The Calvinists also believed that ? should not control their church,but that the congregation should choose their leaders.
The Calvinists believed that the congregation should choose their leaders in the church by following a system known as congregational governance. This was in direct opposition to the hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church, where authority and decision-making rested with the clergy, particularly the Pope and the bishops.
To understand why Calvinists held this belief, we need to look at the teachings of John Calvin, the influential Protestant theologian. Calvin emphasized the idea of the "priesthood of all believers," which meant that every Christian had direct access to God and did not need intermediaries like priests or bishops to communicate with God.
In Calvinism, the church was seen as a community of believers, and the power of decision-making was seen as a collective responsibility. The congregation was considered to be guided by the Holy Spirit, and therefore, they were the ones who should choose their leaders, who would serve as their spiritual guides and administrators.
To arrive at this belief, Calvinists primarily relied on the Bible as the authoritative source. They found support for congregational governance from biblical passages such as 1 Corinthians 12:27-28 and 1 Peter 2:9, which emphasized the importance of the entire community participating in the affairs of the church and the distribution of spiritual gifts among believers.
Therefore, the Calvinists believed that the congregation should have the freedom to elect their leaders, ensuring that they were accountable and representative of the community's beliefs and values. This concept of congregational governance became a defining aspect of Calvinist churches during the Protestant Reformation and continues to be practiced by various denominations today.