5. Some Hermeneutical Observations
4.5. Conclusion
Thus, in the final analysis we know very little about the governance of either the local or larger church. That structures of some kind existed can be taken for granted; but what form these took is simply not an interest in our documents themselves. It is arguable that at least part of the reason for this is their sense of corporate life as the people of God, among whom the leaders themselves did not consider themselves “ordained” to lead the people, but “gifted” to do so as one gift among others.111