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The Creation Mandate
In the beginning God created man and his environment perfect in every respect. Man was in every way in complete harmony with his surroundings and with God. There was no sin; Adam and Eve obeyed God and were at peace with God and their environment. They were given the entire world, everything they would need to fulfill God’s mandate for them:
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Gen. 1:28)
This verse is known as the Dominion Mandate. Adam and Eve were commanded to be fruitful, to multiply and to take dominion over the earth and everything in it. This involved procreation, care for (replenish and subdue) the land, and dominion over all of God’s creation[1]. The earth was then a paradise and, with man’s obedience, would have remained so as it was increasingly populated with God-revering and God-obedient people. In it there was to be no sickness and no death (Rom. 5:12); the people, recognizing themselves as God’s creatures would live together in peace and harmony as they obeyed Him.
This all changed with the temptation and the Fall. Our first parents, thinking they didn’t need God and could be free to decide for themselves between good and evil, submitted to the temptation of Satan and decided to be their own gods. Instead of becoming gods, though, they became slaves, slaves in bondage to Satan. Satan so dominated their minds that they could not shake off their desire to truly be gods themselves, even though they almost certainly could see the impossibility of it.
This condition of satanic bondage was propagated to their offspring; it continued through the ages and is very much with us today. Every child born throughout all of history is born into this bondage (Rom. 5:12-14). This delusion and desire to be self-determining beings has been and continues to be the fundamental cause and source of every form of evil in the world.
God, of course, knew that all this would take place; it was part of His plan for man and the world. For reasons beyond our understanding, it was necessary for man to go through a developmental process that included his sin. The sin, though, was entirely man’s; he was free to obey or disobey. The plan was God’s, who knows His creatures better than they know themselves and always knows in advance whether or not they will obey.
God is indeed great. He is able to predetermine every event in all of history and still give His creatures complete freedom of action. This means that God’s plan, although totally predetermined, is also contingent on man because he is always free to obey or disobey. Man’s future, although fully determined by God, is also fully dependent on what he does or doesn’t do; his future depends on him. MAN IS TRULY RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS ACTIONS!
Speaking to the Serpent immediately after the Fall, God said:
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Gen. 3:15)
There is more here than the struggle between Christ and Satan. There are the seeds (offspring) of the Serpent and of the Woman. Albert Barnes identified the references to the seeds as the great division of mankind into the regenerate and the reprobate:
The spiritual agent in the temptation of man cannot have literally any seed. But the seed of the serpent is that portion of the human family that continues to be his moral offspring, and follows the first transgression without repentance or refuge in the mercy of God. The seed of the woman, on the other hand, must denote the remnant who are born from above, and hence, turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God.[2]
We see in this verse God’s pronouncement of a yet to come division within mankind; there are to be two seeds, two bodies of people in conflict with each other. It is a division God established; God puts the enmity in place, first between Christ and Satan, and also between the two great bodies of mankind.
At this point in time there was only one body, the entire human race was in Satan’s camp and without God’s interference, it would have remained so. God’s plan to create a world that would glorify Him, a world governed by His faithful creatures, would have been frustrated. It would instead be a world of rebellious creatures, controlled by Satan. God, though, is never frustrated. That He would interfere and provide a way out of the dilemma is implicit in His speaking of two seeds, two divisions of mankind, and of a struggle to follow. The seed of the Serpent will face opposition from another seed, the seed of the Woman. The outcome of the struggle is also given. Satan’s head will be bruised (or crushed). This verse is known as the Proto-Evangelium,[3] the first promise of God’s grace toward His wayward creatures.
[1] ‘Godly dominion’ is to be exercised by man over creation and not over people.
[2] “Notes on the Bible,” Albert Barnes, 1834. Albert Barnes (b. 1798, d. 24 Dec. 1870) was an American theologian who graduated Hamilton College, Clinton, New York in 1820, and Princeton Theological Seminary in 1823. He was ordained in 1825 as a Presbyterian minister. Born in Rome, New York, Barnes was pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Morristown, New Jersey from 1825-30, and the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia from 1830-67.
[3] http://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/proto-evangelium/
Pulpits, Pews and Purpose
The primary focus in today’s preaching seems to be the saving of souls. We are told it is so that more people may come to Christ and be saved. The altar call of the previous generation seems to have passed out of style but the emphasis and the rationale of preaching is very much the same, we need to save souls! For many churches and preachers the real purpose behind this thrust is to increase revenues by winning new converts and getting the membership to continue to donate. But putting these devious purposes aside and considering only the motives of sincere followers of Christ, we still need to examine the basic concept from a Biblical perspective.
First, we should recognize that it is God that saves, not men. God chose His elect before the foundations of the world were laid (Eph. 1:4). Yes, He uses preaching as a means to call His elect to Him but should this be seen as the primary purpose of preaching? Should not the primary purpose of preaching rather be the expounding of the Scriptures so that all, especially the members that are in attendance week after week, may grow in the knowledge of the truth and benefit thereby? Many that preach believe that any failure on their part to include the Gospel message in each sermon might be the cause of someone going to hell. But this is not biblical; God’s arm is not so short that He is not able to bring all His elect to repentance and faith. It is also presumptuous to think that God is dependent on what anyone does. He is the ultimate sovereign and is in total control of the flow of history in its minutest details. Rather than a call to invite Christ into one’s heart, a call to recognize His presence there would be more appropriate. “Do you believe that Christ, the second person of the Trinity, came to save sinners like yourself? If you do, thank Him for giving you the faith to believe and eyes to see your great need. Thank Him for dying in your place and, if you love Him, keep His commandments.” This is the appropriate tone for Gospel preaching; it gives God the glory and puts man in his proper place as the creature and servant.
Second, we need to see that the Great Commission is not merely a call to preach the Gospel and get as many people saved as possible. It is a command to convert all the nations of the world to Christ and to teach them obedience. This is a task that involves all Christians, not just those in the “Lord’s work,” ministers, evangelists, missionaries, etc. The work being done (or that should be done) by church members requires and deserves a great deal more effort and financial support than does the preaching of the Gospel. Scripture reflects this in the law structure God gave the nation of Israel where the tithe was given to the Levites, who provided a wide range of services for the community, including education, medical care, courts of adjudication, leadership and many other services. This was where the bulk of the tithe went; only a tithe of the tithe (1 %) went to the Priests.
The primary thrust of preaching should be in support of the membership of the church, to help them come to a better understanding of the responsibilities that fall on God’s people as a consequence of this Great Commission Christ has placed on His people. They are ever in need of Scriptural guidance to show them how to select objectives, establish goals and interact with the world in carrying out what should be a lifelong purpose for them.
The loss of focus on the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) as a comprehensive task for all Christians and its degeneration into a call to preach has robbed God’s people of the primary purpose He gave them. In this scheme of things, the real work is now done in the pulpits, the Bible studies and the mission field. “All the people need to do is live moral lives and set as good an example as they can to those around them. There is no need for them to work for godliness in education, in entertainment or in government.” As a consequence, Christians have withdrawn from the world to such an extent that they are no longer involved in any significant culture-changing activities. The moral degeneration of America in the last several decades can be directly attributed to this abandonment by Christians of the responsibility Christ placed on them. He instructed us to be the salt and light of the world and we have reduced this to light only, and a dim one at that.
The greater culpability in this lies at the feet of ministers and theologians who, having paid too much attention to the newspapers, have lost faith in ever achieving what Christ commanded us to do. Their subsequent revision of Scripture teaching has moved the church from a hope of victory to one of despair. The general belief is that the forces of evil are just too strong for us and victory is only possible with the Lord’s return. This, of course, has become a self-fulfilling prophecy and, as a consequence, the church is now resigned to a struggle for existence in a world given over to the Devil.
These false teachings must change before the current slide into moral and religious depravity can begin to be reversed. God’s people need to have their great purpose for living restored. They need to both gain an understanding of what their responsibilities are and regain the hope of eventual victory before they can begin to take the measures required to alter the current trend into oblivion. This process would be expedited if the pulpits would take the lead and begin to teach biblically. But, realistically, it will probably not come about until the situation becomes so grave that the pews will rebel and demand new leadership. The future is bright with hope; the only question being when! how long will it take for Christianity to get back on track and straighten out, first themselves and then the mess this world has become?
What’s Wrong With Our Churches?
False preaching is always a serious issue but it is not the fundamental, underlying problem in today’s churches. It is the entire clergy-laity system that is faulty. In contradiction to Scripture, it interposes human authority between Christ and Christian family heads. The rightful and immediate Head and Lord of the body is Christ and Christ alone. (Col. 1:18; Eph. 5:23-24).
Peter referred to elders as teachers:
The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. (1 Pet. 5:1-3)
This passage has been used in support of the clergy-laity structuring of the body of Christ. We should notice, though, that the reference is to elders that are elected by the ecclesia to lead them. As was the case in the synagogues, they were typically the more senior members that were recognized as capable individuals that the family heads respected and trusted. They presided over and coordinated the activities of the community; they functioned as judges that adjudicated between differences and disputes; but they were not lords over God’s heritage. In these roles, they did not rule but rather served the community; they did so with the continued concurrence of the people they shepherded.
To take oversight does not mean to rule over, but to be concerned with the overall welfare and conduct of the body. They were to do so, not because they were forced to (by constraint) or for pay, but willingly. The apparent assumption here is that being a shepherd was a tedious task and not one that was generally desirable. This must be understood in relation to the teaching of Scripture with regard to the role of the natural leaders and teachers in the congregation.
An analogy might be a group of businessmen that periodically meet together to discuss issues that relate to their affairs. They appoint a few of the most capable of their number to conduct and lead their meetings. These “leaders” are not rulers, they are servants of the membership as a whole. They might be recompensed for the time and effort involved in carrying out their assignments but in no sense are they rulers.
Consider also these words of our Lord:
And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: (Matt. 20:27)
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted (Matt. 23: 8-12).
And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. (Mark 10:44)
The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. (Luke 22:25-26)
So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. (John 13: 12-17)
We see from these passages that the kingdom of God is very different from the kingdoms and nations of this world. There the strong tend to pride while the weak tend to submission. Both these tendencies are incompatible with the kingdom of God and must be resisted. The Holy Spirit tells us in these passages how to combat this form of sin. Humility is to replace pride; there are to be no rulers in the ecclesia community—this is how we progress! Jesus, the second Person of the Holy Spirit, demonstrates the great need for humility by stooping down to the menial task of washing their feet. How can we, His creatures, be so presumptuous as to exalt ourselves and attempt to rule over one another?
Each believer stands alone before his Master, Christ the Lord. He may receive much help and support from his fellows but his only Master (or instructor), the only One he obeys, is Christ. The most capable individuals are to see themselves as servants whose task is to build up the weaker members of the body of Christ. They are not to take the lead and use the weaker members as followers that do their bidding; nor can they attempt to do all the work themselves, a task far to great for them and utterly beyond their ability to fulfill. Their task is to build up and strengthen the weaker members so that the entire body can carry out the great work of rebuilding and renewing the world, the work God has assigned it (Matt. 28:18-20). This leads to a lasting victory, one that sustains itself in perpetuity and does not lose its original sense of purpose. The entire body, even the least of its members, should see themselves as individuals that receive their marching orders from Christ and Christ alone.
Such an army is extremely powerful and resilient. Its strength lies in each individual and operates precisely where it is needed, as it is needed, and without delay. It is exerted by every believer applying God’s law in whatever situation arises. It penetrates into every stratum and niche of society, wherever Christians are found. Also, since Christ is the only ruler, it is impervious to leadership corruption, a failing not uncommon in many Christian groups today.
A verse that has been used in defense of the establishment of a higher body within the community of the faithful is:
Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. (1 Tim. 4:14)
The word translated presbytery here is “presbyteriou,” meaning seniorship or eldership. It refers to a body composed of elders, which are presumed to be elders of some of the ecclesias that were meeting together. The assertion is that they formed what is today known as a presbytery, a higher body within the Christian community. The difficulty with this conclusion is that this body imparted, by the laying on of their hands, a gift of prophecy to Timothy. This is something that only apostles were able to do; so the word “presbytery” in this instance could only have been a reference to a group of apostles. There is no contradiction here; the apostles often referred to themselves as elders (presbyters). Peter did so in the verse cited above (1 Pet. 5:1-3). John said: “I also am an elder” (3 John 1). There is no support here for the formation of institutions that introduce hierarchy within the body of Christ.
Another verse that some claim supports the hierarchical, clergy/laity structure and places rulers over the saints is:
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. (Heb. 13:17)
Here the difficulty is with the English language translations which were formulated only after several centuries of clergy rule. The key words are: obey, rule and submit. They are given as a guide for the relationship between the clergy and the laity. It appears to give the clergy considerable authority. They are to be obeyed; they rule over the congregation that must submit to them. These words hark back to the priesthood of medieval Catholicism and seem to be in conflict with the general tone of Scripture where we see that leaders are told to be servants. Consider for example Paul’s words:
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (Phil. 2)
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; (2 Tim. 2)
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (2 Cor. 6:1)
Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ…(2 Cor. 10:1)
How can we reconcile this tone of service, meekness and gentleness with the wording of Hebrews 13:17? The answer lies in the translation. When we look at the original Greek in the Textus Receptus (from which the King James version was derived) we see that “peithesthe,” the word translated obey, is not in the active voice that could possibly justify “obey” but is in the middle/passive voice and should be translated as “be persuaded.” Likewise, the word translated “rule” is best taken as “ones-leading” and the word translated “submit” means “be ye deferring.” The verse with these words substituted then reads as follows:
Be persuaded of them that are your leaders and defer to them: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. [1]
This rendering is in keeping with the general tone of Scripture. Believers are not inferior to their teachers; rather it is the teachers that, as the Apostle Paul did, should beseech them in the meekness and gentleness of Christ.
Scripture does not give us a clergy class; it is a natural development that arises from;
- lack of discipline to do God’s work God’s way even when alternatives seem better;
- depreciation of the importance of developing the weaker members of the body;
- a tendency to follow the natural leaders – the discomfort of standing alone;
- recognition that some are more capable than others;
- a desire to utilize the advantages of the division of labor – specialization;
- impatience on the part of the leaders – they want to get things done;
- pride of some;
- sinful laziness of many.
[1] See: “peitho in Hebrews 13:17” by Jason Dulle
http://www.onenesspentecostal.com/peitho.htm
Christianity Institutionalized
The early Christian communities in which each individual Christian felt and had real responsibility for the furtherance of God’s kingdom were gradually transformed into top-down, class-structured organizations in which the Christian’s responsibility was transferred to a leadership elite consisting of a comparatively small number of clergymen. This began early; it was the clergy as leaders rather than as representatives of the ecclesias that participated in the ecumenical councils of the fourth and fifth centuries. Later, the Roman Catholic Church formed and instituted a hierarchical priesthood that placed a series of intermediate authorities between the believers and their Lord.
The Reformation and the Protestant institutions that followed did not correct this. They did much to expose the corruption and serious doctrinal heresies of the previous regime but failed to restore the ecclesia communities and their original concept of self-government. They perpetuated a condition which, in contradiction to what Scripture clearly teaches, retained the class structured church system that interfered with the one-to-one relationship between Christ and Christians.
How did this deplorable situation come about? How did something that began so well degrade to such an extent? Edwin Hatch gives us some insight:
THERE WAS NO ‘CLERGY/LAITY’ DISTINCTION IN THE EARLY CHURCH
Then the Christian was indeed a ‘member of Christ’, a ‘king and priest unto God’. The whole body of Christians was upon a level: ‘you are all brethren’. The distinctions Paul makes between Christians are based not upon office, but upon varieties of spiritual power… There was a vivid sense, which in later times was necessarily weakened, that every form of the manifestation of the religious life is a gift of God – a charisma, or direct operation of the Divine Spirit upon the soul… [1]
Hatch didn’t see the elders in the community as office holders. They were merely practicing the gift God gave them (1 Cor. 12). He then pointed out some of the reasons behind the change:
THE SUPREMACY OF THE BISHOP
… Early in the third century rose the question of readmission to membership of those who had fallen into grievous sin, or who had shrunk from martyrdom. For many years there had been comparative peace. In those years the gates of the Church had been opened wider than before. The sterner discipline had been relaxed. Christianity was not illegal and was tending to become fashionable. The fashionable church-goers accepted the easy terms which the State offered to those who were willing to acknowledge the State religion. Suddenly the flames of persecution shot fiercely forth again. The teachers of Christianity defended those who ‘lapsed’ on the theological ground that Christ did not call on all men to be partakers of His sufferings in the flesh. When the persecution was over many of the ‘lapsed’ wished to come back again…
In the earlier days each separate case came for judgment before the whole Church. The certificate of a confessor was of the nature of an appeal which the Church might upon occasion reject. But persecution sometimes rendered it impossible for the Church to be gathered together. The Church officers took it upon themselves to act for the general body. They readmitted the lapsed without consulting the community. That which had begun in a time of emergency tended to become a rule in a time of peace… The pure spouse of Christ was in peril of her virginity. The Churches for which some of them had sacrificed all they had were beginning to be filled with weak brethren who had preferred dishonor to death… There was a long and determined controversy… It was agreed on all sides that readmissions just not be indiscriminate. If the earlier usage of submitting each case to the tribunal of the whole community were impossible, at any rate individual presbyters and deacons must not act without the knowledge and approval of the president. This rule was in many cases resisted… but it ultimately became so general that the bishops came to claim the right of readmitting penitents, not in their capacity as presidents of the community but as an inherent function of the episcopate…[2]
Several things about the early ecclesia communities are evidenced here:
- The decision-making body was the entire community. This is in keeping with the notion that the Holy Spirit, working through the community as a whole, governs the body.
- Re-admission of apostates by independent action of the elders was resisted by the community. They saw such actions as beyond the authority delegated to the elders.
- The bishops, instead of acting as presidents that reflected the will of the community, acted independently. They aggregated authority to themselves without the approval of the community.
We see here how important it is to adhere strictly to God’s word. The ecclesia at first resisted the change but eventually, after a long and determined controversy, gave in. It was a first step which, once taken, paved the way for further steps that were easier and easier to take, leading inevitably to a full-blown clergy-laity structure. The early ecclesias began well but failed to hold fast to their original independence and, while they perhaps still could have recovered it, succumbed instead to a degraded internal structure. True, the circumstances were extremely extenuating and one could be tempted to argue that they didn’t have a choice. This, though, is to shift the blame to God who is never wrong and never tests us beyond our abilities (1 Cor. 10:13).
Why is it that virtually every advance of Christianity throughout history was not sustained but faltered at some point? Is there a common cause for this? Why does the early enthusiasm fade away so soon? To a great extent it is due to an attitude typical of lay Christians, one that sees kingdom work as short-term and temporary. They get involved, gain some victories, feel that the battle has been won, and then go back to sleep, leaving the bulk of the work to others. The lay Christian in this class-structured environment doesn’t see himself as personally involved in a life-long, never-ending struggle. Rather, he sees long-term kingdom-building activity as the minister’s life-work and not his own. He sees his role as financial support and perhaps being ready to step in and give a hand when it’s needed. Instead of taking an ongoing, active part himself, he leaves the bulk of the work of building God’s kingdom to the clergy: pastors, missionaries, and others in “full time Christian service.” He fails to realize that full time service is required of all God’s people, full time, that is, in the sense that defending and building God’s kingdom should always be a concern. This responsibility should be so present in mind (Isa. 26:3; 2 Cor. 10:5) that the believer is always ready to speak up and take appropriate action whenever and wherever it is needed. This ever-present readiness of all Christians to defend and build God’s kingdom everywhere and anywhere is what is either lost or greatly subdued in the divided, clergy-laity church system. This is an extremely significant loss. It boggles the mind to think of how much more progress might have been realized and how different the world might be today had all Christians remained the full-time workers they began as and were intended to be.
Christ commands all Christians to participate in the teaching of the nations. How are they to do this? Why, through communicating to everyone they can in any way they can the nature of their faith and why it’s so important to obey and live by The Ten Commandments. This task is far too great, and is in fact impossible, for a small cadre of clergymen. It requires the active participation of all believers. Yes, of course some will be able to focus on the task a greater percentage of their time but the task cannot be left entirely in their hands. When it is—well, we see the result.
When Christians are part-timers, the total effort put forth in support of the defense and advancement of Christianity is eventually reduced to only a small fraction of what it could and should be. The typical Christian ends up spending almost all his time on personal matters and little or no time in activity that bears on the building of God’s kingdom.
But the issue isn’t just the lack of time spent; part time Christians often fail to speak up or take action, even when little or no time is involved. They tend to leave the defense of the faith to a small cadre of clergymen that they see as God’s chosen, responsible, and oh so much more capable agents for such work. The problem with this is that action typically cannot be delayed; an immediate response to a question or a challenge is normally required and when it isn’t forthcoming the damage is done. When God’s law is impugned or ignored and nothing is said by God’s people, the observers go away with a lower opinion of Christianity. A myriad of such events continually demean and erode the faith; they take place in the culture at large. outside the influence of the clergy.
The message of the kingdom, instead of being defended and supported by all Christians everywhere, is restricted to the elite few and limited to the houses of worship. The Gospel in its broad sense, instead of being proclaimed throughout the population and ringing from the rafters of every public place is restricted to the few churches that preach it and where few of those that most need to hear the message are ever to be seen. The faith cannot prosper and grow when its development is left to an elite and the great majority of Christians are only minimally involved in promoting and defending it.
When Christians understand and then feel and act in accord with their God-given responsibilities, they are rewarded by a sense of knowing that they are doing what they were created (and then recreated) to do. They sense an affinity with their Lord and know they are an essential part of His plan to save the world. In every circumstance they face, they see themselves as God’s redeemed servants, His emissaries, chartered to do their part in the teaching of the nations. Every experience is a challenge and an opportunity to serve the Lord that rescued them, remade them, and assigned them to represent Him in this world. They see that their work is significant and, to please Him, they do it as well as they can. The result is that much is accomplished and the kingdom progresses and grows by leaps and bounds.
When they abdicate and delegate this task to the clergy (as they have done for over a thousand years) this sense of purpose fades away. The believers may feel they should be doing more but the sharp incentive isn’t there; they rationalize their responsibility away, transferring it to the full-time Christians, the clergy. They view themselves as part-timers; some will usually respond to calls for help temporarily but when the crisis passes, they relax, return to their other interests and leave the long-term work to the clergy.
The mere presence of a clergy class is sufficient to so demotivate the great majority of lay believers that their contribution to the furtherance of the kingdom dwindles to a tiny fraction of what it could and should be. The almost universal disposition of lay Christians when they see the need for the expression of the Christian perspective on a particular issue is to leave it to the pastor or an elder. After all, they rationalize, this is their duty; they have the proper stature and are clearly so much more knowledgeable and capable. As a consequence, the appropriate and sometimes very much needed, words or actions are rarely invoked.
This two-layer church system, consisting of clergy and lay persons, now pervades the entire Christian world. Because of it, lay Christians for centuries, have generally not paid much heed to Christ’s command to seek His kingdom as their first priority in life (Matt. 6:33).
The clergy is at fault here; they have not only failed to make their congregations aware of this responsibility that Christ has placed on every member of His body, they have preached a false gospel. Christ did it all, most of them say; all you need to do is believe in Him and you get a free ride to heaven. This of course is a half-truth; yes, salvation is by faith alone but Christ tells His body, all believers, to bear the cross and follow Him (Mark 8:34). There is much more to being a Christian than just believing and going to heaven; there are responsibilities and work to do after one is saved.
[1] See: Edwin Hatch, “The Organization of the Early Christian Churches,” London, 1887, pp. 44-45, View online at: http://www.searchingtogether.org/articles/hatch/organization.htm
[2] Ibid, pp 72-77.
The Christian Chain of Command
Given a sense of purpose and sufficient preparation, how should God’s people apply themselves toward fulfilling their responsibilities as God’s representatives and world-changers? They have their general direction specified in the Great Commission and are to be guided by God’s word but what are their specific duties? They cannot wait until they know all there is to know, that would require more than a lifetime of study. Some attempt to do this though, and end up as monks in a recluse or as students that continually argue the fine points of Scripture all their lives. No, God expects His new creatures to be the world-changers that usher in the fruits of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20).
To do this they must go out into an unbelieving world and teach it to obey their Lord. They must, as the Pilgrims of old, leave the comforts of home, go out into the moral wilderness this world has become, and take dominion for Christ. They cannot, though, just leave the civilized world and attempt to build a civilization in a new world, as their predecessors did. Their pilgrimage is to be practiced at home. God’s people should emulate the Pilgrims a) in their strong sense of purpose, the building of a godly world; b) in their sense of individual responsibility, their recognition of Christ and only Christ as Lord; and c) in their life-long and life-giving effort to do all they can to further His kingdom on earth. Christians should see themselves as pilgrims and colonists, foreigners in a hostile world they have been chartered to subdue for Christ.
A question of historical importance has been: how are they to relate to their fellow believers, to the elders and to the world outside? Should they organize themselves into ranks as an army with officers and enlisted men, with some that command and some that obey? What guidance does Scripture give? Does it give any guidance at all? Indeed, it does; here are the Apostle Paul’s words to the Christians in Corinth:
I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. (1 Cor. 11:3)
This verse begins a passage that deals with familial relationships but it goes beyond that and gives us the God-intended authority order for all of society. Authority flows from God, the Father, to the Son and thence to the regenerate family head. Within the family there is rule; children must obey their parents and the man is the head of the wife. Above the family is Christ and above Christ is God. Just as there is no head between Christ and God, so there is no head between the man and Christ, no one he must obey unconditionally or to whom he can transfer his God-given responsibilities.
The apostle says essentially the same thing to the believers in Ephesus:
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. (Eph. 5:23)
Here again we see only two heads, the husband and Christ. The word translated church here is ecclesia (the called-out ones), a reference to the believers as individuals, not as an institution. So, the phrase “as Christ is the head of the church” is understood as “Christ is the head of each individual believer.” God’s people need the support of other believers and normally would work with them; but they should never make themselves or allow themselves to become subservient to any man or any institution. The Christian family head must understand and feel a direct personal responsibility to Christ and Christ alone.
However, to be directly responsible to Christ, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, for one’s words and actions can be an awesome and seemingly ominous position to be in, especially so for new or less mature Christians. A very natural tendency is to look for an intermediary, someone that can make decisions for them as to right and wrong, someone to whom the awesome weight of responsibility can be transferred.
On the other hand, some individuals do not share this timidity; they are confident of themselves and are ready to accept this leadership role that is being thrust upon them. They do so, become comfortable with the arrangement, and in time acquire other followers. If these adopted mentors refused to act as leaders, restricted themselves to teaching and diligently worked to develop self-assurance in those under their care, all would be well. However, pride is not entirely erased by regeneration and the temptation to step up into a leadership role is often too attractive to overcome.
These leaders associate with one another; they meet together, recognize their superiority and an upper class begins to form. Often this arrangement, although devoid of scriptural support, is found to be more efficient and more effective in terms of outward accomplishments. The ecclesia, perhaps knowing this usurpation of power is wrong, resists for a while but eventually acquiesces and its operative modality is changed. The previous monolithic composition of the community is very gradually transformed into a clergy-laity, class-oriented structure.
The above is a process that, contrary to God’s directions, has led to the conversion of the ecclesia assemblies into churches led by pastors and priests instead of by the Holy Spirit, working in the hearts of God’s people.
Christian Responsibility
For many, this word responsibility has some very negative connotations. It arouses the specter of works-religion, as if it is a price that must be paid for God’s free gift of salvation. This, of course, is not the case. Salvation is the free gift of God, without cost or price; but does this necessarily mean that He doesn’t give His redeemed children any work to do? Not at all; rather, He instructs them as to how they should live and also what their responsibilities are as His special people; this involves the expenditure of time and effort on their part.
Another factor is that man’s natural laziness reacts negatively to criticism. To be reminded of responsibility is akin to being accused of neglecting it. We grow accustomed to a way of life and dislike change. But change is what being a Christian is all about. Continual change, some of which can be quite difficult as one becomes more and more like his Lord, is a lifelong process (Eph. 5:1-12).
God has placed the future of the world in the hands of His chosen people, His seed. They are the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matt. 5:13-16). They are the audience toward which the Great Commission is directed. We know from Scripture that in the long term the Christian faith will eventually permeate and come to predominate in all the nations (Rev. 11:15). This, though, will not just happen; it is the responsibility of God’s people to bring it about. God doesn’t change, nor does He equivocate; He will not do for us what He has commanded us to do. Reader, are you a Christian, really and truly? If so, God has given you this responsibility. He has given you everything you need to do the work He assigned you. He has placed your corner of the world in your hands. All you need to do is obey Him.
Why is this so hard? Why is there so little being accomplished? One reason is because there is so very little understanding. Our church leaders have so neglected the teaching of responsibility that the great majority of Christians are still babes in Christ. All are guilty of irresponsibility but the church leaders that neglected to properly develop their congregations are especially guilty; they will receive the greater condemnation (James 3:1).
The deficiency is not only a lack of maturity but also misdirection. Christians have been so misguided by the centuries of inadequate teaching that the idea of responsibility for the world around them is now utterly foreign to most of them! If so, what can be done? How can they be reconciled to God’s truth? They can’t just be told; they need to see a total picture that puts it all together for them.
Many rationalize that their personal contribution is so insignificant that it is unnecessary to overall success. Alternatively, some feel that others will not respond to God’s call and that whatever they attempt to do alone will have been undertaken in vain. They then lose heart and don’t put any real effort into it.
Obedience is often painful and will be neglected without a strong and ever present motivating force. What is this force? It is based on faith, faith in God, faith that He exists, that His word is true, and that He really requires this of them. Each Christian must believe that God is interested in him as a person and will be pleased if he obeys and displeased if he does not.
Given all this, what happens when the believer feels that he is all alone, a voice crying in the wilderness? How does he persist even when it is obvious that this may well be the case? He must see, even when left totally on his own, that this is what God requires of him. He cannot understand why but God does understand and has a purpose for placing him in what seems to him to be an utterly futile situation. His desire to please God should override everything else in his life. It should be his all-consuming ambition but, even if it’s not, it must be important enough to be a significant motivating factor. As he matures in the faith, obedience grows in importance and eventually predominates over other considerations.
One may rationalize that if he disobeys God and does nothing, he still goes to heaven and is the recipient of all its blessings. He may not be in the upper echelons but will still be a forgiven resident. In other words, he decides to live his life in some respects in disobedience to God and then relies on God’s forgiveness. The big question for such an individual is whether or not he is really a true Christian. Jesus said of such persons:
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matt. 7:21-23)
Notice His words: “many will say Lord, Lord” or we could say many will have “gone forward and accepted Christ” and afterward lived a life of pretence. Some of these, suspecting they are not truly converted, go forward to accept Christ again and again. They keep trying to convince themselves that they have been born-again but in their heart of hearts they know they are not true Christians. Their readiness to disobey God (“work iniquity”) belies their profession of faith.
Separation
A major problem within Christianity, in the past and today as well, is the widespread worldliness among those that call themselves Christians. Pierre Viret, a friend and associate of Calvin, described the professing Christians of his day:
How do many—indeed the vast majority—of those who boast of the Gospel live? They are often the most dissolute of all. They follow the lifestyles of the Papists, idolaters, and earthly and carnal men, without repentance, without amendment of life, without giving any good example, either by their life or conversation. They are often the first at dances, plays, taverns, brothels, and other houses of dissolution. In short there is no way of telling them apart from unbelievers.[1]
Viret wrote in the 16th century during the Protestant Reformation; isn’t it amazing how little change there has been in 500 years?
He speaks of “those who boast of the Gospel.” How many, though, were true Christians? They probably went to church because that was the thing to do but how many were truly regenerate? Very likely many were false Christians but only God can always distinguish between the true and the false. The false rubbed shoulders with the true and were counted as Christians.
We could say that is to be expected, especially of new converts that still have much to learn about Christian living. Perhaps we should be tolerant and patient with them. Their behavior may improve as they grow familiar with what it means to be a Christian. But what does God say?
God calls His people to emulate Him, a goal beyond their reach but one they must strive for. God’s standard can never be compromised with impunity; He requires perfection and this is what His people must make their goal as well. Christians, although in principle free from sin, are in practice still sinners and subject to temptation. They won’t realize perfection in this life but it must still be their goal. No lesser objective will do; to lower this standard by any amount is to introduce compromise, a step which always invites more of the same and can lead a long way down. Jesus said:
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matt. 5:48)
To realize this lofty goal and to do the work God has assigned to them, Christians must constantly strive to improve themselves, to subdue the old man that still resides within and develop the new man into the model that Christ gives. This begins with the acquisition of an in-depth knowledge of God’s word and its application. This is best accomplished in the ecclesia community environment where believers can employ the various gifts God gave them and bring the entire community to increasingly higher levels of understanding and dedication. The kingdom of God can only grow from the bottom up and this is most effectively done in an environment in which the Holy Spirit is free to guide and direct each of His charges without excessive external interference. An environment in which Satan’s voice is so loud that it interferes, instills doubt and suppresses the Spirit will not do.
For this reason, Christians need to separate themselves from the world and especially from those that call themselves Christians but don’t obey God (2 Cor. 6:17). To fail to separate is to welcome sin into our lives and there is no clear limiting point that governs how far it can penetrate. Separation is necessary, first because the Lord requires it, and second because we must protect ourselves and especially the more susceptible members of our families, our precious children, from the corrupting influences of a sinful world.
But it is not just the weak that must be separate; even the most sanctified are yet a very long way today from where they should be as God’s chosen people. In a mixed environment such as we have today, the sanctification process is severely limited by the near presence of unbelievers. It’s too easy to compare ourselves with our sinful neighbors and feel proud of our really very limited moral standards. We need a much better environment for our children and ourselves. They should become godlier than we, with each generation progressing in godliness as we, the body of Christ, become more and more like our Head. We have a long way to go before we can even begin to believe we are approaching what we should be as His people. Separation from evil is essential for the kind of progress we need to make. God said “be ye separate…” He did not say “be the weak among you separate…”
[1] Pierre Viret, “The Christian and the Magistrate,” P. 125-126. translated by: R. A. Sheats, Psalm 78 Ministries, www.psalm78ministries.com
Purpose
A central purpose is an essential ingredient for a meaningful and productive life. Without it, the lesser goals lack coherence and it is all too easy to lose interest or become discouraged when the going gets difficult. The question: why am I doing this? needs an answer and finds it only in an overriding central purpose.
God has, in His love and mercy, supplied such a purpose to all His regenerate creatures. Every Christian is given a task, one that is to be the central purpose in his life. It is specified in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) and prioritized in Jesus’ words:
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matt. 6:31-33)
Jesus’ states here in no uncertain terms what the Christian’s central purpose in life should be. It is to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness as his first priority, even before food, drink, or clothing, it’s basic necessities. This would apply to personal life, life with family and associates and in every other activity. It is to be so vital a part of him, that deprived of it, life would become meaningless. With it every aspect of life is alive; every event experienced, every word spoken is connected to an eternal thread, ordained by God and filled by His creatures. Life has eternal significance for all but that significance is visible only to those that take His word as a personal letter from Him.
The Lord’s prayer reflects the priority that the establishment of God’s kingdom should hold in the believer’s life:
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matt. 6:9-13)
We see here that the first three petitions refer to this central purpose in the lives of God’s people; only after these do we see reference to personal needs.
This sense of meaningful purpose is God’s gift to His faithful servants, something they can devote their efforts toward, something that can give them lasting satisfaction. They can tell their grandchildren that their life has had, and still has a purpose, one that filled their lives with meaning. They didn’t live the hollow, empty lives so many Christians do today, seeking wealth, pleasures, and other worldly pursuits that fade away so quickly. This is truly a magnificent gift, a gift that no one else could give. Another will be coming when He says to us, “Well done good and faithful servant …” (Matt. 25: 21, 23).
Rebirth
The Christian’s new life should begin with an understanding of what has taken place within him as a person. Scripture tells us that first, he was chosen: Christians were chosen by God before He created the world:
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (Eph. 1:4)
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (1 Pet. 2:9).
This shows us something of the significance of that choice. Christians are called out of the darkness of this world into the marvelous light of Christ (2 Cor. 4:6). They need no longer stumble about in the darkness of their former ignorance but are now able to discern and appreciate God’s truth. They are chosen persons that are all priests; i.e. in direct, personal touch with God; they are a holy nation and a totally new and radically different kind of people. They should show the world, by the kind of life they live what God has done for them. They are the seed of the woman that God spoke of in the Garden; they are the new, born-again humanity in Christ.
Second, every one of these chosen persons is remade into a new creature:
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Cor 5:17)
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. (Gal. 6:15)
This is a sweeping transformation, one so great that it can only be described as a change in nature. They retain the same outward appearance but are so different inwardly that God sees them as new creatures. They are the same as others externally but, because of the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit, they are radically different inwardly.
It is all too easy to minimize the force of these passages, especially in an environment that has already minimized much of the power of Scripture. All too commonly, Christians play down the significance of this change. “All things” becomes “some things” and soon is demoted to “a few things.” A “new creature” becomes a “changed person” and then, a person with a “new outlook.” This tendency to detract from God’s declaration is sinful; it demeans God’s word and seriously limits the Christian impact on the world. The believer that has a realistic appreciation of the vast difference between him and unbelievers, is a far more dedicated and powerful influence on his surroundings than one that lacks this appreciation.
This new creature though, is new only in principle. He is still a sinner that has yet to go through a life-long process of sanctification and development as a world-changer for Christ. He is a diamond in the rough with great potential but he doesn’t yet have a sense of how great it might be and how useful his contribution could become. These new creatures still need to develop and mature in their newness of being.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Rom. 12:1-2)
Reasonable service! we are saved for a reason, not because God saw something good in us but rather something he wanted us to accomplish in His name. The true Christian is very different from what he was before. The difference though, is not immediately visible or apparent. It is potential and needs to be developed, which requires effort. They are told here that it is reasonable for them to so completely dedicate their lives that it is described as presenting themselves as living sacrifices to God. This dedication begins with a deep desire, first to hear and understand God as He speaks in Scripture and then to obey Him.
Two Tasks
After His resurrection, Jesus, speaking to His disciples said:
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matt. 28:18-20)
These words hark back to the mandate given to Adam and Eve to take dominion over the earth (Gen. 1:28) and raise up a godly progeny that would fill it to God’s glory (Gen. 1:28). Jesus says that He now has all power in heaven and earth. Heaven and earth here denotes that His power is over men and angels, both spiritual and earthly; it is not limited, as some seem to believe, to the spiritual only. He has been given all power over all people and all the nations of the world.
Christ commissions His divinely empowered delegates to announce the good news, the Gospel message that He is now the King of kings and Lord of lords. All things are subject to Him; all people, all governments and all man’s institutions, both religious and civil, are under Him and must obey Him.
It is one commission and one Gospel in which God’s disciples were given two tasks:
- Go and make all the nations disciples (Gr. “matheteusate”) baptizing them in the name of the Triune God.
- Teaching (Gr. “didaskontes”) them to obey all my commandments.
In the first task Jesus tells His disciples to go out with the Gospel message, make the nations His disciples, and baptize them into the Christian community. This commandment is echoed in: Mark 16:14–18, Luke 24:44–49, John 20:19–23, and Acts 1:4–8 but with a difference. It differs in that in Mathew it is the kingdom of God that is in view, hence the reference to nations rather than just the people of the nations. In Mathew Jesus says that it is not just the people but the nations as nations that are to become His disciples. Sadly, most of today’s churches do not do justice to the Matthew passage; they have reduced the Great Commission to the proclamation of a message of personal salvation and partial obedience.
But what of this second task that speaks of obedience to all of Jesus’ commandments? He said previously that all power was now His, He is the rightful ruler and lawgiver to all the nations in the world and they must obey and enforce His commandments. The second task for His disciples then is to work toward this end. All the nations are to come to abide by all His commandments; they are to become Christian nations. This is the task Jesus has assigned to all His disciples; it is their life-work (Matt. 6:33).
The true Gospel includes both grace and law. Both are necessary aspects of this commission. God’s grace reaches into the hearts of the people and awakens the elect to their calling as God’s servants. God’s Law teaches them how to live as individuals, as families, and as nations. The two activities work toward a single end result, a world of Christian nations full of Christian people. Both are necessary and work together to take dominion over the earth for Christ. As new disciples are added and they, in obedience to the second task exercise their influence at every level of the society at large, the unbelieving world pays attention and the nations become more Christian. This, in turn, enhances the disciple-making process and the number of the faithful grows more and more rapidly.
Christ did not give us an impossible task; it is well within our capability to perform. All that is needed to realize glorious success is that we work diligently (as unto the Lord) and faithfully follow His directions; when we do so, our obedience will draw in disciples. When we cut corners, as we have done and continue to do, we fail, lose hope and trim Christ’s Commission down to a half-hearted attempt to save a few. Partial obedience (which is disobedience) makes us ungrateful servants. Full obedience, a consequence of true faith, rewards us with the knowledge that we are faithful servants and have done what our Master required of us.
What sort of teaching does Jesus require of us here? Is it a superficial form of teaching limited to expounding the law so that the nations can truly know God’s requirements? Is it just to warn them of the consequences of disobedience? No, just as a tutor of children is expected to continue to teach the children until they actually learn their lessons and cannot cease teaching until they do learn, so the nations are to be taught until they actually come to know, obey and enforce all Christ’s commandments! The charge to all God’s people in this commission is first, to know and obey Christ’s commandments themselves and second to teach, really teach, the nations to do so. It is the salvation of the world that is in view.