12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

Since The Church Is A Body, We Can Clearly See These Seven Principles:

1. 1. The body is coordinated because each member obeys Christ, the only Head.

2. 2. No one should feel less because he/she does not do exactly what another does. God never approved a system of clergy and laity, where everyone depends upon a professional. All of us work doing what we can and improving our abilities through study and practice, and all of us depend upon what others do. Each one is reliable and yet dependent.
   3. No one should feel superior to another because of what he/she can do.

4. 4. We all need each other—we do not have any “throw-away” members.

5. 5. Each one should look for and do what he/she can do in obedience to Christ.

6. 6. It is not acceptable that a few work and the others do nothing and depend upon the work of others.

7. 7. The proper result is achieved when all, though their obedience to the word of God, work with the same purpose, Christ’s purpose—to seek the lost.

  I. Introduction

Authority is an important principle in life. There are only two ways to live life. Either we recognize authority, or as it mentions in Judges 21:25: “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

 II. What is authority?

It is the right to declare what is or is not correct, and the power to direct.

III. Principles of authority

A. Where does authority come from?

Undoubtedly, always authority belongs to the owner. In this case, all authority belongs to God, because He is the author of everything, since he made the world through His Son, as we can see from the following verses.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

Psalms 1:1-3 Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. 3 Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

These verses say it all. God is the owner and, therefore, has all authority. This shows that there is no true authority that does not come from Him. It is impossible that a human being legitimately hold authority unless it was given to him from God.

B. How and under what circumstances has God given authority to others?

1. In the Old Testament, God gave certain limited authority to people to proclaim His word and see that his will was carried out, such as prophets, judges, and finally kings. One should understand that the authority of such people was limited to carrying out what God had told them to do.

2. In the New Testament, we see the same thing. Christ, during his life here on Earth, declared in John 12:47-50:

47 And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. 50 And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

Christ said that His authority came from His Father. He did not claim authority nor did He desire to change any of the message that His Father had commanded Him to speak, because he knew that the commandment of God is life eternal for those who obey.

Later, after his death and resurrection, Christ declared in Matthew 28:18-20:

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

This declaration shows clearly that God has given to Christ all authority to act for Him in everything. This has to be this way until the world ends. 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 says:

24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

When Christ comes and has His complete victory over His enemies, this world will be destroyed and Christ will take his church to be with Him in heaven where she will be for all eternity. And, the kingdom will be handed over to His Father. It is interesting to note that there is something that is not under the control of Christ, that is the Father. Christ still continues directing according to His Father’s desires.

The Spirit explains this in 1 Corinthians 11:3:

But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

So we see that Christ, in everything he does, continues to be subject to his Father, even though he reigns over all. This is an important principle that will help us later to understand a very important concept concerning the authority that Christ gives to men so that they might help His people.

3. God gives certain men responsibility and authority over the nations of the earth.

Romans 13:1-6

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing.

From this we learn that when God gives responsibilities, he also gives the amount of limited authority necessary to carry out what He has commanded. Taking this case of the authorities in the nations as an example, we can see that the authority that God gives to men is not absolute authority, but the authority to care for the people for whom they are responsible and to carry out His will. It would be unjust for God to give responsibility without also giving the limited authority necessary to carry out what He has commanded.

But, we notice that this authority is limited, because the authorities do not have the right to command something that is against the commands of God. Peter and John, responding to the authorities in Jerusalem, said in Acts 4:19-20:

…Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

4. God has given to husbands authority over their wives to care for them:

Ephesians 5:22-24

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

This Scripture indicates a wife should follow the instructions of her husband so that he may care for her. But, this authority is given so that he might protect and help his wife. It does not mean that the husband has a right to command that his wife disobey God to please him.

5. The same thing is true in the case of fathers in the home. God tells us in Colossians 3:20: “Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.” But, it is understood that no father has the right to command that a child do his will just because he is the father, without taking into consideration God’s word.

6. Preachers and teachers must have a “so says the Lord” for everything that they teach. Without this, they have no authority. They do not have the right to teach or direct, apart from what the Spirit gives us in the Bible.

2 Timothy 4:1-4

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

Speaking without the authority of the word would be to teach commandments of men, and this has always separated people from God. As it says in Matthew 15:7-9:

7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8 These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

7. Concerning elders, it is the same. God says this in Hebrews 13:17:

Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Also in 1 Peter 5:2-3:

Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;

Titus 1:7-11 says:

7 For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. 10 For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain.

Elders, then exercise authority in only two ways:

• • By the teaching of the word of God. (holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict Titus 1:9).

• • By their example (1 Peter 5:3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock)

In the final analysis, every person is subject only to the law of God, therefore every person has the responsibility to know the word of God.

If one could follow God by obeying the commandments of others, then only some would need to know the word, and the others would simply follow them. But, according to the plan of God, everyone has to know the word of God and is responsible for obeying Him through his knowledge of the commandments of God, and each one will be responsible on the day of judgment for his obedience to those commandments.

Conclusion:

We have learned in this lesson:

That God has always given certain limited authority to those he planned to use for the well-being of others.

This power was necessary so that they might help the people.

When God gives a responsibility, he also gives the limited authority necessary so that the person might carry out what God has commanded him, whether it be to rulers, husbands, fathers of children, preachers, teachers, or elders of the church of the Lord. To fail to cooperate with such people for the good of all has always provoked God’s anger, because it is the same as opposing God.

Concerning the authority given to elders, God has never given them power to make decisions nor pronouncements apart from the word of God nor to guide by their own will, apart from the teaching of the Scripture. The example of the elder shows the way we should live, and the true Christian gladly follows this example.

True elders will never attempt to force their own likes and desires on others, let alone command by the power of their position, but rather, elders trust in the word of God for all the decisions they make, and show openly the Biblical reasons for all their recommendations, and convince all concerning the importance of obeying God in that way.

Being an elder does not give the right to proceed as one wants and dominate others, rather, God places on each elder the duty to convince their brothers with the word of God and show the way by example, so that the brethren may follow, united under the direction of the word of God.

The only absolute authority is God, the Father. He is the ultimate authority!

The authority of God given to elders is only so they might help others to know the will of God and obey Him, not so that they might enforce their own will on others.

Every Christian remains responsible directly to God in response to His commandments.

Sadly, people sometimes do not learn everything they believe about religion from God’s word. They sometimes learn more from what they see around them than they do from anything in the Bible, because they do not study God’s word as they should. As a result, there are errors that are introduced, and things that God never taught us may become equally or more observed and obeyed in contrast to what God did say.

We want to consider one of these errors now. Sometimes people say of a preacher that he is in charge of the work. Where does this idea come from? The Bible does not teach it. When a congregation does not have someone paid to stand up in front of the congregation every Sunday and preach, there are some that get nervous and worried about about what will happen to the congregation. This happens even though there are various brothers in the congregation that are able to teach well. The idea of having someone “in charge” comes from what we see in religion in general. Some have a “priest” and others their “pastor,” and such people are considered the ones that should guide others in the faith. But, this contradicts what the Bible teaches.

First, it contradicts the fact that Christ is the only head of the church in heaven AND on earth. There is not someone who is “in charge” of the church in heaven and then another one on earth.
Christ, after his resurrection, said in Matthew 28:18: “… All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” This does not leave any place for anyone else to be in charge of a congregation. The word of God teaches us, and every member obeys Christ by obeying the word, in this way Christ guides us.

Also, the concept of one having someone “in charge” contradicts the Scriptures because it does not take into consideration the nature of the church as a body. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 teaches us that the church is composed of many members and that all members are important and that the functioning of each of the members is necessary. Dependence upon one or a few, while the others function only as spectators, contradicts God’s word.

In addition, this concept of one being “in charge” promotes a false dependence upon a few. The work of the church is not just what we do in the meetings of the church. It is the combination of what each one of us does as a member of the spiritual body of Christ twenty-four hours a day, every day of the week. So, no one person could do that for us.

The concept of someone in charge promotes the centralization of power in the hands of a human being. That type of power in the hands of a human being is a diabolical influence, as we see in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4:

3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

Human power and influence in the things of God is dangerous, and even though it may appear to be benign, it is not, and cannot be. In 3 John 1:9-10 we find:

I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.

Now that we have understood that the concept of someone “in charge” is not approved by God, what should change? First, it is necessary to change how we think about those who preach and teach the word. 1 Corinthians 3:1-7 and 4:6-7 say:

1 Corinthians 3:1-7

1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

1 Corinthians 4:6-7

6 I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. 7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

Therefore, regard those who teach and preach the word publicly only as brothers that are performing their function in the body. He is not more important than another, nor is he less. Our eyes should be on Christ, not on men. Christ is the only head of the church, in heaven and on earth.

We should not think that the growth of the church depends on one member or on a certain few. As we have seen in 1 Corinthians 3:7, God gives the growth through the functioning of all the members of the body. We should not depend upon one person to do the work of the church, because that is something that all of us must do together. It may seem convenient to put the work in the hands of someone and not be bothered about it, but to do so contradicts the way that God designed the body of Christ, the church. It is not God’s plan, and IT DOES NOT WORK!

So we must not think this way about a preacher. We must all feel responsible for the work, each one doing his/her part. It is only in this way that we will know the joy of serving Christ, for it is He who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

• • The members only obey the leader instead of depending on the word of God.

• • Only the “leader” knows what to do next and the others follow blindly.

• • The members will have the same weaknesses as the leader, because they only follow his instructions.

• • If the leader is found in some moral failure, the members are shocked and begin to leave.

• • The members cannot mature because they are always dependent.

• • The more able members may feel unmotivated instead of doing all they are capable of.

• • If the leader disappears, no one knows how to continue.

• • If the congregation grows, the leader receives the credit.

• • If the congregation dwindles, the leader is blamed instead of each member analyzing what part they may have had in the failure.

• • All eyes are on a man instead of being on Christ. Hebrews 12:1-2 instructs us:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

You are all brothers, we read in Matthew 23:1-12:

1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Let this mind be in you Philippians 2:3-9:

3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,

When according to the word of the Spirit, God places elders in the church, He never puts only one. Titus 1:5:

For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you.

Paul in Philippians 1:1 spoke of elders in plural:

Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

When one exalts one person over others, he is violating God’s word. We do not need another Diotrephes in the congregation as we read about in 3 John 1:9: 9 “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us.” For someone to try to exalt himself in the things of God is the work of Satan, as we see in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 and 2:8-12:

3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

The rule of men in the things of God never is approved by God, and always exists in opposition to Christ as the only head of the church. The church of Christ is to be guided by His word. The word comes to all in the pages of the Bible, and each one must take his place in the body of Christ in obedient response to that word.

It is amazing that so often we fail to be appalled at the obvious deficiencies that we cannot but observe, but nevertheless are ashamed to point out and work to set them right, fearing the criticism of those who supposedly are more educated or are somehow more honorable than we. Would this be why we sometimes fail to recognize before others and make clear the obvious truth concerning what we are seeing around us?

Hans Christian Anderson, in a short work published in 1837 in the Danish language called “Kejserens nye Klæder,” but perhaps better known by its title in English, “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” wrote about an emperor that was very self-indulgent and little concerned with the needs of his kingdom. He was, however, obsessed with having the best clothes. This, together with his pride, made him vulnerable to two scoundrels who promised to make him cloth that only the wise, honorable and capable could see, out of which they would construct the most beautiful clothes ever imagined!

The emperor could not resist such an offer, and gave them the resources and materials that they requested so that he might be provided with this ultimate wardrobe. Those con artists set up looms and pretended to weave the unique cloth out of which the new clothes would be tailored. But, they were only pretending and produced nothing, but took for themselves the materials that were given to them for the work.

Those that the emperor sent to inspect the on-going work, of course, saw that nothing was being produced, but feared to say they did not see the cloth, lest they be exposed as unwise, dishonorable, or incapable. So, they reported that the cloth was truly magnificent. When the king finally went to inspect the work, he too discovered that nothing had been produced, but he also pretended to see the cloth lest he be exposed as unworthy of his position.

The scoundrels pretended to work all through the night before the day the new clothes were to be worn by the emperor in a procession before his people. The next day he was presented with the “clothes” that had been produced and was “dressed” in them. Attendants pretended to see the clothes and to carry his flowing train behind him.

As he paraded down the street, an innocent child cried out that the emperor had nothing on. Brought to their senses by the child’s honest declaration of the truth, the crowds began to echo the obvious truth. The emperor was disturbed by the revelation, but decided to continue on his way, rather than recognize his embarrassing condition.

Although this work was published as a story for children, it points out how gullible people can be, especially when we, aware as we are of our inadequacies, fear being looked down upon or criticized by those whom we esteem. Could this be why we sometimes fail to recognize before others and proclaim openly the obvious truth about what we see around us?

For many years, churches have generously entrusted great treasures and opportunities into the hands of a few people who supposedly have special knowledge and training, trusting that great things would result. When we look closely at the outcome of many of these endeavors, we do not find what we had hoped. But, perhaps, we fail to speak publicly concerning what has occurred, fearing that our inadequacies might be discovered and fearing to be criticized as incapable of understanding the “wonderful” works designed by such “capable and educated” individuals, or we justify the situation by reflecting on the thought that possibly we could not have done better. So, we have a tendency to continue on, rather than admit the existence of this obviously embarrassing predicament.

Despite the efforts made and the great outlay of money, many in the congregations remain unable to explain concisely the basic concepts of the faith and, indeed, may be falling away from them. Bible classes and preaching may contain less and less of God’s word of salvation, and more and more human ideas. Lessons concerning concepts of self-help and successful and prosperous living are popular. All too frequently sermons preached, which instead of distinguishing between the Lord’s church and the institutions of men, are, instead, sermons that could be preached in any denominational pulpit, because they are carefully constructed to be void of any “offensive” truths that might cause “controversy.” (Which may explain why such sermons are so bland, boring, and ineffective.)

Instead of an emphasis on Godly living and reaching the lost with the word of God, we sometimes observe “comforting” sermons that explain to us in detail how we are saved by grace alone and how that is fortunate for us, because as “sinful” men and women we always mess up. Far be it from us to believe that we can be more than conquerors through Christ who loved us (Romans 8:37)! May it never be that we should think that we can change and take on the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), or that we have an individual responsibility to gather souls for Christ (Luke 11:23)! How long will it be until we recognize that the results are often simply not there, and that despite (or perhaps because of) our dependence on men of learning and much training, and despite the millions spent, we have nothing of the results we were led to believe that we would surely see (no clothes)?

The intention of this article is not to speak harshly of anyone’s work, nor to discourage the training or support of faithful preachers, which are biblical principles that should not be denied. It is, nevertheless, directed against the ignorance and/or self-interest that holds in place a system that puts an excessive burden on a few, who despite their efforts to the contrary, are not able to bear it, while discouraging the efforts of many other members who become weak and involved in the details of their own lives, and let themselves be robbed of the joy of a life of giving themselves to the work of the Lord. We should not be surprised at the failure of a plan that depends on a few specialized people to do the work. Christ’s church was never organized as a spectator religion, but rather a body where each member has a part and must do his/her work. (Ephesians 4:16).

As they work with congregations, preachers experience the fact that if they work by themselves, there may be results, but they are limited. But, when everyone works together, all are mutually encouraged and the results can be much greater. That is because such has always been God’s plan and design for Christ’s body.

How long will it be until we say no to the inventions of man’s wisdom and to dependence on men, and begin each one to put into practice individually what we know of God’s word. Remember, the victory for God’s people was not provided through a champion like Goliath, who depended on his own strength, but through David, who although he was a poor shepherd, by obedience to God showed true and living faith through action, using confidently what he knew (1 Samuel 17).

We can no longer afford to hope in individuals whom some esteem as “great champions,” but we must go out ourselves to accomplish in our life what God has commanded and so make a difference, not only in our life, but also, by faithful teaching and the proper example, in the lives of others as well. That is the purpose of Christ, who came to seek and save the lost. (Luke 19:10) May that be our purpose. Let us follow Him!

Introduction:

The Lord’s church has been challenged by this danger during most of the centuries of its existence. It was only a few hundred years from the beginning of the church on the day of Pentecost with about three thousand people in Jerusalem, until the establishment of a religious organization that called itself the church, but persecuted all who would dare to follow Christ.

Many times, people fail to recognize the changes until it is too late. A local congregation can begin with a dedication to New Testament teaching and practice, and with conviction, and commitment to Christ’s command to go and teach the word, but gradually become less and less a group dedicated to Christ that cares for people and more and more an organization that protects and promotes itself and its own interests.

How and why does this occur, how can we detect such changes, and what must be done about them? These are important questions that must be explored, and answers must be given. The first important lesson comes from what the Bible says about the nature of the church. Paul gave us this lesson by inspiration of the the Spirit of God in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27:

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

God tells us that the nature of the church is that of a body, with one head and many members. Truly, this comparison teaches us many things, among them the following:

• • All coordination comes from Christ, the only head, and all members must obey

• • All members are important and none is more important than the other.

• • All members are dependent upon the other members, and all members must be dependable.

• • Every member must know and obey the guidance of Christ’s word in the Bible and carry out his/her function in the body.

• • There are no extra members that are not needed or that one would wish to do without.

• • It is not acceptable that a majority should look to a few to do everything and others should take little or no part.

The first clue is, then, that for a congregation to remain connected to the spiritual Head (Christ), it must be guided by Christ and his word only! When “leaders” decide what parts of God’s word are important and which are not or change the teaching of God’s word, and the congregation is willing to follow that, the connection with the Head is severed. This gives rise to human authority which is denounced by God’s word as diabolical. We find in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4:

3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

When people accept only parts of the word and refuse to allow teaching of all the word, for fear that someone will be disturbed by it, they are putting themselves in the place of God and are obstructing the teaching of the His word.

The only way we can be blameless and “innocent of the blood of all” is to preach and teach all the word. Speaking to the elders of the church at Ephesus, Paul said in Acts 20:26-30:

26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

Elders are responsible for the teaching of the word in a powerful and convincing way in order to stop the false teaching of those who would carry the members away from Christ for their own purposes. Titus 1:9-11:

9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. 10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. 11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.

Once certain people in a congregation decide to obstruct the complete teaching of the word, whether for fear of the reaction of some or because of personal preference, and the members accept that, the process has begun for the separation of the congregation from Christ and the formation of a human organizational entity that can no longer fulfill the work of Christ, due to its separation from Him. 2 John 1:9 says plainly:

Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

Once this separation occurs and the organization is guided by human reasoning, additional false teaching and practices will ensue, and the separation from the truth will gradually be yet more apparent. Because the group, now a human organization, still bears the name of our Savior, it will serve as a stumbling-block and a bad reputation for those who happen to become involved with it.

At first these changes will seem small, usually starting with the inability to correct those who drift into sin or those that begin to teach things not provable by the Scriptures. Often the emphasis changes from purity of life and bringing others to Christ to an emphasis on social occasions among the members and “good deeds” in the community, and there is an increasing dependence upon professionals to do most of the work.

There will be a resistance to any effort by members to correct the error that is accumulating, and an effort to squelch any voices that seem to be contrary to the status quo. Any member who differs and attempts do say or do something to restore the church to its faithfulness to Christ and obedience to God’s word will be considered a “troublemaker,” and may be invited to find another place to worship. This “invitation” will, in many cases, be acted upon, resulting finally in a group consisting of only “like minded” individuals or, at least, individuals who will fear to say or do anything that might provoke the disapproval of the leadership.

When the error in a congregation has reached this point, the leadership will have taken on a fully self-protective mode of operation, only allowing teaching to be done by those who are known to espouse the status quo. Any others will not be allowed to take part in any position of influence. Any way of thinking that might seem to threaten the power of the leadership or the financial well-being of the organization will be rooted out more effectively and ruthlessly than any sin, false teaching, or unscriptural practice ever was. The teaching will be strictly controlled and will reinforce existing errors and add to the errors that have already become a part of the group’s practice.

You will notice that at this point the word “group” is used. This is because the transformation has been fully made from the Lord’s church to a human organization. This concept is Biblical, because it is taught clearly by our Lord in Rev 2:4-5:

4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

The identifying marks of such departure are the following:

• • Decreased emphasis on the teaching and training of all members in the detailed knowledge of God’s word

• • Decreased participation and involvement of the members in general

• • Decreased care for the spiritual situation of each member and lessened involvement of each of the members in the lives and needs of other members

• • Increased dependence upon religious “professionals” to do the things that all the members should be doing

• • Avoidance of certain specific biblical issues that are considered unpopular or “controversial”

• • Correction of sin in the lives of individual members disappears

• • The teaching and preaching is only entrusted to certain “approved” individuals who emphasize only certain parts of the Scripture and neglect others according to the will of the leadership.

• • Lack of general emphasis in local evangelism and its replacement with “community involvement” and “good deeds”

• • A closed leadership with the suppression of any ideas not held by that leadership
  • The establishment of teaching and practices that are not biblically based

The difficulty involved in correcting such departures:

Such a transformation of a local church devoted to God’s purposes into a religious group governed by human control often takes place gradually, so gradually in fact, that many are not aware of what has happened. The previous rich spiritual heritage of the congregation, possibly spanning many years, makes it difficult for some to accept that such a transformation could have occurred. So the first barrier to any reversal of such departures is that many in the group do not accept the fact that a departure has taken place.

The second barrier is that, since the authority of the Scriptures is no longer respected, a return to it is not likely to occur, short of general repentance in the group and its leadership. Since the teaching is strictly controlled and the decision making process is a closed one, such a change does not easily occur.

The third barrier is that once certain habits of thinking and practice have established themselves, it is difficult to promote change. People do not often analyze how things have gotten to where they are, and short of a radical change in teaching, which is not probable because of the existing leadership, such a re-examination of beliefs and practices is unlikely, to say the least!

For the reasons mentioned above, we must face the fact that a return of such groups to their former faithfulness to Christ is not likely to occur unless something very unusual takes place. It is necessary to observe that the Lord’s work cannot be accomplished within groups that have surrendered themselves to human control.

What do we learn from all this?

• • That the leadership of men is dangerous; we don’t need to look to men, we need to be disciples of Christ.

• • That we all need to know the word of God and not just depend on what others say. The power has always been in the word and not in men.

• • That when we look toward men, instead of doing what God says in his word, it is deadly!

Then, brothers and sisters, let’s follow Christ!

Many think of the church as a group that does something for them. It provides a sense of comfort or encouragement, companionship, inspiration to do what one needs to do in life. Or maybe it provides spiritual formation for one’s children, or help in material needs or financial assistance.

In all of these things, people look to an organization for some benefit for one’s own life, and tend to think of the church as an organization, as “they.” People are heard to say concerning the place they attend that “they” have a good educational program, or good pulpit preaching, or good music.

In all of this, the tendency is to think of the church as an organization that does something for us. But, thinking it that way, the church is not “we” but “they.” And, when “they” don’t do what we want or need, we just look for another place, much as we would look for another doctor, laundry, or grocery store. This is totally foreign to the concept of the church that we learn about in the Bible. The Bible teaches us that “we” are members of the Lord’s church and we are serving God by serving others.

Paul wrote by the inspiration of the Spirit when he said in 1 Corinthians 12:27: “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” So, according to the word of God the church is not “they” but us! Each one who has obeyed Christ to enter into his body the church is a part of it. It is not an organization whose purpose is to serve us, but we are a body to serve others.

This is the way that Christ lived. In Luke 19:10, we find Jesus saying: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Is it not fitting that Christ’s spiritual body, the church, should be doing the same? Instead of making ourself comfortable and served, should we not be serving the spiritual needs of the world? Matthew 20:28 records Jesus’ words: “even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

And in Matthew 28:18-20 we find these words:

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

So we find this dual purpose of the church, to make disciples and to teach them to do all that Christ had taught them to do, and surely part of that is make sure they know to carry that message to others. So, the church has a purpose, not to make itself served and comfortable, but as the Scripture says in 1 Peter 2:9:

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Yes, the church is the all the things mentioned in this verse, but we are all that in order to be able to perform a purpose that is outward directed, toward the lost, as Jesus’ life was.

We must face it, most modern religion has got it all wrong, and that difference of purpose is taking people off in the wrong direction. The reason we are what we are is not just for us. It is so that we can do what needs to be done. It is not to make us happy, prosperous, successful in business and life so that we can have what we want, but the purpose of the church is to follow the example of Christ and supply the word of God to others.

Notice what God says to the church in 1 Timothy 3:15:

“if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, pillar and buttress of the truth.”

Did you notice what the church is called? It does not say we are the benevolence center, the Red Cross, the do-all-to-please-all mega-church, or a social club, but the only supporting body for the truth that God has given to us in this world. Many can provide physical needs, social services, and such, but only the church of the Lord, Jesus Christ, can give the truth of God to people, the truth that will make the difference in this world and in the destiny of the soul after this life. Only the church can do that!

The people of God will help many in their material needs, and will console and be gentle loving friends to many, because they love, but they know that their main function is not just that, but rather to give to the people of the world what they need most, the knowledge of God’s will, so that they may be saved. If we fail in that, we fail to be like Christ, fail to show His love, and fail to accomplish His purpose.

CONCLUSION:

• • What are we doing as the church of the Lord, Jesus Christ?

• • Are we individually preparing ourselves to speak to others?

• • Are we personally carrying the message of salvation to others?

• • Are we working in His same purpose?

• • If you have left the purpose of Christ and have been serving your own purposes, repent and return to Him now!