Government in the Church
And Jesus has set ORGANIZATION — government — order — in the Church, under Him. God compares this organized Body of Christ to a BUILDING:
"Now therefore ye . . . are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph. 2:19-22).
The living Christ, Head of the Church, has PUT the various administrators, officers, and members into the Church AS HE HIMSELF CHOSE. Not as a man chooses for himself.
Administrators AS GOD CHOSE
"And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers" — WHY? For what PURPOSE? "For the perfecting of the saints, for the WORK of the ministry, for the edifying of the BODY OF CHRIST: till we all come in the UNITY of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ . . . speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the WHOLE BODY FITLY JOINED TOGETHER AND COMPACTED by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of EVERY PART [each individual member], maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love" (Eph. 4:11-16).
Christ has, indeed, ORGANIZED HIS CHURCH, so FITLY joined together as a physical building put together with the precision of every part of the most expert craftsmen.
HE chose the chief administrators, UNDER HIM. God's government is government FROM THE TOP DOWN.
All do not have the same office. And God has given various members in His Church special TALENTS, as gifts by and through His Spirit, and aptitudes, each for his part as CHRIST has chosen, in the ORGANIZED EFFORT of carrying on Christ's WORK.
God gives these special talents, aptitudes for certain phases of administration in His Work, as HE wills, but also according to each one's natural aptitudes.
Notice the parables of the pounds and of the talents.
First, the parable of the talents. "For the kingdom of heaven [Matthew uses the term Kingdom of heaven, while Mark, Luke and John all use the term Kingdom of God. They are the same. Not a kingdom IN heaven, but "OF" — denoting ownership) is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability" (Matt. 25:14-15).
Notice, there was something given to each. The parable pictures Jesus, of course, going to heaven to be coroneted as King of kings and Lord of lords, after which He will return to RULE the earth, administering the Government of God over all nations. His own servants are His converted children of God — His Body, the Church. What He is giving them is spiritual gifts to equip each for his individual part in GOD'S WORK.
But notice, please, He gave these additional spiritual goods, gifts, or tools, "to every man according to his several ability"— that is, according to his natural physical aptitudes or abilities. On His return as World Ruler, He called each servant to an accounting as to HOW WELL each had done with what Christ had given him to do with.
By comparison of this parable with that of the pounds in Luke 19:11-27, you will see that God judges us according to how well we do in proportion to what we have to do with. These servants were to "occupy" or carry on the Work till He returns.
Special Spiritual Gifts
Now notice more about the spiritual GIFTS God gives those in His Body, doing His WORK, in I Corinthians 12: "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant."
Yet most people are in total ignorance of these gifts and their meaning and uses. Continue:
"Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all" (verses 4-6). It is the same God WORKING in the "Body of Christ" — the Church. HE does the Work of God, by the one Spirit of God, IN the collective Body' called out of the world as His instrument doing His Work.
Notice carefully, in this Work of God, which He WORKS in us by His Spirit, there are different gifts, BECAUSE there are various and different administrations, in administering God's Work — different offices — different kinds of jobs. There are various and different OPERATIONS in carrying on the Work. These require various and different aptitudes and abilities in various and different members in the Body.
GOD Chooses Each Member's Job
We do not all do the same job!
These special spiritual gifts are given "to profit withal." That is, to profit THE WORK — not the individual. These gifts are aptitudes, or spiritual "tools" to use in doing the Work — not ornaments to embellish the person, as some have seemed to think — bragging about the least of the gifts.
God Himself decides which gifts to give each member: "But all these [gifts) worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as HE will" (verse 11).
Continue: "For the body [of Christ — the Church] is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?" (Verses 14-15)
If one young man has been given special aptitude for a certain more or less routine office job that is actually a big help in the whole organized Work, he is doing HIS PART in the Work. But is each One free to decide whether he will be the apostle, or the pastor, or a teacher, or a routine office worker making it possible for them to do their jobs?
Here is your answer: "But now hath GOD set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased HIM" (verse 18).
But what if one is placed, by those God has set over him, in an office that this individual considers very unimportant, not honorable enough to suit his vanity?
Here's the answer: "Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem [to us) to be more feeble, are necessary: and those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor, and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness . . . but GOD hath tempered the body together . . . THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO SCHISM [division) IN THE BODY. . . . Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And GOD hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of languages. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? . . . but covet earnestly the best gifts . . ." (verses 22-31).
We might mention at this point that in local churches during the first century, local elders were ordained. It is evident that some of these were ministers — that is, preachers — and some evidently were not preachers, but merely leaders or teachers.
New Testament Officials in Order of Rank
In the New Testament there are three terms used for preachers or ministers — elders, bishops, overseers. All three mean the same. Yet some elders were apostles or evangelists, but most elders were NOT apostles or evangelists.
Putting all New Testament passages together, the ADMINISTRATIVE offices, in order of rank and authority under Christ, were: 1st, apostles; 2nd, evangelists (In the New Testament, prophets did not have administrative offices, but, prior to completion of writing the New Testament, prophets received direct communication or instruction from God, which they in turn communicated to apostles. Today God's instruction to the Church is complete, in the written Scriptures); pastors; preaching elders; and local non-preaching elders and teachers. There also were deacons and deaconesses, appointed to take care of physical duties.
Now I have shown that the true Church of God is NOT a human organization or corporation, but a spiritual organism, composed of all who have and are being led by the Holy Spirit of God abiding in them. Yet the Church is ORGANIZED.
Is It Wrong to Incorporate?
What about incorporating according to the civil laws of man? The answer is: God instructs His Church to be subject to the powers of man's government over him.
When — in our time — the Work of God was small there was no need of being incorporated. This Work was NOT incorporated until it became necessary in order to deal with the world in carrying out the Commission to go to the world with Christ's Gospel. The Work has grown worldwide and very large, and human governmental laws would not allow it to function without incorporating.
But is the corporation the Church? IT IS NOT! The Church existed as a spiritual organism, organized as CHRIST organized it (NOT organized on any human plan), and it carried on the SAME Work of God, with the SAME divinely directed organization BEFORE it incorporated as it does today. It is organized according to GOD'S pattern, not man's legal corporate pattern.
Now some questions naturally emerge.
Can one who does not know of the true organized Body doing God's Work, and therefore is outside of it, be a member of the true Church which Christ built? The answer is yes — for it is possible for one to have truly repented, believed, and received God's Spirit — and be following that Spirit as far as he sees and understands — who does not know of the organized Work Christ is using today. But surely God's
Spirit in him would lead one, in due time, into his part in the organized Body the living Christ is directing.
Is it possible that one who has joined a sect, church, or denomination NOT doing God's Work, might be truly converted, and led by God's Spirit in him? The answer is YES — I have known of a few. But in every case, either they came INTO the organized spiritual organism Christ is using in the real Work of God — or, when their eyes were opened to further light and truth, they rejected it and LOST the Spirit of God. And this was amply demonstrated by the fruits.
If other questions present themselves to readers, we shall be glad to answer privately if you will write them.
Through His Holy Spirit God gives His children "light" — TRUTH — to walk in the light, "lest darkness come upon you."
I have not been called to sit in judgment of others, but to follow Christ as He leads and directs, and witness to the true light. Hundreds of millions have now HEARD, SEEN, or READ. Jesus said that His sheep do hear and RECOGNIZE His voice and His truth, and that they will follow Him!
Every year, now, added thousands are hearing, RECOGNIZING His truth, and following Him where He is working!