apostles, prophets and governments - … prophets and governments introduction gordon lindsay was a...

Apostles, Prophets andGovernments

By Gordon Lindsay

Published ByCHRIST FOR THE NATIONS, INC.

Dallas, TexasReprint 1991

All Rights Reserved

CONTENTSChapter 1The Ministry-Gift of Apostles............................7

Chapter 2The Ministry-Gift Of Prophets.........................32

Chapter 3The Ministry-Gift Of Governments................. 40

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Apostles, Prophets and Governments

INTRODUCTION

Gordon Lindsay was a man of far-sightedvision. He seemed to live on a higher spirituallevel than many, and God revealed Himself toGordon in prophetic ways.

Apostles, Prophets and Governments waswritten over twenty years ago. Its reception andpopularity then is largely unknown. We doknow that it has long been out of print. Some ofthe material in it served as a foundation for alater work, The Pentecostal Ministry.

Apostles, Prophets and Governments was ascore of years ahead of its time. Its messagetoday is more timely and pragmatic than when itwas originally penned. Charismatic prayergroups have started a revolutionary revivalthroughout the world. Many of these havebecome congregations. Most have sought toestablish a "New Testament" order in theirmeetings. The offices of apostle, prophet andelder are being reexamined for their scriptural

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functions. Church governments that are viableand that don't lapse into classicaldenominationalism are being sought. This bookattempts a look at the proper twentieth-centuryNew Testament neo-pentecostal Body of Christ.

Gordon Lindsay wrote this book for today.

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Chapter 1

The Ministry-Gift ofApostles

The word "apostle" has a much widermeaning than is generally understood. The wordcomes from "apostolos" which means "one sentforth," "a messenger," "an ambassador," "amissionary." An apostle is one that is sent on aspecial mission.

The Scriptures show that there are differentorders of apostles. Christ Himself is spoken ofas an apostle.

"Wherefore, holy brethren, partakersof the heavenly calling, consider theApostle and High Priest of ourprofession, Christ Jesus" (Heb. 3:1).

Christ was sent to this world by the Father on

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a mission of redemption. As the "Sent One" Hewas an Apostle.

Then there are the Twelve Apostles of theLamb. These were given a distinctive mission,and they received exclusive promisesconcerning position and authority during themillennium that were given to no other group.The original Twelve were witnesses of theresurrection and ascension of the Lord (Acts1:21, 22). In the choosing of Matthias, Peterstood up and said:

"Beginning from the baptism ofJohn, unto that same day that he wastaken up from us, must one be ordainedto be a witness with us of hisresurrection" (Acts 1:22).

The Twelve Apostles were given a specialpromise as to their position in the Kingdom atthe time of the gathering of Israel.

"And Jesus said unto them, Verily Isay unto you, That ye which havefollowed me, in the regeneration when

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The Ministry-Gift of Apostles

the Son of man shall sit on the throne ofhis glory, ye also shall sit upon twelvethrones, judging the twelve tribes ofIsrael" (Matt. 19:28).

There are those who claim that the apostles'choice of Matthias as the apostle to take theplace of Judas was not accepted by the Lord,and that Paul was chosen to fulfill that position.But Paul, when describing the resurrection ofthe Lord, declared that Christ was seen of the"Twelve" not of the "Eleven." Judas, havingcommitted suicide, was not present; henceMatthias must have been the one indicated (ICor. 15:5). As for Paul, he does not includehimself in the Twelve, and of course could not,for he was not yet converted. Instead he declaresof Christ, in His post-resurrectionmanifestations, that He appeared to him as oneborn out of due time.

"And last of all he was seen of mealso, as one born out of due time" (I Cor.15:8).

THE THIRD GROUP OF APOSTLES

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Since Paul was not of the Twelve, but is alsocalled an apostle, it is evident that there is yetanother group of apostles. Matthias became thethirteenth because Judas had betrayed the Lordand committed suicide. He was the last of theoriginal Twelve.

The fourteenth apostle was not Paul, in orderof time. It was James, the Lord's brother. Paul,speaking of his visit to Jerusalem, declares thathe met James, the brother of the Lord, who wasan apostle.

"But other of the apostles saw I none,save James the Lord's brother" (Gal.1:19).

There were two James in the apostolic group,but neither of them was the son of a Mary.Hence this James was another apostle-thebrother of the Lord. During the Lord's earthlyministry he did not believe the Lord's claims.After the resurrection of Christ he became abeliever and was present at Pentecost (Acts1:14).

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The fifteenth and sixteenth apostles werePaul and Barnabas. Their office is spoken of inActs 14:14,15:

"Which when the apostles, Barnabasand Paul, heard of, they rent theirclothes, and ran in among the peoplecrying out, And saying, Sirs, why do yethese things?. . ."

Paul calls Apollos an apostle. In I Cor. 4:6 hesays: "And these things, brethren, I have in afigure transferred to myself and to Apollos foryour sakes." And then in verse nine, "For I thinkthat God hath set forth us the apostles,"evidently linking Apollos with himself as anapostle. Thus Apollos is the seventeenth apostle.

In the sixteenth chapter of Romans we have aremarkable declaration by Paul concerningAndronicus and Junia. In the seventh verse hesays: "Salute Andronicus and Junia, mykinsmen, and my fellow prisoners, who are ofnote among the apostles, who also were inChrist before me." Here the apostle declares thatJunia and Adronicus were older than he in the

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Lord, were fellow prisoners, and were of noteamong the apostles. As one writer puts it, "If wewere to say that a certain man was of noteamong the ministers would we mean anythingelse but that he was a minister?" The meaning isclear that Andronicus and Junia were theeighteenth and nineteenth apostles.

In Philippians 2:25 the Apostle Paul speaksof Epaphroditus as his brother and companion inthe Lord. He also speaks of him as "yourmessenger." But this word in the original Greekis "apostolos" or apostle. The revised versionmakes this correction and uses the word apostle.Thus Epaphroditus is the twentieth of theapostles mentioned in the Scriptures.

FALSE APOSTLESSince the apostle is an office of such

importance in the Christian Church, it is certainthat Satan, the imitator of all things spiritual,would seek to raise up false apostles. God mustset apostles in the Church. Man cannot do it. Hewho usurps the position of an apostle is a falseapostle. Some attempted to do this in the Early

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Church and were denounced as false apostles.Speaking of these Paul said,

"For such are false apostles, deceitfulworkers, transforming themselves intothe apostles of Christ. And no marvel;for Satan himself is transformed into anangel of light. Therefore it is no greatthing if his ministers also be transformedas the ministers of righteousness, whoseend shall be according to their works" (IICor. 11:13-15).

A false apostle is identified first by hisusurpation of the office of an apostle, andsecond by failing to produce the works of anapostle. The Early Church took note of thosewho claimed apostleship but in fact were falseapostles. They were tried and found liars andexposed so that they would not be able to leadaway the sheep of the Church of Christ.

It is evident that the office of an apostle isneeded in the Church today. But history showsthe danger of any man calling himself anapostle. Groups that have attempted to restore

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apostolic functions by electing apostles havemerely exposed their own folly. Those claimingto be apostles sometimes have, at the beginning,manifested a generous spirit. But they soonbecame arbitrary and sectarian and usuallysucceeded in bringing people under bondage.When James and John sought, through the helpof their mother, to get a preferred positionamong the apostles, thus causing indignationand jealousy among the other ten, Jesusreproved them saying:

"Ye know that the princes of theGentiles exercise dominion over them,and they that are great exercise authorityupon them. But it shall not be so amongyou: but whosoever will be great amongyou, let him be your minister; Andwhosoever will be chief among you, lethim be your servant: Even as the Son ofman came not to be ministered unto, butto minister, and to give his life a ransomfor many" (Matt. 20:25-28).

TRUE APOSTLES

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True apostles will first manifest theirapostolic ministry by humility. They will revealthe ministry that God has given them by theirworks rather than by a public proclamation oftheir office. One can do the work of an apostlewithout calling himself an apostle. The office ofan apostle is to a great extent misunderstood.Many think it is an elevation to a position ofauthority whereby one may rule over God'speople. The words of Jesus just quoted showhow wrong such a conception is. Let one do theworks of an apostle and he will find that hisministry will become recognized.

The humility of John the Baptist is anexample for God's ministers today. John said,"He must increase, but I must decrease" (John3:30). God sent this messenger forth in theSpirit of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers tothe children and the hearts of the children to thefathers to bring an awakening to Israel, and tomake ready a people prepared for the Lord(Luke 1:17). There was no greater born ofwomen than John the Baptist (Matt. 11:11). Butwhen they asked him if he were Elias (Elijah),

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he answered that he was not (John 1:21). Yetwhen they asked Jesus concerning His ministry,He replied, "And if ye will receive it, this isElias, which was for to come" (Matt. 11:14). Itis evident that one does not have to assume titlesin order to fulfill a scriptural ministry. To fulfillthe work of an apostle one does not have to taketo himself such a title. In fact assuming such atitle might greatly hinder rather than help. EvenJesus very cautiously revealed His Messiahship.Public proclamation of it would have rallied thepeople to Him in a manner that would havehindered His mission.

Another distinguishing feature of an apostleis that he is "a sent one," "a world missionary"for evangelizing the world. Anyone who claimsto have the office of an apostle and has noburden for the whole world is not a true apostle.

THE MARKS OF AN APOSTLE'SMINISTRY

1. An apostle will have a burden for thewhole Church, and he will be interested in thewelfare of the entire Church. That does not

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mean that he will physically minister to allmembers of the Body, which may numbermillions. But his burden will be for the wholeChurch of Christ. This is very clearly seen inEphesians 4:11-16.

"And he gave some, apostles; and some,prophets; and some, evangelists; and some,pastors and teachers;

(a)For the perfecting of the saints,(b)for the work of the ministry,(c)for the edifying of the body of Christ.(d)Till we all come in the unity of the faith,(e)and of the knowledge of the Son of God,(f)unto a perfect man,(g)unto the measure of the stature of the

fullness of Christ.THAT

"we henceforth be no more childrentossed to and fro, and carried about withevery wind of doctrine, by the sleight ofmen, and cunning craftiness, wherebythey lay in wait to deceive. But speakingthe truth in love, may grow up into him

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in all things, which is the head, evenChrist: From whom the whole body fitlyjoined together and compacted by thatwhich every joint supplieth, according tothe effectual working in the measure ofevery part, maketh increase of the bodyunto the edlfying of itself in love. "

A study of the above passage clearly revealsthat the responsibility of a true apostle, as wellas that of a prophet, evangelist, teacher, orpastor, is indeed to the whole Body of Christ. Atrue apostle will intuitively manifest an interestin the whole Body of Christ, and will labor forthe edifying of the whole Body until allmembers "come into the unity of the faith."

2. He will not have a covetous spirit or be aseeker after financial gain. Judas, one of theoriginal Twelve who shared their ministry,disqualified himself and also destroyed his ownsoul by using his position for personal gain. Hewas treasurer of the apostolate, and carried thebag. Before he committed the climactic act oftreachery by betraying Christ for 30 pieces of

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silver, he had become a habitual thief. WhenMary poured the ointment on Jesus, Judas wasindignant and demanded to know why theointment was not sold and the money given tothe poor. The Scriptures reveal that Judas saidthis,

"not that he cared for the poor; butbecause he was a thief, and had the bag,and bare what was put therein" (John12:6).

A true apostle must be above even thesuspicion of a covetous spirit. He may, in theinterest of the Kingdom, become responsible forthe handling of large sums of money, as theapostles were when the multitude sold theirpossessions and laid them at the apostles' feet(Acts 4:34-37). But he will be a faithful stewardand will not lavish on himself money given tothe cause of Christ for the work of the Kingdom.The story of Judas, given such prominence inthe Scriptures, is of deep significance.

3. True apostles do not seek the glory of men.Jesus said,

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"How can ye believe, which receivehonour one of another, and seek not thehonour that cometh from God only?"(John 5:44).

It has always been the mark of a false apostleto covet human adulation rather than the honorwhich comes from God. Diotrephes was such aone who desired "preeminence." He refused torecognize the true apostles, "prating against uswith malicious words" John says, and castingout of the church those who were loyal.Diotrephes, who sought to divide the Body ofChrist to the intent of furthering personalambition, revealed himself as a false leader (IIIJohn 9-11).

Paul shows the humility of a true apostlewhen speaking of his own conduct.

"Nor of men sought we glory, neitherof you, nor yet of others, when we mighthave been burdensome, as the apostles ofChrist" (I Thes. 2:6).

In fact an apostle, far from finding his

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ministry a popular one, may on occasion befaced with severe persecution. Consequently, hemust possess unusual grace and humility if he isto be successful in fulfilling his mission. Of thisPaul declares,

"For I think that God hath set forthus the apostles last, as it were appointedto death: for we are made a spectacleunto the world, and to angels, and tomen" (I Cor. 4:9).

It is apparent that only those who can mortifypersonal ambition would be successful in suchan office. Those who seek after such an officefor the prominence and honor that it might giveare manifestly unqualified for the office,regardless of what other talents they possess.

4. An apostle possesses a supernaturalministry. An apostle's work is a supernatural oneand he must be fully armed with the power ofthe Spirit and the gifts thereof. He canaccomplish his work in no other way. To professthe office of an apostle without the signsfollowing would be to mark one's self as a false

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apostle.

We are informed that in the Early Church theapostles preached the Gospel of Christ withgreat signs and wonders.

"And with great power gave theapostles witness of the resurrection ofthe Lord Jesus: and great grace was uponthem all" (Acts 4:33).

In the next chapter, a similar statement ismade.

"And by the hands of the apostleswere many signs and wonders wroughtamong the people" (Acts 5:12).

Paul associated the ministry of thesupernatural with the ministry of a true apostle.In writing to the Corinthians he says:

"Truly the signs of an apostle werewrought among you in all patience, insigns, and wonders, and mighty deeds"(II Cor. 12:12).

But even a supernatural ministry in itself is

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not enough to qualify one as an apostle.Evangelists, prophets, and even deaconspossessed such a ministry in the Early Church.Notice in the above Scripture that an apostleshould minister among the people "in allpatience." That means he cannot be reckless inthe Kingdom of God, but must patiently ministerto God's people, not seeking to vindicate hisown honor, but laboring for the good of thewhole body of Christ.

5. Apostles minister disciplinesupernaturally. Another mark of an apostle isthat when severe discipline is necessary in theChurch, he will minister it supernaturally. As weshall see, when discipline is meted out in theusual manner it leaves the individual free tofoment opposition against the Church. Themethods used by the apostles in the EarlyChurch kept it pure and free of evil elements.

6. An apostle is "a messenger, "he is one"sent" on a mission. The vision of his soul is toevangelize the world for Christ. He has beensent of God to help turn the nations to God. The

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vision of a lost world will flame in his soul, andhe will be possessed by a burning desire to reachthe world for God. This was the vision of theearly apostles.

Notice to what remarkable extent the worldwas evangelized in apostolic days:

"If ye continue in the faith groundedand settled, and be not moved away fromthe hope of the gospel, which ye haveheard, and WHICH WAS PREACHEDTO EVERY CREATURE WHICH ISUNDER HEAVEN. . ." (Col. 1:23).

Christ in His Great Commission said,"Preach the gospel to every creature." Thatcommand must be fulfilled in our generation. AsJesus said,

"And this gospel of the kingdomshall be preached in all the world for awitness unto all nations; and then shallthe end come" (Matt. 24:14).

It is unthinkable that an apostle or any otherministry set in the Body of Christ should have

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otherwise than this vision.

7. He will be a man of sound words. Sincethe work of an apostle is to bring men into aknowledge of the Son of God so that they will"be no more children, tossed to and fro andcarried about with every wind of doctrine," hewill be a man sound in the faith and in purity ofdoctrine. The great Apostle Paul in writing toTimothy and Titus urged them repeatedly tohold to sound doctrine, and to avoid those thingsthat excite curiosity and vain wrangling andwhich do not edify the church.

AN APOSTLE'S CALLINGLewi Pethrus, in The Wind Bloweth Where It

Listeth writes concerning apostles:

"Some have found fault with usbecause we have not been anxious tochoose or elect apostles. Church historyreveals that at certain periods such actsand steps have been taken. When somestrong and mighty spiritual movementhas broken loose, many have suggested

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that we must choose twelve apostles.The Irvingians chose twelve apostles,and they held forth that Jesus wouldcome before they died. Their last apostledied years ago. Because we have notgiven ourselves to such practices, somehave said that we do not respect theoffice of an apostle. But this we do. Webelieve in the ministration of an apostle.We believe in the ministration of anapostle's office, just as much as in thepastor's or teacher's ministrations. Thismust continue in the church.

"For my part, I have always had asense of fear concerning these highministrations. I have felt that much thatconcerns them might be misinterpretedand misunderstood. There are those whogo about calling themselves apostles. Afew months ago I noticed something thatbrought me deliverance on this point. Iwas reading about John the Baptist.Jesus more than once said that John theBaptist was that Elijah that should come.

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He said it as he preached to the people,and also as He came from the Mount ofTransfiguration. The disciplesunderstood Him. Then they went to Johnpersonally and asked him, Àre you theElijah that is to come?' He said, Ì am thevoice of one crying in the wilderness.'This enlightened me. I learned that onemay have a high calling and ministrationwithout knowing it. John did notconsider himself that Elijah. Jesus did.Then, too, I learned that we need not goabout trumpeting our calling andattracting attention to ourselves.

"If they insist on knowing who weare, we answer like John did, Ì am thevoice of one crying in the wilderness.' Iam not an apostle; I am not Elijah. I amtoo unworthy for this, and I am notcapable. But this I know, I have aheavenly calling and a message todeliver.

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"So many are weak for titles. And ifthese high and holy titles be given, itwould not be long before we would hear:Ì am an apostle;' Ì am a prophet,' etc.Some time ago a sister came to mesaying, Ì have the gift of healing.' Ianswered, `That is fine sister, and thegift will manifest itself by your healingthe sick.' By what actually happens, folkswill see and understand and the kind ofgift we possess. We need not go aboutand proclaim our gifts and callings. Andif some should ask if we have this or thatgift, we can humbly say, `No I have not,'even though we may within ourselvesfeel God has given us a gift. We shouldturn away from all honor-seeking inconnection with these high and holyblessings. We serve the Lord, and in Hisown day, He will reveal what gift andministration we had in His field ofservice.

"I believe it a wonderful grace ofGod that we did not get into the same

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channel as the so-called apostolic churchin Wales. I was privileged to have aconversation with a couple of apostlesfrom that church. I learned much thatwill benefit me the rest of my life. Theygo about calling themselves apostles,and let themselves be ordained to thiscalling by being anointed with oil. Iasked how they could perform such anunbiblical act. And the leader said, `Iadmit we have no real ground inScripture for this, but we do itnevertheless because there has been somuch blessing connected with the act.'The truth of the matter is, this act hadbeen suggested by a false prophecy thatthey were following. I answered that newlight had been thrown upon their entirework and organization. When they coulddeal with such high and holy callings onsuch unbiblical grounds, the entiremovement was on loose foundations.They had dragged down heavenly thingsto an earthly plane. Divine things were

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put on a human basis."It is impossible for humans to

choose those who are to be givenspiritual ministrations. Delegates of achurch or denomination can never knowwhat God may deposit in an individual'slife. Organs and members of a body arenot placed there mechanically. Theycome through a process of life. Forinstance, take a character like MartinLuther. No human chose him to be areformer. He arose nevertheless. Popesdecreed that he should not live, but helived. Those that God sends areequipped and bring forth a wonderfulservice. `But now hath GOD set themembers every one of them in the body,as it hath pleased him' (I Cor. 12:18).These administrations cannot be set inthe church through the choice ofmajorities. God alone does this work.Ephesians 4:11, tells us, `He (God) gavesome, apostles; and some, prophets; andsome, evangelists; and some, pastors and

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teachers.' These are God's gifts to thechurch. Those having such a spiritualministry have received it from Goddirectly. He has deposited within themHis power and they cannot be set asideby humans. Who could set aside a Lutheror a Wesley? Such gifts to the churchcome and go without anyone appointingthem or dismissing them."

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Chapter 2

The Ministry-Gift OfProphets

The ministry of prophecy is an integral partof the New Testament Church. There were atleast three prophets in the Corinthian Church (ICor. 14:29). This ministry is second inimportance and order in the Body of Christ. Thepurpose and character of this ministry isdeclared in the Scriptures as follows:

1. A prophet possesses a definite gift ofprophecy. There are certain other qualifications.Jesus had a ministry of prophecy and thereforereferred to Himself as a prophet (Luke 4:24 andLuke 13:33). Jesus of course was far more thana prophet.

2. A true prophet will show proper humilityand will be amenable to advice from other

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The Ministry-Gift Of Prophets

ministry-gifts set in the church.

"If any man think himself to be aprophet, or spiritual, let himacknowledge that the things that I writeunto you are the commandments of theLord" (I Cor. 14:37).

3. While the gift of prophecy is infalliblewhen the prophet is perfectly yielded to theSpirit, yet New Testament prophets were not tobe considered infallible.

"Let the prophets speak two or threeand let the other judge" (I Cor. 14:29).

It is quite proper to judge all prophecy in thelight of the Scriptures.

4. It is the ministry of prophets to exhort andconfirm the brethren (Acts 15:32). This isfurther shown in I Cor. 14:3:

"He that prophesieth speaketh untomen to edification, and exhortation, andcomfort."

5. Another ministry of the prophet in the

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church is the foreseeing of events of the future.Agabus forewarned the church at Antioch that agreat dearth was coming upon the world. Andforewarned, the church at Antioch was able tosend relief in good time to the brethren in Judea.The dearth actually came to pass, as wasprophesied, in the days of Claudius Caesar (Acts11:27, 30).

6. It is the ministry of the prophets to prayover and lay hands on those being separatedunto a special ministry (Acts 13:3).

7. Prophets, together with the apostles, are apart of the foundation of the New TestamentChurch.

And now let us note a warning given by theApostle John concerning false prophets:

"Beloved believe not every spirit, buttry the spirits whether they be of God;because many false prophets are goneout into the world" (I Jn. 4:1).

By their fruits ye shall know them. Trueprophets will have the Spirit of Christ. Their

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works will be of the Spirit of Christ. Falseprophets are known by their nature; thoughclothed in sheep's clothing, they may be crueland relentless. They will not continue longbefore they disclose their true character.

THE NATURE OF PROPHETICMINISTRY

In the Old Testament the prophetic ministrywas essentially foretelling. In the NewTestament, the emphasis is on forthtelling.When man was placed in the Garden of Eden,God conversed with him directly. Thatcommunion was broken by man's disobedience.In a certain sense, the gift of prophecy restoresthat direct communion.

The prophetic gift has many variations. Itmay be exhortational; it may take the form ofsong or poetry as in the Psalms; or it may onoccasion reveal future events. The gift hasvaried operations and in some instances may bea vehicle for other gifts such as the word ofwisdom, the word of knowledge, or discerningof spirits.

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Prophecy relating to the future is of twodistinct kinds. Some prophecies areunconditional, as for example the Abrahamiccovenant or the Messianic prophecies. Othersare conditional such as Isaiah's warning ofHezekiah's impending death (II Kings 20:1-6) orJonah's pronouncement of judgment on Nineveh(Jonah 3:3-10). Unconditional prophecies arenot dependent upon man for fulfillment.Conditional prophecies, however, depend on theobedience of the person or persons to whomthey are addressed.

There is a difference between revelationprophecy and that which is exhortational. In thelatter, the Spirit of God takes over the person'ssubconscious mind and from his storehouseselects, rearranges, and anoints certain truths forthe edification of the hearers. Revelationprophecy is a higher form of the gift andinvolves a greater yielding to the Spirit.Exhortational prophecy is more prevalent andusually is the kind manifested in public services(I Cor. 14:26).

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It is true that there is an increasing hunger inthe hearts of people for revelation prophecy.Nevertheless, because of the complexity of thegift, certain safeguards are important in itsoperation. The gift of prophecy involves themerging of the human and the divine, the finitewith the infinite, the imperfect with the perfect.

TRUE PROPHECY"The testimony of Jesus is the spirit

of prophecy" (Rev. 19:10).True prophecy ever points to Christ, to His

deity, His ministry, His purpose in coming intothe world, and to His return to earth. Allegedprophetic gifts that engage in telling fortunes,divining mysteries, predicting the outcome ofpolitical events, locating lost articles, etc., betraythe fact that they are something other than theBible gift. The true gift of prophecy is not to beconfused with fortune-telling, extrasensoryperception, clairvoyance, and other psychicmanifestations. It may, however, at times giveguidance and counsel. It is important,nonetheless, that people should search the

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Scriptures first before looking for furtherguidance. Moreover, just as some peoplemisinterpret Scripture, so it is possible tomisinterpret a prophecy. In all cases people needspiritual discernment to understand either.

Old Testament prophets on occasion failed torecognize the time of fulfillment of theirprophecies. Some make that mistake today. Forexample the Bible speaks of apocalypticjudgments taking place during the Great andTerrible Day of the Lord. That time is not faroff, but it has not yet come. When folk are giventhe impression that some catastrophic event is tohappen immediately, and it fails to take place,they are prone to lose confidence in the giftaltogether.

It is true that God does give certain kinds ofguidance by means of the revelation gifts. Suchwas the warning received by Paul when he wason his way to Jerusalem (Acts 20:22, 23). Evenso, the prophecy had to be correctly interpreted.But Paul interpreted the prophecy only as awarning of what would happen to him if he went

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to Jerusalem; he did not see it as a prohibition.The apostle went on to his destination,apparently in the will of God, although ithappened to him just as the prophecy had said.

The gift is not intended as a vehicle toestablish new doctrine. We are warned by Peterof men who will come into the church with"damnable heresies" which can lead to greatconfusion. Some of the most serious heresiesowe their origin to the "private interpretation" ofsome self-styled prophet.

Despite these cautions, let us say that wesorely need the inspiration and revelation giftsin operation in the church. May God give Hisministers discernment to distinguish betweenthe true and the false. Paul commands us to

"Despise not prophesyings. Prove allthings; hold fast that which is good" (IThes. 5:20, 21).

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Chapter 3

The Ministry-Gift OfGovernments

Besides apostles and prophets there are manyother ministries which the Holy Spirit has setwithin the Body of Christ. Included are teachers,miracles, gifts of healings, helps, governments,diversities of tongues (I Cor. 12:28). "Helps,"for example may include a great variety of lessspectacular, but nonetheless importantministries. All of these ministries must functionfreely within the Body. What do the Scriptureshave to say about the ministry of"governments?" Does this office have theelement of the supernatural in it? Or is it aministry that functions entirely through the useof natural methods, such as those which are usedin the governing of human organizations or ininstitutions? The Scriptures we believe are clear

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The Ministry-Gift Of Governments

as to the purpose of this ministry of"governments."

A fundamental truth of the New Testament isthat every believer is his own priest incontradistinction to Old Testament days whenthe believer had access to God chiefly throughanother. In the Church age all members of theBody of Christ should have personalcommunion directly with God, and not beentirely dependent on someone else. Thus Peterdeclares in I Pet. 2:9:

"But ye are a chosen generation, aroyal priesthood, a holy nation, apeculiar people, that ye should showforth the praises of him who hath calledyou out of the darkness into hismarvelous light."

Nevertheless the New Testament believer isnot to be an "individualist" but is interdependentwith other members of the Body of Christ.

He is therefore under obligation to cooperatewith other members of the Body as well as to be

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subject to the Head, which is Christ. Theposition of a New Testament believer is not tobe as those who lived in the days of the Judges,when

"every man did that which was rightin his own eyes" (Judges 17:6).

God has placed "governments" in the church,for He is a God of order and not of confusion.Moreover, this ministry of governments has asupernatural element just as the other ministriesof the Body of Christ have.

The New Testament speaks with some detailof government in the local church, but sparinglyof that which goes beyond the local church. It isevident that the New Testament purposelyomitted giving detailed instructions concerningany universal church government, and in factuses the plural "governments." The Church wasto extend through two millenniums. During thislong period, circumstances and conditionswould greatly change. A full revelation wasgiven as far as principles were concerned, butdefinite methods of organization were not

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specified. What would be best at one time mightnot be best at another. What might be best forone group might not be for another. This isclearly seen in the order set up in the first churchat Jerusalem.

THE EARLY COMMUNAL CHURCHThe first Church was a communal church.

The people sold their possessions and had allthings in common. Few today advocate that weshould return to that form of organization.Attempts to revive a communal church have metwith varying degrees of success.

Yet it was successful for a time andapparently it carried the blessing of God, thoughwe have no information that it was specificallyauthorized by God. It is interesting to note thereasons why a communal church was successfulat the time:

1. It was a voluntary arrangement. No onewas forced to sell his property and give it to theapostles (Acts 5:4).

2. All the people were filled with the Holy

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Ghost and their hearts were aglow with a greatlove.

3. The Church was under a severepersecution. Some were martyred, others thrustin prison. Such persecution drives peopletogether. The multitude living togetherexperienced a sense of security they would nothave felt had they been isolated one fromanother at that critical time. It is interesting tonote that many Jews in Israel today live incommunal settlements, especially in areas wherethey are subject to Arab raids.

4. The apostles exercised divine discipline,thus removing wicked persons from their midstthat might have soon destroyed the purity andunity of the Church. This brought great fear onthe Church and prevented an infiltration of evilinto it (Acts 5:11-14).

5. Another most important reason thatimpelled the people to dispose of their propertywas because they had been warned by the Lordof what was ahead. Jesus had told them thatjudgment was coming on Jerusalem; the city

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was to be destroyed, in fact, leveled to theground (Luke 13:34, Luke 19:42-44, Luke21:20-24). And this was to come to pass in theirgeneration (Matt. 23:35, 36). Knowing thesethings, it is not surprising that they felt a strongurge to dispose of their property and invest it inthe Kingdom of God. Judgment did come in theyears 66-70 A.D. about the time of themartyrdom of Paul, but the Christians, warnedbeforehand, escaped to Pella.

BIBLICAL PRINCIPLESWhile it is true that God did not lay down an

absolute form of organization in either a localchurch or inter-church system (else we wouldhave to follow that of the communal church atJerusalem), some government is necessary. Butwhatever the method chosen, it must not violateany of the principles of the Body of Christ.These divine principles must always supersedeany human arrangements that mightcompromise these principles. In other words anyecclesiastical laws that compromise theheadship of Christ are unconstitutional.

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1. The Church must acknowledge theprinciple of the supreme Headship of Christ.There is no place for a vicar of Christ.

2. It must acknowledge the fellowship of thewhole Body of Christ. That is, no group mayrestrict fellowship on the lines of its ownorganization. That would be dividing the Bodyof Christ.

3. It must acknowledge all the ministrieswhich God sets in the Church. It should notdeny initiative to those whom God has called tospecial ministries in the Body (I Cor. 12:28).

4. Doctrinally it should stand for theprinciples of the doctrine of Christ (Heb. 6:1, 2).

5. It should be flexible and responsive torevival, when and where God should send it.Historically revivals have come throughindividuals. Church organizations may greatlybenefit from such visitations if they are sensitiveto the moving of the Spirit of God.

Paul declares that there are "diversities ofoperations." Hence, it is evident that every man's

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ministry will in some degree differ fromanother's. All these ministries are needed inorder to edify the Church, and to bring it into aholy unity and fellowship. Certain ministers,because of the ministries that they possess andbecause of their burden for the whole Body ofChrist, will be recognized as pillars in theChurch (Gal. 2:9). But even these men, Paulhastens to show, are not infallible; they aresubject to mistake (Gal. 2:11-14). Peter on oneoccasion was about to give way to Jewishpressure for a separation of fellowship betweenthe Jewish Church and the Gentile Church. Paulinsisted that this fellowship not be broken.

DISCIPLINE IN THE EARLYCHURCH

The ordinary methods of discipline wereexercised in the Early Church, when suchsufficed. But when they failed to preserve theunity of the Body of Christ, then discipline wasexercised supernaturally. This was true in thepunishment of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5).Again, in the case of Hymenaeus and Alexander

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in I Timothy 1:20, who denied one of theprinciples of the doctrine of Christ-the doctrineof the Resurrection (II Tim. 2:18). Thus was theunity of the Early Church preserved.

As we have seen, there were "helps" and"governments" which God set in the Church.Specific methods of their ministrations are notgiven in detail in the New Testament. Buthowever they functioned, they were to work inharmony and accord with the other ministrygifts.

CHURCH ORGANIZATION IN THEWILDERNESS

Moses, under the heavy responsibility ofleadership of the people of the Church in thewilderness, was advised of his father-in-law toappoint others to work under him. Mosesfollowed the advice of his father-in-law (Exodus18). This form of government that was set upcompletely failed. In the course of time we findMoses confessing that he was about to breakunder the burden (Numbers 11:14, 15).

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It is commonly thought that Jethro's advicewas all wrong. But is that altogether true? Theprinciple of deputation of work is sound. Whatwas wrong was that the men who had beenappointed at the first were elders who were notanointed of the Spirit. Consequently, they couldonly fail in their task, just as those of any otherchurch organization today who are without theanointing of God upon their lives, must fail.God took some of the spirit that was uponMoses and put it upon 70 elders (Num. 11:16-29). Thus they became qualified for their task.These, as has been pointed out, may well havebeen the same elders.

A certain amount of organization is necessarywhere men labor together for a commonpurpose. Organization is a working agreementbetween brethren. But spiritual tasks requiremen with Holy Ghost anointing. Without thisthey are sure to fail. The ministry of"governments" is a supernatural ministry, just asthe "gifts of healings" are. This office must havethe anointing of God upon it, as certainly asother supernatural gifts, as "the word of

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wisdom" and "the word of knowledge" musthave, if they are to be successful in theiroperation. Above all, "governments" must trulyrecognize the Headship of Christ over the Body.

THE LOCAL CHURCHESWhen Christ sent His messages by John to

the local churches in Asia Minor (Rev. 2, 3), Hecalled them to an accounting. Each church wasresponsible directly to the Lord for its conduct.Thus the Headship of Christ was maintained inthe Body. Elders were appointed as overseers ofthe Church (Acts 20:28 and I Tim. 5:17). Thesewere also called bishops (I Tim. 3:1), and weresubject to certain qualifications. Under themwere deacons whose duties were more in thetemporal sphere (Acts 6). These were appointedby the elders after they had been nominated bythe church.

FELLOWSHIP EXTENDEDBEYOND THE LOCAL CHURCHLack of transportation facilities in the days of

the Early Church limited fellowship between the

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various churches. Yet a fellowship wasmaintained, as much as was possible under thecircumstances. When an important questioncame up in the church at Antioch, the leaders ofthe church went to Jerusalem where the eldersand apostles came together to consider thematter, and to arrive at a decision (Acts 15).When Peter and Barnabas thought to withdrawfellowship from the Gentile church, Paul sharplyrebuked them.

There was no elaborate organization in thedays of the apostles. The elders of the churches,however, came together on occasion for mutualcounsel. Paul commissioned Timothy to traveland ordain elders in certain churches. The EarlyChurch was organized to care for the poor andfor the widows and to do missionary work. Theautonomy of the local church in apostolic daysis strongly evident.

THERE WAS A STANDARD OFFELLOWSHIP

The fellowship was not all inclusive. Menhad to come up to a certain standard to be

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accepted in the fellowship. Immoral personswere not permitted in that fellowship; neitherwere those who were unruly or walkeddisorderly (II Thes. 3:6). Domineering andsectarian leaders were excluded (III John 9-11).They who defiled their separation from theworld were to be excommunicated by divinecommand (Rev. 3:15-19; James 4:4).Fellowship was also based on acceptance of thedoctrine of Christ (II John 9-11).

In the Early Church it was common to carryletters of recommendation when an evangelist orminister came into an area where his ministrywas not known or there was a possibility that itwould be in question (Acts 15:22-31). Theprinciple was that a man should carry a letter ofrecommendation from a previous field of laborwhen he went into another. Throughout theletters of Paul we find statements in which herecommended the ministry of some and warnedthe churches against others.

CERTAIN MINISTRIES SET IN THECHURCH

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We are told specifically that God set certainministries or ministry-gifts in the Church:

"And he gave some, apostles; andsome, prophets; and some, evangelists;and some, pastors and teachers; for theperfecting of the saints, for the work ofthe ministry, for the edifying of the bodyof Christ: Till we all come into the unityof the faith... That we henceforth be nomore children, tossed to and fro, andcarried about with every wind ofdoctrine. . ." (Eph. 4:11-14).

These are the ministry-gifts that Christ hasgiven to the Church as a whole. These gifts arealso listed in I Corinthians 12, along withministries that include persons in the Churchwho are not actual elders:

"Now ye are the body of Christ, andmembers in particular. And God hath setsome in the church, first apostles,secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers,after that miracles, then gifts of healings,

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helps, governments, diversities oftongues" (I Cor. 12:27, 28).

THE PLACE OF DENOMINATIONSWhat place does a denomination hold in the

New Testament Church? Are denominationsscriptural or unscriptural? Or should we ask firstwhat is a denomination? A denominationactually is something that has been"denominated" or in other words given a name.R. E. McAlister sums up the matter when hesays:

"Any group of Christians whetherlarge or small, whether local, national orinternational, who are designated by aname, a doctrine, a form of worship, apolicy of church government, or unitedin any common cause such asevangelism or missionary work, is adenomination. To be associated with agroup of God's children who stand forthe full Gospel, whether in a localassembly or in a larger fellowship which

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takes on national or internationalproportions, is commendable.

"The first denomination of theChristian dispensation was calledDisciples of Christ. In the four Gospelsand the Acts, this group is referred to byname about two hundred and fiftytimes... The second designation of God'speople in this dispensation wasChristian. The disciples were calledChristians first at Antioch (Acts 11:26).Since that time several hundreddenominations have taken the name andcalled themselves Christians. TheChristian Church, Christian MissionaryAlliance, Evangelical Christian andmany others are still familiar names,which designate groups of God'schildren as denominations. It remainedfor the Apostle Paul, by divinerevelation, to bring to the world the truthof the Body of Christ which is theChurch. From then on the name `church'came into prominence and that name is

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used over one hundred times in the NewTestament. These local churches wereassociated together and took on national,international, and universal proportions.In this affiliation or association theywere designated as The GeneralAssembly and Church of the First Born(Heb. 12:23).

"As time went on, the Church tookon national and internationalproportions. In keeping with thisexpansion and extension, the recognitionof one universal Church as members ofthe Body of Christ was retained. At thesame time there was a local, national,and international recognized affiliationand organization to the point ofefficiency and economy. Each assemblywas a self-governing unit, in a greatuniversal brotherhood of united churchesin Christ."

Rev. McAlister's statement is a fair one. Achurch may function as a church independent of

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all other churches. But for many reasons it isadvisable that churches find a basis forcooperative fellowship. In these days when swifttransportation contributes to the interminglingof people from various churches in a measuregreater than any other time in history, it isurgently necessary that some basis of fellowshipbetween all true believers be found. As Christshowed in John 17:21, the unity of the Church isnecessary if the world is to believe that Jesus isThe Christ.

Rev. McAlister adds in his statementconcerning religious organizations that "Somedenominations and sects are decidedlyunscriptural and modern." One can scarcelydeny this. Declension of spiritual power in areligious organization usually results in theusurpation of the headship of Christ. Therefore,it is absolutely essential that this headship bekept inviolate. A religious organization can by asimple test ascertain if it is in harmony with thewill of God: Does it recognize the whole Bodyof Christ by lip service or in reality? Is it afellowship that encourages the unity and

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harmony of all members of the Body of Christ,or does the denomination regard its organizationmainly as a defense against competition?

Recognition of the supremacy of the headshipis necessary for the attainment of a universalfellowship of God's people. Only when auniversal fellowship is attained can we say thatwe have given Christ preeminence. For onlywhen the members of the Body are working incomplete harmony and unity can it be said thatthe Head has full control over the Body.

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apostles, prophets and governments - … prophets and governments introduction gordon lindsay was a...

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