Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 15 minutes ago
Tonight we conclude our four-part study of Chapter 26 — “Of the Church” from the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith by examining the final paragraph, Paragraph 15.
Counsel Without Control
What should a local church do when it faces a serious doctrinal dispute, an administrative difficulty, or a situation it may not be able to resolve wisely on its own?
Paragraph 15 guards against two opposite errors: church hierarchy, where outside bodies exercise authority over local churches, and isolated autonomy, where a church refuses to seek wisdom, counsel, or correction from other faithful churches.
In this lesson we consider:
• Why independent churches still need one another• The historical Baptist practice of cooperation between churches• When a church should seek outside counsel• Acts 15 and the Jerusalem Council• The difference between biblical counsel and ecclesiastical control• Why councils, associations, and messengers do not possess authority over the local church• How churches can maintain both autonomy and accountability
We will also leave time at the end for Q&A concerning Chapter 26 and our study of the doctrine of the church over the past four weeks.
Key Scriptures: Acts 15; 2 Corinthians 1:24; 1 John 4:1
1689 Baptist Confession of Faith — Chapter 26, Paragraph 15
The local church does not need to surrender its authority in order to seek help. Faithful churches should be independent without being isolated—willing to give counsel, willing to receive counsel, but never seeking to control one another.
#1689BaptistConfession #ReformedBaptist #Ecclesiology #LocalChurch #ChurchGovernment #Acts15
Tonight we conclude our four-part study of Chapter 26 — “Of the Church” from the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith by examining the final paragraph, Paragraph 15.
Counsel Without Control
What should a local church do when it faces a serious doctrinal dispute, an administrative difficulty, or a situation it may not be able to resolve wisely on its own?
Paragraph 15 guards against two opposite errors: church hierarchy, where outside bodies exercise authority over local churches, and isolated autonomy, where a church refuses to seek wisdom, counsel, or correction from other faithful churches.
In this lesson we consider:
• Why independent churches still need one another• The historical Baptist practice of cooperation between churches• When a church should seek outside counsel• Acts 15 and the Jerusalem Council• The difference between biblical counsel and ecclesiastical control• Why councils, associations, and messengers do not possess authority over the local church• How churches can maintain both autonomy and accountability
We will also leave time at the end for Q&A concerning Chapter 26 and our study of the doctrine of the church over the past four weeks.
Key Scriptures: Acts 15; 2 Corinthians 1:24; 1 John 4:1
1689 Baptist Confession of Faith — Chapter 26, Paragraph 15
The local church does not need to surrender its authority in order to seek help. Faithful churches should be independent without being isolated—willing to give counsel, willing to receive counsel, but never seeking to control one another.
#1689BaptistConfession #ReformedBaptist #Ecclesiology #LocalChurch #ChurchGovernment #Acts15
