Who Decides What the Church Believes?

Today's question, "Who decides what the church believes?"

Please let me clarify three things. First, we know that the scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, at a most basic level it is God who determines what is true. We should all believe what God believes. However, we are fallen creatures and therefore will not always get it right.

Second, we are all accountable for what we believe as individuals. In particular, this applies to the gospel. I can't believe the truth of the gospel for you, and you can't believe it for me. I imagine we all agree on this.

Third, when I use the word "church" in the above question, I'm referring to local bodies of believers (what some refer to as the local church). My current question focuses on the issue who who should decide what that local church believes. Most local churches have somewhere stated what they believe. Who decides this? Why?

I realize that many churches have simply gone along with their respective denomination's statement of faith. However, the question still applies: Who decides what that local church believes?

My guess is that most people would say that the pastor or pastors should decide. Their reasoning would be that these men have the degrees from institutions of higher learning. Therefore (so the thinking goes), they know the most and therefore should decide what the church believes.

My response to the above logic is that it follows a modern, business world type of mindset and cannot be supported by scripture at all.

So, who decides? Do a small group of people decide what the church believes? I don't see how this can be healthy for the church. We all gain by discussing the scriptures together. If a small group decides, how does this benefit the body?

The worst case scenario for a church has to be when one person (almost always the pastor) makes the decisions about what the church believes. I'm picturing the pastor thinking through these issues, writing down what he thinks, and then telling everyone else what to believe. Frankly, this makes the pastor somewhat Pope-ish.

What is the best option for deciding what the church believes? The best option is for the church to decide what the church believes.

My basis for saying this is that God has made all His children to be priests. We need to act like it. We can all interpret and understand scripture. Peter makes this clear:

I Peter 2:5, "You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (emphasis mine)

I Peter 2:9, "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."

Keeping this in mind, the church should look together to the scriptures, trying to determine together what the authors meant. We should look to apostolic teaching as our infallible guide.

Acts 2:42, "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers."

Some people may object to the church as a whole making these decisions, saying that only those with the gift of teaching should be involved in determining what the church believes. The problem with this objection is that it cannot be supported biblically. In scripture, we see the entire church teaching the entire church.

I Corinthians 14:26, "How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification."

Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

These verses imply that we can all, as the church, sit down together, pour over the scriptures, and determine together what the church believes. The idea of doing this in community goes right along with two of the key verses about church gatherings in the bible:

Hebrews 10:24-25, "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

In these verses, we see the church stirring one another up to love and good works. They are also exhorting one another. The basis for these actions is the truths found in scripture. They are, then, teaching one another.

It can only be healthy for churches to get together and ask hard questions. These questions should focus on what we should believe and how we should live. They should range from questions such as, "Could Jesus have sinned if he had wanted to?" to questions such as, "How can I best love my enemies?" As we struggle with difficult questions together, it builds everyone up in the faith.

In most of today's churches, these hard questions have already been answered. Either the answers sit on a confession of faith or the pastor(s) has decided what the answers are. The church body may discuss these issues in a small group, but the answers are basically set. Sadly, someone else already decided for the church what it should believe. This cannot be the best option.

Now, if the best option is for the church to decide what the church believes, how might this process work? I've given some thought to this. These are a few humble suggestions:

-The bible must be the basis of what the church believes.

-The Holy Spirit must guide the process.

-Discussions must be bathed in prayer and humility.

-Discussions should be group oriented, with everyone encouraged to speak.

-Discussions must be orderly and edifying.

-An atmosphere of community should be fostered.

-Decisions should be group decisions (not dominated by a single person or a few people).

-The group should as much as possible strive for consensus.

One obvious question in all this is, "What is the role of elders/pastors/overseers?" My answer (which could certainly be flawed), is that elders should strive to not dominate the conversations. However, they should be involved. They must step in if any false teaching ensues (whether on purpose or out of biblical ignorance).

The key to all this is that decisions about what the church believes are most beneficial to the church when they are made in community. When this happens, everyone benefits. This way, everyone knows why the church believes what it believes. Also, people feel much more involved in the process. Everyone is built up in the faith.

I encourage you, regardless of your church situation, to ask hard questions and push humbly for group decision making. This should apply not just to pragmatic decision making, but also to our beliefs about faith and practice.

We all mature in Christ when we ask and answer hard questions together. Don't rely on someone else to do it for you. You are a priest. Get together with other priests, look in the bible, and search for answers together.