» Contents, Preface, Foreword

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

[GNE] GOOD NEWS ENTERPRISE
52 Jalan SS 21/2, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM: A Study On The Biblical Form Of
Church Government, by B. S. Poh.


COPYRIGHT: Poh Boon Sing 1995
First published in January 1995
Second edition in August 2000


ISBN 983-9180-10-X


Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New King
James Version.






Printed by: Percetakan dan Alat Tulis Intan (M) Sdn Bhd,
28A Jalan Ulu, Jalan Cheras, 56100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

About the author:

B. S. Poh was born in 1954 in Batu Pahat, and raised in Muar, in the state of Johor, Malaysia. He obtained the B. Eng. (Hons.) and Ph. D. degress from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, in 1978 and 1981, respectively. He also holds the Diploma in Religious Studies from the University of Cambridge. Saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ in 1976, he returned to become a lecturer in a univerity in Malaysia for six years. He founded th first Reformed Baptist church in Malaysia in 1983. He was imprisoned for his faith from 1987 to 1988, for a period of 325 days. As the pastor of the Damansara Church (Reformed Baptist) in Kuala Lumpur, he is currently engaged in preaching, writing, church-planting, and the training of pastors. Pastor Poh is married and has four sons.

Pastor Poh is the author of a number of books and the editor of the magazine, the "Gospel Highway".



.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

CONTENTS


Preface .................................................................. vii

Foreword ............................................................... ix

Introduction ........................................................... 1

Chapter 1. Autonomy .............................................. 33

Chapter 2. The Headship of Christ ............................. 65

Chapter 3. Rule by Elders ......................................... 85

Chapter 4. The Priority of the Ministry ....................... 109

Chapter 5. The Validity of Ruling Elders ...................... 137

Chapter 6. The Unity of the Eldership ........................ 163

Chapter 7. Popular Election ...................................... 183

Chapter 8. Ordination .............................................. 209

Chapter 9. Rule With Consent ................................... 235

Chapter 10. The Gathered Church .............................. 267

Chapter 11. The Communion of Churches .................... 309

Conclusion ............................................................... 337

Appendix A. Church Discipline (by Stuart Olyott) ........... 359

Appendix B. A Baptist Apology

                  (Appendix to the 1677 Confession) ............ 373

Appendix C. An Association Covenant .......................... 387

Works Cited .............................................................. 393

Index Of Scripture Passages ....................................... 401

General Index ........................................................... 409



.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PREFACE

This book has taken more than three years to write. Research has been hampered by the absence of a good theological library in this part of the world. God has mercifully provided the basic books needed, revived the many bouts of flagging zeal to continue, and sustained the health needed to fulfill at the same time the many responsibilities in the church, in the family and in the wider ministry.

Thanks are due to the following people:

(i) Dr. Robert Oliver, for sending requested copies of research papers from theological journals, for helpful comments, and for polishing up my English.

(ii) Dr. Stuart Olyott, for permission to reproduce his article on church discipline as an appendix to this book.

(iii) Pastor Erroll Hulse, editor of Reformation Today, for permission to reproduce the example of an association covenant as an appendix to this book.

(iv) The individuals who have kindly lent me their books.

(v) The brother in Christ who contributed a Macintosh computer, without which the writing of this book would have been much more difficult.

(vi) All those who have prayed, and have patiently borne with the author's many shortcomings.

The author alone is to be held responsible for the contents of this book.

This book is sent forth with the prayer that truth will be widely published in the world, that many souls will be drawn closer to Christ, and that the name of the Triune God will be greatly glorified.


Poh Boon Sing.
Kuala Lumpur, January 1995


.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

FOREWORD

Jesus Christ, as Head of the church, holds the offices of prophet, priest and king. The church that is truly submitted to Christ's headship will reflect His prophethood, priesthood, and kingship by having faithful preaching of His word, worship that is conformed to and regulated by the Scripture, and a church government that is biblical. Church government is not a matter of secondary importance.

Is there a jus divinum (divinely ordained) form of church government - a system of government that is revealed in the Scripture? If the Bible is the sole authority in all matters of faith and practice, if it is sufficient and perspicuous (that is, capable of being clearly understood), there is a divinely ordained form of church government!

The form is ordained to serve the faith. A correct form, without the true faith, is useless. Over and above form and substance, there must be spiritual life. Christ must be present by His Spirit in the church for it to be an instrument mighty in God, for pulling down strongholds. When we emphasize the importance of the form of church government, we do not minimise the importance of the faith, much less the importance of true spiritual vitality.

Many Reformed Baptist churches have sprung up all over the world in these recent years. They face the common problem of having to struggle over their ecclesiological identity. Reformed writing on ecclesiology has been dominated by the Presbyterians. The early Particular Baptists, from whom the Reformed Baptists claim descent, were clear about their churchmanship. They shared the same form of church government as the paedobaptist Independents, of whom John Owen was the greatest exponent.

This book is an attempt to meet the perceived need of an up-to-date exposition on that form of church government known traditionally as Independency. Independency and Congregationalism were at first interchangeable terms. Extreme Congregationalism was known from the early years of the seventeenth century, in which democratical rule was practised. By the middle years of that century, John Owen was already dissociating himself from such extreme Congregationalism. Towards the end of the century, the term "Congregational" was used more to described the idea that the church is ruled by the people, while the term "Independent" meant more the idea that the church is autonomous.


.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Today, four basic forms of church government are dsicernable: Episcopacy or Prelacy, Presbyterianism, Independency, and Congregationalism. Episcopacy is characterised by an hierarchy of individuals in the power structure of the denomination, fanning down from one individual at the top. Presbyterianism is characterised by an hierarchy of committees of individuals forming a grdation of church courts, and the churches being ruled by elders. Independency is characterised by the autonomy of the local church, and rule being exercised by elders, but with congregational consent. Congregationalism is characterised by the autonomy of th local church, and rule being exercised by the congregation, through a process of democratic voting to get a consensus.

In this book, eleven principles of church government are expounded in detail. They include: the autonomy of the local church, the headship of Christ, rule by elders, the priority of the ministry, the validity of ruling elders, the unity of the eldership, the popular election of church officers, the ordination of church officers, rule with congregational consent, the gathered church, and the communion of churches. These eleven principles together define for us the jus divinum (divinely sanctioned) form of church government. The four forms of church government that have come down to us historically are examined in the light of these eleven principles. Independency, as practised by the early Particular Baptists, is found to be the biblical form of church government.

Throughout, an approach that is as objective as possible is adopted. Whenever possible, the sources of information are indicated. Am attempt has been made to prevent the style of writing from becoming excessively academic. The reader will have to pardon th author if, at places, the preacher in him shows. The book is aimed at the Christians and church leaders who are engaged in the down-to-earth task of serving the Lord in this world. It is hoped that it will also serve as a manual for church officers and a text book in seminaries.

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

| Bookmark