'And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it'- Matthew 16:18
Many of you may have heard that recently there was a General Assembly of NSW in which ministers and elders of the Presbyterian Church met to prayerfully discuss (at times debate), learn about and make resolutions for the future of the Church in New South Wales. A number of decisions were made on Evangelism, ministry and perhaps most famously on the Office of Eldership. I don't intend to comment on the decisons themselves as decisions are always more complex than the end result seems to suggest. However it is worthwhile to consider what it means for presbyterians in local churches to reckon with the decisions of a seemingly faceless Assembly. Is this process biblical? What does it mean for decisions which we may not support? Where is Christ in this whole process?
Firstly and perhaps most importantly, is the Presbyterian Process biblical? Or is it biblical enough where its worth participating in even when it is frustrating? Throughout the OT we have seen that God had ordained Elders as an office to lead and govern his people (Exodus 12:21-27, 24:1, Ezra 10:14, Ruth 4:2). This pattern continues in the NT (Acts 14:23) and this office of eldership is meant to be a representation of Christ to the Church. When difficult matters arise, these elders (alongside apostles) would gather into an Assembly to discuss and debate key issues for the wider church (Acts 15:6-12). This is biblical process of church governance, it is purposed so that power is shared amongst elders and churches and that prayerful debate and discussion will rule over single minded leaders.
What this is means is that although we may not agree with the General Assembly decison making at times, we can take comfort in the biblical process, knowing that it is purposed for healthy theological discussion and filled with praying people. I attended General Assembly last week and my sense is that our denomination has many competent brothers and sisters who are prayerfully and humbly seeking the will of God. Despite the complexity of the issues at play we are truly blessed to have overseers who are able to teach (1 Tim 3) not just through their knowledge but through their character.
Most importantly and truly the only question that matters, how can we keep our eyes on Christ despite all the tensions and issues which present themselves to the Church? My encouragement for us today is in the words of our Lord Jesus to Peter in Matthew 16:18. That Christ is both currently and ultimately the one who holds the future of the Church in His hands and guides it away from Hades and towards Heaven. In all of our joys and discouragements let us have the mind of Christ (Phil 2) and consider Him the Chief Shepherd of our Church (1 Peter 5).
My hope for us each year as we consider the decisions of General Assembly is to reflect on what it means to be Presbyterian and how Scripture guides us to look to Christ in all decisions and not to ourselves or our world. For the Church is God's design and not the design of human imagination.
「我還告訴你，你是彼得，我要把我的教會建造在這磐石上；陰間的權柄不能勝過她。」馬太福音 16:18
相信不少弟兄姊妹都已經聽說，最近新南威爾士州長老會（General Assembly）召開了總議會，來自各地的牧師和長老聚集一堂，以禱告的心共同討論（有時也進行辯論）、學習，並為新南威爾士州教會的未來作出決議。
本次總議會就福音事工、教會牧養，以及或許最受關注的長老職分等議題作出了多項決議。我無意評論這些決議本身，因為任何一項決定都遠比最終呈現的結果更為複雜。然而，我們仍值得思想：對於地方教會的長老會信徒而言，應當如何看待並回應這些看似由一個遙遠、沒有具體面孔的總議會所作出的決定？這樣的程序是否符合聖經的教導？當我們面對一些自己未必支持的決議時，應當如何回應？而在整個過程中，基督又處於什麼位置呢？
首先，也是最重要的問題，就是：長老會的治理程序是否符合聖經？ 或者說，它是否足夠符合聖經，以致即使過程有時令人感到挫折，仍值得我們參與其中？
縱觀舊約，我們看見神設立了長老這個職分，作為帶領和治理祂子民的領袖（出埃及記 12:21–27；24:1；以斯拉記 10:14；路得記 4:2）。這個模式延續到新約（使徒行傳 14:23），而長老職分的設立，乃是要在教會中代表基督牧養祂的百姓。
當教會面對重大或具爭議性的議題時，這些長老（連同使徒）便聚集召開會議，共同討論和辯論那些關乎整個教會的重要事項（使徒行傳 15:6–12）。這正是合乎聖經的教會治理模式。它的目的，是使權柄由眾長老和眾教會共同承擔，而不是集中在某一位領袖身上；也讓教會透過禱告、討論與彼此辨明來作出決定，而不是由個人的意見或主張主導整個教會。
這代表，即使我們有時未必認同總議會所作出的決定，我們仍可以因著這符合聖經的治理程序而得著安慰，知道這個制度的目的是促進健康的神學討論，並且是由一群禱告尋求神心意的人所參與。
我上週參加了總議會，給我的感受是，我們的宗派中有許多忠心、有能力的弟兄姊妹，他們正以禱告和謙卑的心尋求神的旨意。儘管所面對的議題十分複雜，我們確實蒙福，因為神賜給我們能夠教導的監督者（提摩太前書 3章）；他們不只是憑著知識教導，更是透過他們的生命品格作出榜樣。
最重要的，也是唯一真正重要的問題是：當教會面對各樣張力和挑戰時，我們如何仍然定睛於基督？
今天我對大家的鼓勵，是記念我們主耶穌在馬太福音16:18中對彼得所說的話。基督現在並且最終掌管著祂教會的未來，祂親自保守和引導教會，使教會勝過陰間的權勢，走向祂所應許的天國。
在我們一切的喜樂和灰心中，願我們都存有基督的心（腓立比書2章），並且認定祂是我們教會的大牧人（彼得前書5章）。
我盼望我們每一年在思考總議會的決定時，都能反思作為長老會信徒究竟意味著什麼，並思想聖經如何引導我們在一切決定中仰望基督，而不是倚靠自己或這個世界的想法。
因為教會是神所設立的計劃，而不是人憑自己的想像所創造的。
