Charles J. Brown on Christ’s headship over the visible church

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Reformed Covenanter

Cancelled Commissioner
First, Christ is the only King and Head of the Church. This position needs but little proof – it may, however, require one or two words of explanation. The proof of it is simple. “My kingdom,” said Jesus to Pilate, “is not of this world.” My kingdom. Of course Christ is the only King of his own kingdom. “I have set my king,” says the eternal Father in the second Psalm, “upon my holy hill of Zion.” “He is the head of his body the church,” Paul writes by the Holy Ghost. And Jesus addressed his disciples thus, “Be not ye called masters: for one is your master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.” ...

It is, that since Christ is the alone King, Master, Lord of the Church, there can be no legitimate government of it in any human hands whatever, which is of the nature of a mastery or lordship—He is the only Master, Lord. There can be no right government of the Church which is lordly, magisterial, in its nature—that is to say, which enjoins and enforces its own will upon the Church.

The only right government of it is that which is ministerial, administrative—for the carrying out, that is, only of the will of Christ revealed in his Word, subject to Him as the Church’s only Head, and to his Word as her only rule and law. Thus, then, we pass from the first of the three positions, that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only King and Head of the Church. ...

For more, see Charles J. Brown on Christ’s headship over the visible church.
 
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