Let’s turn again to Matthew 18:2020For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20), but this time to focus on a different part of the verse. “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” The point we want to emphasize now is the fact that the Lord is “in the midst” of a Scripturally gathered assembly. The Lord made an incredible promise here! He promised to actually be in the midst of those gathered to His name. He is not speaking of being there physically, but in spirit.
It only follows that if He who is the Head of the Church is in the midst of the assembly, so gathered by the Spirit unto His name, that He should be the One to lead the meetings. Hebrews 2:1212Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. (Hebrews 2:12) confirms this; it says that the Lord is “in the midst of the assembly”—and He is there to lead the praise of His people. His great Agent for guiding all the proceedings in the assembly is the Holy Spirit. Hence, a Scripturally gathered assembly will not have an man set up in the midst to conduct the meetings—i.e. a clergyman (a so-called Priest, Pastor, or Minister). To set up a human president to lead the proceedings in the assembly—regardless of how godly and gifted the man may be—is a denial of that Christ is there to lead by the Spirit.
First Corinthians 12:7-11 says, “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal [for the profit of all]. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh [operates] that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.” This passage indicates that the Spirit of God not only gives spiritual gifts to the members of the body of Christ, but He also directs the operation of those gifts in the assembly. If the Spirit of God is given the liberty in the assembly meetings, the Lord will lead by the Spirit one here and one there in the offering of a word of praise or ministry. In chapter 14:26-40 we see this in action, indicated by the word “let.” This little word is used 12 times in these few verses that describe the proceedings of an assembly meeting for ministry. It is an exhortation to the saints to allow the Lord to lead by the Spirit the various members of His body who are present in the meeting in worship and ministry.
The Position of a Clergyman in the Church Is Not Found in Scripture
Sad to say, most church organizations have an ordained clergyman to lead the services. Different names are given to this man-made position in the Church; he could be called a “Priest,” or a “Minister,” or a “Pastor,” depending on what sector of the Christian world he is from. Regardless of what school an ordained Pastor or Minister might come from, the whole concept of a clergyman presiding in an assembly of Christians is a human invention, and is not found in the Word of God. W. T. P. Wolston said, “The idea is in men’s heads but not in Scripture.”
Some might object to this, and say, “But we read of pastors in the Bible.” Yes, this is true, a pastor is a person who has been given a gift for shepherding the flock of God. It is one of many gifts Christ gives to the Church to help the members of the body grow (Eph. 4:11-1311And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (Ephesians 4:11‑13)). It is what the denominational churches have termed “Pastor” that we object to. They have made the gift of a pastor into something that is not found in Scripture. They have taken a Scriptural term and have attached it to an unscriptural position in the Church. And what is so confusing about it is that a person may occupy that position and not even have the gift of a pastor! He might have the gift of an evangelist, or a teacher, or some other gift, and yet bear the title of “Pastor.” And why appoint this one gift in the body of Christ to this position?
To set up a man to conduct assembly meetings is really a practical denial of the headship of Christ. C. H. Mackintosh said, “If Jesus is in our midst, why should we think of setting up a human president? Why not unanimously and heartily allow Him to take the president’s seat, and bow to Him in all things? Why set up human authority in any shape or form in the house of God? It may be said by the advocates of human authority, ‘How could an assembly ever get on without some human presidency? Would it not lead to all sorts of human confusion? Would it not open the door for everyone to intrude himself upon the assembly, quite irrespective of gift or qualification?’ Our answer is a very simple one. Jesus is all-sufficient. We can trust Him to keep order in His house. We feel ourselves far safer in His gracious and powerful hands than in the hands of the most attractive human president.”
What sorrowful confusion has come into the house of God as a result of setting a clergyman in the midst to lead the proceedings of the assembly. This human arrangement has displaced the simplicity of divine order. It is such an accepted thing in Christendom that people don’t think twice about this man-made position in the Church. It is so widespread that it can be seen from St. Peters in Rome right down to the smallest evangelical chapel. What is so serious about this is that it interferes with the presidency of the Holy Spirit in the assembly. The notion of the clergyman is, “dispensationally, a sin against the Holy Ghost” (J. N. Darby).
The Lord’s addresses to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3 indicate that this practice has been in the Church for a long, long time. This is indicated in those whom the Lord calls “the Nicolaitans” (Rev. 2:6, 156But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. (Revelation 2:6)
15So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. (Revelation 2:15)). Respected expositors identify these as evil workers who undermined apostolic order in the churches by introducing the clergy/laity system. This can be seen from the meaning of the name the Lord gives them. “Nico” means “to rule,” and “laitan” means “the people,” which is the root word from which “laity” is derived. The thing we need to see here is that this man-made order is something that the Lord “hates.” Seeing that this intrusion on God’s order is something that is unscriptural and hateful to the Lord, it surely would be something that a Scripturally gathered assembly would reject.
Ordination
The practice in Christendom of choosing a so-called “Pastor” is also something that is not found in Scripture. We refer to the process in which a clergyman comes to preside in a local church. The usual procedure is that the would-be “Pastor” or “Minister” is invited to a particular church where he is given an opportunity to prove himself by giving a couple of sermons. If his preaching is acceptable to the congregation, they will vote him to be their “Pastor.” Yet in Scripture we find that there is not one local assembly that chose a pastor to lead the assembly! Neither did an apostle, at any time, nominate a pastor to preside in a local assembly of Christians. We ask, “Where has this practice come from?”
Furthermore, there is not one person in the Bible who was ordained by men to preach the gospel or to minister the truth to the Church! If it were God’s will for the Church to do so, He would have instructed us about it in His Word—but there is not a hint of it. The only persons in the Bible who were ordained were elders, and they were never chosen by a local assembly, but by an apostle or a delegate from an apostle (Acts 14:2323And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed. (Acts 14:23); Titus 1:55For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: (Titus 1:5)). Ordination practiced in denominational churches today involves the laying on of hands by those who supposedly have some spiritual power to confer something to a person. But it is an assumption to think that ordination comes through the laying on of hands. In each case where elders were ordained in the Bible, there is no mention that hands were ever laid on them! W. Kelly said, “I have no doubt that the Spirit of God knew the superstition that would be attached to it in later years of Church history, so He took care never to connect laying on of hands with ordaining elders. ...My assertion is that in this very matter of ordination, Christendom has missed God’s mind and will; and is ignorantly, but not without sin, fighting for an order of its own, which is mere disorder.” T. MacMillian, who went through the ordination process before he learned the truth, said, “They laid their empty hands on my empty head.”
As we have seen from the Scriptures quoted thus far, the role of conducting worship and ministry in the assembly belongs to the Holy Spirit, not to some human president—regardless of how gifted and knowledgeable he may be. If God committed the work of creating the universe to the Holy Spirit (Job 26:13; 33:413By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent. (Job 26:13)
4The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. (Job 33:4); Psa. 104:3030Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth. (Psalm 104:30)), surely He should be able to lead a few Christians gathered together in an assembly for worship and ministry! WhatScripture demands of us is that there would be faith in the Spirit’s power and presence, proved by leaving Him His due right to employ whom He pleases to speak in the meetings. From the moment the Spirit of God was sent into the world at Pentecost, we look in vain in the New Testament for any Church president except that of the sovereign guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is clear, therefore, that a Scriptural assembly will not have a human president to conduct the meetings, but it will allow the Lord to lead by the Spirit.
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Summary: A Scripturally gathered assembly will be free of clericalism in every shape and form, because having a man to preside in a congregation of Christians is unscriptural. Meetings in a Scriptural assembly will be governed by the Lord leading the proceedings by the Holy Spirit. Various members of Christ’s body will offer prayer, praise, or ministry in the meetings, as led by the Spirit, without having a human president presiding.