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which is precisely the focus of this work.

      2

      Key Terms and Polity Models

      Among the concepts that need to be defined at this point are such articles as sufficiency of Scripture, church polity, and hermeneutics. The success of any foregoing discussion can be greatly impeded when writer and reader find themselves operating with different meanings of the terms. Outlined below, then, are the definitions of some of the most common concepts discussed in this work.

      Definition of Terminology

      Sufficiency of Scripture

      Church Polity

      Hermeneutics

      Our Main Focus

      Because our understanding of church polity is directly related to our position on the following hermeneutical principles, it is my contention that the way to the multiple-elder congregationalism as the most biblically defensible form of church government lies through a position for the above-mentioned principles that is in line with the teachings and general intent of the word of God, as follows: (1) Scripture reigns over tradition; (2) literal interpretation is the best way of understanding the Bible consistently; (3) the New Testament church originated at Pentecost; (4) the offices of apostle and prophet were the foundation blocks of the spiritual building—the church; (5) the offices of elder, overseer, and pastor are interchangeable in nature and function; (6) application of any biblical passage and principle must follow interpretation. Conversely, a disregard for the above-mentioned six principles will yield a church government structure that does not comply with the biblical ideal, does not achieve its full potential, and opens itself to abuse, as is evidenced by history.

      The next two chapters are devoted to further explication of these principles, while the following two chapters examine how they affect our understanding and practice of church polity. At this point, however, it may be of benefit to examine the most popular models of church polity.

      Primary Polity Models

      A brief survey of the main polity models is in order. Perhaps a disclosure regarding a limitation for this section needs to be made first. The scope of this segment is limited to a survey. It is a survey because, with the number of writing theologians boasted by each tradition, it is not possible to cover every single nuance in their respective literature, nor is this the focus of the present work.

      What follows, therefore, is a representative sampling that is designed to examine closely some of the larger elements that make each tradition’s exposition of church polity distinctive. With that in mind, perhaps the following will suffice as the simplest list of views available: (1) episcopal polity; (2) presbyterian polity; and (3) congregational polity. What is perhaps most striking about the wide variety of Protestant views on polity is that, whether in part or as a whole,


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