In the Church of God, which document is the rule for governance and discipline?

• A. New Testament
• B. Old Testament
• C. Bible
• D. Church Constitution

Answer: (A)

The main idea this question tests is where the church looks for its governing rules and how it handles discipline. In the Church of God, the New Testament provides the established pattern for church leadership, decision-making, and the process of correction within the church. It lays out who can lead (bishops/elders), who serves in ministry, and how the church is to deal with sin and restore believers. Passages like the instructions on church leadership (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1), guidance on how decisions are made within the gathered church and its elders, and the steps for handling sin (Matthew 18, 1 Corinthians 5) form the blueprint for governance and discipline under the New Covenant.

The Old Testament is about the governance of the old covenant community and does not set the direct pattern for how the New Covenant church should be led and disciplined. The Church Constitution, while crucial for detailing how a particular local church operates, is a human document that applies biblical principles in a specific context rather than serving as the universal standard for church governance and discipline. Therefore, the New Testament is the best answer because it provides the authoritative scriptural model for how the church should be governed and how discipline should be administered.