PRINCIPLES OF MEMBERSHIP IN A NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH

Principles of Membership in a New Testament Church
(1)- As far as the New Testament is concerned, membership in a local church depends
upon recognizing the authority of the pastor. In the early church it was the authority of
the apostle, but since there are no apostles today, the pastor is the one in authority in
the local church.
A local church is where a group of people gather together in one geographical
location. A house, a cave, a field, a gymnasium, a school, or a private building. But
they recognize the authority of one person as the pastor-teacher.
Hebrews 13:7, "Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you.
Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith."
Hebrews 13:17, "Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep
watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work
will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you."
(2)- In the context of our passage, apostasy is defined as rejection of the authority of a
bona fide pastor-teacher. This rejection comes through the emotional revolt of the
soul.
(3)- Therefore, these apostates are hidden rocks or reefs covered by the waters of
legalism, religionism, and pseudo love, all of which are veneers of hypocrisy. But
beneath that veneer, beneath the water is the dangerous, destructive emotional revolt
of the soul.
(4)- PRINCIPLE - The entire purpose of the local church is for worship. The Greek
word for worship is PROKUNEO, which means, "kissing face to face." We are to kiss
the Lord, and this can only be done through a strict communication of Bible doctrine.
Why? Because it is the knowledge of the Word of God that is the basis for our
capacity of loving God. And if you do not learn Bible doctrine, if you do not have a
maximum knowledge of the Word of God, you cannot truly love God. Therefore you
cannot worship God.
When a pastor is called or elected by a certain local church to be their pastor, he is
elected by them to take the authority over them. As long as he is their pastor in that
church, he is their authority. So by the election of a pastor, the congregation is
recognizing his authority.
(5)- The apostates here in our context of Jude entered into the function of a local
church without accepting the pastor's authority. And many of these people were active
in the local church as teachers, deacons, ushers or committee members. So the first
type of apostasy here in verse 12 is the person who has rejected the authority of the
pastor, but remains in the local church.
The direct teaching of the Word of God actually divides believers. It always separates
the positive from the negative. Jesus said in Matthew 10:34-36, "Do not assume that
I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a
sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her
mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man's enemies will be
the members of his own household."