One is your Teacher, even Christ

This is the final post in the series from Chapter 5 of Friends With God: God’s Called Out Ones. In the previous post we discussed the fact that God allows false teachers to be in the Church to test the members, and see if they will obey God or their human leaders.

In this post we will examine the structure of the Church from a Biblical example, to show how scholars have attempted to manipulate the church into a hierarchy of control rather than an egalitarian structure as directed by Christ:

But you must not be called Rabbi, for One is your teacher, Christ, and you are all brothers.
And call no one your father on the earth (as in spiritual father), for One is your Father in Heaven.
Nor be called teachers (spiritual teacher), for One is your Teacher, even Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. (Matt 23:1-11)

The Office Of A Deacon

What is seen as one of the first ‘rungs of the ladder’ of church government is the “Office of A Deacon”. Paul tells Timothy:

Likewise must the deacons be grave (dignified), not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre (dishonest money); Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved (tested over time); then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, (dignified) not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. (1Tim 3:8-13) KJV

Reading the above, you could assume that this particular office is very important. However, if you look at the original Greek, you will see that these directives are not talking about “the office of a deacon”, but simply about those who serve in the church.

The words “the office of a” are not actually in the original text. The only word in the Greek is deacon- which simply means “servant”. The same word is often translated “minister”.

There is no ‘ordination’ to this position of authority, by those who are above them. Let’s read it now from the Modern King James Version:

Likewise the deacons (servants) are to be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of ill gain, having the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be tested, then let them minister (serve) without reproach. Even so their wives are to be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. Let the deacons (servants) be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and households well. For they having served well, (will) gain a good grade for themselves, and much boldness in the faith, (for) those in Christ Jesus. (1Tim 3:8-13 MKJ)

Paul is not saying that a “deacon” is the bottom rung of a hierarchy of authority. Timothy is simply being told to be careful regarding whom he allows to act in ministering roles, be it physical or spiritual, in the church.

People who serve in a physical way obviously hold a position of influence, because they perform high profile activities amongst the membership. In doing so they represent the entire church to the members and non-members.

Paul is talking about those who serve in the congregation, he is not talking about those who are in a particular office of authority. What he is saying is that because some people need to be in responsible positions, then they should be people who will do so in a spirit of service rather than self-aggrandisement.

There is no “office of a deacon”, there are only those who serve. This summary therefore is applicable to all ministers (which means servant) of any “rank” in the church.

It seems that the authoritarian structure of the church at the time the King James Bible was written, influenced the interpretation of this scripture so as to pervert the gospel, so that the words “the office of a” were added to bolster the idea of a hierarchical top-down organisation.

Such is the nature of authoritarianism, that those under authority bow to it, and play the sycophant to it, in order to justify the structure that they are a part of, wherever they can. This seems to be what the translators of these verses have done.

However, maybe I am being a bit harsh on these translators, and perhaps the term “the office of a deacon” was just their way of saying “the role of a deacon”. Whatever the case, these verses are now often used as some kind of indication that a “Deacon” must be appointed or ordained to a particular position, which is not the case at all.

Jesus the First Deacon

As quoted above, Jesus said: Nor be called teachers, for One is your Teacher, even Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. (Matt 23:11) The word for ‘servant’ here is deacon.

Similarly Jesus said:

For which is greater, the guest who is seated at a meal or the servant (deacon) who is waiting on him? is it not the guest? but I am among you as a servant. (deacon) (Luke 22:27)

We don’t need to be appointed by anyone in order to be a servant. We are expected to be servants in order to actually follow Christ’s example: to serve others as our daily way of life. (Luke 22:24-30, Matt 20:25-29, Mark 10:42-45)

Even though Christ said that authoritarian dominance shall not be so amongst you, (Matt 20:25-28) the tendency toward authoritarian church structures has been a constant characteristic of churches since the first century, when John wrote:

I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the pre-eminence among them, receives us not. (3John 1:9)

The Christian calling is not for the lazy, or cowardly, or willingly ignorant. God expects his friends to be diligent, courageous, wise and intelligent and to confront authoritarian leadership. We need to be willing to contend with the wicked teachers who lead people astray:

They that forsake the law (of God) praise the wicked: but such as keep the law (of God will) contend with them. (Prov 28:4)

Peter in the conclusion of his second letter provides a great list of characteristics of the Godly person, and concludes if you do these things, you shall never fall! (2Peter 1:3-11) The King James version’s terminology unfortunately doesn’t convey the powerful meaning of these verses, so it’s really necessary to paraphrase it to get the full intent of what he is saying. Here is my take on it for your consideration:

As God’s divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and courage: through which are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these promises you might be partakers of the divine nature (be like God), for you have escaped the corruption that is in the world caused by lust.

And yet, that is not all, for you also need to give all diligence to add to your faith in God great courage;

and add to your courage the knowledge of God;

And add to knowledge self-control;

and to self-control add patience;

and to patience add godliness (purity of action);

And to godliness add brotherly love;

and to brotherly love add love for God.

For if these things be in you, and abound, they will ensure that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But he that lacks these things is blind, and cannot see the results of his actions, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old foolish way of living.

Wherefore it is expected, brethren, that you should give all diligence to make your calling and election sure:

for if you do these things, you shall never fall:

For it is only through such diligence that an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (2Peter 1:3-11)

We are to diligently search out what teachers are saying, to determine if it’s the complete truth, or a mixture of truth, hypocrisy and deceit. God expects you to take personal responsibility such that you have an integral role in understanding your own salvation. We can’t rely on anyone else but God to show us what God wants. It is our friendship with him that we are developing, we can’t expect anyone else to relate to God for us.

Do you have the courage, knowledge, patience, godliness, brotherly love, and love toward God to confront authoritarian leaders and correct them, or get rid of them?

If so then you will never fall.

Chapter 5 Summary

Friends With God: God’s Called Out Ones

In this chapter, we have seen that there is no single ‘true church’. God not only respects individuals on their own merits, he calls people individually, with or without a human intermediary.

God desires to have a personal relationship with you- ultimately as his friend. Most often he calls us through a church, and most often he will also test us by the imperfect church we are called through.

The role of the church as an organisation is to provide support for us, and allow us to grow by relating to others and learning from and helping each other, and to also preach the truth of God to the world.

If there is no church near you that is up to this task, then God can certainly call you to him without such an organisation.

God expects you to take your calling seriously, part of which means for you to help build an organisation to preach his unadulterated Word to all people.

This organisation should not be authoritarian, or one that exalts the leader’s status through special seats, or clothes or titles etc.. The structure should be one that allows full, open accounting of the use of funds, and allows members to test those in authority to determine if they are being good representative of God’s work.

We are warned that not only individuals, but also churches, can be following God in vain, by teaching as doctrines commandments that are not in the Bible, but are concocted by men.

We need to take serious prayer and thought to judge all people and organisations to determine if they are worthy of our support and friendship. Do they listen to and obey God, or do they build their house on the sand? We don’t want to be inside their organisation when it gets washed away by the flood of God’s truth!

We need to be careful to be sure that we are following God, rather than being deceived into following men. God will test you by false leaders, even some who do miracles, to see if you truly love his way of life as revealed in his Word.

We need to be asking God for direction from his Holy Spirit, while also reading God’s words so that we follow the example of Jesus to ‘walk even as he walked’. In so doing, we will be living the will of God for us, and keeping his commandments, and therefore be truly “in his name”.

We will then be worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth, and growing in the grace (which means favour) and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. As we grow in favour with God, he will bless us with more knowledge and other blessings. Exactly what these blessings are, we will explore in some depth in Chapter Six of Friends With God: The Gifts of God, The Desires Of Your Heart.