In my last article, I described the economy and order in the everyday life of the natural family, and stated that this is the basic idea when Scripture says the church is the household of God (Eph. 2:19; 1 Tim. 3:15; others). A church is not a social club, pep rally, or political assembly: it is the household of faith (Gal. 6:10). Hence, order in the church ought to resemble the order in a natural household. Like a natural household, a church has rules—some universal and common to every church, like the ten commandments—and some particular. For example, every church decides for itself what time they will meet for worship, which ministries they will provide, and whether people are allowed to drink coffee or eat in the fellowship hall. As in the household, so in the church there is someone in charge to lead the church to ensure these rules are followed properly, and peace and order are maintained.
While in the natural family, responsibility and authority to lead in this way ultimately falls on the father, in the church this falls on the elder, or better yet—elders, of the church (elder, pastor [or shepherd], and overseer [or bishop] are interchangeable terms in Scripture, referring to basically the same office). It is because of the similarities between the role of a father in the natural family and the role of an elder in the church that the qualifications for elder include “[ruling] his own household well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?) (1 Tim. 3:4-5). Scripture is clear that elders must be men, mature in faith, beyond reproach, and able to teach Scripture accurately and refute those who contradict it (Titus 1:9; 1 Tim. 3:2; 2 Tim. 2:15).
Just as the natural family is formed by the covenant of marriage, the household of faith is formed by union in the New Covenant in Christ’s blood. And just as a family gathers around a table regularly to maintain the health of individuals and the family as a whole, so the church gathers for the Lord’s Supper regularly, to partake of the same food from the same table and be strengthened together in the same faith, as one household. Finally, like a family, a church should share the same values, bear with one another, strive for peace, and hold accountable those who disturb peace and good order and threaten the health of the family and its reputation for faith and good works.
Keeping this image in mind will help members of a church determine how they ought to behave. The church is the household of faith.