If you ask what Presbyterianism is, you may be told that that it is a form of church government in which the church is structured in a hierarchical manner with lower courts subordinate to higher courts until a General Assembly oversees them all.

This is inadequate.  This describes the form, not the substance nor the spirit of biblical Presbyterianism.

Wikipedia has two entries indicating the double usage of the term Presbyterianism, but failing to explain its spirit. One entry applies it to the churches that are governed by Presbyterian policy, and the other entry applies it to presbyteral polity itself, which it defines as “a method of church governance (“ecclesiastical polity”) typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders.”

In its main article, Wikipedia states: “Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named after its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as “presbyters.”

So, according to Wikipedia, it is “a tradition” determined by its “form of church government”.

This is inadequate. Presbyterianism is more than a form of church government and it is more than a tradition. This inadequate thinking has allowed current Presbyterianism to become legalistic, bureaucratic and quasi-episcopalian.

The nature and spirit of Presbyterianism

The nature or essence of Presbyterianism is the biblical teaching that believers are all members of the body of Christ and as “the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee” 1Cor 12:21 so these believers need to interact with each other in a manner that develops the whole body of Christ Eph 4:11-16 and identifies, employs and develops the gifts and graces of each believer.

This does not mean that there is a free-for-all in the Christian church because Scripture makes it plain that there are ruling elders in the Christian church Heb 13:7,17 known as ‘presbyters’, elders or overseers. These office-bearers commend themselves by “watching for your soul” and they demonstrate this by showing their knowledge and application of Scripture in their personal speech and behaviour, and by their ability to encourage and develop mature Christian behaviour in others.

The term Presbyterianism derives from the biblical term ‘presbyter’ and highlights that there is biblical rule and authority in the Christian church to promote unity and develop Christian behaviour. It corrects any idea that there is no governance in the church. However, it is too easy for presbyters to adopt worldly attitudes Lk 22:24-26 and to “lord it over” God’s heritage 1Pe 5:3. This is very antithesis of presbyterianism, but it is common.

Presbyters feed the flock of God, willing and not for money 1Pe 5:1-3. They are exampes to the flock and do not lord themselves over it. They watch for your souls. Such presbyters commend themselves to every man’s conscience.

“But we have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the Word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”

2Corinthians 4:2

Thus, says Peter: “you younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yes, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble.” This is the spirit of presbyterianism. 

Presbyteries

At the Presbytery level, the essence of Presbyterianism is the biblical principle to confer and make use of the wisdom of “a multitude of counsellors” to guide the Christian church, extolled three times in the book of Proverbs.

“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety” Pro 11:14.
“Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established” Pro 15:22.
“For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety” Pro 24:6.

This collective wisdom aims to benefit believers at the congregational level, the usual level at which believers operate. However, ecclesiastical structures can become a stepping-stone to self-aggrandisement, seen too often in clerks, moderators, conveners of committees, editors of magazines, treasurers and whatever.

The spirit of Presbyterianism esteems one’s brethren and especially biblical teachers highly in love 1Tim 5:13, considers that others are better than oneself Php 2:3, studies in what respect this is so in order to emulate them Php 2:4, so that the whole body of Christ may grow together Eph 4:11-14 into a profitable and functional congregation of the Lord Num 16:3, Num 27:17, Jos 22:16, considering that one might be mistaken and thus requiring to confer with others using the biblical principles of Christian prayerful discussion and the application of Scripture to one’s Christian behaviour.

Abuse of church authority

Too often the spirit of Presbyterianism is abandoned in favour of “following my leader”, even in presbyterian churches.

Episcopacy and Independent governance do not follow these principles, far less does “Diotrephes who loves to have the preeminence” 3Jn 1:9, a spirit that may found in any Christian group. Episcopacy plainly contradicts the Presbyterian spirit and Independency is simply quasi-episcopacy “writ small”, with large fishes in smaller ponds.

The Roman catholic pope in Rome has gone further and usurped the position of Christ as Head of the Church and of the Holy Spirit as the unifying spirit of the Church. Presbyterian biblical unity is the answer to papal, imposed uniformity and subservience.

Inconsistency

The Church of Christ is not perfect and inconsistency abounds. An episcopalian or independent Christian may behave as a presbyterian in spirit although worshipping in an inconsistent setting. Similarly, many presbyterians worship in presbyterian churches where the minister or a significant elder may throw their supposed weight about like Dioterphes. This is why church government alone does not ensure a balanced Christian congregation, but why the spirit of Presbyterianism is so important for a healthy congregation.

The word ‘Presbyterianism’ derives from the biblical ‘presbyter’ and not everyone is a presbyter. However, the biblical principles of a presbyter are what makes the spirit of Presbyterianism. They rule well and do not have an over-inflated opinion of themselves. The apostle Peter, rather than calling himself the bishop of Rome, and we have no evidence that he was ever in Rome, called himself an elder ‘a co-presbuteros‘ 1Pe 5:1. He goes on to say: “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock” 1Pe 5:2-3.  The pretended successor of Peter in Rome could learn from this instead of lording it over others.

Christian debate uses biblical exegesis to solve disputes, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles, and as the New Testament epistles demonstrate. This is why Sola Scriptura developed as a Reformed mantra in the 16th-century European Reformation. It explains why Rabbinic Judaism and Roman catholic biblical exegesis is so wide of the biblical mark, relying on their respective oral traditions.

Personal application of the Presbyterian spirit to all Christians

Presbyterianism enables a Christian believer to respect Christians in other denominations, to benefit them and to benefit from them, but not to be subservient to them Gal 5:1.

On this principle John Calvin of Geneva conferred with Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, not because he was a royally-appointed archbishop but because Calvin recognized him as a fellow-presbyter.

We would do well to pay attention to the spirit of Presbyterianism and reform current Presbyterianism.