You wrote:"I'm interested too in who they are accountable to besides God. I guess I'm leery because friends of mine back in DE got mixed up in a home church and really were taught some false doctrine."
You have mentioned two very important items: accountability and false doctrine.
There is a lot of talk in churches today about accountability but very little sound scriptural teaching on the subject! In fact the doctrine of accountability which has become so common in denominational and institutional churches is positively false doctrine!!!
Has anyone in any religious organization or denominational church ever taught you that ALL accountability in scripture is VERTICAL! (i.e. Godward!) That is the scriptural doctrine of accountability!
Every reference in scripture to believers giving account or being accountable is in reference to God! Accountability has to do with two things: (1)From whom do I,as a believer, get my ASSIGNMENTS? and (2)Who is the one who is qualified to give an accurate EVALUATION of how I have fulfilled such assignments?
The popular accountability doctrine teaches that I need to be "under accountability", that I need to get my assignments from a pastor, from a board of directors etc and that I must report on how I have fulfilled their assignments so that they can evaluate my performance! This is NOT the scriptural doctrine of accountability, but rather the doctrine of religious control which has usurped the place of Christ as Head of the members of His Body!
The following is an excerpt from a study and brief article I did a few years ago on the subject of "Accountability and Supply in N.T. Ministry". (I'll be happy to send the entire article to any who request it.)
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(The following are all the N.T. references I could find which deal with the subject of accountability. They all use the same Greek word.)
"But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give ACCOUNT thereof in the day of judgment." Matt.12:36
"Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take ACCOUNT of his servants." Matt.18:23
"After a long time the Lord of those servants cometh, and RECKONETH with them." Matt.25:19
"And he called him and said unto him, "How is it that I hear this of thee? Give ACCOUNT of thy stewardship, for thou mayest no longer be steward." Luke 16:2
"So then every one of us shall give ACCOUNT of himself to God." Rom.14:12
"Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom WE HAVE TO DO." Heb.4:13
"Obey them which have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give ACCOUNT, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you." Heb.13:17
"The Gentiles...shall give ACCOUNT to Him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead." I Peter 4:5
OBSERVATIONS: While, on the human plane, we are to render OBEDIENCE to people whom God has given to have authourity over us:
-children to parents
-citizens to kings and governors
-Christians to elders
-employees to employers ... yet
(1)Accountability in scripture is ALWAYS VERTICAL (Godward). It is NEVER HORIZONTAL (manward).
(2)Accountability in scripture ALWAYS HAS TO DO WITH STEWARDSHIP WHICH IS RENDERED TO GOD (accounting for responsibilities or resources which have been entrusted to one by God.)It NEVER HAS
TO DO WITH STEWARDSHIP WHICH IS RENDERED TO MEN(accounting for responsibilities or resources which have been entrusted to one by other men.)
(3) Accountability in scripture ALWAYS INVOLVES:
a. GOD-GIVEN DIRECTION for one's life or service,
b. GOD-GIVEN EVALUATION of one's life or service. (NEVER MEN'S DIRECTION OR EVALUATION of one's life or service.)
For these reasons CONFUSION AND CONFLICT OF INTERESTS HAVE ALWAYS PLAGUED CHRISTIANS WHENEVER THEY HAVE CONSIDERED THEMSELVES ACCOUNTABLE TO PARENTS, THE STATE, CHURCH LEADERS, EMPLOYERS, OR UNCONVERTED DONORS OR COMMUNITY GROUPS REGARDING THEIR MINISTRIES OR THE EXERCISE OF THEIR SPIRITUAL GIFTS WHICH HAVE BEEN GIVEN BY GOD!
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Secondly, you have expressed the fear of false doctrine coming from a house church. I wonder, have you ever in your life before (even once or twice) heard of a false doctrine being taught in an institutional or denominational congregation?
Neither are immune to false doctrine, but let me ask you, in which kind of gathering is there likely to be opportunity to challenge false doctrine which is publicly taught?? The average believer in a house church can and should challenge any doctrine that is taught which is not sound! Have you ever tried that in an institutional church??!!!
Rather, in most such congregations you actually have to subscribe to false doctrine to be accepted as a member!!! One such false doctrine is the doctrine of "accountability" as addressed above! Many of the doctrines found in church "doctrinal statements" are doctrines which are impossible to find stated in the very words of scripture! Yet in order to be a member, you have to subscribe to a whole list of doctrines never stated in the Book!!!
So my question is this, Why would you think that your average institutional church congregation is immune to false doctrine and practices scriptural accountability??? Why would you think that a house church would be more susceptible to false doctrine and more likely to NOT practice scriptural accountability???
Your brother in Christ, Bruce
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