So, I’m talking with some friends the other day, and the topic came up on how deacons should be chosen in a Christian church. According to Acts chapter six, deacons were chosen by the people as directed by the Apostles. They were voted on by the congregation. The argument then came up that deacons should be voted on in our church since it was right there in Scripture how deacons are chosen.
This is really a fairly common mistake. Something is done in Scripture by a Christian leader or even Christ Himself, and we decide it’s a command.
What we really need to do is see the Bible, in a way, like the local newspaper. Sometimes, newspapers are just telling you how something happened. Just because it happened that way, doesn’t mean we need to make it happen that way. In my church, deacons are chosen by the pastor. That’s fine. If Acts chapter 6 tells us they did it another way, we don’t need to do it that way. We aren’t commanded to follow their example.
We do need to do things we are commanded to do such as communion and baptism. Those aren’t optional. But, things like how church governments are run, how churches are run, is pretty much up for grabs so long as no one disobeys a command of God.
We have lots of examples of things in Scripture that are no more than just that, examples. For instance, Jesus had a group of 72 followers that He broke into pairs and sent them out to evangelize:
Luke 10:1 (ESV)
1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.
So, why aren’t we arguing that we can’t evangelize unless we gather 72 people and divide them into pairs? You get the point. Commands are different from examples in Scripture just as they are in the newspaper.
If you’re wondering how to tell the difference between the two, commands and examples, commands are said directly:
Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Examples are just part of the narrative. As an example of an example, there are three types of church government mentioned in Scripture. There’s an implied congregational form (Acts. 6) where the congregation votes on everything. In Acts 20:28, we see implied the Presbyterian form where the church is run by a board of elders, and in 1 Timothy, we see an example of an Episcopal form of church government where the Pastor is in charge. None of those are commanded forms of government, just examples.
Jesus, however, told us we should observe communion (1 Cor. 11:23-25). He told us to be baptized (Matt 28:19-20). These are commands, not suggestions or examples.
So, next time someone tells you need to wear a robe because Jesus did or walk everywhere, or you name it, ask them where is that commanded in Scripture. You’re life will be much less complicated and freer in Christ.
Believers Armed and Dangerous 