I just remind you that in looking carefully at the history of the church in the Acts, we found one all-important fact as to ministry — the divine presence of the person of the Holy Spirit. Bearing that fact well in mind, I ask that you pay careful attention to the three chapters on ministry that God has been pleased to give us (1 Cor. 12-14). Will you read these chapters, before we proceed? Observe that this is the very subject. Chapter 12 Contains the great principles of the Christian ministry, chapter 13, the spirit in which that ministry should be exercised, and chapter 14, those ministries in exercise. The Spirit of God will not lower or degrade the person of Jesus — a most important test in these days. Also, no one can truly maintain the Lordship of Jesus but by the Holy Spirit. Great care is then taken to show that the various gifts are not held by one man! There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit; different ministries, but the same Lord; diversities of operations, but it is the same God that works all in all. And then, after enumerating different gifts, the divine sovereignty and guidance of the Holy Spirit is maintained. “But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.” Thus we have the constitution of the church as to ministry —Jesus, Lord on high, and the Holy Spirit using the gifts as He will on earth. It may be said that some of those gifts are no longer manifested now. True; He divides severally as He will, then and now.
This then is the principle of ministry as set up of God, the ministry that is of God. “And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers.” I do not, however, find such a thought that God set up one man to be the minister or priest of the assembly.
Now that is important, as we wish to learn all that Scripture brings before us on this subject.
Then we have the place that love (charity) has in Christian ministry (ch. 13). May it have its place in every line of this paper!
The principle then before us is plainly that the Holy Spirit is in the church, using the different gifts severally as He will — all of God, but by the order of the Holy Spirit on earth. There was confusion; alas, what will man not spoil? (See chapter 14:26.) But still the same order of God by the Holy Spirit is enforced. God did not say, My order has failed, so now set one man to be the minister. No, but, “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.” And these are the commandments of the Lord (vs. 37).
Now this is God’s only order of ministry, and He is not the author of confusion. (Compare this with Ephesians 4:7-167But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11And 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: 14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:7‑16).) Here the ascended Christ, far above all heavens, “gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” And these were to continue. These are the gifts of Christ, and the Holy Spirit divides severally to every man as He will. Do not forget the personal presence of the Holy Spirit.
I have read all this, but I have never read of Paul, Barnabas or Titus ordaining a pastor or an evangelist or a teacher. These are the gifts of the ascended Christ. And even when the apostles were here, we have not the slightest hint of the ordination of any of these. The only thing at all like it was when Paul and Barnabas themselves, who had long been most eminent gifts of Christ, were commended to a special evangelical tour, separated and sent by the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:22As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. (Acts 13:2)).
But do you mean that there is no authority in the Scriptures for the ordination of a pastor over a church?
Most certainly. There is not such a thought in Scripture. It is entirely a human invention. Elders (or bishops) were ordained, for an elder and a bishop is the same thing; that is clear from Titus 1:57. The same person is an elder in verse 5 and a bishop in verse 7.
Eldership was an office; pastors, teachers and evangelists are gifts. I speak of Scripture — I know nothing else. In Scripture an elder is never the same as teacher, pastor or evangelist. The elders of the church at Ephesus were bishops (episcopos), and as such, overseers; they were to feed the church of God.
But does the word “feed” imply that they were teachers?
This word “poimaino,” translated “feed,” is used by the Spirit eleven times in the New Testament: Matthew 2:66And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. (Matthew 2:6); Luke 17:77But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? (Luke 17:7); John 21:1616He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. (John 21:16); Acts 20:28; 128Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. (Acts 20:28)
2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. (Acts 2:2) Corinthians 9:7; 1 Peter 5:2; Jude 12; Revelation 2:27; 7:17; 12:5; 19:1527And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. (Revelation 2:27)
17For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. (Revelation 7:17)
5And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. (Revelation 12:5)
15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (Revelation 19:15). A careful examination of these verses and their contexts will show that it is not the imparting of spiritual food so much, if at all, that is meant, but shepherding, more in the sense of ruling.
Elders, then, were brethren gifted with wisdom to shepherd or rule the church of God. An elder thus gifted and qualified to rule must rule well his own house. And one thing they were needed for was to exhort and convince the gainsayers. The sense of the words “feeding themselves,” then, in Jude 12, would rather be ruling themselves — democracy — one of the dark signs of the last days and the very opposite of knowing or discerning them that labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you. In short, the “unruly” are to be rebuked.
Might not the same person be an elder and also a teacher?
Certainly, just as the same person may be a draper and a grocer. But that does not prove that a grocer is a draper. Peter was both elder and teacher (1 Peter 5:1). Thus, while qualified persons were ordained or appointed to shepherd or rule the assembly in every city by the apostles or their delegates (and it is true that such persons might or might not be also gifted of Christ to evangelize or teach), yet in Scripture we never find the shadow of an inference either to ordain or to hinder any such gifts of the ascended Christ as teachers, evangelists or pastors.
Is there such an instance to be found?
Not one. To do so, two things must be interfered with: the administration of the Lord in glory and the presence of the Holy Spirit in the assembly.
Well, this is very solemn. Are you quite sure there is no Scripture authority for the modern ordination of a priest, clergyman or minister?
Not a single text.
Does not Acts 6 give such authority?
No, not the least. These men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, were simply appointed to serve tables or take care of the poor. There is not a thought of ordaining them as modern pastors over churches. As with the elders, these servants of the assembly might be also gifted of Christ to preach the Word. Some were so, but these were never ordained to preach — not such a thought. The thing is monstrous; if we see a teacher, pastor or evangelist gifted of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit to preach and teach Christ, for the church or any man to ordain or appoint such a person would be to set aside as insufficient the act of Christ. Surely, to recognize these gifts is becoming to the whole church of God, for recognition of Christ’s gifts to His church is obedience to Him. And not to recognize a gift of Christ is disobedience to Christ.
But does not Acts 13 afford some authority for ordaining a minister or pastor over a church? Is it not often quoted for that purpose?
Read the whole passage. Now, is there such a thought in it as ordaining a clergyman or minister over a church or parish? These dear devoted men were already fully recognized teachers — Barnabas and Saul. And these were appointed by the Holy Spirit to a special work, or journey, and, as such, solemnly commended by the church at Antioch. It is very strange that so many take this matter for granted, without ever searching the Word of God.
Is there no other scripture that seems to favor the practice of ordaining one person to be the minister over a church?
There cannot be one. It is impossible for God to contradict Himself, and if we own the constitution of the church which is of God, that is, the Lordship of Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as we have seen, and the distributing severally as He will those gifted to speak to the edification of the assembly, to speak two or three and the rest to judge, the moment you introduce the clergyman or a minister, having the Reverend preeminence over the assembly, you immediately set aside both the presence of the Holy Spirit and the godly liberty of the gifts of Christ to speak two or three. In fact, it is utterly impossible for God’s order according to His Word and man’s order set up since to stand together. One man cannot have the preeminence and the Holy Spirit be free to use whom He will.
Well, all this is amazing, but do the upholders of the clerical or episcopal system really know that it has no authority in the Word of God?
Strange to say, they do. One of the best writers on episcopacy fully admits that it is nowhere found in Scripture.
Then where is it found?
In tradition — the traditional history. Some say it must have begun just at the close of apostolic times; some, later.
But if there be no evidence of it in apostolic times, then what of apostolic episcopal succession?
All vanishes. How can there be a succession of what did not begin?
But some say it began before the death of the Apostle John in Asia Minor and that he must have approved of it.
But does Scripture say this system of one man having the preeminence over the assembly began in the days of John? That is the question.
It does, it does. John wrote an inspired epistle on account of this and on the very subject. We shall therefore soon see whether he approved or not of the first person that assumed the position taken by the clergyman or minister over a church (3 John). Truly John approves of the well-beloved Gaius, found walking in the truth. He has no greater joy than that the children of God should walk in truth. He says, “Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren.” These brethren were such as went forth for Christ’s name’s sake, taking nothing of the Gentiles, and they had borne witness of the charity of Gaius before the assembly (or church). Now if you bear in mind the truth and the constitution of the church, the sovereign guidance of the Holy Spirit in sending those brethren, gifts of Christ, in His name, in keeping with the truth as to this, Gaius had gladly received the visit of these ministering brethren, in the charity inculcated as to this very thing in 1 Corinthians 13. Walking in the truth, he owned the order of God. And John says, “We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellow-helpers to the truth.” Oh, how sweet is this fellowship in the ministry of the truth! “Let the prophets speak two or three” had long been the command of Christ, and so we ought to receive these dear, gifted brethren who come in the name of Christ and have fellowship in the truth. This was Christian ministry as instituted of God: “We therefore ought to receive such.”
Now we have another character, and John says, “I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.” Now study these words. Here is a man who takes the place of preeminence over the church (or assembly). But to do this, he must resist the Holy Spirit; he must refuse liberty of ministry, yes, even if it be the aged and beloved Apostle John and brethren with him. The very first development of clericalism proves, unanswerably, that it must resist and set aside the order of God. Did the inspired John approve of this first appearance of clericalism? He says, “Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.” Thank God we have the strongest possible disapproval of clericalism in these inspired words. And I ask, Do not these words faithfully describe the proud spirit of clerical pretensions to this very day?
It is too true, but surely you would not say that every ordained minister over a church has the spirit of Diotrephes, the first to assume this place?
Far from it. Many a dear humble servant of the Lord groans in that false position. But what we learn from this scripture is that everyone that takes this position of ministerial preeminence is in direct opposition to the mind and Word of God. Diotrephes could not maintain that position and receive the brethren, neither can any clergyman or minister maintain his position and receive the brethren as the gifts of Christ, to be used by the Holy Spirit in the church.
But are not clergymen and ministers receiving eminent evangelists? and is not God using these in conversions?
That is so, and God is using them in proportion as they lay aside the sectarian and clerical position. Nay, is not the Lord even by all this rebuking clerical assumption? A noticeable fact must here be named: God has been pleased to restore to the church the knowledge of His own order of church constitution and ministry — the personal presence of the Holy Spirit and the liberty of Christian ministry, to serve alone the Lord Christ. And though, like the remnant in the days of Nehemiah, this feeble remnant whom the Lord has been pleased thus to bless are conscious of much failure, yet God has been pleased to be with them. And this feeble remnant have proved the all-sufficiency of God, and to this feeble and unworthy little flock God has restored the full gospel of His grace. And what is the result, at this present moment? The whole mass of the clergy of every sect under the sun are arrayed in determined hostility. Pamphlet and book and tract teem from the press full of gross misrepresentation! Yes, and nothing is more common than for the clergy to be preaching the very truth God has restored by these weak, dependent brethren, while they denounce, with prating words, like Diotrephes, the brethren whom they cannot receive and maintain their clerical position. The Third Epistle of John exactly describes the whole struggle of today. On the one hand, there are a few like Gaius who have learned to obey the commands of Christ as to ministry, while, on the other hand, there is the whole body of the clergy determined to resist the order of God’s Word and maintain that human order of ministry begun by Diotrephes, in many cases, doubtless, ignorantly. The Word of God calls one of these principles good; the other He calls evil. Surely, it must be good to obey God, and no less certain is it evil to follow man.
But you allow that elders were ordained, if pastors, teachers or evangelists never were?
Yes, just so.
Then why does not the assembly ordain them now?
Simply because the assembly did not do so then — only the apostles or those they delegated to do so. We nowhere read that the church ordained elders. How plain would be our path if we really were subject to the Word of God! Never were human pretensions found more utterly wanting, when weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, than the claims of the ordained ministry, when thus tested by the Word of God. And it is equally so as to this, whether we apply the Word to Romanism or Protestantism — what utter departure from the order of God!
Not only so, but men have the audacity to ridicule God’s order, nay, to call it confusion and discord, to pride themselves with this humanly ordained ministry as if it were the church itself, and to talk of it just as though it could be traced in succession from the apostles, when not only did the apostles not practice it, but the very last of them, the beloved John, we have heard denouncing it in the strongest possible terms.
But if the denominations have no authority in the Word of God for the ordination of their clergy, and it is clear they have not, then where do they get their authority from?
Clearly not from God, and to call them the church is to use words calculated to deceive. Compare them with the church of God as found in the Scriptures and compare their ministry with the sovereign guidance of the Holy Spirit. I ask, Is there any safety in such systems, unfairly called the church? Oh, is there any wonder that their members are going so fast to Rome, having never known the presence of the Holy Spirit and having never allowed Christ to give and the Spirit to use His gifts as He will? But having adopted the Diotrephes ministry, as handed down from Rome, there is no hope but to withdraw yourself from that form of godliness without the power.
The clerical order has been, from its first development, a great lever of Satan for evil in Christendom. Oh, my brethren in Christ, come out of them. Let us return to the Lord. It is yet true that wherever two or three are gathered together in His name, there He is present. We can testify to the truth of this promise. We have been now, some of us, gathered together in His blessed name, some thirty, some forty and some more years, and, blessed be the name of the Lord, we have found His presence more than all the ordained ministry in the world. He is enough, the mind and heart to fill. Ebenezer, hallelujah. Oh, how we long that you should share the deep joy of His presence with us. We assure you one hour in His presence makes up for all the misrepresentations heaped upon us.
If you return to the truth of the Scriptures, no doubt, you will suffer persecution, but no pen can tell the blessedness and deliverance and deep enjoyment of communion with Christ. That is the portion of every child of God gathered together truly to Christ, in His precious name.
Do you think it is a light matter to refuse the gifts of Christ and the guidance of the Spirit in the assembly and to set up in its place an ordained man — be that man whom he may? Can you thus grieve and quench the Spirit and not suffer in soul? Impossible.
Oh, fellow Christians, awake, awake to these solemn truths. Search the Scriptures, will you? Will you obey them? Do you own their authority? God give you decision and purpose of heart. I write to you thus in the love of Christ. I long for your deliverance and am not ignorant of Satan’s devices to keep you where you are. I write strongly, but there is power in truth to the children of God.
Just think, if all the believers in your town were gathered together in the name of the Lord Jesus, truly owning Him as Lord and all filled with the Holy Spirit, all of one mind and soul, each having one object — the glory of Christ —with no clerical hindrance to the gifts of Christ, the Spirit using all the gifts in divine power, and sectarianism not received but rather abhorred, tell me now, what would be the effect on the world of all this? The gifts are so rejected and disallowed that we can form no idea how many are laid aside now. I heard of one minister saying lately he had found forty evangelists in what he called his church! All these had been dormant. Oh, can you conceive anything so dreadful and so hindering as this ordained ministry received from Rome?
One question more: Is it not said that Timothy was ordained the first bishop of the church of the Ephesians?
Certainly not in Scripture, but in a note which has been added to the end of 2 Timothy. It is impossible that this could be true. It would not only have entirely set aside the order of God, but when the apostles sent for the elders (Acts 20), there is not the slightest allusion to such a person as the bishop of Ephesus, and there must have been, had such been the case.
Well, but he might have been after this time?
Then he could not have been the first, for the elders are called bishops as we have seen. It was evidently another name for the office of elder. We must conclude then that the more we search the Scriptures, the more evident it becomes that all the pretensions of clericalism have no foundation in the Word of God.
Only once more: Is it not true that episcopacy is found in the most early church history?
It is. And what does this prove? That the most early so-called church history is the history of that ecclesiastical system which so soon entirely set aside the order of ministry we find in Scripture. The one is of God and found in His Word; the other, of man and found in his history. Which shall we follow?
Many of these remarks apply to the episcopacy, falsely called the church — whether of Rome or England. But what of all the various bodies of Dissenters?
I am not aware that any of them have returned to the scriptural order and constitution of the assembly of God and its ministry. Is the presence of the Holy Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will, owned in any denomination?
Well, but the church elects its own pastor or minister. Is this anywhere found in Scripture?
Nowhere. The ministers are Christ’s gifts to the assembly, and is the assembly to elect whether they shall have a gift from Christ? The glory of Christ and the heavenly dignity of the Christian ministry is lost in such a carnal system. I do not mean the painful scenes that occur at such elections — rejections and splits — but merely to the principle of daring to call in question the prerogative of Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Failure there is everywhere, but man’s failure does not alter God’s principles. It is, too, in vain to try to find the order of God, as found in Scripture, in Wesleyan organization. Do we find a conference in Scripture daring to dictate where the gifts of Christ shall be placed? God may be working by one of His servants in such a town; the conference says, No, you must obey us, not God; you must leave that town and go to such a place. Can you show me anything like this in the Word? Impossible. Not even an apostle ever dared so to set aside the administration of Christ.
But do not these people pray to be guided by the Holy Spirit in appointing the ministers?
Yes, indeed they do, and what must such prayer be to God? Asking God to guide them in acting in direct opposition to His Word.
I ask now, Is there any wonder that some are leaving these human systems and are being gathered together in the name of the Lord Jesus, a feeble, despised few, making no pretensions to be the church of God? But this they are: They are gathered together, as at the beginning, and owning nothing but what they find in the Word of God. Do you say, I own I see the truth of all this thus brought before me, and I admit how utterly wrong my position is, but I have been trained to it — I am in it! What can I do? There is my family and my needs, and all my friends would turn against me if I walked according to the Word of God. I know all that, but Satan will try to magnify these difficulties. Is not God for us greater than all these difficulties? I feel for you; I pray for you; God will be with you in His own path. (See Psalm 119:59-6059I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. 60I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments. (Psalm 119:59‑60).)
All are moving either to infidelity, entirely setting aside the authority of God’s Word, to Rome and dark superstition, or to the path of Christ as at the beginning. We now turn to our third inquiry: