If not completely autonomous, the first century conregations are depicted as a lot more loosely constituted than is and bear little-to-no resamblance to the JWs heirarchical structure. Of interest in 1Corintians 11, where Paul speaks of Christ as the head of the congregation and the mans as head of the woman, that there were no interposing strata of authority seprating the man from direct authority of the Christ. This is also suggested in Revelation where Jesus is spoken of as ``holding the seven stars" or overseers of the seven congreations directly in his hand without any intervening layers of authority such as GB, district or circuit.
A real "Governing Body"?
by OHappyDay 21 Replies latest watchtower bible
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mizpah
Room 215
Good points. While it is quite true that there were positions in the early congregations (elders, ministerial servants (deacons) and overseers) Jesus Christ made it quite clear that these men were not to "rule over" their brothers but were there as "servants" to assist. However, as the congregations became distant (in time) to the apostles and early disciples the roles began to change. It is said that "power corrupts." As these leaders in the congregations began to forget Jesus' counsel and imitate the world and thereby corrupt the simple and natural arrangements of the early church. Home churches gave way to Cathedrals. Meetings of fellowship gave way to ritualistic services. Servants gave way to rulers.
But we should not be surprised at this since Jesus himself warned about the wolves who would enter the flock and devour them. And if John gives an symbolic picture of the state of the churches in Revelation we know that the conditions would not change until Christ returned.