Many churches claim to be ‘New Testament’ or ‘First Century’ churches. However, if their structure and practices are honestly and impartially examined, their claim is easily seen as a falsehood. Whether they make such a claim planning to deceive or from ignorance is not clear and quite frankly irrelevant. Their error is obvious and should be called out for any who are interested.
I have been writing about the body of Christ and claiming that the Church is not the body of Christ as it confidently proclaims. This fact became apparent to me recently when I was watching a video of a sermon delivered in January of 2019 by a pastor of a local non-denominational church.
The first part of his sermon was about the congregation need becoming purpose-driven in the year ahead to be receive and follow God’s revelation for them. The second part of the sermon was about church membership. He said that membership in the church was on the basis of ‘covenant partnership’. Thus, everyone who is a member is a covenant partner. From this he concluded that all members are therefore ministers. And in his mind, a minister is one who serves in the church. Hence, each partner is expected to serve the church with their gifts. While the church’s statement of beliefs claims they believed in the exercise of the gifts of the Spirit as described in 1 Corinthians 12, these were not the gifts he was referencing. Rather, he was thinking of such things as singing by those with a good voice or those who have a great smile to serve as greeters.
Then he began describing the structure of the church. He said that first of all there is a Board of Directors made up of the himself, his wife and his father. The purpose of the Board of Directors, he explained, was to meet the government’s requirement for a church to have a board of directors with at least three people. The Board of Directors was necessary, he continued, in order to maintain the church’s 501C3 status (the U.S. government tax exempt status for religious corporations). The board members, he explained, were not merely figureheads because he said, “They were not the only decision makers.” There were others who helped with decision making.
He explained that there is an Accountability Council. This council is made up of people outside the church, both saved and unsaved, who had expertise in areas where the church needs guidance. This includes such things as advice on “the church, property or any of that kind of stuff.” Next he said there is also an Advisory Council which includes pastors and ministers who are not members of the church. The function of this group is to provide the direction of the church. Then the pastor stated that the members of Advisory Council are the church’s shepherds, which apparently meant the ‘covenant partners’ (members) are the sheep. He clarified the roles of shepherds and sheep when he said, “Sheep don’t govern shepherds. The sheep don’t determine where to go. That’s what the shepherd does. So sheep are not to govern the church.”
The question is: What do things such as Boards Of Directors, Advisory Councils and Accountability Councils have to do with the body of Christ or the New Testament? My answer is, “Absolutely nothing!” Rather, it is precisely the idea that the sheep are to govern the body of Christ?
What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one [all members not just the elders] has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. (1 Corinthians 14:26)
The telltale sign that a preacher’s words are not to be listened to is when they begin making statements that cannot be supported with scripture and verse. The United States government, or any country’s government, has no place in the body of Christ. And there is no Scriptural evidence that boards of directors, advisory councils, accountability councils or councils of any type are to be included in the body of Christ. Therefore they don’t belong in the body of Christ. There are to be elders, to be sure. As Paul instructed Titus:
For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you. (Titus 1:5)
Titus was left behind in Crete to do what remained to be done. That is, appoint elders, not a board of directors or an advisory council that included those who were not born again. Someone who is not a true believer cannot have any part in the body of Christ, let alone being one of the decision makers, who this pastor said were the church’s shepherds. Paul continues to instruct Titus concerning the character of the elders he would select.
6 If any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion.
7 For the overseer [elder] must be above reproach as God’s steward [this is not an unsaved person], not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain,
8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled,
9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict [this is a mature believer]. (Titus 1:6-9)
Why the insistence of such a high standard of character? Paul explains:
10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, [these are those who say they are believers but teach the false doctrine that gentiles must come under the Law and be circumcised before they can be saved]
11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain. (Titus 1:10-11)
Jesus is the head of His body. He is the decision maker. And yes, every congregation that is part of the body of Christ will have leaders. But they are not to be lifted up and set apart as are the leaders of the Church. And they do not lift themselves up as being the shepherd of the sheep. The leaders of the body of Christ are not lords over God’s heritage. They have been given responsibilities to perform for the edification and the building up of the body to the fulness of Christ. Though leaders, they are co-sharers in the body as Paul wrote to the Galatians:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
Ephesians 4:11 teaches:
11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13)
The word ‘as’ in verse 11 does not appear in the Greek manuscript. It was added by the translators. Including ‘as’ lends credence to the idea that apostle, prophet,evangelist, pastor and teacher are titles for positions. However, remove the word ‘as’ and the meaning changes. Apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher are no longer positions but responsibilities, or roles, assigned by Jesus to certain members of His flock for the building up of the body. Others in the body are given gifts by the Holy Spirit also for edifying the body. These responsibilities and the gifts are the primary instruments the Lord uses to build up His body. And there are no rankings. Everyone is an equal member of the flock.
The body of Christ does have a shepherd. It is none other than Jesus Christ, as He said of Himself:
11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
14 “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,
15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” (John 10:11, 14-15)
As for covenant partnerships, the body of Christ is certainly a community of believers united and held together in the power of each believer’s blood covenant with Jesus Christ. Therefore, all of the members are one (united) with all of the others. They serve one another. They give to one another. And they love one another with a love so great they would lay down their life for a brother or sister. Artificial, man-made boards and councils have no place in the covenant community of the body of Christ.