Acts #61 How Old Is Presbyterian Church Government?

What form of church government has Christ of old established in His Word? The three particular options include Congregational—rule by the local congregation (Baptist and Independent Churches); Episcopalian—rule by the hierarchy of a bishop, archbishop, or pope (Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and some Lutheran Churches); and Presbyterian—rule by elders in congregations, presbyteries, and synods. It is the conviction of this church that the scriptural form of church government appointed by Jesus Christ in His Word is the Presbyterian form of church government, which will find expression (though not an exhaustive expression) in our text this Lord’s Day. The main points from our text are the following: (1) A Presbyterian Synod Formed to Defend the Gospel of Grace (Acts 15:6); (2) The Defense of Peter for the Gospel of Grace (Acts 15:7-10); (3) The Defense of Paul and Barnabas for the Gospel of Grace (Acts 15:11).