deacon

DiM | lex orandi, lex credendi

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trebleclefToday’s post will be a Discernment in Music (DiM) post from a Church History perspective. As my appreciation for Latin phrases grows, I feel it necessary to share what I’ve learned. Today’s Latin phrase comes from one of last week’s episodes of Fighting for the Faith (30SEP15).

lex orandi, lex credendi
(the law of prayer is the law of belief)

The idea being conveyed here is that what one confesses, prays, and sings becomes what one believes. This is why historically the church has followed liturgical practices of reciting creeds/confessions/prayers, sang liturgical hymns, and practiced expository preaching following a lectionary. Here in the West, we’ve become quite enamored with ourselves and our own opinions and “new ideas” to the point of near-total disdain for orthodoxy. Despite all of our so-called wisdom and creativity, and rejection of “religions of men”, we still follow man-made religion… only now we do so without the bible as the standard, but our emotions/feelings.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 (ESV) For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Despite our narcissistic clamoring for innovation, we still fall headlong into the rule of lex orandi, lex credendi. It is no accident that Hillsong and Bethel push their musical giants so hard to capture the hearts of our youth. While the technology employed is new, the strategy is ancient.  Let’s take a walk into some church history, shall we?

Athanasius versus Arius

You may have heard of the Athanasian Creed. A while back we took a look at the 3 creeds (Apostle’s, Nicene, Athanasian). Today, we are going to take a look at Athanasius and his struggles against Arius and his followers, the Arians.

Athanasius (A.D. 295–373) lived in a time much closer to the Apostles than I realized before studying for this post. If you’ll remember yesterday’s post, we mentioned the Temple that Jesus and the Apostles knew was utterly destroyed in AD 70. So Athanasius lived within 300 years of this event. That might seem like quite a long time by our self aggrandizing modern culture, but when one considers that Christianity is alive and well today (AD 2015), Athanasius was there near the beginning. He suffered physical persecution (under Emperors Diocletian and Galerius) and political persecution (under Emperor Julian the Apostate). 1 Arius (AD 250 or 256–336) took objection to the doctrine of the trinity, particularly of the preaching of Alexander, the Bishop of Alexandria, on philosophical grounds. Arius contended that since Jesus was the only-begotten of God, there must have been a time when Jesus didn’t exist, thus Jesus was a created being not equal to God. Now Arius was gifted in persuasive speech and followed a lot of Origen’s philosophy. Arianism spread very quickly. Athanasius contended strongly against Arius in the city of Alexandria holding firmly the position that if Jesus was not God then the atonement was insufficient and Jesus could not be our Savior. A lesser being cannot bear the full brunt of God’s Wrath on our behalf. So the debates grew very heated. This lead to the first Council of the Bishop of Alexandria, where Arius was condemned. However, the Arian sect had grown in number and influence such that they were able to persist and challenge Athanasius, even falsely accusing him of murder. The Arians sent word to Emperor Constantine who then held the first Council of Nicaea. One of the major outcomes of this Council was the affirmation of the Person of the Son in the Trinity, and the first part of the Nicene Creed.

1 “I, Athanasius” by Rev. Gordon A. Beck. on September 7, 2008 in CLASSIC WITNESS, LUTHERAN WITNESS https://blogs.lcms.org/2008/i-athanasius-9-2008

Despite this defeat, Arianism persisted for some time and Athanasius dedicated most of his time and energy resisting this false teaching. But How did Arius manage to get so many followers in his false teaching? Well, for one, mankind is sinful and our flesh is constantly seeking to reject sound doctrine. But beyond this common ailment, Arius took advantage of another weakness of our flesh… music.

From the Epitome of Philostorgius regarding Arius:

CHAP. 2.—He says that Arius, after his secession from the church, composed several songs to be sung by sailors, and by millers, and by travellers along the high road, and others of the same kind, which he adapted to certain tunes, as he thought suitable in each separate case, and thus by degrees seduced the minds of the unlearned by the attractiveness of his songs to the adoption of his own impiety.

Now the compilations of Arius’ songs is known as Thalia. Nearly all of the writings of Arius was destroyed as a result of being declared heresy, but we do have a couple of summaries of his writings.

Thalia literally means “abundance,” “good cheer,” or “banquet”. It was written in verse, in order to aid memorization and popular distribution of Arius’s ideas. Fragments of this work survive in two writings of his opponent Athanasius. The first is in a report of Arius’ teaching in Orations Against the Arians, 1.5-6. This paraphrase has negative comments interspersed, so it is difficult to decide what are Arius’s words and what are comments of Athanasius (Williams 99). The second is a more direct quotation in On the Councils of Arminum and Seleucia, 15. [Read More]

Getting back to Athanasius’ writing against the Arian heresy, specifically focusing on the use of song, let us look to a portion from his Discourse 1:

How then can they be Christians, who for Christians are Ario-maniacs1833? or how are they of the Catholic Church, who have shaken off the Apostolical faith, and become authors of fresh evils? who, after abandoning the oracles of divine Scripture, call Arius’s Thaliæ a new wisdom? and with reason too, for they are announcing a new heresy. And hence a man may marvel, that, whereas many have written many treatises and abundant homilies upon the Old Testament and the New, yet in none of them is a Thalia found; nay nor among the more respectable of the Gentiles, but among those only who sing such strains over their cups, amid cheers and jokes, when men are merry, that the rest may laugh; till this marvellous Arius, taking no grave pattern, and ignorant even of what is respectable, while he stole largely from other heresies, would be original in the ludicrous, with none but Sotades for his rival. For what beseemed him more, when he would dance forth against the Saviour, than to throw his wretched words of irreligion into dissolute and loose metres? that, while ‘a man,’ as Wisdom says, ‘is known from the utterance of his word1834,’ so from those numbers should be seen the writer’s effeminate soul and corruption of thought1835. In truth, that crafty one did not escape detection; but, for all his many writhings to and fro, like the serpent, he did but fall into the error of the Pharisees. They, that they might transgress the Law, pretended to be anxious for the words of the Law, and that they might deny the expected and then present Lord, were hypocritical with God’s name, and were convicted of blaspheming when they said, ‘Why dost Thou, being a man, make Thyself God,’ and sayest, ‘I and the Father are one1836?’ And so too, this counterfeit and Sotadean Arius, feigns to speak of God, introducing Scripture language1837, but is on all sides recognised as godless1838 Arius, denying the Son, and reckoning Him among the creatures. [Christian Classics Ethereal Library]

So, we see here that Athanasius regarded Arianism as a full departure from scripture, maintained by seductive use of songs of merriment, amid cheers and jokes among merry men that the rest may laugh… entertainment. What we sing regularly will become what we believe.

Closing Comments

Dear Christian… is this not precisely what we see with the intentional shift away from the view of Church as the gathering of the saints for preaching of the Word for the edification and equipping of the saints into a place where “unchurched” can be entertained, engaged, and feel welcomed? Where dangerous Hillsong and Bethel heresies are pumped into the arena (formerly known as Sanctuaries) by a rock show performed by a house band. We are here, again, and this is nothing new. This is why it is so important to do the work of a Berean… to take what we hear and search the Scriptures to make sure it is true. We hold to what is Truth, and we reject and abstain from all falsehood. It is important that we do this with our sermons, our prayers, and our music. It isn’t “just music”, nor can it be dismissed as “harmless entertainment”. You know, there is a speck of truth to the humanist philosophy of self-affirmation… that speck is that we will believe what we constantly affirm. That doesn’t make what we come to believe “true”, it merely means that we can beat ourselves into believing lies. That is why it is vitally important that we take every thought captive to obey Christ, the Word of God (2 Cor 10:4-6). In closing, we will look to how the Apostle Paul exhorted the Thessalonians and to Jude’s closing of his letter.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-24 (ESV) | Final Instructions and Benediction

12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies,21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

Jude 24-25 (ESV) 

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Amen, Indeed.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

DiM | Worship Leader or Worship Pastor?

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trebleclefOn twitter we recently confessed that my wife and I enjoy watching the reality show The Voice on NBC. So far this season, there were two groan-worthy moments we shared that, sadly, ties directly into the modern-day church and its reckless approach to corporate worship, particularly in our selection of “Worship Leaders” and the bad habit of calling them “Worship Pastors”.

Disclaimer: Yes, we do watch some TV

When it comes to television shows, I enjoy watching skilled competition, particularly in musical and culinary arts. As a fan of music in general, I find this particular show to have the best format for selecting talented voices for competition. The various formats for competition are interesting and the coaches are engaging, funny, and do a great job of conveying genuine concern for the prospective careers of the contestants and for each other. The show is not without its problems, particularly for the testimony of Jesus Christ being marred by the conduct of those professing to be Christian yet chasing after their selfish dreams and indulgences. Not a single episode passes by without one of us groaning over something that is said in a back story montage or over the lyrics of a song chosen, or of the zen Buddhism being passed of as “gospel” advice by a coach. We take care in what we watch, but we do watch TV together. That might be a good topic to discuss at a later time, how we should approach Television and guarding ourselves from its lies/influence.

When “Worship Pastor” is thrown into a Resume

The first major moment of groaning for us happened during the back story montage for contestant Chris Crump from the Blind Auditions part 3 (Air Date: 09/28/15). His montage begins at roughly 1:03 mark. In the montage, there is the typical hit on Christian-based home-schooling with the reference to “my first secular album was a Creed Album…” The part that really caught my ire was when he talked about how in the south, we believe the man needs to support the family, and then he goes on say he’s accepted horrible gigs just so I could support us: carpenter, grocery stores, mortgage company, worship pastor, women’s shoe store, and sold TVs. Now, his list was very clearly clipped together by the producers of the show. It is not my intent to hold Chris Crump directly accountable for this statement, because it is clear we are missing parts of the interview. My point is that the producers of the show clipped together a list that demoted “Worship Pastor” to a resume filler on par with grocery stores and selling women’s shoes.  I groaned at the thought and then mentioned it to my wife, who then said, “sadly, most christians who hear that won’t even catch it, or see a problem with it.” I think she’s right, which is why we are going to discuss this now. For the record, He did a great job in his audition, singing a secular love song dedicated to his wife. All of the coaches wanted him, and he picked Blake Shelton for his coach. I want him to do well for his family’s sake, and I hope he demonstrates the fruit of the Spirit in his conduct on the show.

Worship Pastor

The Pastoral office is one of an Overseer, which is clearly defined in the New Testament. Just last week we looked at the Apostle Paul’s instructions to Timothy when we looked at the concept of being Dressed for Worship, so today let’s look to his instructions to Titus.

Titus 1:5-16 (ESV) | Qualifications for Elders

5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. 11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12 One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

Now, I included v10-16 because they expand on the need for pastors to rebuke those who contradict sound doctrine. This is a vital role of the office of the Pastor that doesn’t get much recognition in the modern-day church. In fact, this role is often avoided by Pastors and Elders, and  shunned by congregants. In fact, there is a subculture of professional “church-hoppers” who join a church, climb the social ladder within that church as quickly as possible and bail as soon as someone calls out their false doctrine, usually causing as much division as humanly possible. It is these who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers. Yes, Paul mentions those of the circumcision party (Judaizers). In our day we have many such groups… including modern-day Judaizers (Hebrew-roots movement, Theonomists, Dominionists, etc.).

When the Church identifies someone as a “Worship Pastor” we are saying that this Pastor/Elder/Overseer is in charge of the Corporate Worship. As such, he is expected to hold firm to the trustworthy Word as taught, sot hat he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. We should expect the him to be that Pastor/Elder/Overseer shepherding those involved in the worship team (the band, singers, readers, technicians, etc). We should expect them to hold the members accountable to sound doctrine, and we should also expect them to exercise Church discipline. They are to be held accountable by their fellow Pastors/Elders/Overseers for the content of Worship and the conduct of their worship team. The admonition of James to teachers of God’s Word also applies to any who bear the title “Worship Pastor”.

James 3 (ESV) | Taming the Tongue

3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Wisdom from Above

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Now the standard being taught here is for everyone who names the Name of Jesus, but for those who want to teach there is an even higher standard. It is my sincere desire, that every congregation have a Worship Pastor in place; not in name only, but in keeping with the Biblical Office of Pastor/Elder/Overseer.

Worship Leader

The truth is that what the vast majority of modern-day churches has is a “Worship Leader” who is either unqualified or untested as a Pastor or a Deacon (1 Timothy 3). Is this sin in every case? I won’t commit to an answer of “yes/no”; rather, I will urge the reader to recognize that it is a real possibility that must be judged Spiritually (1 Cor 2:14-16). There is a growing number of churches who are unashamed of their Worship Leaders who are living in open, unrepentant, sexual immorality. Getting back to #TheVoice, every season has had a token LGBT contestant that promotes their particular sexual immorality in an ever-present attempt to normalize sin and portray Biblical standards of sexual purity as bigoted. With each passing season, we are seeing more and more of these spokespersons of immorality/depravity claiming to have the backing of their respective church bodies. The normalizing of homosexuality and gender rebellion is the current great wave of Apostasy here in the West. The world is living out its Romans 1 judgement… I’m not writing to judge the lost, but to warn the Church. This sin has been ignored and even covered over for far too long. Having a “great sounding band” is simply not worth the price we’ve been paying for it these past several decades. We need Pastors/Elders/Overseers to fulfill the charge of their office to rebuke those who contradict sound doctrine… and no church should have anyone in open, unrepentant sin serving in any sort of leadership role within the Church.

Conclusion

There are many Church-plants throughout the United States. Many of them planted in rebellion rather than Providence. Many planted in hopes of riding the “church-growth” movement’s wave as a means of gathering unrighteous gain. Still many were planted out of a sincere heart to be faithful stewards of the Gospel of Grace, ministers of reconciliation, and to the building and equipping of the saints. To the latter group of churches, I encourage you to remain firmly planted in the Word of God, and to pray for your Pastors/Elders/Overseers. We pray for grace in the lives of your Worship leaders, that those who are eligible for the offices of Deacon and Elder might grow, be tested, and show themselves approved for the office of Pastor by the grace of God. That those who are unqualified, be humble enough to continue serving when God the Holy Spirit calls another to lead. I pray that every church body, that lifts up Holy Hands in worship of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, will seek to maintain biblical, pastoral oversight of the Worship Service, whether they use the title of Worship Pastor or simply Pastor.

Jude 24-25 (ESV) 

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

The Church | Part 5

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churchAs we close out our study series of the Biblical picture of the Church, I want to be absolutely clear that I am not trying to “call out” any specific churches, or fellowships, or pastors. I’m not trying to convince you to leave your church, or join mine. The purpose of this series is to clearly state my doctrine regarding church and to challenge individuals and heads of households to weigh everything they are taught in their church (down to the very structure of said church) against Scripture. I will endeavor to keep these discussions on prescriptive passages in God’s Word, plainly written for us to follow. If you take umbrage with any of my assessments or commentary, I ask that you take some time to share your thoughts or questions with me (either via comment below or personal message). If you take issue with what the Scriptures say… well, I leave that to you, your elders, and God the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s Closing Thoughts in 1 Timothy

Today, we will close out our reading in 1 Timothy, with a look at chapter 6.

1 Timothy 6 (ESV)
1 Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. 2 Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved.

Teach and urge these things. 3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

I really should have included the beginning of chapter 6 in yesterday’s post, since Paul is closing out those thoughts. The “these things” are pointing back to all that was discussed in the previous chapter. Notice how Paul again revisits the charge to resist false doctrine. I find it interesting how in our modern-day liberalism often accuse those who dare to exercise Biblical discernment as being puffed up with conceit, and even having an unhealthy craving for controversy. Paul is making clear that it is not those who hold Scripture who are guilty of such sin; rather, those who teach a different doctrine that does not agree with the Word of Jesus Christ. We also see Paul warning of the trap of riches. Notice also the wording toward the end of verse 5, “…imagining that godliness is a means of gain“. As heirs to the Kingdom of God, through the blood of Jesus by His Grace and Mercy, we do have an inheritance… in Heaven. Jesus did not promise worldly riches, in fact, He specifically taught in Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV) 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” We live in a time where so many false teachers have become rich and living lavish lives preaching a false doctrine with false promises of earthly riches through living godly lives. Brothers and sisters in Christ… that is not the Gospel, and it is not our Promise. God blesses His children here on earth according to His Will and plan for us in this life, but the Promises laid out in Scripture primarily for the life that is to come, in the Great Day of Christ’s Return when we join Him in the Heavens.

11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

It is not impossible for the rich in this present age to be faithful stewards of God’s resources, though it brings along its own temptations. Namely, that earthly riches tempt man to set their hopes on their riches and themselves rather than on God.

20 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” 21 for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you.

Did you know that the Greek philosophers Plato, Socrates, Euclid, and Aristotle all pre-date the virgin-birth? By hundreds of years. The Roman Empire replaced that of the Greeks, and had philosophers of their own (Cicero and Ptolemy), all pursuing earthly “knowledge” via metaphysics and philosophy. Many of the early heretics pulled from these “ancients” for their Gnosticism, Pantheism (multiple gods), and Panentheism (god is in everything). In our present culture, the temptation is to believe that due to man’s vastly superior scientific accomplishments, we should now change how we read Scripture (particularly the Genesis accounts of Creation and the Flood) based on what the world falsely calls “knowledge”.

My Closing Thoughts for this Series

The Bible lays out very plainly how God intends for His Church (and churches) are to be structured, managed, and overseen. God has made it clear how the church is to be led, what its focus should be, and its purpose. The Church is to build up the Body of Christ into the fullness of Christ who is the Head of His Church, and we who comprise the body of Christ are to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ as ministers of reconciliation. The smallest unit of the church is the family, God’s first institution for man to embrace as a picture of the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, the Church should first seek to raise up fathers, priests and leaders of their households who raise up the next generation in Christ. After showing themselves approved, they should likewise raise up other fathers. Those who wish to teach and become overseers should therefore be tested and appointed as Paul laid out clearly in Titus and 1 Timothy. Regardless of what you might have heard from a celebrity seeker-mergent “pastor”, the role of the Church IS to feed God’s sheep. In some cases literally. Christians need to step up their game in sharing the Gospel with the lost in the world, but the role of the Church Elder (pastor, teacher, overseer) is to serve the Body of Christ as one who will give account.

Specific concerns and special cases

  • The Church was not granted the authority to determine itself, its doctrine, its structure, or its purpose. Christ is the Head of His Church, and the Apostles and the Prophets are its foundation, with Christ as the cornerstone. The Reformation was a move to return to Biblical doctrine, not a reinvention of the church. The Catholic church refused to repent, so the Protestant Church was born. The role of Elder is to preach the Word of God and to correct all false teaching. Elders do not have the authority to change Biblical doctrine. They have the authority to correct, rebuke, and training in righteousness according to the God-breathed Scriptures (2 Timothy 3). There is nothing in Scripture that leaves room for the Catholic doctrine of the Pope or Papal authority to pronounce unchangeable doctrine (ex cathedra). Such authority was not given to the Church. Additionally, there is no reason to believe that God would be raising up new Apostles to lay new foundations for the church. The foundation has long been laid in Scripture. I do believe that 1 Corinthians 12 through 14 remain as valid and instructive of the Gifts of God the Holy Spirit, but God is not changing the Body of Christ or Scriptures. We have been given the Word of God by which we are to test every spirit and every teaching to know if it is from God or from a spirit of error.
  • Churches with women pastors/elders/deacons.  As we saw in 1 Timothy 2 and in 1 Corinthians 14, having women in a position of authority over men is prohibited. When we see a church with a female pastor, we know that something is wrong. Either the church is completely lacking in godly men, or the church has simply decided to disregard Paul’s instructions to Timothy, Titus, and the Corinthians. I do believe Grace can be given to those in transitional periods, or newly formed churches planted within strongly matriarchal societies (such as in various African tribes); however, the Word of God is sufficient for all instruction and correction. God’s plan for mankind is for man to bear the mantle of leadership an its responsibility. Men cannot be expected to step up and perform their Scriptural role as men, when the church has willfully placed women into positions of leadership. A woman cannot Biblically disciple a man into his rightful place of leadership. In 2 Timothy 1, Paul praised Timothy’s mother and grandmother for planting the seed of God’s Word in his heart, and Timothy was charged to guard the gift given him. Paul took Timothy as a disciple, an adopted son, and trained him in the Word and the Ministry before setting him as an Elder.
  • Youth Ministries. This series was sparked by my post on How We Do Church. We don’t see anywhere in Scripture where the youth are separated from their parents and taught their own things. Throughout Scripture, the expectation is for fathers to raise their sons and daughters in the ways of God until the time comes when they leave their fathers and their mothers and cleave to their spouses, becoming one flesh and starting their own families. So, our modern “youth groups” present a problem of usurped authority (although often with permission). We’ve embraced the worldly messaging that says that parents just don’t understand their own kids, therefore we need a young pastor who can “speak their language” to reach them with the Gospel. How can we assess how a man manages his household when we’ve inserted others into the role of discipling his kids? How can we command the fathers to turn their hearts toward their children, and the children to honor their fathers, when in church we encourage them to look to a “youth pastor” for guidance, love, and instruction? Is there truly a way of “doing it right” if the Bible doesn’t provide us with a guideline or parameters for such a ministry? I think we should have outreach programs for lost youth, but we need to reach their fathers and mothers. We need to focus on equipping the fathers and mothers in our congregation to be the leaders, role models, teachers, and counselors for their children. That is what youth ministry should be focused on. Do I expect all churches to abandon their Sunday school and youth group models immediately? No. But we should return to Biblical standards of family and church guided by the power and wisdom of God the Holy Spirit.
  • What about the fatherless families? The young men in the congregation who do not have fathers at home are starving for mentors and discipleship more than anyone else. The answer is for the Elders and the other Fathers in the church to disciple them, and for the older women and mothers to gather around their mother to strengthen and nurture her. Divorce is more prevalent in our day than widow/widower. It is outside of God’s plan for us, and is far more difficult and treacherous as a result. We are the Body of Christ, and when one member of the body hurts, we all hurt; therefore, we are supposed to come together to help those caught in sin (guarding ourselves from sin) to restore one another into right standing with Christ. That doesn’t always mean the marriage gets restored, but repentance and the forgiveness of sin is available at the foot of the Cross.
  • Praise and Worship. Well, nothing has been addressed thus far by Paul in his letters regarding a “worship pastor”. The Elders are overseers of the church, and they are to teach the Word of God and discipline those who step outside of it. What we sing is more important than what instruments are involved in the accompaniment. What we do in church must always Glorify God and edify the Body of Christ. It must be orderly (1 Corinthians 14). I will say that since the Church is indeed for the believers, any attempt to manipulate the purpose of Praise and Worship so that the unbeliever can be entertained is foolishness and should be rebuked sharply. Christ must be our focus, now and forever, in our praise, in our worship, and in how we live our lives. To the unbeliever, we preach Law (repentance from sin) and Gospel (forgiveness by the blood of Christ). I care more about the conduct/focus/heart/content of worship than I do the method or technology employed.

Thank you for taking the time to read these posts and share your thoughts, questions, and comments. I pray that this has helped or challenged some to read the Word of God to test all that I’ve said here. As I hear from those at Stand Up for the Truth and from Chris Rosebrough, don’t ever read what I’m writing with an open mind; rather, do so with an open Bible. Test everything I share against the Word of God. Where I am found faulty or deficient, please point me to the proper Scripture.

I’d like to close with Paul’s charge to Timothy at the end of the second epistle:

2 Timothy 4:1-5 (ESV)
1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Amen. May the Lord bless you and keep you.
In Him,
Jorge

Series: The Church | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

The Church | Part 4

Faithful Stewardship Leave a comment

churchAs we continue in our study series of the Biblical picture of the Church, I want to be absolutely clear that I am not trying to “call out” any specific churches, or fellowships, or pastors. I’m not trying to convince you to leave your church, or join mine. The purpose of this series is to clearly state my doctrine regarding church and to challenge individuals and heads of households to weigh everything they are taught in their church (down to the very structure of said church) against Scripture. I will endeavor to keep these discussions on prescriptive passages in God’s Word, plainly written for us to follow. If you take umbrage with any of my assessments or commentary, I ask that you take some time to share your thoughts or questions with me (either via comment below or personal message). If you take issue with what the Scriptures say… well, I leave that to you, your elders, and God the Holy Spirit.

Qualifications of Overseers (Elders)

Today, we will continue reading in 1 Timothy, beginning in chapter 3.

1 Timothy 3:1-7 (ESV)
1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

Paul goes into greater detail in his letter to Timothy than we saw in Titus, though we see no contradiction. I have highlighted here what I mentioned back in Part 2 of our series, that a man must manage his own household well. It makes no different how knowledgeable, charismatic, or affluent, if his house is not in order he is not fit to manage God’s church. His attention should be firmly fixed upon his household, as his first duty and responsibility to God. This doesn’t mean he is unfit to share the Gospel, or serve his brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ, it means he is unfit to be an Elder or Overseer. I have also highlighted able to teach. You see, Paul will not be going into the qualifications of “teachers” or “pastors” because the role of pastor is to be performed by an Elder. How can one effectively “Shepherd the flock” if he is not qualified to serve as an Elder?

Qualifications of Deacons

1 Timothy 3:8-13 (ESV)
8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

The role of Deacon is one of service to the Body of Christ. This role began when the Early Church in Jerusalem had grown large and the widows of the Hellenist were being overlooked in the daily distribution (Acts 6). Now their task was to minister to the people so that the Elders would not be drawn away from their primary task of seeking the Lord in prayer and preaching the Word of God. That is not to say that these men did not minister or preach the Gospel themselves. Of the first 7 appointed as deacons of Christ’s Church, we Philip and Stephen being used mightily of God. They were servants in the Church, and they were Ambassadors of Jesus Christ outside the church (as are we regardless of our role within the church). While a deacon is not an overseer, he is still being entrusted with the task of ministering to the body of believers. The daily distribution was for the feeding of those in need, particularly the widows. The Church is to take care of its own. We are to serve one another in love and humility. Where did we get the idea that it was somehow wrong or out of the ordinary for Christians to seek help from the Church? May God have forgive us of our neglect.

I highlighted an interesting comment in verse 9, “They must hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience”. Well, what does that mean? Thankfully, that is Paul’s next point in the chapter.

1 Timothy 3:14-16 (ESV)
The Mystery of Godliness
14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ. That Jesus, the Son of God, the Word of God was made flesh, vindicated (proven right, pure, justified) by the Spirit of God, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations and believed on in the world ascended into heaven. So Paul has defined what he was referring to in verse 9 and notice how he continues in that thought at the start of chapter 4 (remember, these letters weren’t written in chapters and verses).

1 Timothy 4 (ESV)
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Within the context of appointing deacons, those who look after the needs of the brethren, Paul reminds Timothy that the Holy Spirit has warned that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons. Other things are included in this list, but Paul hits the biggest ones first. Timothy is to make sure that he is not placing into the role of deacon any who would fall into this category of apostasy (falling away). Notice that aberrant food myths will also play a role in the departure from the faith. We cannot simply dismiss these deviations from the faith as merely “nonessential” since Paul is warning of a departure from the faith by such devotions. While the brothers and sisters within the congregation will undoubtedly be at various stages in their walk and growing in the faith, and we are to extend grace to those whose faith is still weak, we are NOT to place such individuals into positions of leadership within the church. Paul then encourages Timothy directly to set for the brothers a role model. He is being charged with authority to lead the appointed Elders and Deacons in the way that they must go. He will undoubtedly be placing men who are older than he is as Overseers, and they will be expected to follow Timothy’s example. Paul encourages Timothy, and charges him to let no one despise you for your youth. I fear we have allowed this passage to serve as a proof text that age is irrelevant completely and that all one needs is a “calling” and “gifting” to preach, or at least a college degree (seminary) and you are good-to-go to lead a church body. Don’t get me wrong, I think a seminary degree is a good thing… but it isn’t a Scriptural requirement, it’s a fairly modern one. Leaders need to be discipled into leadership, tested and proved to be blameless. They must manage their households well, and be above reproach.

General Instructions for Church

1 Timothy 5  (ESV)
1 Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.

Jesus told His disciples in John 13:35 (ESV) “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” We must honor the older men and women as we would honor our own mothers and fathers. Open rebuke is not acceptable; rather, we must encourage them in the Word as we would our own parents. Younger men and women are to be regarded as brothers and sisters, in all purity. Sexual immorality is not to be tolerated in this sense, we do not allow a wolf in sheep’s clothing to pose as a brother only to defile younger women for his own pleasure (or vice versa).

3 Honor widows who are truly widows. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. 5 She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, 6 but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. 7 Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. 8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

I find this to be extremely poignant and out-of-step with the present culture. We now see that the upholding of family as the smallest unit of the Church working in the other direction. We have clearly established that a man’s qualifications for leadership in the church are demonstrated by his management of the household. Here, we see that true widows are to be honored by the Church. True widows not having any remaining family are to be cared for by the Body of Christ. Notice, however, that Paul looks to the children or grandchildren of widows to demonstrate godliness in their household by taking care and honoring the widows, even compelling some to return to live with their mother. Can you imagine giving that sermon on “Mother’s Day”? We then see Paul warn against true widows taking the “retirement” mentality and becoming self-indulgent, for such a person is dead even while she lives. We are to care for and meet the needs of the true widows in the Body of Christ, but our young women need proper instruction, example, and encouragement from the older women.

9 Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, 10 and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. 11 But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry 12 and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. 13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. 14 So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. 15 For some have already strayed after Satan. 16 If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows.

Here we see Paul addressing what might be considered “welfare”. This good work should be handled by the Church, not the State. We should be setting the standard for taking care of those in need, those without family. Having already set the standard for how the true widows should continue in godliness, he also warns against allowing younger widows to be enrolled without responsibilities. Paul’s concern is for their faith. While many will find such generalization insulting, do we not see such behavior now among the newly divorced? Sure, in our culture women are taking jobs and careers outside the home but don’t we see newly single women turning away from the faith chasing after carnality? We also see men failing (woefully) in this regard, but men are not provided the kind of enrollment being offered to widows here in scripture. Paul encourages young widows to remarry and lead godly faithful lives as wives and as mothers, thereby safeguarding themselves from many a temptation that is natural to fleshly man/woman. (Edit: As a point of clarification, I am in no way equivocating divorce and widowhood. Divorce is a sin that requires repentance and forgiveness)

17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” 19 Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. 21 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. 22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. 23 (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) 24 The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. 25 So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.

Finally, we see here that Elders are to be the pastors and teachers, and those who labor in such capacities are worthy of double honor. It is fitting to pay those who oversee the church well. Should they become affluent? I think not. Double portion… not 100 fold. Besides, affluence is a snare unto itself. But we will cover that tomorrow when we close out our study of 1 Timothy.

We gather together as a church body to encourage one another in the Spirit of Truth and Love. Christ have to the Church Apostles and prophets (foundations), and pastors, teachers, evangelists (elders), and deacons to minister to the body of Christ, teaching the Word, bearing one anothers burdens, honoring one another, confessing our sins and forgiving each other. One does not seek out or accept a position of authority to serve himself, rather, it is to serve others. In closing, I want to share some strong warnings regarding church leadership.

James 3:1 (ESV)
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

James 3:13-18 (ESV)
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Hebrews 13:17 (ESV)
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

When was the last time you honored your Elders? I recommend taking some time this week to send them a letter, or a phone call, maybe invite them to lunch. They have accepted a noble task, one that can be quite a burden at times. In the meantime, our series on the Church is drawing to a close. In tomorrow’s post we will close out 1 Timothy, and then I will try to address some of the special cases I’ve witnessed and to which I’ve been made privy.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
In Him,
Jorge

Series: The Church | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5