The Church, a Centralized Organism
“He is the Head of the Body, the Church” (Gal_1:18).
Jesus Christ is the Head of His Church. From Him must spring all the activities, the doctrines, the conceptions of the Church.
In a great telephone system, there is one central station toward which all wires converge, and from which all connections are made.
In a railroad system, there is one central office, from which all orders, governing the conduct of trains must ensue.
In the army, there is one generalissimo, from whom the whole conduct of the army must proceed.
The Lord Jesus Christ is this central office, this generalissimo of the Church. From Him the Church must receive its orders from him; and no orders dare be given which are not in fullest alignment and accord with His superorders of him.
1. The Church should recognize the supreme authority of Christ. Let all men keep “hands off” of the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ toward His local church from him; and let the churches keep “hands on” each command.
The Church must listen to the voice of Christ through the Spirit:
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches.”
The Church must obey the voice of Christ through the Spirit:
“Whatsoever He said unto you, do it.”
If any man, or any group of men, assume dictatorship over the churches, let them first prove themselves the vicegerents of God, the infallible will of the Most High.
Paul may leave Titus in Crete to do a certain, specified work, but he cannot give Titus any commission whatsoever unless he confesses himself to be commissioned of God.
Any man who accepts or asserts a position of power and rule over the Body of Christ, arrogates to himself authority as an agent of Christ, or else he sets up a rebel government and assumes the roll of an antichrist.
Any church that bows to human dictation in the conduct of its affairs, must grant one of three things:
(1) It must grant that it is not capable, in itself, of obtaining through the written Word and the Holy Ghost, the will of the risen Christ as to doctrine and duty; and must, therefore, bow to men to detail what they should say and do.
(2) It must grant that Jesus Christ has committed unto men authority as dictators, and directors of His churches, relieving the churches, themselves, of any and all responsibility as seeking and obtaining the will of God.
(3) It must grant that Jesus Christ is not the Head of the churches Man must be given precedence to God.
In all that is said above, we do not fail to see in the Bible the Divinely-appointed office of pastor, bishop, elder and deacon; nor do we fail to see that God has given the Church, “some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.”
These men, however, did not form a board of dictators, or directors. They were to perfect the saint unto the work on ministering. They were to preach Christ, proclaiming what they had also received. They were to stir up the saints by way of remembrance concerning the sure Word of Prophecy.
Such men were to hold forth the light, but not to proclaim themselves the light.
Such men were to speak the oracles of God, but not to speak as though they were, themselves, the oracles of God.
Such men were to preach Christ, not themselves; to be shepherds of the flock, not lords over God’s heritage; to speak what they heard from God, and not what they fabricated from their own heads.
The churches were to hold these men in honor for their works’ sake; they were to supply their needs and give ear to their words.
However, the churches were never to wear the yoke which apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, or teachers might arbitrarily make.
The churches were to recognize these men only as they came to them with a plain “Thus saith the Lord.”
The churches were to keep their first love, to make Christ pre-eminent, and to guard inviolate their obedience to Him.
Author: RE NEIGHBOR