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Larry Hughes · #10 (**permalink**) 10-02-2005, 09:39 PM

Gabriel,

I'd say this much, no church government form garauntees the true doctrine nor true Gospel. History has proven this with EVERY church government form set forth. My wife comes from strongly various baptistic backgrounds (some I'd never heard of before) and every tom, dick and harry with nothing more than a feeling and pronouncement that, "I've got the call", or "he's got the call" pops up like weeds in her home region. I endured many of these "called" preachers when we first met and they were nothing more than babbling idiots, and I'm deadly serious. But its not just a baptist issue for all denominations have fallen pray to legalism, pietism and man's religion. Finney, the deceiver, originally was Presby. The Lutheran's have kicked out their share of Gospel denying pietist and would admit it. The congregational church governments have their own special struggles unique to that form of government, but so do the others.

But I'd say it with this caveat though, if the church has a well thought out, perferablly old, confession (WCF, HB, AB, LBCF - not the SB Faith and Message, definitely), then at least the confession even if the pastor/leadership stray may afford a member some solace and peace in situations where another church membership is not viable.

One must discern EVERY man's doctrine and especially his Gospel no matter how he comes to be ordained. I don't mean out right disrespect, but if he preaches another Gospel, then his message is damned flat out no exceptions (if the angels of heaven and the Apostle himself put himself under this warning, then so do EVERY pastor/teacher/seminary leader that lives today, no such arrogance is afforded ANY man in ANY time period).

Doctrinal succession is more important than church government, yet I do think certain forms lend to a more unpredictability from church to church within a denomination.

Ldh