“But it shall not be so among you.” (Mark 10:43) “Polity” – a form of organisation or process of government or constitution; from Latin politia from Greek polis ‘city’ (OED) “Church Polity” – is a matter of “the Nature, Powers, Ordinances, Discipline, and Government of the Christian Church” (James Bannerman) “Govern” – rule or control with authority; influence or determine; constitute a standard, principle or law for; influence or determine; from Latin from Greek for ‘steer, rule’ (OED) “authority” – the power or right to enforce obedience; delegated power; influence; from Latin for ‘author’ (OED) Before we get into discussions of church polity we thought it would be helpful to reflect more generally on what power and authority mean. Definitions are important and particularly when they are not just matters of linguistics but matters of how Christians are to do things differently to the world. The danger is that God's people unconsciously carry normal non-Christian understandings an...
Living and preaching at the foot of the Cross