CHAPTER II

 The Scriptural officers of a church are bishops¹ and deacons. Bishops are in the New Testament² also called “presbyters,” “elders,” and “overseers.” Their duties and services have mainly reference to the spiritual interests of the body, though they properly have the oversight³ of all its concerns. The deacons have principal charge of the temporalities of the church, so as to relieve the pastor⁴ in that department of labor⁵. They are, however, to be counselors⁶ and helpers of the pastor in all departments of his work. The qualifications for both offices are set forth⁷ in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus.

 

Note 1.—Pastors⁸ and deacons, as teachers and leaders of the flock, cannot be selected for and imposed upon the churches by any external authority whatever, either civic⁹ or religious; but are elected [p. 15] and chosen by the free suffrages¹⁰ of the members, without compulsion or restraint, from among themselves, or those who are to become identified with them in fellowship.

 

Note 2.—In the election of either a pastor or deacon, notice of such election should be given from the pulpit for at least two Sundays preceding the time for the same. The election should be by ballot¹¹, and at least three-quarters of the votes cast should be necessary for the election of a pastor, and two-thirds for the election of a deacon. Such election should be preceded by prayer for Divine direction, and conducted without partisan¹² devices or personal strife¹³.

 

Note 3.—Both pastors and deacons are properly elected for unlimited¹⁴ terms of service, the relation to continue so long as there shall be mutual¹⁵ satisfaction. Such a course tends less to depreciate¹⁶ and make servile the officers and their duties in the estimation of the people, and of those who bear them, than a limited and specified¹⁷ time, though deacons are sometimes, and perhaps properly, chosen for a limited term of service, subject to reelection, at the option of the church.

 

Note 4.—The church is to fix on the amount of salary necessary to a generous support of the pastor, and hold itself obligated by every consideration of Christian¹⁸ honor for the prompt and regular payment of the same. To fail in this is as dishonorable to the church as it is unjust and vexatious to the pastor.

 

Note 5.—The call to a pastor issues from the church as a body, which also designates the amount of salary to be paid. It is in some sections usual, though not essential, to have subsequently a meeting of the entire congregation or society to approve or confirm the call. In some States it is necessary for the trustees, as the legal representatives of the corporation, to confirm the action officially, so far as the salary is concerned, before it can become legal.

 

[p. 16]Note 6.—The number of deacons is optional with the church. It is usually from three to seven. Let it be so many as the church needs and can find suitable as candidates for the office. But they should never be elected simply to fill the office, and never unless they be persons whose fitness for the office is generally conceded.

 

Note 7.—The relations between pastor and the church may be dissolved at the option of either, by giving three months’ notice; or otherwise, by mutual consent. Between the deacons and the church, the relations may be dissolved at the option of either without previous notice.

 

Note 8.—A church clerk is elected annually¹⁹, at a business meeting, by a majority vote. It is an office of convenience, for keeping the minutes and preserving the records of the body. Also trustees are elected by the church, or if the law so requires, by a society. Their duties are the care of the property and the management of finances. But these are not considered Scriptural church officers; deacons might properly discharge all the functions of these offices.[2]

 

Note 9.—The offices of trust and service in a church should be as widely distributed among the [p. 17] members as possible, consistently with the welfare of the body. This rule should seldom be disregarded. No one man should hold more than one office at the same time, unless the interests of the body absolutely demand it. If offices are honors, they should be widely dispensed²⁰; if they are burdens, they certainly should be. For the same man to hold two or three offices is as unjust to him as it is to his brethren.

 

Note 10.—A church cannot unite in any corporate²¹ capacity with other organizations for religious, benevolent²², moral reform, or other purposes; but it may cooperate with these for any good object, and give to such societies its moral support, sympathy, and pecuniary²³ aid.

 

Note 11.—But members of churches can, as individuals, unite with outside organizations, for any purpose, not inconsistent with their profession as Christians²⁴, and not injurious to their church relations and duties.

 

Note 12.—Churches cannot alienate²⁵ their responsibilities, nor delegate their authority to any man, or to any body of men, to act officially for them. But they can appoint persons to bear messages, and to perform services for them, under instruction, and to report their action to the body.

 

FOOTNOTES:

 

[1] This and several of the following sections are consistent with the “Star Book on Baptist Church Polity,“ on the same topics.

 

[2] In some States the laws do not recognize the church, that being a spiritual body, but incorporate a society, as it is called, consisting of all persons of full age who attend and support the worship. This society has charge of the financial affairs of the church, holds and keeps in repair its property, and conducts its secular²⁶ concerns. It elects a specified number of trustees, as provided for by law, who are the legal representatives of the corporation. The members of the society, and the trustees elected, may or may not be members of the church. This whole society arrangement is a relic²⁷ of the old New England parish system of the standing²⁸ order, and is inconsistent with the freedom of church action, and antagonistic²⁹ to Baptist Church independence. It is anti-Baptistic and anti-Scriptural. A church should be allowed to manage its own affairs, both temporal and spiritual: and should be protected by law in doing so. The society system has been abrogated³⁰ in most of the States.

1 bishops   

（基督教某些教派管辖大教区的）主教( bishop的名词复数 )； （国际象棋的）象

参考例句：

• Each player has two bishops at the start of the game. 棋赛开始时，每名棋手有两只象。
• "Only sheriffs and bishops and rich people and kings, and such like. “他劫富济贫，抢的都是郡长、主教、国王之类的富人。

2 testament   

n.遗嘱；证明

参考例句：

• This is his last will and testament.这是他的遗愿和遗嘱。
• It is a testament to the power of political mythology.这说明，编造政治神话可以产生多大的威力。

3 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

4 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

5 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

6 counselors   

n.顾问( counselor的名词复数 )；律师；（使馆等的）参赞；（协助学生解决问题的）指导老师

参考例句：

• Counselors began an inquiry into industrial needs. 顾问们开始调查工业方面的需要。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We have experienced counselors available day and night. ) 这里有经验的法律顾问全天候值班。） 来自超越目标英语 第4册

7 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

8 pastors   

n.（基督教的）牧师( pastor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Do we show respect to our pastors, missionaries, Sunday school teachers? 我们有没有尊敬牧师、宣教士，以及主日学的老师？ 来自互联网
• Should pastors or elders be paid, or serve as a volunteer? 牧师或长老需要付给酬劳，还是志愿的事奉呢？ 来自互联网

9 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

10 suffrages   

（政治性选举的）选举权，投票权( suffrage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

11 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

12 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

13 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

14 unlimited   

adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。

15 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

16 depreciate   

v.降价，贬值，折旧

参考例句：

• The computer value will depreciate by $ 500 in the first year.在头一年里这台电脑会贬值500美元。
• If you neglect this property,it will depreciate.如果你忽视这份资产，它无形中就贬值了。

17 specified   

adj.特定的

参考例句：

• The architect specified oak for the wood trim. 那位建筑师指定用橡木做木饰条。
• It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。

18 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

19 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

20 dispensed   

v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药）

参考例句：

• Not a single one of these conditions can be dispensed with. 这些条件缺一不可。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• They dispensed new clothes to the children in the orphanage. 他们把新衣服发给孤儿院的小孩们。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

21 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

22 benevolent   

adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的

参考例句：

• His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him.他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。
• He was a benevolent old man and he wouldn't hurt a fly.他是一个仁慈的老人，连只苍蝇都不愿伤害。

23 pecuniary   

adj.金钱的；金钱上的

参考例句：

• She denies obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception.她否认通过欺骗手段获得经济利益。
• She is so independent that she refused all pecuniary aid.她很独立，所以拒绝一切金钱上的资助。

24 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

25 alienate   

vt.使疏远，离间；转让(财产等)

参考例句：

• His attempts to alienate the two friends failed because they had complete faith.他离间那两个朋友的企图失败了，因为他们彼此完全信任。
• We'd better not alienate ourselves from the colleagues.我们最好还是不要与同事们疏远。

26 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

27 relic   

n.神圣的遗物，遗迹，纪念物

参考例句：

• This stone axe is a relic of ancient times.这石斧是古代的遗物。
• He found himself thinking of the man as a relic from the past.他把这个男人看成是过去时代的人物。

28 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

29 antagonistic   

adj.敌对的

参考例句：

• He is always antagonistic towards new ideas.他对新思想总是持反对态度。
• They merely stirred in a nervous and wholly antagonistic way.他们只是神经质地，带着完全敌对情绪地骚动了一下。

30 abrogated   

废除（法律等）( abrogate的过去式和过去分词 )； 取消； 去掉； 抛开

参考例句：

• The president abrogated an old law. 总统废除了一项旧法令。
• This law has been abrogated. 这项法令今已取消。