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Originally Posted by trevorjohnson  Aside from Acts 15 I see no outside body ruling over the local church and the manner in which Acts 15 was binding is subject to debate. Was it a letter urging the other churches, or was it a Synodical Decree? |
According to Acts 16:4, the decision of the Jerusalem Council was disseminated to the individual congregations "for the people to obey" (NIV); "to keep" (ASV); "to observe" (NASB); "for observance" (ESV). In other words, the decisions of the Council were not to be considered as merely pious advice with take-it-or-leave-it status, but as being authoritative, with the individual churches being expected to follow it. Thus, Acts 15, connected with Acts 16:4 (along with many other places in Scripture), serves as one of the kernels of the presbyterian system of church government.
Another place where presbyterian church government can be found, in principle, is in Exodus 18:13-27, where Moses is advised, by his father-in-law Jethro (ancestor of Jethro Bodine) to split his judging activities with leaders of the various tribes because he was unable to carry that burden alone.
More than you wanted to know, I'm sure, but Acts 16:4 gives us the understanding of the nature of the decision of Acts 15.
Baptists and Congregationalists will disagree, but I believe that presbyterianism is the
only system of church government to be found in the Scriptures.