Presbyterian Church Government
As taught in the Reformed / Presbyterian tradition
The rule of the church by elders (presbyters) and the hierarchy of courts (session, presbytery, assembly).
The question of how the Church of Jesus Christ should be governed is not merely a matter of administrative efficiency or cultural adaptation; within the Reformed tradition, it is a question of the "Crown Rights of King Jesus." The central inquiry that Presbyterianism seeks to answer is: How has the Ascended Lord, who is the sole Head and King of the Church, seen fit to exercise His authority through human instruments? In the Reformed view, church government is not an "indifferent matter" (adiaphora), but is a matter of jus divinum—divine right. The Presbyterian model asserts that Christ governs His people through a plurality of elders (presbyters) who are called by God and elected by the congregation, organized into a series of graded courts (sessions, presbyteries, and synods).
By the end of this lesson
- **Identify** the biblical terminology for church officers, specifically the relationship between *presbyteros* (elder) and *episkopos* (overseer).
- **Distinguish** between the "Power of Order" (exercised by the individual elder) and the "Power of Jurisdiction" (exercised by the elders in a court).
- **Explain** the Reformed doctrine of the "Parity of Elders" and why it precludes a hierarchical episcopacy.
- **Articulate** the significance of Acts 15 in justifying a connectional or "synodical" form of government over and against congregationalism.
- **Trace** the development of Presbyterian polity from the Genevan Reformation through the Westminster Assembly.
- **Defend** the principle that church courts have "ministerial and declarative" power rather than legislative power.
- **Apply** the concept of the "Headship of Christ" to the practical functions of a local church Session.
- **Compare** Presbyterian government with Episcopal and Congregational models, noting the specific Reformed objections to each.
Scripture
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