the Kings. Then the elders
themselves demanded a King for the
people. God gave them King, and
this overthrow of the divinely ordained
system of church government was the
signal for the beginning of their calami-
| ties. We hear little of the Elders in the
exile. But on their return this system
of government was again established.
But in the providence of God a great
change had been brought about. The
/ Urim and Thulnmim, the Ark of the Gov
enant, with the shew bread and the rod
and shekinah had been lost. Instead
therefore of having one place of worship,
the temple, with these, as before, they
had to resort to synagogues in which the
| people might be gathered together at
different or the same times, and in many
different places. Thus complete revo-
luton was wrought in the manner of
worship But the same form of govern
meDt Was retained. and this was grated
on the synagogue life. Accordingly we
find in every synagogue bench of eld-
ers usually three, and in connection with
| them one ruler who was called Ruler of
the Synagogue. He also was an elder,
with the same rank as the others, but in
addition to his ruling function he also
| had that of teacher and eXpounder of
the law. He was called the President of
the Synagogue also, and correspondent
in the Board of Elders to the Moderator
of the Session in the Presbyterian church
today. Because of his peculiar qualiti
cations he was selected for these and
other duties, but as to his work he was
Il simple elder just like the rest of them
This was the form of government in every
| i'm Ion nd
continued down to the time OF our
Savior. He after reading handed the
book to the minister" = Mark 5: 90.
1.-THE rulers of the Synagogue called to
them and asked them if they had any
word Of exhortation to say on
| Acts ID: Is. The Jewish writer's all
testify also to this composition of the
government of the synagogue. The
Sanhedrim was the civil outgrowth of
this system of representative govern
ment The seventy elders represented
the civil rulers as this bench of three
elders represented the spiritual rulers.
Now this matter is emphasized be
cause the synagogue government was
| the model of the New Testament govern
| ment. The Savior and his Apostles al
ways represented the Christian dispen-
sation as an outgrowth of the Jewish
| dispensation. They were anxious to con-
ciliate the people of Israeli and did not,
as they said, wish to appear to be inno-
vators. On the contrary they were just
carrying out the divine order of things
| both in doctrine and government. This
was Moses government as it was Moses
gospel This New Testament church was
only the full development of the Old
Testament church. This Messiah was
| the identical Saviour predicted in their
writings. Accordingly the Synagogue
| form of government was naturally chosen
as the government of the New Tesla
ment church. Indeed the Jewish syna>
gogues everywhere were converted into
| New Testament churches. When num-
Der OF the people of Israel worshipping in
synagogue. embraced the Savior, they
at once became christian church, hold
ing the truths in regard to the Messiah,
and the government their fathers had
always held. Hence the government by
elders, the chosen representatives of the
people, was grated upon the life of the
| Christian church, and in all the notices
of these churches we find mention of the
| elders
James V:14-"Is any sick among you,
let him call for the elders of the church
and let them pray over him.
Pet. V: /, 2, 3-"The elders which
are among ysu | exhort who alse am an
! elder"
Titus /: 5.-s'For this cause 1 left thee
in Crete that thou shouldst set in order
| the things that are wanting, and Ofdain
| elders in every city as | had appointed
| thee"
| Heb. II 13.-'sUbey them that have
rule over you and submit yourselves for
! they watch for your souls as they that
must give account
Tim. S: 17-"Let the elders that rule
| we'll be accounted worthy of double
honor especially, they who labor in word
and doctrine"
And the first Synod was composed of
! the elders with the Apostles to decide
| matters of ceremonial observance. 1t
was held at Jeruselam as we read in Acts
| Is: 4-6: "And when they were come to
| Jeruselam they were received of the
church and the Apostles and elders And
! the Apostles and elders came together to
consider of this matter"
| | will add just one other to show that
this form of government was the only
one of which they knew, viz: Acts a.
3D. And when they had ordained them
! elders in every church and had prayed
with them they commended them to
the Lord on whom they believed
| These quotations are abundantly>suf-
ficient to establish the character of the
/ form OF government III bHOSe Gays. NOW
the only question is as to the kind of
elders these were. They are called in the
Greek presbuteroi, elders. From this
the name Presbyterian is derived They
we're elders old men usually, and elders
because of their grave and reverend
characters. We see the same thing in
Aldermen (elder.men), also in the Spans
ish Sgnor and Seigneur, and Latin
Senator. They were elders just as the
elders of the Synagogue. All of them
had the same rank All were rulers.
but" it is said, ''they are called Bish-
ops True, and that has reference to
their functions as overseers of the house
of God. But the Bishops were not SUI
perior rank of elders. On the contrary
the word Bishop, Elder and Presbyter
are used Interchangeable. Paul does it
in this very passage from which the text
is drawn. Feed the flock of God over
the which the Holy Ghost hath made
you overseers, (Episcopoi) Bishops.
There the inspired writer calls them
elders and bishops in the same breath,
showing clearly that they were the same
officers All elders were bishops and all
bishops were elders, with this difference,
while all elders ruled, some in addition
To their rulinp function had tho sinner