The church in Corinth is a fascinating example of a church with numerous moral and ethical failures, yet when Paul writes to correct them he doesn't address their Pastor and command him to fix things. In fact, he doesn't even address their Elders or Overseers to respond to this by exercising their authority over the people. Why were the pastors, or for that matter the Elders of the Church, not commanded to exercise their authority and deal with the very serious moral failures within the Church in Corinth? Perhaps because Paul understood that the Body itself was capable of coming together to correct the problem themselves. Something he hints at when he says, "Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?" – 1 Corinthians 6:3
A DIFFERENT KIND OF SUBMISSION
I would like to humbly suggest that "Authority", and "Submission" do not necessarily imply organizational structures are at work in the New Testament Church. Submission is something that all believers are urged to do, and authority is only to be submitted to if it is in line with God’s Word and not on the basis of an office or appointment.
"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." – Ephesians 5:21
Everyone is urged to submit to everyone else. It's a shared submission among brothers and sisters in Christ who are equals and who humbly care for one another. Only Christ is the head, or the leader, of the Church.
Many are of the opinion that Jesus actually taught and promoted hierarchy in the Church, something I find alarming and dangerous. But, just for a moment, let me ask, "What would we expect to see in the New Testament if Jesus DIDN'T want His Church to be run like a hierarchy? Wouldn't we expect to see Jesus condemning this practice? Perhaps he would have pointed to a hierarchical system and commanded His disciples not to follow that example?
"Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." – Jesus, in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 10, verses 42-45.
Does Jesus command his disciples not to exercise authority over people? Yes, he clearly and plainly does. What, then, are today's pastors doing if they are not exercising their authority over their church members? Isn't this a fair question to ask? Am I allowed to point out the disconnect between what Jesus says and what His Church actually does, or does not, do?
Here, in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus points to the Roman Government (a secular hierarchy) and commands his disciples not to imitate this system of lording it over people or exercising authority over those who follow.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus points to a religious system of hierarchy and instructs them (again) not to imitate this system of hierarchy where the "Teacher" is exalted over the student. Instead, he says, remember that you are all brothers:
"But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." – Matthew 23:8-12
Next, let's look at the Apostles themselves. If they heard Jesus commanding them to avoid the hierarchical system of leadership, wouldn't we see evidence that they obeyed this command? Did they take his words to heart? Let's see:
"Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm." - 2 Cor.1:24
Paul the Apostle obeys Jesus and refuses to "lord it over" those who follow Christ alongside him. Instead he works with them, as a brother, not as an authority figure.
"To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away." – 1 Peter 5:1-4
Here, Peter identifies himself, not as an Apostle, but as a fellow elder among the brethren. He then urges these elders (plural) to serve as overseers because they are willing, not because they have been handed a title or an appointment, and especially urges them to be careful not to "lord it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock" – as Jesus commanded him several years earlier.
Having said all of this, doesn't the New Testament ask that we submit to our leaders and their authority? Yes, it does. For example:
Hebrews 13: 17- "Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you."
Let me be clear, I am not arguing against leadership here. Not at all. Every church needs leadership, and this is also clearly taught in the New Testament, however I would like to ask us to consider the possibility that leadership doesn't automatically mean top-down, authoritarianism. Jesus modeled something different than this, and then he commanded his disciples to emulate his example.
So, going back to our verse above, you might read this and ask, "What is the basis for our submission to our leaders?" Does their authority rest in the office they hold, or is it found in something else? Are we to submit to these leaders only because they hold an office? Or are we to submit to them as they point us to follow Christ? Hopefully we do not blindly follow people because they are "the Pastor" or because they have a title of authority. Hopefully.
No, the only authority we are to submit to is Christ Himself. To me, this truth is self-evident when we look at the NT as a whole.
Earlier in this same chapter, the writer of Hebrews, in chapter 13 and verse 7 says, "Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith."
Here we are told to submit to our leaders as they speak the Word of God to us. Not to them as authorities in and of themselves, but as humble servants who lovingly teach us to follow Christ, and who then demonstrate this by their actual lives of faith.
Submission then is to Christ and to the Word of God. If our leaders handle and teach the Word of God wisely, and if they faithfully live lives that reflect Christ, THEN we are to submit to their authority. But only if. Their authority is not automatic and it is not based on the office they hold. Otherwise, we would be accountable to obey leaders simply because they held that office, regardless of whether or not their lives reflected Christ or their teaching of God's Word was true.
If we follow the policy of hierarchy for the sake of itself we can end up with someone holding an office within the Church and exercising authority even if they are not followers of Christ. Such a person should have no actual authority in any spiritual sense over the life of believers. What counts is character, not the office or the position. However, someone with no organizational office may, because of gifting by the Holy Spirit and sincere love for others, have actual authority to speak and teach and lead his brothers and sisters in Christ (who are his equals).
Churches that employ such a man-made organizational method can only hope to mimic the kind of leadership such as the "rulers of the gentiles" possess, something that Jesus expressly commanded us not to do - "It shall not be so among you!" - Matthew 20:25-26.
The Holy Spirit is the only source of spiritual authority and accountability in the Church through real-life relationships, not titles handed down by men.
Did the Apostles depend upon the authority of men or did they give any weight to the opinions of men? Apparently they did not. For example, Paul says, "Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody." - 2 Corinthians.3:1-2
If hierarchy was so important in the early church, why don't we see them exercising it? Why do we see them operating as a Body and not as a business? Perhaps the answers are right in front of us? Are we courageous enough to answer truthfully?
As Biblical Scholar Richard Halverson has said, "When the Greeks got the Gospel, they turned it into a philosophy; when the Romans got it, they turned it into a government; when the Europeans got it, they turned it into a culture; and when the Americans got it, they turned it into a business."
I pray we can help God's people to see that they were never intended to be run like a business, and instead to help them see that, according to the Word of God, they are simply a Family, a Body, an Organism, and a Bride.
-kg
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query church in Corinth is a fascinating. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query church in Corinth is a fascinating. Sort by date Show all posts
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
RESPONSE TO "EXPLOITATION OR EMPOWERMENT" ARTICLE
Over at TheOoze.com my article "Exploitation or Empowerment" is sparking a few interesting conversations.
I just posted a rather lengthy response to a friend who asked some questions and raised some objections there so I thought I'd re-post my comments here for further discussion.
Essentially, my friend Paul is questioning whether or not all are called to be leaders in the Church and raises some good points about the Church Fathers. He also questions the idea that there was no hierarchy in the early church.
Here's my response:
First, the Apostles were commanded by Jesus to call no one Father, not to be called Teachers themselves and to treat everyone as brothers. (See Mark 10: 42-45).
Jesus also modelled a leadership structure whereby the leader would wash feet, humble himself and serve the others as an equal and a brother or sister in Christ (see John 13) and he commanded those disciples (soon to be Apostles) to do the same.
The Apostles did not execute a leadership style or structure that you and I would recognize...and I mean that in a good way.
When we look at NT passages where the church is commanded to "submit to the authority of elders" (found in various places throughout the NT) it is in the context of submitting to them as they instruct in the Gospel. It is not a submission to them as authoritarian leaders but a submission to them as they lead us to follow Christ. Of course, if those leaders lead people away from Christ or the Scriptures one would not be required to submit to their authority.
I agree that there were Apostles, Elders, and Deacons in the early Church but they were not authoritarian leaders, they were average people who were filled with God's Holy Spirit and who sat alongside their brothers and sisters as equals on a daily basis. It was an authority based on maturity in Christ (at least at first).
Also, isn't it curious to you that those NT Epistles were not addressed to "The Pastor of the Church in Corinth" or "Ephesus", etc.? I find it fascinating that those letters are written to the believers themselves - directly to those same believers who were the Body of Christ - not to the leaders who would then work it into a weekly sermon.
I think when you move so quickly into the idea of Bishops and Church Hierarcy you assume that this was always the case and it most certainly was not. Until Cyprian and Ignatius began to influence the Church in this way these concepts were not accepted or practiced. Constantine provided the final piece to that shift away from the Priesthood of the Believer, but it was a process, not something that was present in the first 200 years of Christian life and practice.
Simply because we see words like "Leadership" and "Elder" and "Authority" it does not automatically follow that the practice of leadership and authority looked like what we're used to in Modern Christianity today. I would argue that it did not.
Peter and Paul and the other Apostles argued often that there was a new way of worshipping and experiencing God outside of a temple (building) and without the need for a secondary priest to mediate for us. Instead, the Gospel included the radical concept that you and I (as followers of Christ) are the new Priests of God. Shocking, yes, but clearly demonstrated throughout the writings of our Apostles in the NT.
The Gospel message also included another radical idea that had not existed previously - that the worship of God would not require a building/temple because you and I (as followers of Christ) are the new Temple where the Holy Spirit dwells. This was a radical teaching of inclusion for anyone and everyone to become a Talmidum or Disciple of Jesus and participate in a way never before imagined by the common folk of the day.
You suggest that "all are not leaders" and I would agree. But just because some lead and others are not leading this doesn't mean that not everyone participates. Clearly the idea behind 1 Cor 12 is that everyone in the Body of Christ has a purpose and a function and a very, very critical role to play in the operation of this Body. Name a part of your body that you would be ready to cut off and live without. Other than your appendix or your tonsils, maybe that extra kidney, none of us would want to live without our body parts--because they're all esssential to the health and function and well-being of the Body!
Did God plan to have all 28 spiritual gifts flow through one man? You've been a pastor and you know (and have seen) the crushing weight of trying to be the single person through whom the gifts of encouragement, prayer, teaching, administration, counseling, discernment, etc. must flow. The reason so many pastors burn out and give up is because this is not the way God envisioned it. His plan was to distribute everything the Body needed through each and every member. This means that participation is essential. It means you need everyone. It means if you don't obey Jesus and love one another then you're not the Church that He designed…and you can't be because all the spiritual gifts must operate in love. (Which is why everytime Paul mentions gifts he follows with an instruction on love. Everytime).
WHAT DO I MEAN BY "DO NOTHING"?
I mean, they sit and listen once or twice a week and go home until the next meeting. You ask me, "Is the level of participation higher in the house church?" - YES! In fact, if there was no participation we'd all sit and stare at each other in silence week to week. It wouldn't work. And beyond the participatory nature of our gatherings, we have "deputized" each and every member of the house church to "be the church" and that means loving their actual neighbors, making disciples, leading others to understand God's Word, take the Gospel to their workplace, etc.
HOW DO I ACCOUNT FOR HISTORICAL CHRISTIANS WHO WERE ADVOCATES OF ORGANIZED CHURCH?The short answer is that they were products of their environment and I understand this because for most of my spiritual journey I was in the same boat as they were.I'm not saying I'm better than them because of this. The truth is there are certain areas of faith where Luther and St. Francis were giants and other areas where they were very small and just plain wrong.
Where Luther was right about indulgences he was wrong about the Jews. Where Mother Teresa was right about the poor, she was wrong about praying to dead people. Where Calvin was right about the depravity of man's soul, he was wrong about man's inability to "want" to do good.
Perhaps I need to write another article more explicitly about the kind of leadership that we see in the NT and how it looks nothing like what we see in pulpits around the World today?
Wait for it...
kg
I just posted a rather lengthy response to a friend who asked some questions and raised some objections there so I thought I'd re-post my comments here for further discussion.
Essentially, my friend Paul is questioning whether or not all are called to be leaders in the Church and raises some good points about the Church Fathers. He also questions the idea that there was no hierarchy in the early church.
Here's my response:
First, the Apostles were commanded by Jesus to call no one Father, not to be called Teachers themselves and to treat everyone as brothers. (See Mark 10: 42-45).
Jesus also modelled a leadership structure whereby the leader would wash feet, humble himself and serve the others as an equal and a brother or sister in Christ (see John 13) and he commanded those disciples (soon to be Apostles) to do the same.
The Apostles did not execute a leadership style or structure that you and I would recognize...and I mean that in a good way.
When we look at NT passages where the church is commanded to "submit to the authority of elders" (found in various places throughout the NT) it is in the context of submitting to them as they instruct in the Gospel. It is not a submission to them as authoritarian leaders but a submission to them as they lead us to follow Christ. Of course, if those leaders lead people away from Christ or the Scriptures one would not be required to submit to their authority.
I agree that there were Apostles, Elders, and Deacons in the early Church but they were not authoritarian leaders, they were average people who were filled with God's Holy Spirit and who sat alongside their brothers and sisters as equals on a daily basis. It was an authority based on maturity in Christ (at least at first).
Also, isn't it curious to you that those NT Epistles were not addressed to "The Pastor of the Church in Corinth" or "Ephesus", etc.? I find it fascinating that those letters are written to the believers themselves - directly to those same believers who were the Body of Christ - not to the leaders who would then work it into a weekly sermon.
I think when you move so quickly into the idea of Bishops and Church Hierarcy you assume that this was always the case and it most certainly was not. Until Cyprian and Ignatius began to influence the Church in this way these concepts were not accepted or practiced. Constantine provided the final piece to that shift away from the Priesthood of the Believer, but it was a process, not something that was present in the first 200 years of Christian life and practice.
Simply because we see words like "Leadership" and "Elder" and "Authority" it does not automatically follow that the practice of leadership and authority looked like what we're used to in Modern Christianity today. I would argue that it did not.
Peter and Paul and the other Apostles argued often that there was a new way of worshipping and experiencing God outside of a temple (building) and without the need for a secondary priest to mediate for us. Instead, the Gospel included the radical concept that you and I (as followers of Christ) are the new Priests of God. Shocking, yes, but clearly demonstrated throughout the writings of our Apostles in the NT.
The Gospel message also included another radical idea that had not existed previously - that the worship of God would not require a building/temple because you and I (as followers of Christ) are the new Temple where the Holy Spirit dwells. This was a radical teaching of inclusion for anyone and everyone to become a Talmidum or Disciple of Jesus and participate in a way never before imagined by the common folk of the day.
You suggest that "all are not leaders" and I would agree. But just because some lead and others are not leading this doesn't mean that not everyone participates. Clearly the idea behind 1 Cor 12 is that everyone in the Body of Christ has a purpose and a function and a very, very critical role to play in the operation of this Body. Name a part of your body that you would be ready to cut off and live without. Other than your appendix or your tonsils, maybe that extra kidney, none of us would want to live without our body parts--because they're all esssential to the health and function and well-being of the Body!
Did God plan to have all 28 spiritual gifts flow through one man? You've been a pastor and you know (and have seen) the crushing weight of trying to be the single person through whom the gifts of encouragement, prayer, teaching, administration, counseling, discernment, etc. must flow. The reason so many pastors burn out and give up is because this is not the way God envisioned it. His plan was to distribute everything the Body needed through each and every member. This means that participation is essential. It means you need everyone. It means if you don't obey Jesus and love one another then you're not the Church that He designed…and you can't be because all the spiritual gifts must operate in love. (Which is why everytime Paul mentions gifts he follows with an instruction on love. Everytime).
WHAT DO I MEAN BY "DO NOTHING"?
I mean, they sit and listen once or twice a week and go home until the next meeting. You ask me, "Is the level of participation higher in the house church?" - YES! In fact, if there was no participation we'd all sit and stare at each other in silence week to week. It wouldn't work. And beyond the participatory nature of our gatherings, we have "deputized" each and every member of the house church to "be the church" and that means loving their actual neighbors, making disciples, leading others to understand God's Word, take the Gospel to their workplace, etc.
HOW DO I ACCOUNT FOR HISTORICAL CHRISTIANS WHO WERE ADVOCATES OF ORGANIZED CHURCH?The short answer is that they were products of their environment and I understand this because for most of my spiritual journey I was in the same boat as they were.I'm not saying I'm better than them because of this. The truth is there are certain areas of faith where Luther and St. Francis were giants and other areas where they were very small and just plain wrong.
Where Luther was right about indulgences he was wrong about the Jews. Where Mother Teresa was right about the poor, she was wrong about praying to dead people. Where Calvin was right about the depravity of man's soul, he was wrong about man's inability to "want" to do good.
Perhaps I need to write another article more explicitly about the kind of leadership that we see in the NT and how it looks nothing like what we see in pulpits around the World today?
Wait for it...
kg
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
58 FOLD MINISTRY?
“Do you believe in the Five Fold Ministry?”
Someone asked me this very question the other day, and after a lot of thought and research I’ve finally got my answer – “No. I don’t.”
Perhaps it would help if I were to clarify what I mean? First of all, in case you don’t know what I’m talking about, the Five Fold Ministry is a concept taken from one single passage in the New Testament (Ephesians 4:11-13) which says:
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Notice that there are five gifts mentioned here. They are Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers, and for those who swear by the Five Fold Ministry model, this list represents both a hierarchy of giftings, and an essential list of gifts that must be present in every church for health and growth.
First, let me explain why I reject the Five Fold concept. It’s because Paul himself gives us other lists of giftings elsewhere in his epistles and those other lists are slightly longer, and in a different order, than the one he gives here in Ephesians.
Before we look at those other two, let’s go ahead and say that this fact alone should tell us that Paul didn’t intend for his list in Ephesians to be taken as the only model for church dynamics. If he gave other church members in other cities a different list, then that means he wasn’t trying to be dogmatic about this, and that he was speaking loosely about the various gifts that God releases into the Body of Christ for growth, strength, and life.
Got it? Ok, now let’s look at those other two lists, starting with the one in 1 Corinthians 12, verse 28 where Paul says:
“And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.”
So, even though Paul starts out the same in Corinthians as he does in Ephesians – with Apostles and Prophets – he strangely promotes Teachers to third place (up from last place in our Ephesian list. Way to go Teachers!), and then introduces Miracle Workers, Healers, Helpers, Guidance (or Wisdom) and Tongues. This might be called the Eight Fold Ministry since here Paul expands the length of his list by three.
Notice that, if we were ignorant of the other lists, the one in Ephesians and the one in Romans (which we’ll look at in a second), we could easily conclude that God’s plan is all about this (and only this) order of gifts to lead the church. We might conclude from this list that Pastors and Evangelists are lower class citizens in the church since they’re not mentioned at all. We could also easily make a case that Paul’s list is hierarchical since he enumerates these by saying, “First of all…second….third…” and so on. This clearly indicates that the first ones are more important and the last ones are less important.
Right?
Wrong. Why? Because Paul said something different to the church in Ephesus and in Rome. And, since his order in those other cases was different, we can safely assume that when Paul says “First of all apostles…” he’s talking chronologically and not hierarchically. The Apostles were the first ones to be “sent out” by Jesus and once the Gospel was preached and people responded, they needed to have others who could prophesy and teach, and serve, etc.
But wait, we’re not done. Let’s look now at Paul’s essential list of gifts in Romans 12. It goes like this:
“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully."
(v. 4-8)
Personally, I like this list a lot more than the other two. This Seven Fold Ministry of God drops leadership to the very bottom, just ahead of showing mercy, and it moves service, teaching and encouragement to the top. That’s my kind of list.
But, again, the Christians in Rome could easily have taken this list and deduced from it that Apostles, Evangelists and Pastors are unnecessary in the Church, and that what really counts is Prophecy, Service, Teaching, Encouragement, Giving, Leadership and Mercy. But, again, they would be wrong about that.
What’s fascinating to me is that, while we have all three of these epistles in front of us and they didn’t, our tendency is to take one of those lists as authoritative while ignoring the other two. There is no evidence that the churches in Ephesus, Rome or Corinth took Paul’s instructions in this manner to be exhaustive and exclusive of the others.
The main thing I believe we can learn from all of this is that Jesus was serious when he said that we are all brothers and sisters and that none of us was meant to play the Father, or the Ruler over anyone else. (See Matthew 23:9) The goal in the Body of Christ is that we are all members of one another, and that no one person is given the preeminence over the rest of us.
Having said all of this, let me clarify that yes, I do believe that there are those today who are “sent ones” (or “Apostles”) in the church today. Their function is to go out and preach the Gospel, plant churches, recognize gifts in the Body, and move on when needed to plant more churches. I also believe that there are those in the church today with the gifts of prophecy, and tongues, and teaching, and mercy, and giving, and all those many, many other gifts.
What I reject is the idea that there are only five main gifts in the church today, or that these five should be exalted above all the other gifts mentioned in the New Testament as if they are more special or more necessary or more crucial than any of the others.
At face value, the message of the New Testament is that you matter. Your gift – whatever it is – is necessary. You are important. You have something the rest of us need. We have something that you need. We need one another to grow and to thrive.
As Paul says in each of these passages, there are many gifts, and they are all given by the One Spirit, and we are all members of each other. Our gifts are not for us, they are not about us, they are about one another and the purpose of these gifts is to be a blessing to everyone else and to exalt them, not ourselves.
So, I’m not sure about you, but since there are something like 28 different spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible, and 58 "one anothers", I’m a big fan of the 28 or the 58 Fold Ministry of God.
How about you?
-kg
**
Someone asked me this very question the other day, and after a lot of thought and research I’ve finally got my answer – “No. I don’t.”
Perhaps it would help if I were to clarify what I mean? First of all, in case you don’t know what I’m talking about, the Five Fold Ministry is a concept taken from one single passage in the New Testament (Ephesians 4:11-13) which says:
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Notice that there are five gifts mentioned here. They are Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers, and for those who swear by the Five Fold Ministry model, this list represents both a hierarchy of giftings, and an essential list of gifts that must be present in every church for health and growth.
First, let me explain why I reject the Five Fold concept. It’s because Paul himself gives us other lists of giftings elsewhere in his epistles and those other lists are slightly longer, and in a different order, than the one he gives here in Ephesians.
Before we look at those other two, let’s go ahead and say that this fact alone should tell us that Paul didn’t intend for his list in Ephesians to be taken as the only model for church dynamics. If he gave other church members in other cities a different list, then that means he wasn’t trying to be dogmatic about this, and that he was speaking loosely about the various gifts that God releases into the Body of Christ for growth, strength, and life.
Got it? Ok, now let’s look at those other two lists, starting with the one in 1 Corinthians 12, verse 28 where Paul says:
“And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.”
So, even though Paul starts out the same in Corinthians as he does in Ephesians – with Apostles and Prophets – he strangely promotes Teachers to third place (up from last place in our Ephesian list. Way to go Teachers!), and then introduces Miracle Workers, Healers, Helpers, Guidance (or Wisdom) and Tongues. This might be called the Eight Fold Ministry since here Paul expands the length of his list by three.
Notice that, if we were ignorant of the other lists, the one in Ephesians and the one in Romans (which we’ll look at in a second), we could easily conclude that God’s plan is all about this (and only this) order of gifts to lead the church. We might conclude from this list that Pastors and Evangelists are lower class citizens in the church since they’re not mentioned at all. We could also easily make a case that Paul’s list is hierarchical since he enumerates these by saying, “First of all…second….third…” and so on. This clearly indicates that the first ones are more important and the last ones are less important.
Right?
Wrong. Why? Because Paul said something different to the church in Ephesus and in Rome. And, since his order in those other cases was different, we can safely assume that when Paul says “First of all apostles…” he’s talking chronologically and not hierarchically. The Apostles were the first ones to be “sent out” by Jesus and once the Gospel was preached and people responded, they needed to have others who could prophesy and teach, and serve, etc.
But wait, we’re not done. Let’s look now at Paul’s essential list of gifts in Romans 12. It goes like this:
“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully."
(v. 4-8)
Personally, I like this list a lot more than the other two. This Seven Fold Ministry of God drops leadership to the very bottom, just ahead of showing mercy, and it moves service, teaching and encouragement to the top. That’s my kind of list.
But, again, the Christians in Rome could easily have taken this list and deduced from it that Apostles, Evangelists and Pastors are unnecessary in the Church, and that what really counts is Prophecy, Service, Teaching, Encouragement, Giving, Leadership and Mercy. But, again, they would be wrong about that.
What’s fascinating to me is that, while we have all three of these epistles in front of us and they didn’t, our tendency is to take one of those lists as authoritative while ignoring the other two. There is no evidence that the churches in Ephesus, Rome or Corinth took Paul’s instructions in this manner to be exhaustive and exclusive of the others.
The main thing I believe we can learn from all of this is that Jesus was serious when he said that we are all brothers and sisters and that none of us was meant to play the Father, or the Ruler over anyone else. (See Matthew 23:9) The goal in the Body of Christ is that we are all members of one another, and that no one person is given the preeminence over the rest of us.
Having said all of this, let me clarify that yes, I do believe that there are those today who are “sent ones” (or “Apostles”) in the church today. Their function is to go out and preach the Gospel, plant churches, recognize gifts in the Body, and move on when needed to plant more churches. I also believe that there are those in the church today with the gifts of prophecy, and tongues, and teaching, and mercy, and giving, and all those many, many other gifts.
What I reject is the idea that there are only five main gifts in the church today, or that these five should be exalted above all the other gifts mentioned in the New Testament as if they are more special or more necessary or more crucial than any of the others.
At face value, the message of the New Testament is that you matter. Your gift – whatever it is – is necessary. You are important. You have something the rest of us need. We have something that you need. We need one another to grow and to thrive.
As Paul says in each of these passages, there are many gifts, and they are all given by the One Spirit, and we are all members of each other. Our gifts are not for us, they are not about us, they are about one another and the purpose of these gifts is to be a blessing to everyone else and to exalt them, not ourselves.
So, I’m not sure about you, but since there are something like 28 different spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible, and 58 "one anothers", I’m a big fan of the 28 or the 58 Fold Ministry of God.
How about you?
-kg
**
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
THE GOSPEL: FOR HERE OR TO GO (Part 4 of 6)
By Keith Giles
SOCIAL LEPROSY
In the book of John, Jesus prays for those who would follow his teachings after he ascended into heaven. What I find fascinating is that Jesus began by praying for what he didn’t want to pray. Yeah, it sounds strange, doesn’t it?
Why would anyone ever start praying by asking God for what they were not asking? Maybe there's a clue for us is in what it was that Jesus didn’t pray. He says, “I pray not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the Evil One” (John 17:15).
Why did Jesus pray this?
I think it’s because he knows human nature and he knew that, soon after his ascension, we would want to remove ourselves from the world around us. We’re not comfortable hanging out with those sinners. More often than not, we treat the lost, those outside the Church, as if they have some sort of “Social Leprosy”. We’re afraid we’ll catch what they’ve got, so we avoid contact with them. We create Christian versions of the world so that we never have to interact with these “Social Lepers”. We have Christian Radio Stations, Christian Yellow Pages, Christian Coffee Shops, Christian Book Stores, and all sorts of private avenues where our contact with non-Christians is minimized.
I’m convicted when I realize that Jesus didn’t even treat people who had actual leprosy this way, and yet I treat those who think differently than I do as if they had some infectious disease that I might catch if I’m exposed to them for any extended period of time. The ironic thing is that Jesus expected that his disciples would be salt and light in the world, not hidden under a basket waiting for the second coming.
Paul the Apostle echoed the prayer of Jesus when he instructed the Christians in Corinth about their interactions with non-believers. “I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people; not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.” (1 Corinthians 5:9-10)
Have we removed ourselves from the world? If so, we’ve allowed the Enemy to pacify us into complacency. It’s time to awaken from our slumber and burst out of our Christian bubble.
SALVATION IS A PROCESS, NOT AN EVENT OR POINT IN TIME
One thing I find fascinating as I study the New Testament and the practice of the early church is that their concept of salvation was much different than mine. When I think of salvation, I usually think of that one day when, as a nine year old boy, I walked forward and prayed with my pastor to ask Jesus into my heart. However, Peter and Paul seemed to have a different opinion about the salvation process. In their minds, salvation was an ongoing experience, not a one-time deal.
“..And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:42-47)
"For you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:9)
When we begin to think of Salvation as a process, and not an event, it changes the way we think of Evangelism.
In your own experience, what happens when someone you’ve been praying for and witnessing to finally accepts Christ as Lord and Savior? Don’t you cheer and weep and give high-fives to all your Christian friends? Sure you do. That’s an appropriate response. Even the Scriptures tell us that the angels in heaven celebrate when someone is saved.
(Luke 15:7-10)
However, our response and attention usually diminishes soon after this event. I believe it’s because, for us, our work is done. Our friend has “made it”. They are “in”. They’ve crossed the finish line and we can all move on with our lives now.
But, if Salvation is a process, and not an event or a point in time, then our work is not done. Our friend has not come to the end of the journey. Instead, they have only just begun.
In other words, Salvation is not the finish line, it is the starting line. If we begin to think of Salvation in this way, as an ongoing, daily commitment to following the marvelous person of Jesus, it will have a radical effect on our methods of evangelism and the way we treat those we hope to lead into this way of life.
(END OF PART 4)
*From the book, "The Gospel:For Here Or To Go?" here >
SOCIAL LEPROSY
In the book of John, Jesus prays for those who would follow his teachings after he ascended into heaven. What I find fascinating is that Jesus began by praying for what he didn’t want to pray. Yeah, it sounds strange, doesn’t it?
Why would anyone ever start praying by asking God for what they were not asking? Maybe there's a clue for us is in what it was that Jesus didn’t pray. He says, “I pray not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the Evil One” (John 17:15).
Why did Jesus pray this?
I think it’s because he knows human nature and he knew that, soon after his ascension, we would want to remove ourselves from the world around us. We’re not comfortable hanging out with those sinners. More often than not, we treat the lost, those outside the Church, as if they have some sort of “Social Leprosy”. We’re afraid we’ll catch what they’ve got, so we avoid contact with them. We create Christian versions of the world so that we never have to interact with these “Social Lepers”. We have Christian Radio Stations, Christian Yellow Pages, Christian Coffee Shops, Christian Book Stores, and all sorts of private avenues where our contact with non-Christians is minimized.
I’m convicted when I realize that Jesus didn’t even treat people who had actual leprosy this way, and yet I treat those who think differently than I do as if they had some infectious disease that I might catch if I’m exposed to them for any extended period of time. The ironic thing is that Jesus expected that his disciples would be salt and light in the world, not hidden under a basket waiting for the second coming.
Paul the Apostle echoed the prayer of Jesus when he instructed the Christians in Corinth about their interactions with non-believers. “I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people; not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.” (1 Corinthians 5:9-10)
Have we removed ourselves from the world? If so, we’ve allowed the Enemy to pacify us into complacency. It’s time to awaken from our slumber and burst out of our Christian bubble.
SALVATION IS A PROCESS, NOT AN EVENT OR POINT IN TIME
One thing I find fascinating as I study the New Testament and the practice of the early church is that their concept of salvation was much different than mine. When I think of salvation, I usually think of that one day when, as a nine year old boy, I walked forward and prayed with my pastor to ask Jesus into my heart. However, Peter and Paul seemed to have a different opinion about the salvation process. In their minds, salvation was an ongoing experience, not a one-time deal.
“..And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:42-47)
"For you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:9)
When we begin to think of Salvation as a process, and not an event, it changes the way we think of Evangelism.
In your own experience, what happens when someone you’ve been praying for and witnessing to finally accepts Christ as Lord and Savior? Don’t you cheer and weep and give high-fives to all your Christian friends? Sure you do. That’s an appropriate response. Even the Scriptures tell us that the angels in heaven celebrate when someone is saved.
(Luke 15:7-10)
However, our response and attention usually diminishes soon after this event. I believe it’s because, for us, our work is done. Our friend has “made it”. They are “in”. They’ve crossed the finish line and we can all move on with our lives now.
But, if Salvation is a process, and not an event or a point in time, then our work is not done. Our friend has not come to the end of the journey. Instead, they have only just begun.
In other words, Salvation is not the finish line, it is the starting line. If we begin to think of Salvation in this way, as an ongoing, daily commitment to following the marvelous person of Jesus, it will have a radical effect on our methods of evangelism and the way we treat those we hope to lead into this way of life.
(END OF PART 4)
*From the book, "The Gospel:For Here Or To Go?" here >
Sunday, August 28, 2011
The Gospel: For Here or To Go? (Part 4 of 6)
SOCIAL LEPROSY
In the book of John, Jesus prays for those who would follow his teachings after he ascended into heaven. What I find fascinating is that Jesus began by praying for what he didn’t want to pray. Yeah, it sounds strange, doesn’t it?
Why would anyone every start praying by asking God for what they were not asking? Maybe the clue is in what it was that Jesus didn’t pray. He says, “I pray not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the Evil One” (John 17:15).
Why did Jesus pray this?
I think it’s because he knows human nature and he knew that, soon after his ascension, we would want to remove ourselves from the world around us. We’re not comfortable hanging out with those sinners. More often than not, we treat the lost, those outside the Church, as if they have some sort of “Social Leprosy”. We’re afraid we’ll catch what they’ve got, so we avoid contact with them. We create Christian versions of the world so that we never have to interact with these “Social Lepers”. We have Christian Radio Stations, Christian Yellow Pages, Christian Coffee Shops, Christian Book Stores, and all sorts of private avenues where our contact with non-Christians is minimized.
I’m convicted when I realize that Jesus didn’t even treat people who had actual leprosy this way, and yet I treat those who think differently than I do as if they had some infectious disease that I might catch if I’m exposed to them for any extended period of time. The ironic thing is that Jesus expected that his disciples would be salt and light in the world, not hidden under a basket waiting for the second coming.
Paul the Apostle echoed the prayer of Jesus when he instructed the Christians in Corinth about their interactions with non-believers. “I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people; not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.” (1 Corinthians 5:9-10)
Have we removed ourselves from the world? If so, we’ve allowed the Enemy to pacify us into complacency. It’s time to awaken from our slumber and burst out of our Christian bubble.
SALVATION IS A PROCESS, NOT AN EVENT OR POINT IN TIME
One thing I find fascinating as I study the New Testament and the practice of the early church is that their concept of salvation was much different than mine. When I think of salvation, I usually think of that one day when, as a nine year old boy, I walked forward and prayed with my pastor to ask Jesus into my heart. However, Peter and Paul seemed to have a different opinion about the salvation process. In their minds, salvation was an ongoing experience, not a one-time deal.
“..And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:42-47)
"For you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:9)
When we begin to think of Salvation as a process, and not an event, it changes the way we think of Evangelism.
In your own experience, what happens when someone you’ve been praying for and witnessing to finally accepts Christ as Lord and Savior? Don’t you cheer and weep and give high-fives to all your Christian friends? Sure you do. That’s an appropriate response. Even the Scriptures tell us that the angels in heaven celebrate when someone is saved.
(Luke 15:7-10)
However, our response and attention usually diminishes soon after this event. I believe it’s because, for us, our work is done. Our friend has “made it”. They are “in”. They’ve crossed the finish line and we can all move on with our lives now.
But, if Salvation is a process, and not an event or a point in time, then our work is not done. Our friend has not come to the end of the journey. Instead, they have only just begun.
In other words, Salvation is not the finish line, it is the starting line. If we begin to think of Salvation in this way, as an ongoing, daily commitment to following the marvelous person of Jesus, it will have a radical effect on our methods of evangelism and the way we treat those we hope to lead into this way of life.
-kg
**
Download the entire book in English or French for free as a PDF or purchase online
HERE
**
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