Every book of the Bible shows us God's government and administration. Consider the story of the Israelites leaving Egypt to pass through the desert to enter Canaan. Whether in the book of Exodus or in Numbers, we can see a very tightly knit coordination and building. This coordination and building is fully under God's government and administration. Among the Israelites, there was a situation full of God's government and administration. God did not let one thing get by loosely. Not one thing was handled in a sloppy way. We do not see one instance where God told the Israelites, "Do as you please!" Instead, everything great or small was under God's government and administration. Even minute details concerning the manner in which to wash themselves, the way to wash their clothes, and the way to shave their beards were not left to the choice of the Israelites. This was the Old Testament. Does this mean then that in the church God has no more government and administration? This cannot be true. In the New Testament, every aspect of God's dealing with the church is under His government and administration. When the New Testament mentions the church, on the one hand, there are words full of life and the Spirit. On the other hand, there are also words full of government and administration.

In order to manage a church properly, an elder has to know that God desires to execute His government in the universe through the church. The church is definitely not a place without government and administration. The church in the New Testament is a place where there is very much government and administration. You can read about the government of the church in the book of Romans. You can also read about the government of the church in the Epistles to the Corinthians. You can even read about the government of the church in Ephesians, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus. There is hardly a book among the New Testament epistles that does not touch the government of the church.

Even before the epistles, in the Gospels the matter of government has been touched already. The Lord Jesus only speaks about the church briefly in two instances. The first time is in Matthew chapter sixteen. There He said that upon the rock He would build the church, against which the gates of Hades cannot prevail. The other time is in Matthew chapter eighteen. There it says that if a brother sins and refuses to repent, in spite of repeated exhortation, the matter should be brought to the church. If he would not listen to the church, he should be considered as a Gentile. Let me ask you, brothers and sisters: Is what the Lord mentioned here in Matthew 18 not a matter of government? Up until today, among God's children it is still difficult to get rid of a feeling that a certain brother is weak, and therefore we have to be merciful to him, or that a brother has sinned, and therefore the Lord has to grant him mercy. But in Matthew chapter eighteen, there was the Lord's mercy, and there was also the spiritual guidance. In the end, the problem was solved by the way of government. When a brother sins and you render him the help while the two of you are together, it is a spiritual matter. But when he refuses to repent, and two or three would go to him to help him, it is partly a spiritual matter and partly a governmental matter. If he would not repent and the matter is told to the church, it becomes more a governmental matter than a spiritual one. When the church steps forth to deal with the matter, and there is still no sign of repentance, and the person involved is considered a Gentile, it becomes fully a governmental matter. The whole thing becomes a matter of administration.

I am afraid many elders today do not have the concept of government. They only consider that they are serving together with the brothers and sisters and are having spiritual fellowship one with another. On the one hand, this kind of humility is correct. On the other hand, it is very wrong. Every elder has to see that God has His government in the universe, and He also has His government in the church. Every one who lacks a vision concerning God's government will be unable to serve satisfactorily as an elder before God. God has His government in the universe; hence, He must also have His government in the church.