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Understanding Baptist Distinctives
Part Two:
A-Autonomy of the Local Church
The second thing that sets us apart as Baptists is that historically we have held to the Autonomy of the Church. Now if you are as vocabulary challenged as I am the first question that pops into your mind is the what? Or perhaps, what in the world is autonomy?
Webster’s Dictionary defines Autonomy the following way: (1) the quality or state of being self-governing; esp: the right of self-government (2) self-directing freedom and esp. moral independence.
We as Baptists believe that even though
there is nothing wrong with cooperation between local churches, one church is
not to exercise authority over another. Each local assembly is to stand before
God as an independent entity and is responsible for its own actions. The local
church is to call its own pastor, carry out its own discipline, administrate
(for that local assembly) the statutes of the Word of God and endeavor to serve
the Lord as guided by the Holy Spirit.
To quote Hiscox again:
Baptists assert that each particular local Church is self-governing, and independent of all other churches, and of all persons and bodies of men whatever, as to the administration of its own affairs; that it is of right and should be, free from any other human authority, whether civil or ecclesiastical, and that this is the New Testament idea of church government.
It is my belief that this position of church structure alone is supported by the Scriptures. I find no evidence of denominational structure, popes, cardinals, district superintendent or denominational missionary or any other structure of above that of the individual churches. Consider the following examples of this position:
Mathew 18:15-17 “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.”
If you are familiar with how church
discipline is to work, you are familiar with this passage. Jesus laid out here
a three step process. The question before us in this context is why is there no
steps given beyond going to the church? The obvious answer is that there is no
place to go beyond the church. The NT churches had no structure above the
individual churches and neither should we.
Acts 13:1-3 “Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod
the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their
hands on them, they sent them away.”
The obvious question here is that when God showed the leadership of the Antioch church that Saul and Barnabas had been called to the mission field, why didn’t they send their application to Jerusalem for approval? Why didn’t they send their missionary candidates back to the apostles for their approval? The answer is that the Jerusalem church nor the apostles had no authority over the Antioch church. The Antioch church was an entity unto itself.
Things to remember:
The Church is Important to God it should be important to us
If your church is not structured as an Independent church without any outside authority ruling over you, it is Scripturally wrong
Just because we are independent does not mean that we should not cooperate with other churches of Like faith and practice (other doctrinally sound Independent Baptist Churches)
Some of what God has for us to do, most notably missions is impossible to do without proper cooperation with other sound churches