Is There
a Caste System in Christianity?
By Dr. Ken
Matto
Art thou
greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom
makest thou thyself? (John 8:53)
What then? are
we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and
Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
(Romans 3:9)
Is there a
caste system in Christianity? The answer is a resounding YES!
The Christian caste system is not found in the Bible but has been
fashioned after the way of the world.
According to the 1913 Webster
Bible here is the definition of Caste:
“The members of the same
caste are theoretically of equal rank, and same profession or occupation, and
may not eat or intermarry with those not of their own caste. The original are
four, viz., the Brahmans, or sacerdotal order; the Kshatriyas, or
soldiers and rulers; the Vaisyas, or husbandmen and merchants; and the
Sudras, or laborers and mechanics. Men of no caste are Pariahs,
outcasts. Numerous mixed classes, or castes, have sprung up in the
progress of time.”
“A separate and fixed order
or class of persons in society who chiefly hold intercourse among themselves.”
“Caste is a form of social stratification characterized by endogamy, hereditary
transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual
status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on
cultural notions of purity and pollution.” (Wikipedia)
Basically what the caste system promotes is that there are those who are
destined to always be in a lower social strata and some will always be in a
higher social strata. We see this
out in the world where the wealthy look down upon the poorer people as being of
less value than them. This is why
many wealthy people want to reduce the world’s population by 90% so they can
retain many slaves as workers for them without over-population and can turn this
world into a virtual paradise for themselves.
We expect the wealthy of the world to act like this and to see themselves
as better than the poor folk but do we see this same mindset in Christianity?
We sure do!
If
there wasn’t then books like the following would not have to be written:
The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse:
Recognizing and Escaping Spiritual Manipulation and False Spiritual Authority
Within the Church
by David
Johnson and Jeff
VanVonderen
Sacred Wounds: A Path
to Healing from Spiritual Trauma Paperback –
October 20, 2015 by (Author), (Foreword)
The reason
books like this have to written is because they reveal to the Christian
community and to the world the abuse many Christians suffer in churches by the
hands of self-appointed tyrants known as clergy and elders.
If a person is a pastor and looks down upon the people in the
congregation, then that man is not qualified to be a leader in the church.
When a man becomes a pastor who is more nasty or arrogant than a worldly
person, many Christians ask the question how can we oppose such a person?
It seems they hold all the power in the church and anyone who comes
against them is either vilified or kicked out.
The congregation of any church has the most powerful weapon to oppose
these pulpit persecutors and that is the power of the purse.
If the congregation stops giving money to the church, it will soon fold
up and the church will then go out of existence and the dictator will be out of
work. Do not be intimidated if the tyrant states that God will punish you if you
don’t give because the one being punished will be the tyrant who thought he
owned the congregation.
The
self-imposed caste system in Christianity unfortunately is sanctioned by both
the congregation and the church leaders.
Many are under the belief that since the pastor preaches every Sunday,
that somehow he has the right to do the thinking for the congregation.
Nothing could be further from the truth because the same Holy Spirit that
indwells the saved within the congregation indwells the leaders of the church.
A while back I had a
discussion on Facebook with a pastor from a Free Presbyterian Church and I was
trying to impress upon him that the same Holy Spirit who indwelled Charles
Haddon Spurgeon indwells us. In a normal kindergarten response which most
pastors use, he asked me this question which was totally outside of what was
being spoken. He asked me “are you putting yourself in the same category as
Spurgeon?” When I mentioned the fact that the same Holy Spirit indwells
Spurgeon as He does any true Christian, did it sound like I was making an
assertion that I was in the same category as Spurgeon? The answer is no but he
also had one of his stooges on the feed and her response was just as
juvenile. She posted “I’ll stick with Spurgeon and not Matto.” So basically
because of Spurgeon’s fame, Christians believe that he is untouchable and in
some type of higher category than the rest of us. The reality is that we each
have a different calling and Spurgeon had a different one than I presently do
and that is what I also wanted to impress on that pastor. Famous or not, if we
are saved we all have a specific calling on our life.
So how then did these pastors
get to have such authority in the local churches?
Simply because of scripture twisting to place themselves into positions
the Bible knows nothing about.
After the Reformation, the Protestant clergy saw the great power the Catholic
Priests held over their congregations and so they wanted in on it.
One of the offices created by the church was that of “Teaching Elder.”
A bishop then must be blameless,
the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to
hospitality, apt to teach; (1
Timothy 3:2) If you notice in 1
Timothy 3:2 that the Bishop, which is the chief elder of the congregation, must
have the ability to teach. The word
“apt” means “able or competent” to be able to teach the Bible.
There are seven requirements for Bishop in that verse and yet the clergy
only pick out one and that is “teaching” so they take that one trait and then
create the office of “Teaching Elder.”
This way the pastor can have all benefits of rule in the congregation.
The problem is that this is not found in Scripture because the position
of “Pastor” is not a ruling office in the church like Bishop, Elder, or Deacon.
{11} And he
gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some,
pastors and teachers; {12} For the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ: (Ephesians 4:11-12)
Or ministry,
let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
(Romans 12:7)
In Ephesians
4:11-12, we read about the spiritual positions which God gave to the local
church for perfecting or the maturing of the saints, the ministry, and the
edification of the body of Christ.
Within these gifts to the church is the gift of “pastor” which openly shows that
the pastor is a spiritual gift to the congregation having spiritual oversight of
the congregation but is not a ruling office.
Now many pastors arrogate to themselves the title “Pastor-Teacher” where
they do away with the “kai”
which is translated “and” and just combine the two gifts creating a new one.
Many claim it is one gift, however, in their clerical ignorance or
intentional twisting of the Scriptures we read plainly in Romans 12:7 that
“teaching” is a spiritual gift to the church and it is a separate gift not
connected with pastor. Now the
pastor of the congregation must be able to teach and that is obvious because
they are to teach the Scriptures to the congregation.
Teacher and Pastor are separate positions in the church as the Scriptures
show us. So with the creation of
two unbiblical offices in the church, “Pastor-Teacher” and “Teaching Elder” it
is how the modern clergy consolidate power in their local congregations.
The Pastor is to be under the authority of the Elders and if the Pastor
begins to teach heresy or act inappropriately then he is to be removed from that
office and “let another take his office.”
If there is one
ritual that creates a caste system in the church it is the unbiblical rite of
ordination which is not found in Scripture.
The word “ordination” is not found in the Scriptures.
However, we do find the word “ordained” which is used 18 times in 18
verses and the word “ordain” found in two verses in the New Testament and we
will look at the words behind “ordination” to see if it is supposed to create a
special class of Christians.
Ordained
Poieo – Mark
3:14 (Make, do, create, produce)
Tithemi – John
15:16; 1 Timothy 2:7 (To put, set, place)
Ginomai – Acts
1:22 (Be done, to be, to be made, to come into being)
Horidzo – Acts
10:42; Acts 17:31 (To appoint, designate, to determine)
Tasso – Acts
13:48; Romans 13:1 (Place, appoint, determine)
Cheirotoneo –
Acts 14:23 (Choose, select, elect by raising the hand)
Krino – Acts
16:4 (Judge, decide, approve, separate)
Prooridzo – 1
Corinthians 2:7 (appoint or determine beforehand)
Diatasso – 1
Corinthians 9:14; Galatians 3:19 (Command, arrange, prescribe, direct)
Proetoimazo –
Ephesians 2:10 (Prepare beforehand)
Kathestemi –
Hebrews 5:1; Hebrews 8:3 (Appoint, set, designate)
Kataskeuazo –
Hebrews 9:6 (Make ready, equip, prepare thoroughly)
Prographo –
Jude 4 (Write beforehand, proclaim, depicted)
The word
“ordained” is found 18 times in 18 verses and the word “ordain” is found in 2
verses in the New Testament.
Ordain
Diatasso – 1
Corinthians 7:17 (Command, arrange, prescribe, direct)
Kathestemi –
Titus 1:5 (Appoint, set, designate)
We are going to
look at all 20 verses to see if the word “ordained” and “ordain” is in anyway
connected to a separate hierarchy or superior spiritual class within
Christianity.
Mark 3:14
And he ordained twelve, that they should be
with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
Jesus was now officially calling together the twelve
who would become His disciples. The word “ordained” means appointed. So these
twelve were appointed by the Lord to be with Him throughout His earthly
ministry. They were to serve two functions at this time. The first was to learn
from Jesus those things which must be proclaimed and secondly, they were to take
what they learned and preach wherever the Lord sent them as they would be the
beginning of world evangelism. The word “preach” in the Greek means to “proclaim
or herald forth.”
John 15:16
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you,
that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit
should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may
give it you.
Chosen - Select or elect
Ordained - To set, place or put
After Jesus calls His disciples, He the tells them that He ordains them to bring
forth fruit. This ordination has nothing to do with the ordaining of a pastor in
a church. This is the ordination given to every believer. The word “ordain”
means to “appoint or place.” What Jesus is stating is that the ministry of the
disciples and where they will minister will be determined by Jesus Himself. When
any believer is called and chosen to salvation, they live in some part of the
world and the place where they become saved is their present mission field. They
have been placed there or ordained for that particular place and God may choose
to move them around or send them to a different part of the world. If the Lord
places no such calling on our lives, then we are to minister right where we are
and we are never to think that God does not look favorably on our ministries
because they are local. Souls are souls no matter who we minister among.
Acts 1:22
Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from
us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
Peter continues the qualifications needed to fill the office of Judas in
fulfillment of the Scripture. This person must have been familiar by firsthand
knowledge with the entire ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Only then would
they be qualified to become an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, to be numbered
with the twelve. They needed also to be a witness of the resurrection. This
could definitely not be known from secondary sources or else the witness of the
resurrection would be suspect in the minds of the hearers. They had to witness
the fact that Christ walked the earth for forty days after His resurrection and
this was done by physically seeing Him with one’s own eyes.
The word “ordained” carries with it the meaning of “to be made or to come
into being.”
Acts 10:42
And he
commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was
ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
Christ was the
one who was ordained of God to be the Judge of those who are spiritually alive
and those who are spiritually dead.
The word “ordained” carries with it the meaning of “appointed or designated.”
Acts 13:48
And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the
Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
Ordained - Having been appointed
The Gentiles who heard the true word of God were not just glad in the happy
sense but were rejoicing in what they heard. They were used to hearing about the
same old religions with the same old false idols. Now the true Gospel has come
to them with the promise of the resurrection of their bodies and eternal life.
This is something that their false religions could never promise them and if
they did, it would only be an empty promise with eternal consequences. The last
part of this verse is hated by those who believe in free will. Those who
believed and glorified the word of God were the ones whom God had chosen before
the foundation of the world. These are the Elect who were appointed to eternal
life and that appointment came from God Himself. Just like those witnesses who
saw the Lord Jesus Christ after His resurrection were chosen, those who will
have eternal life are chosen by God before the foundation of the world. Those
who rejoiced were qualified to do so by God Himself.
Acts 14:23
And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed
with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.
Ordained - Having chosen
Since the body of Christ was beginning to grow rapidly in these cities, despite
the opposition, it was time for them to start bringing some organization to each
place. They had chosen them elders to oversee the churches, to carry out the
work of evangelism, and to disciple those coming into the church. This way there
would be organization in each church instead of just a group getting together.
They would be able to appoint deacons, teachers, and whatever else might be
needed to run the church orderly. Then as was Paul’s normal routine, he would
pray with the elders and commit them unto the Lord, on whom they believed. This
last part of this verse is very important because how can one be an elder in a
church if they are unsaved. An unsaved elder would be one who is a child of
Satan trying to instruct a child of God. Unfortunately, this scenario is played
out in many modern churches where an unsaved person is made an elder because
they own a business or are rich. Neither has anything to do with the spiritual
things.
Acts 16:4
And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to
keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at
Jerusalem.
As Paul, Silas, and Timothy had gone through the cities of South Galatia, they
had given each church the decrees which came from the Jerusalem Council from
Chapter 15 concerning the big meeting they held there which was about keeping
the law in concert with grace. The
judgments or decisions brought about were now sent to the churches.
The teachings of the Judaizers were now contradicted by that church
decree and as a result, it bought a sense of stability to the beliefs of these
churches. To further this teaching, Paul had penned the letter to Galatia
concerning this very subject of law keeping versus grace alone for salvation.
In this verse, ordained carries with it the meaning of “judgment or
decision.”
Acts 17:31
Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in
righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he
hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the
dead.
The reason that God is now calling His people to repentance is because He hath
appointed a day when the entire world will be judged and that includes all those
who placed their trust in idols. This judgment is going to take place on the
last day and the one who is going to be the judge of all mankind is going to be
the Lord Jesus Christ. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all
judgment unto the Son: (John 5:22)
The
assurance that judgment is coming is given by the fact that He raised the Lord
Jesus Christ from the dead and that means He is deity. This fact also means that
what He has written and prophesied is true and will come to pass. We do not know
what day the Lord is going to return, but we can be sure that it will happen and
we are to be ready for His return. The word “ordained” in this verse carries
with it the meaning of “appoint, designate, or determine.”
Romans 13:1
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of
God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Paul continues the thread from chapter 12. One of the reasons that we are not to
attempt to take vengeance for ourselves is that God has ordained national
governments to oversee the population of each country. We are instructed in this
verse that we are to be subject or submit ourselves to the government which God
has raised up over us. We are also told here that there is no government of any
country, state, province, or city that is not ordained or appointed by God. Many
times we wonder at this when we think of governments such as Hitler, Stalin, or
even Idi Amin. How could God allow such governments to exist? We must remember
that we live in a fallen world and God works His perfect will, even through
evil, wicked rulers. The Kingdom of God is not subject to earthly rule.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, {23} Meekness, temperance:
against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)
However, because we, as believers, still
live in this present world, as citizens of a country, are subject to the laws of
that country as long as they do not contradict the law of God.
The word “ordained” in this verse carries with it the meaning of “place,
appoint, or determine.”
1 Corinthians 2:7
But we speak the wisdom of God in a
mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before
the world unto our glory:
In this verse we learn when God ordained that wisdom. The word ordained in this
verse carries with it the meaning of “appointed or determined beforehand.” He
ordained this wisdom before the foundations of the world, the same time that He
predestined the believer who was to be the recipient of that hidden wisdom. He
ordained the gospel to predestinate His elect before the foundations of the
world. What a powerful biblical truth is revealed to us here.
1 Corinthians 9:14
Even so hath the Lord ordained that
they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
Ordained –
Command or arrange
The Lord Himself also gave the method whereby a preacher is allowed to receive
his living from the preaching of the Gospel.
And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are
set before you: (Luke 10:8)
Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, {10} Nor
scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves:
for the workman is worthy of his meat. (Matthew 10:9-10)
Paul now informs them that the Lord Himself endorses the ongoing support of
those bringing the Gospel. If a person has to go to work to raise living
expenses in every place they visit, this would surely hinder the preaching and
expansion of the Gospel. The itinerant preachers need to be free to be able to
minister in as many places as possible. God would supply all their needs as they
go. However, this does not give the
pastors license to abuse this privilege.
Galatians 3:19
Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions,
till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by
angels in the hand of a mediator.
Ordained - Commanded, directed, or arranged
Paul then asks a very important question to these Galatians. Why was the law
given? He then answers it straightforwardly. It was added because of the
sinfulness of man. It was designed to show that man could in no wise keep it for
salvation and their only hope was the covenant of grace. God gave about 618 laws
and each law showed how man could never keep a divine law because of the
pervasiveness of sin in their life. Now the law was in effect until the Lord
Jesus Christ came on the scene and then when He went to the cross and died, the
veil of the temple was torn in two, from the top to the bottom, so it cannot be
told that man tore the veil. Once the veil was torn in two, it signaled the end
of the system of the Mosaic law. It was no longer to be kept because it was a
foreshadow of the Lord Jesus Christ and once He came, the shadow was no longer
needed. When it speaks of being
“ordained” by angels it is speaking of men like Moses, Joshua, Aaron, David,
etc. Angels may also be interpreted
as “messengers” which would describe the men listed.
Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works,
which God hath before ordained that
we should walk in them.
Before ordained - prepared before
We are God’s workmanship, that is, he made us saved and placed us into the
kingdom of his son. Before we were saved, we walked around as children of wrath
but now because we are saved, we are children of God. Therefore if any man
be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all
things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) God placed us in Christ thus
making us new creatures.
God has already planned certain works for us to do. Those works are designed to
be done in the parameters of the abilities and spiritual gifts which God has
placed in us. Keep in mind that this verse is not teaching that a person can
work their way to Heaven. This verse is teaching us that after we are saved God
has already planned for us to do a task within the kingdom of God. It is
interesting to note that not only is a person predestined to be saved but our
good works are “before ordained” or prepared before we are even saved. Once we
know what works the Lord has planned for us, they become our way of living. For
example, I am a writer who has penned hundreds of articles and three books plus
postings on Facebook and on my website which has been on line for over 21 years
at this writing. I enjoy writing very much because I am able to bring forth the
teachings of Scripture and to help guide newer believers into deeper Bible
study. I know that one of my spiritual gifts is the gift of teaching but I do
it by writing instead of preaching.
1 Timothy 2:7
Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in
Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.
Ordained - To put, set or place
Now the Apostle Paul builds on the previous verse stating that Christ had died
for the salvation of the Elect and for the purpose of sending this message
forth, he was ordained or appointed as a preacher of that Gospel and an Apostle,
which would be one who has seen the risen Christ. Since the letter of Timothy
was on the private side, Paul wanted to confirm to Timothy that he was telling
him the truth in Christ. Timothy would know that if Paul makes that type of
affirmation, then it could not be disputed. Paul states that he is a preacher to
the Gentiles by the appointment of God.
But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way:
for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and
kings, and the children of Israel: (Acts 9:15)
However, the Jews had eventually
rejected Paul and then he made his ministry exclusively to the Gentiles.
Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and
said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to
you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting
life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. {47} For
so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I
have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for
salvation unto the ends of the earth. (Acts 13:46-47)
It would be through the saved coming out of the Gentile nations that
would bring the gospel to the ends of the world, just as we see today. Since the
Jews rejected Christ, they could never bring the true Gospel to the world.
Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of
God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits
thereof. (Matthew 21:43) The nation would be the body of Christ which
contained both saved Jews and Gentiles.
Hebrews 5:1
For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to
God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:
Is ordained - Appointed or set
Now the subject turns to the superiority of the Lord Jesus Christ over the
Aaronic priesthood. First, the priest must be taken from among men and then upon
qualification they were ordained into the active service of being a priest,
either in the Tabernacle when they were in the wilderness or the Temple. In the
previous chapters the humanity of Christ had already been mentioned. Secondly,
after the priest was ordained, he was then to partake in his duties of
representing the people of Israel to God, just as the High Priest did once a
year. Part of his duties was to accept gifts on behalf of the people who gave
unto the Lord and also to offer the appropriate sacrifices for sin and
trespasses.
Hebrews 8:3
For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices:
wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
Ordained - Appoint,set, or designate
All the High Priests which were appointed by God for the service of the earthly
tabernacle had responsibilities and tasks to perform. On behalf of the people
they had offered gifts and sacrifices such as sin offerings as in the yearly Day
of Atonement. The offerings and sacrifices they made to God was a necessary part
of this Priestly office. When the Lord Jesus Christ came on the scene as the
High Priest, it was also necessary that He have something to offer. Instead of
offering the bulls and goats for sacrifices, He, by Himself, had made complete
atonement for the body of Christ. The sacrifice He offered was Himself and it
was sufficient to remove the sins from all those He came to save.
Hebrews 9:6
Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into
the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.
Ordained - Having been prepared
When the furniture and tabernacle were constructed and thus consecrated in the
service of the Lord, the priests then went into the tabernacle and began to
fulfill their priestly duties on a continual basis which was day by day. Their
service was limited to the outer sanctuary because the Holy of Holies was off
limits to anyone except the High priest on a yearly basis on the Great Day of
Atonement.
Jude 4
For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained
to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into
lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ordained – Write Beforehand or depicted
In Jude 3, we were told that we need to contend for the faith and in Jude 4 we
are given the reason why we are to be defenders of the faith. First of all, we
are warned that there are going to come into the assembly of the faithful
unsaved people with their own evil agendas. That word “crept” means
“stealthily.” It does not mean they are going to sneak in the back door and not
be noticed. These type of people will come in the front door and will be as
friendly as the next person. They might begin to build relationships and when
they are firmly entrenched in the church, they will be in a position to spew
their heresy and cause major division in the church. Notice the verse states
that these people were ordained or appointed to this task of old. This means
that those who were not the Elect of God are the unbelievers in the church. A
person who is a spiritually dead person is open to accept and propagate any type
of false teachings in a church. These people are described as “ungodly” which
carries with it the meaning of “impious or lacking reverential awe.” They are
the unbelievers in every congregation. The reason they can sneak in stealthily
is because they become accepted in the congregation having the form of
godliness. The word “ordained” in
this verse carries with it the meaning of “write beforehand or depicted” which
means even before these people were born they were already ordained to be
unbelievers who will attempt to destroy the local congregation.
1 Corinthians 7:17
But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so
let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
Ordain - Command, arrange, or direct
Every believer has been given a spiritual gift and a ministry. The gift is given
at the moment of salvation but the ministry may come at a later time.
But all these worketh that one and the
selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. (1 Corinthians
12:11) God also expects the Christian to live a consistent life within the
parameters of the gift or gifts they receive. The Scripture also teaches that no
matter what our social condition is, the Lord knows all about it and we need to
learn to walk and serve within those constraints. We must never get the idea
that if I had more money or if I had a spouse, then I can serve the Lord better.
Paul is saying that he ordains this principle of blooming where you are planted
in all the churches as this is a biblical principle. No matter what strata of
life we are in, there is going to be a large mission field right at our
fingertips. We are to walk where God has placed us.
Titus 1:5
For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the
things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city,
as I had appointed thee:
Thou shouldest set in order - Set right or correct that which has been corrected
already
Wanting - Lack or be in need of
Ordain - Appoint or designate
Elders - Presbyter - a member of a governing body
Had appointed - Direct, command, or prescribe
Paul knew there were some problems with the churches on Crete, so he left Titus
there to begin to start straightening out the churches by helping them get
better organized. We see this in the words Paul had used “set in order.” Good
organization can be the key to keeping a church running properly. New churches,
such as the ones on Crete, were no different in that they needed to have good
leadership to run properly and to make sure that only the true gospel was being
preached. Paul had commanded Titus to stay in Crete and begin the job of
appointing elders in the local churches. This way, there was ordained leadership
in each local congregation so there would not be chaos. Before any elders could
be appointed, there were strict qualifications which must be adhered to. Titus
could not go into a church and just appoint anyone based on age or community
standing. The qualifications of elders are given by God and if they are departed
from, then there will be problems in the church. We see that very plainly today.
Elders
As we look at the requirements for Elders, we will also see that the office of
Bishop and Elder are one in the same offices. They both constitute the position
of overseer. Notice that Titus was given the responsibility of ordaining Elders
in Crete and then in verse 7, he speaks of the qualifications of the office of
Bishop in the context of Eldership. The difference between the Elders and the
Bishop, is that the Bishop is the ruling Elder in the local church and that is
why we see the same spiritual requirements applied to this particular office as
we will see in verses 5 & 6.
Ordain elders in every city - Paul gave Titus the responsibility of
ordaining (appointing) Elders in the cities where there were churches. If you
notice, the word "Elders" is plural which means, there must be a plurality of
elders in each congregation. There is no church in the New Testament which had
just one elder per congregation. A church having only a single elder would set
that up to be a dictatorship. Each congregation, no matter how small should have
at least three elders.
We have looked
at twenty verses which carry the words “ordained” and “ordain” and saw that they
basically carry the meaning of “set in order, appoint, designate, arrange” and
other meanings which are similar and are listed above the 20 verses.
Now in almost every usage, we see elders being ordained, or the church
leaders are to be established and other usages which are contained within the
individual verses. Not once did we
come across any allusion to the creation of a separate elevated spiritual class.
Now Elder, Bishop, and Deacon are the church offices and are given to
bring order to each congregation and we saw these positions being instituted in
the churches. Not once were they
ever referred to as “spiritually superior” to the other Christians in the
congregation. Biblical ordination
was not the creation of a superior class of Christians but it was the creation
of order in the church based upon the spiritual qualifications of those chosen.
In the Old
Testament, the High Priest was the one who offered yearly sacrifices for the
entire nation of Israel until the time of Christ.
He was the only one permitted to do the yearly atonement.
Aaron was the first High Priest and the line was to be continued from his
family lineage. The High Priest
wore the Ephod and this set him apart from the other priests who had duty in the
tabernacle or temple. The entire
congregation was attentive to the words he spoke and they basically were law.
And thou shalt put some of thine
honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be
obedient. (Numbers 27:20)
Many pastors
today in local churches try to treat their position in the church as the High
Priest in ancient Israel. They try
to gain total dictatorial power over the people in the congregation so they are
never contradicted or their position threatened.
However, there is a major difference between the church and the temple.
There is no such thing as a human High Priest in the church.
Now of the things which we have
spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right
hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
(Hebrews 8:1) The church
has a High Priest and his name is the Lord Jesus Christ, so no matter how
domineering a church leader becomes, they are never on par with the High Priest
in glory.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the
praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
(1 Peter 2:9) The Bible
teaches that we are a royal priesthood and if you notice in the verse, there is
no believer who holds a higher biblical position than priest.
Our High Priest is in Heaven and we minister as priests of Heaven on
earth no matter what position we hold in the church.
Every Christian is equal in the sight of God.
We have different callings but we hold the same rank as all other
Christians.
Clergy vs. Laity
This section is
found in the dictionary but not in the Bible.
Clergy –
1828 Websters Dictionary
The body of men set apart,
and consecrated, by due ordination, to the service of God, in the Christian
church; the body of ecclesiastics, in distinction from the laity.
Laity – 1828
Webster’s Dictionary
The people, as distinguished
from the clergy; the body of the people not in orders.
The clergy and
laity distinctions are found in church hierarchy, dictionaries, church orders
and disciplines, and church structures but is not found in the Bible.
There is no such distinction in the Bible as the Clergy and the Laity.
Notice what it says in the Clergy definition in the 1828 Webster’s Bible.
“The body of men set apart, and
consecrated, by due ordination, to the service of God,”
Every single Christian is set apart, it is called sanctification.1
Consecrated means “holy, sacred, and sanctified” which is the calling
placed on every Christian.2
The due ordination is effected upon every true believer by Christ
himself.3 Every true
Christian is ordained to the service of God.4
1.
For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should
abstain from fornication: (1
Thessalonians 4:3)
2. Because it is written, Be
ye holy; for I am holy. (1 Peter
1:16)
3. Ye have not chosen me, but
I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit,
and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in
my name, he may give it you. (John
15:16)
4. With good will doing
service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
(Ephesians 6:7)
So we see the same calling is
on every believer and not just the clergy in the churches.
The clergy are set apart like every other Christian, they are consecrated
like any other Christian, they are ordained like every other Christian, and they
are in service to the Lord like every other Christian.
No difference except we have different callings based upon the spiritual
gifts the Lord placed in us.
Now let us look
at the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary definition of the Laity.
“The people, as distinguished from the
clergy; the body of the people not in orders.”
We saw from
Scripture that the body of believers is a Royal Priesthood and there is no such
thing as superior spiritual positions in the church.
The word “Laity” like “Clergy” does not exist in the Scriptures.
There is no distinguishing characteristics between the two because they
are man-made labels.
There is one body, and one Spirit, even
as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
(Ephesians 4:4) The
verse states there is one body and nothing is mentioned about the one body being
divided into two sections, a lower spiritual level and a higher spiritual level.
Then the definition goes to state “the
body of the people not in orders.”
Every Christian has marching orders1 and living orders.2
1. Herein is my
Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
(John 15:8)
And he said unto them,
Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
(Mark 16:15)
2. Finally,
brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in
peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
(2 Corinthians 13:11)
For I through the law
am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
(Galatians 2:19)
So we see that
both created classes in the church, the clergy and the laity, have the same
orders and there is no differentiation between the two groups.
Just as the born again clergy are saved in Christ, so is the born again
laity saved in Christ.
Many clergy are
referred to as “Reverend” and this is a title which was stolen from God himself.
He sent redemption unto his
people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
(Psalm 111:9) Holy and
Reverend are descriptions for God and no man can ever compare himself with God
no matter how many college degrees they have.
Celebrity Pastors
Another mind
controlling aspect of Christianity are the well-chosen group of celebrity
pastors which we hear on the radio or see on TV.
Now below is a group of quotes from six celebrity pastors which I got on
Facebook. If you have been saved
from some time, you undoubtedly said the same things to different people over
the course of your Christian walk.
These statements below are not profound yet they are true so I am not claiming
they are false. The point I am
making is if you or I said these things they would fall on deaf ears or just go
in one ear and out the other but because a celebrity pastor says it on the
radio, right away it becomes a subject for posting or it is treated like a
life’s principle or almost equal in authority to Scripture.
As a matter of fact I will apply a Bible verse to each of these quotes
and you will see that you have made these statements yourself.
If God did not
act first, no one would be saved – R.C. Sproul
(1 John 4:19)
It was not Adam
who sought God, but God who sought Adam.
And this has been the order ever since. A.W. Pink
(Genesis 3:9)
If you’re a
Christian, you cannot vote for a person or party that slays Babies in the womb –
John MacArthur (Proverbs 24:11)
There is no
safer place in all the universe than under the wings of the sovereign all-wise,
all loving God. – John Piper (Psalm
91:4)
Our Beliefs
dictate our behavior – R.C. Sproul
(Proverbs 23:7)
God’s grace is
so powerful that it has the capacity to overcome our natural resistance to it –
R.C. Sproul (John 6:44)
The more like
Christ you are, the more the world will treat you like they treated Christ –
John MacArthur (John 15:18)
A good church
is a Bible centered church. Nothing
is as important as this – Allistair Begg
(Acts 20:28 & Colossians 1:27-28)
Every sin in
the history of the world will either be punished in hell or punished in Christ –
Dr. Steven Lawson (Romans 8:1 &
Revelation 20:15)
All death can
do to the believer is deliver him to Jesus.
It brings us into the eternal presence of our Savior – John MacArthur
(2 Corinthians 5:8)
If your trust
is in your own goodness, you are doomed. God accepts only absolute perfection,
which does not exist in the human realm, except in Christ – John MacArthur
(Ephesians 2:8-9 & Matthew 5:48)
As you can see
each quote is taken from the Scriptures and is basically just a rewording of the
scripture verses emphasizing the principles found in those verses.
Now that there is scriptural verification, you can see the various verses
used and I can guarantee that each one who is reading this article will agree
that they have in times past quoted something akin to these very sayings but
because you and I are not celebrity pastors or radio personalities, they fell on
deaf ears. I am not saying these
men are unsaved but I am saying that when they say something people listen but
when we say something it is forgotten in 5 minutes.
Why is that? Many Christians
live under the belief that if someone is on the radio or TV then they are
walking with God in some kind of exalted spiritual state but I offer the
following refutation of the mindset:
“Just because a
Christian is famous does not mean they have great understanding and
just because a Christian is less known does not mean they lack
understanding!”
Christian Leaders
I have always
been befuddled when I hear some famous Christian called a Christian leader.
I would like to know who appointed them leaders and how can they arrogate
to themselves that non-existent position?
Men like Billy Graham were referred to as
Christian leaders yet he was one of the biggest sellouts to the cause of
Christ in history. It is not what
you do in front of people, it is what you do behind their backs.
Just because a pastor heads up a congregation or they are on the radio
does not make them a leader because there is no such thing as an earthly leader
in Christianity. All true
Christians have one leader and his name is the Lord Jesus Christ.
For the husband is the head of the
wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the
body. (Ephesians 5:23)
The Roman Catholics have a Pope as their leader.
The Mormons have a chief apostle as their leader.
The Charismatics look to men like Kenneth Hagin, Ken Copeland, Jesse
Duplantis, Creflo Dollar, etc. and these are considered leaders in the
Charismatic community. True
Christianity does not have a central figure on earth as their leader as that
belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ alone.
Billy Graham, Chuck Swindoll, Ravi Zacharias, John MacArthur, John Piper,
etc., do not have nail prints in their hands.
If a Christian is to follow an example then it would be the example of
the Christians who are being persecuted for their faith in countries like North
Korea, Saudi Arabia, China and other Godless countries.
It is them who show true commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ not some
multi-millionaire preacher on the air whom you couldn’t even approach because
their guards would stop you in a New York minute.
Vision Casting
I was just
about to end this article when I came across the newest heresy which is about to
infect many churches. Many of the
modern churches today are nothing more than prisons and the pastors are wardens
keeping the inmates in a lowered state of mind so they will not think or read
their Bibles to compare if their church doctrine will stand the scrutiny of
Scripture. The newest heresy is
called “Vision Casting” where the pastor claims to have a vision for the church
or some type of idea or plan which he claims came from God.
That vision of his is then forced upon the congregation and anyone who
rejects it or disregards it is then informed that they are fighting against God
and what true Christian wants to fight against God?
So if anyone contradicts the pastor, who is not doubt a demi-god in his
own mind, is then escorted out the door and disallowed from returning unless
they subscribe to the pastor’s vision.
This is just another dividing line making the pastor of the church a
Christian elitist while considering the congregants to be lower class and to be
manipulated at the pastor’s whim.
Summary
We have safely
concluded that there is definitely a caste system in Christianity which grows
wider everyday as pastors and media preachers consider themselves to be greater
than the congregations or their listeners.
However, we find no such distinctions or divisions in the Scriptures.
There is no such thing as the Christians elite as everyone who is truly
born again sees themselves as blood bought Christians but the problem is that
many in authority see themselves above the other Christians.
Just like in a courtroom the jury can sit in judgment of both the accused
and the law which is being used as the tool for accusation.
In like manner Christians have the same authority and they can judge
whatever their pastor is doing and what they hear in the media ministries and
have the authority to overrule them by means of withholding any further funding
of the ministry or church. If these
media ministries and false pastors and churches are starved for funds, they will
eventually fade away. The problem
is that many Christians support the pastor or the speaker on the radio and not
what message they are bringing therefore helping these frauds perpetuate their
false teaching and allowing others to be incarcerated with the false teachings
which are always palatable but against scripture.
Congregations
must realize they are not the personal property of the pastor or media ministry
and they must oppose false teachings and ungodly performance of the pastor.
Pastor is a spiritual gift and not an exalted position like king or
prince. If congregations start
standing up to these frauds then maybe the church will once again be a strong
entity and if Christians stop sending funds to self-glorifying preachers on the
radio, then maybe radio ministries would once again start teaching the truth
instead of story time. The power of
the wallet can elicit change. You
are not disobeying the Lord if you withhold your funds from a false ministry or
false pastor, in fact, you are being obedient and there are many good ministries
you can fund which really take the Great Commission seriously.
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. (Philippians 2:3)