Is a Combine a Legitimate Church Arrangement?

We have just seen that the boundary of a church cannot be narrower than the locality to which it belongs. On the other hand, its boundary cannot be wider than the locality. In the Word of God we never read of "the church in Macedonia," or "the church in Galatia," or "the church in Judea," or "the church in Galilee." Why? Because Macedonia and Galilee are provinces, and Judea and Galatia are districts. A province is not a scriptural unit of locality, neither is a district; both include a number of units, therefore they include a number of separate churches and do not constitute one church. A provincial church or a district church is not according to Scripture, since it does not divide on the ground of locality, but combines a number of localities. It is because all scriptural churches are local churches that there is no mention of state churches, provincial churches, or district churches in the Word of God.

"Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria" (Acts 9.31, A.V.). The Holy Spirit did not speak here of "the church," but of "the churches." Because there were a number of localities there were also a number of churches. It was not God’s plan to unite the churches of different places into one church, but to have a separate church in each place. There were as many churches as there were places.

"He went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches" (Acts 15.41). Again the reference is not to one single church, because Syria and Cilicia were vast districts, each comprising a number of different places. It is permissible in political circles to unite many different places into a district and call it Syria or Cilicia, but God does not unite the believers in a number of different places and call them "the church in Syria," or "the church in Cilicia." There may be unions or combines in the commercial or political world, but God sanctions no combine amongst the churches. Each separate place must have a separate church.