“Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. And God has appointed these in the church … ”
(1 Cor. 12:27-28a, NKJV)
Now that we’ve explained the different church leadership structures, and offered the Biblical perspective on it, it needs to be evaluated in the light of what the corporate spirit of Zerubbabel, as impetus to ministry, requires. As corporate spirit it is absolutely important to note that any church system that places the emphasis on the individual, who controls others and makes decisions for them, is problematic.
This is the case with the Episcopalian hierarchy, the democratic, and the autocratic church leadership models (the so-called set man model). Be wary of the absolute restrictive influence these man-made religious systems have on the development of the organic Christian Body. Man-made religious systems are characterised by the fact that they are run by people who, like with the building of the tower of Babel, are concerned only in making a name for themselves (Gen. 11:4).
The Presbyterian Order is the result of organic growth that developed naturally, through the creation of a space in which relationship is the prime focus, and the Holy Spirit develops and uses all members. This is expressed through two spiritual, interactive principles in the Body: firstly the internal servants of the church (who are responsible for the ministry associated with a frontrunner, elders and deacons), and secondly the servants of the Body (responsible for the ministry associated with the so-called five-fold ministry).
[It is very important to note that we are not saying that any of the ministry responsibilities should be read as titles as such, in the sense of them being externally decided upon, artificial positions – they are merely functional descriptions of people who witness to the fact that are already serving the Body with particular gifts that God has meted out to them. The so-called New Apostolic Movement, self-appointed within the Charismatic thought climate, trying to organise the world around spiritual positions, is just an old song set to a new tune, a centuries-old church system in new packaging. It is not so much concerned with building the Body, but rather with building individual ministries. Remember: the leadership support that God provides the Body is an endoskeleton (akin to that of a human, invisible but functionally present), not an exoskeleton (like for instance that of a crab, external and thus constricting). True leadership grows with the Body and offers support without placing itself in the foreground.
Frank Viola writes about this equally false authority structure that is popping up worldwide, in no uncertain terms: “Still more disappointing, every titled ‘apostle’ in the new apostolic movement that I know of fiercely defends those church practices that are rooted in pagan tradition and have been hindering the headship of Jesus Christ and the full functioning of His body for the last eighteen hundred years. For these reasons, I’m monumentally unimpressed with the ‘new apostolic movement.’” (http://frankviola.org/2010/10/27 /rethinking-the-five-fold-ministry/)]
In Eph. 2:19-22 the organic growth process of the Body is explained in beautiful terms: “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Therefore 1 Pet. 2:5 encourages all believers that, “you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”. This building process happens in and through the five-fold ministry (Eph. 4:12), which comes mostly from outside the (home) church. They “taught you publicly and from house to house” (Acts 20:20).
From this section it is clear that within the raising of this spiritual house, the apostles and prophets are responsible for laying the foundation of the spiritual home. These two functionaries of the Body moves around in the wider Body, often once an evangelist has sensitised people to God and his agenda (Acts 11:24), and follows up on God’s natural formation-forming through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Those who have been touched through this ministry and thus been mobilised, obviously now have a need to be part of a Body – we do after all know that Jesus pointed that “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35). The (home) church can be best described by Deut. 33:27: “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms …”
It is at this point that the servants of the Body reach out, those who are called as apostles and prophets, moving in and laying a foundation for the ekklesia, the community of believers. Acts 4:33 describes this process in the prototypical churches in the time of Acts: “And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.” These groupings of believers would especially be taught what Heb. 5:12 refers to as “the first principles of the oracles of God”, “milk and not solid food”. 1 Pet. 2:2 aptly refers to it as “the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby”. Heb. 6:1 also refers to it as “the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ”.
In the meeting of believers there is over time an accumulation on two levels. Firstly there is an increase of the word of God, and secondly an increase of disciples (Acts 6:7). In Acts 2:47 it is framed as follows: “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” Acts 5:14 also points out how “the increase of His government and peace” is gradually realised: “And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women …”
In the church there is often someone who possesses “gifts of administration” (1 Cor. 12:28, NIVUK), who can make the necessary arrangements of how and where believers can gather “from house to house” (Acts 2:46; 5:22). As people “gladly receive …” the word, they are baptised, and hands are laid on them to receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:15 & 17). Acts 2:42 notes that what then takes place in these churches, “they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
As the (home) churches meet regularly, “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” (Heb. 10:25), a particular shepherd will crystallise from the group, over time, and take responsibility for the group’s spiritual care. As the servants of the Body who initially brought the community of believers together are not necessarily locally located and always available, he/she will take care of the church’s shepherdly needs, but often also serve as frontrunner. This person also usually acts as link to the apostles and prophets. In Acts 15:22 we for instance read that Barsabas and Silas were “leading men among the brethren”. The writer of the Book of Hebrews specifically notes, at the end of it, that they should “Greet all those who rule over you …”
From Rom. 12:8 (ISV) we learn that being a frontrunner is one of the specific gifts of God (which is different from the gifts of Christ, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit), and that the manifesting/distinguishing characteristic of it is zeal: “If it is leading, lead enthusiastically.” This is absolutely understandable, as without it the cohesion and community of the group will suffer. David, as frontrunner, for instance prays in Ps. 69:9: “Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up …” This God-given zeal (Song. 8:6) ensures that no perverted or disorderly things happen with the church (John 2:17). Added to this – zeal brings forth zeal, Ezek. 8:3 teaches us, and in accordance with that Paul points out in 2 Cor. 8:7-8 that it also brings forth love. God then has compassion for the whole house, if there is zeal for His holy Name (Ezek. 39:25). This zeal must be made clear before God (2 Cor. 7:12).
Like Titus was pointed out as frontrunner in the church, based on the demonstration of his zeal (2 Cor. 8:16), an individual will arise in every church, who possesses enough zeal to encourage others (2 Cor. 9:2). He/she thus becomes one of the internal servants who perform the duties of an elder. Over time more dependable men and women will start playing important roles. They are shepherds and teachers, the first two types of the five-fold ministry that is manifested in the home church.
The apostles and prophets from outside then confirm, after a period of time, the leadership of the (home) church in formal terms: “So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” (Acts 14:23; also read Tit. 1:5). After this – and this is of great importance – the five-fold ministry submits themselves to the elders of the (home) church, for the sake of the greater order. In this way is ensured that a monopoly of spiritual authority is never possible.
The “apostles and elders” are then regularly in contact with one another to examine certain questions and problems, find solutions to them, and to report on the things that God has been working among them (Acts 15:2-6). They make certain ordinances, in other words, set decisions that have been guided through prayer and fasting (Acts 14:23), that is applicable to everyone (Acts 16:4). Everything happens in and through relationship.
In 1 Tim. 4:14 Paul refers to the position of elder as a gift that should not be neglected, and he notes that it is very specifically given “to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership”. When the apostles and prophets can see, after a period of ministry, who the people in the (home) church are that are fulfilling the role of elders, they are appointed and instated, with the laying on of hands, in that position. They are now, before God, responsible for their church members. Paul frames it as follows in Acts 20:28: “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” The five-fold ministry from outside is now, in terms of church matters, submissive to the authority that is nestled in the apostles and prophets. The Scriptures consider elders as crucially important, as 1 Tim. 5:17 also makes clear: “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.” Over time members of the church will also be guided, with the help of the five-fold ministry from outside, through spiritual fathering, to function within their gifts of Christ. They will eventually move to the outside, too, as part of this growing reservoir of human potential with a Godly mandate.
- Selah: Does your church function in this manner?
- Read: 119:89-176; Ps. 50; Ps. 20; Judg. 1-4
- Memorise: 119:139
- Memorise: 119:139 (note how beautifully it fits into this teaching!)
