“ Great Sermon! ” The text simply shows one autonomous local church appealing to another autonomous local church to deal with some of its members going round teaching false doctrine.
The decision made is based on the Word of God. The notice is also sent as a 'decree', and with an identification of the elders at Jerusalem (16:4).
It is a decree obviously because of the Spirit's testimony through apostolic authority. The indication of the notice being from the elders of Jerusalem is noted as such and limited as such (with no indication of elders from any other church) simply so that people will note that that local church's eldership had indeed dealt with the heretical problem, and were not complicit to it.
The text shows that independent local churches must practice church discipline of its membership. They may cooperate with other churches to ensure that, but they must certainly stick to the Scriptures.
However, no justification for (human) church government above or outside the local church government can be derived from this without assuming unnecessarily much more than the text teaches / necessarily implies. Any system of church government that goes beyond what this text plainly teaches is simply not based on this.
“ Great Sermon! ” Thank you Pastor. You have brought out the importance & the perfect will of God in marriage referring verses from OT & NT.
A great exposition of the Holy Institution created by God.
“ Most excellent ” Thought you did a wonderful exegesis of this text. This is the first time I have listened to you, I hope to hear more from you and I hope that I will continue to be challenged
“ Outstanding and Needed Sermon for Today. ” This is an outstanding sermon. The message put forth here is very clear,
understandable, and very much needed in the modern evangelical church of today. Oh, that many pastors and church leaders would listen and let the conviction of the Holy Spirit lead them into working out these principles in their churches. It takes courage and it's not easy, but as The Lord said in John 16:33 "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world".
“ Great Sermon! ” Excellent exposition of the Word of God. This is another clear reminder from Scripture to Christian people on what really worldliness means and its implications on lives and churches.
It has been a blessing to many and i am in the process of translating it.
“ Interesting but... ” The Pope visiting the USA this week standing under: 'In God We Trust' as politicians fawn over and professing Christians hero worship...surely THE MAN OF SIN deceives even those who are 'believers' today rather than looking for some atheistic future man?
Wycliffe, Tyndale, Luther, Calvin, Cranmer; in the seventeenth century, Bunyan, the translators of the King James Bible and the men who published the Westminster and Baptist confessions of Faith; Sir Isaac Newton, ...Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards; and more recently Charles Spurgeon, J.C. Ryle and Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones; these men among countless others, all saw the office of the Papacy as the antichrist. - Michael de Semlyen, All Roads Lead to Rome, p. 205, 1991
'There is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof; but is that Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalts himself, in the Church, against Christ and all that is called God." - Original Westminster Confession of Faith 25:6
“ Great Sermon! ” Thank you Dr Masters for a good look at why western society has become the way that it is today. It's all summed up in Romans 1 as you so clearly pointed out in your message.
“ Great Sermon! ” Thank you Dr P Masters, Excellent sermon the 1st commandment made me think, after you explained it, Very encouraging indeed. Thanks again!
10/31/16 1:05 AM
