clawrence9008
Puritan Board Freshman
Hey all,
I was reading Exodus 18 this morning and was intrigued by the form of government which Jethro suggested to Moses (Ex. 18:17-22) and which he subsequently established (Ex. 18:24-26). In trying to further understand the Presbyterian tradition of which I have become convinced over the past few months -- and especially given I aspire to be a minister of the gospel in the future -- one of the doctrines which I have been trying to understand more is that of Presbyterian polity. With regards to this, as I am reading through the Pentateuch, I am trying to see the continuity between how the OT church was governed and how the NT church is to be governed today. My reading of this passage produced two questions:
1) Is the government which Jethro suggests (Ex. 18:17-22) a form of church government, or of civil government? From the little I know, this seems to be a separate type of institution than that of the 70 elders in Numbers 11:16ff, but I am not sure.
2) If it is a form of church government, how does Exodus 18 (specifically v. 21-22, 25-26) support Presbyterian church polity?
I was reading Exodus 18 this morning and was intrigued by the form of government which Jethro suggested to Moses (Ex. 18:17-22) and which he subsequently established (Ex. 18:24-26). In trying to further understand the Presbyterian tradition of which I have become convinced over the past few months -- and especially given I aspire to be a minister of the gospel in the future -- one of the doctrines which I have been trying to understand more is that of Presbyterian polity. With regards to this, as I am reading through the Pentateuch, I am trying to see the continuity between how the OT church was governed and how the NT church is to be governed today. My reading of this passage produced two questions:
1) Is the government which Jethro suggests (Ex. 18:17-22) a form of church government, or of civil government? From the little I know, this seems to be a separate type of institution than that of the 70 elders in Numbers 11:16ff, but I am not sure.
2) If it is a form of church government, how does Exodus 18 (specifically v. 21-22, 25-26) support Presbyterian church polity?