conjectural navel gazing; jesus in lint form

autonomy of the local church

Baptist understanding of autonomy of the local congregation is almost exactly like that of the priesthood of the believer. The autonomy of the believer is always the focus. This is not to the exception of Christ's Lordship, however. There is such a thing as "Lordship."

Autonomy of the local church has its roots in the basic belief that the church is a community of autonomous individuals under the Lordship of Christ, held together by a common faith.

Our Lord relates to believers through his revealed word and through his Spirit. Believers have direct and free access to Him. Our relationship with our Lord is personal and individual. The Lordship of Christ is basic to Baptists. As the scripture clearly states in Matthew 28:18, "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me'" and again in Revelation 19:16, "On His robe and on His thigh He has the name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."

Our Lord invites every individual to choose to come under the Lordship of Christ. Perhaps the most familiar New Testament passage of this invitation is John 3:16-17, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."

Therefore the first and finest expression of Christ's Lordship over the individual believer is the gift of autonomy. This is a paradox: the Lordship of Christ and the autonomy of believers. The paradox is resolved in that the individual believer chooses to come under the Lordship of Christ.

Sometimes it is clear to me that this pamphlet is thrown together rather quickly. There is a paragraph that is before all this that may be better placed afterward.

A local Baptist church is under the control of no human person or persons. It is under the absolute control of the person of Jesus Christ. Therefore it follows that Baptist autonomy is not license for a church to do as it pleases. Just as personal freedom needs always to be coupled with personal responsibility, church freedom needs always to be coupled with church responsibility, church freedom finds its counterpart with church responsibility.