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The keys of authority do not prove human importance of any kind. It speaks of the Master Who trusts His servants with the keys of His house. It conveys Jesus’ commission to His disciples, “Go and make disciples of all the nations [by preaching My Genuine Gospel to them;] baptising them, [the sincerely believing disciple-followers], in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I [NOT churches] have commanded you…” - Mt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8. Nevertheless, during the church-building era of Roman Catholicism, which started in the latter part of 1 A.D., Satan pretended that Jesus said the following, “O great and important Peter, you are the rock of your church and you will build your church. To you I give the keys of heaven, [NO, “the keys of the spiritual Kingdom!”] You may allow entry to whomever you please, and you may send to hell whomever you choose,” (Rev. 20:11-15.) With this falsification, the devil promoted the humble Peter to ‘saint, god, and pope Peter; gatekeeper of heaven’. This false Peter is a Christian replica of the pagan god Janus who holds the keys to the underworld. This impostor also became the most important among the Roman Catholic priests, the non-existent ‘high priest’ or the pope; the head of the Roman Catholic Church and all her Protestant church daughters. Because only Jesus Himself is the Eternal High Priest of the New Testament Covenant, and the Only Head of the His spiritual bride and body on earth and in heaven, this idolatrous view of ‘pope or god Peter’ placed ‘saint’ Peter as a false christ on the stage of Christian religion.
TRUE MINISTERS ARE STEWARDS, SERVANTS, AND SLAVES WITHOUT PAY, RANK OR PREFERENCE, EXCEPT IN THE UNBIBLICAL “RISE OF THE BISHOPS” When Jesus cried on the cross, “It is finished,” He became the One and Only High Priest of all His true believers. At that moment, He fully annulled the physical, Old Testament temple order (Heb. 8:13) with its physical Levitical priesthood to inaugurate His spiritual New Testament nation, His royal priesthood, as His only everlasting, spiritual temple, (Heb. 9:8; 8:1-6; 10:19-22; Eph. 1:22-23; 1 Pet. 2:9-10.) Since that day, every sincere believer is a king of the King, a priest of the High Priest and a Scriptural saint or a holy, spiritually and personally born again child of the Most High God, (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2.) The New Testament priesthood of Christ has no rank or preference among them. Together, they “are His chosen generation, royal priesthood, holy [spiritual] nation, and His own special people, that they may proclaim the praises of Him Who called them out of darkness into His marvelous light,” 1 Pt. 2:9-10. By sincerely accepting the full atonement of Christ in their place, (Jn. 3:16,) “they were qualified to be partakers of the inheritance of the [Biblical believing] saints in the light. [For] He has delivered [past tense] them from the power of darkness and conveyed them [at the moment they sincerely believed and accepted Jesus, Jn. 1:12-13,] into [His spiritual] Kingdom... In Whom they have [present tense] redemption through His blood; the forgiveness of sins,” (Col. 1:12-14.) God did not submit His blood-redeemed spiritual nation to human lords or merciless commanders; all His believers must submit to the Scriptural authority of God above all else — and then to real Godly, human authority in the marriage and in other personal relationships, as well as in the assemblies of believers, (the ecclesia not the church, Eph. 5:21.) Jesus’ calling on the lives of His “elderly or servants” is a stewardship of the people who belong to Jesus, where they “watch out for their own souls and the souls of believers as those who must give account [of everything and everyone God had entrusted to them,]” Heb. 13:17. For far too long, believers have followed false doctrines and unscriptural church authority; justified by uncontextual and twisted Bible verses and passages that intend to substitute the truth of God’s Word and His Scriptural servant-elder(ly,) to lead His body into deception and to “make utensils” of them for their own private use. God’s Word is found in the entire Truth of Scripture, not just in a verse here and a passage there, taken out of context by wolves in sheep’s clothing.
The function of “ministers or servant-slaves” in the body of Christ In the context of Scriptural truth, the spiritual priesthood of Melchizedek (1 Pt. 2:9-10) only has the ‘elderly,’ (the spiritual ‘older’ or more mature servant-leaders,) to shepherd, teach, and thus ‘equip’ the body of Christ for servanthood, (Eph. 4:11; 1 Cor. 12:1-31.) Jesus Himself is the Only High Priest and Head of His body or spiritual priesthood. So, it seems practical that the other members of the body of Christ should do physical chores among the believers; falsely termed “deacon posts” in the church system. They can collect and distribute money, etcetera, for charity, (not collected by false extortion such as ‘tithing” but by giving freely,’) wait tables, and do other physical chores while also taking physical care of one another as members of the same body to assist the spiritual ‘elderly’ in their spiritual ministry, or servant-slave service. The spiritual ‘ministry’ or the shepherding of the assemblies is the task of truly God-called and equipped elderly - all hierarchical, ruling, church “ministers, pastors, etcetera” excluded. Thus, the servant-ministers or “elderly,” just as the ‘deacons’ or other serving members of the body of Christ, must live Holy-Spirit filled, consecrated lives as examples to one another to glorify the Name of their Chief Shepherd Jesus, to be His instruments in building His blood-redeemed body of believers, (1 Tim. 3:8-13.) It seems logic that God may call those who teach the Word, visit the sick, preach, lead the congregation in prayer, or shepherd home-assemblies, to first serve the body on a physical level until they are spiritually mature enough to form part of the servanthood of elderly. “For those who have served well as [servants or elderly] obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus… (1 Tim. 3:13.) Thus, the [elderly] must not be... double-tongued, given to much wine or greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith [the true Gospel of Christ] with a pure conscience. But they must first be tested, [proving that they are faithful to Jesus and dedicated to serving His body; growing in Godly wisdom, Holy-Spirit leading, and real Scriptural truth,] then, let them serve as [elderly,] being found blameless…” · As God’s spiritual Kingdom is a Theocracy, (a completely God-reigned Kingdom,) He Alone chooses only proved, truly Spirit-filled servants and handmaidens (the male and female elderly,) who live clean, moral lives, (1 Tim. 3; Acts 2:17-21; 13:2-4.) Above all, this elderly should be “doers of the Word” and disciples who “rightly divide the word of truth.” (2 Tim. 2:15.) They must be faithful stewards, who understand the truth of the Word contextually and constantly apply its commandments and principles to their own lives first. · True, Scriptural ‘elderly’ are completely different from the hierarchy of ‘elders’ in the Christian church, which is a democratically elected top-structure. Real Biblical elderly, chosen and ordained by the Spirit Himself, function from the ‘bottom’ or from among ‘ordinary’ members of the body of Christ, (being ordinary members of the body themselves,) where all the elderly [spiritually] “wash the feet,” or humbly minister to their fellow believers in conjunction with one another: Jn. 13:14; 1 Cor. 4:1-2. This is so because the kingdom of God is a spiritual Kingdom where Jesus Alone reigns as High Priest and King. Paul explained this important principle in 1 Cor. 4:8-16: “We, [the servant-elderly], are looked upon as fools on account of Christ, but you, [the glitzy religious church ‘elder’ clergy], are supposedly so amazingly wise and prudent in Christ! We, [the servant-elderly], are weak, but you, [the religious hierarchy of elders], are so strong! You are highly esteemed, but we are in disrepute and contempt! [While you are being kept in luxury through your abuse of the Old Testament ceremonial temple Law], to this hour… we still toil unto weariness for our living, working hard with our own hands…”
Where did the words “bishop” and “deacon” come from, and do these separate posts or offices differ from that of “elder?” Peter wrote in 1 Pet. 5:1-4, “The elderly [not ruling elders but spiritual mature servants] among you I exhort, I who am a fellow [elderly or servant, not an exalted ‘elder,’] a witness of the suffering of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed. Shepherd [and do not drive or rule and oppress] the flock of God which is among you, [you are not exalted above them. Thus, you must] serve as overseers, [not rule as prison guards, but guide and protect as stewards;] not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples [not commanders] to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd [and High Priest]] appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” A human ‘chief or head elder,’ ‘high priest,’ ‘bishop,’ ‘cardinal,’ ‘archbishop,’ ‘pope,’ or other exalted ruler does not exist! John the Beloved also called himself a mere elder[ly] (not an important ‘elder,’) in 2 John verse 1, and 3 John verse 1. Even more horrible than the haughty ‘elder’ distortion, are the so-called ‘higher ranking’ office or post of “bishop,” and the alleged “lower rank” or post of deacon, which sinful, religious men deliberately installed into the Bible to justify this unscriptural ‘ruling priesthood.’ The following was partially extracted from Wikipedia and explain the Christian word BISHOP. “The Greek word for bishop is ‘episkopos,’ which was translated as “overseer” or “bishop” in the Bible; supposedly outranking even the ‘head elder’ deception. However, from the true context of Scripture, the compound notion of “servant-slave” should have been used here. “Episkopos” cannot be interpreted, (as paganism and Christianity do,) as someone as harsh and important as the director of a prison, but as a loving shepherd, steward, or care giver.” All Protestant and other followers of this Roman Catholic Church doctrine use the word “bishop” to establish the false perception that this “higher ruler” heads the “authority” of the “elder” hierarchy. So, the word “bishop” was deliberately written into Scripture to “legalize” the unbiblical, hierarchical structure of male priests in the churches. The Roman Church even added the “high priest” of the “bishops,” the “archbishop,” as well as the “cardinal” or “prince of the church,” and the pope” or the “holy father” of the church to this blasphemous deception. As all these unholy Roman additions, the use of the word “bishop” is unscriptural and forces an “office” of superior, elite, male domination upon the biblical “elderly” or servant-slaves of Christ. The use of “bishop” or “overseer” (and not steward, servant or shepherd-slave) in Acts 20:28, sanctioned this man-made church office, which supposedly ‘heads’ or ‘outranks’ the so-called ‘reverend’ or ‘godly elevated’ “elder” hierarchy. It is said that the word ‘minister” appears 34 times in the King James Version of the Bible. The word “minister” too, was historically used in the Roman Catholic Church to mean a ‘reverend god-man’ or clergyman, not a servant-slave of Christ. So, where one finds the word “minister” in the Bible, one can know that the church meaning of this word actually suggests a ruling ‘elder’ or a ‘bishop.’” In all churches the word “minister” was twisted to mean “master” or “manager,” while the Greek text and context of Scripture imply exactly the opposite. Leaders in the body of Christ are servants and not masters or lords (1 Pt. 5:3). Through all these distortions of the servanthood ministers of Christ, Bible translators have confused the form and function of the true body of Christ and their “assembling together,” the “ecclesia,” to further and maintain their great importance and highly paid ‘jobs’ in the church system. “The Greek word “diakonos” means “servant,” and specifically refers to the context of menial work, which all ‘servant-slaves’ of Christ or the true “elderly,” [not speaking of unscriptural, haughty church ‘elders,’] are supposed to do. Bible translators got the word “diakonos” right where they translated it as “servant.” But they also changed its meaning to understand the word as the important ‘office’ or ‘post’ of “deacon,” while they also translated it as “minister,” to refer this ‘post’ to the same context as a ‘reverend leader.’” By adding all these pagan notions of religious leadership to Christianity, Bible translators canonized their doctrine of the clergy/laity, hierarchical-priestly divide in both Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.
AS MISOGAMISTS, [HATERS OF WOMEN] THE “DEACONS, ELDERS” AND SO-CALLED “BISHOPS” EXCLUDED WOMEN FROM THEIR RULING, ALL-MALE HIERARCHY OF FALSE “PRIESTS” Misogynists argue the truth, but it is clear that in the home assemblies, (the ecclesia,) there were elderly (“elders”) prophet-teacher-leader servants among women as well. One example is Rom. 16:1 where Paul wrote, “I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant [minister elderly] of the assembly in Cenchrea.” The true meaning of “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh... [and] on My ‘menservants’ and on My ‘maidservants,’ and they will prophesy… [or preach, teach, pastor, build assemblies, etc.]” (Acts 2:17-18,) is as follows: Footnote, 1991 Spirit Filled Bible on Joel 2:28-29, “All flesh refers to true believers from every race, class, age, and gender,” because salvation can only be found in personal acceptance of, and obedience to Jesus Christ, (Jn. 3:16; 1:11-13.)” Gal. 3:28, “Spiritually in Christ, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female; for in Him you are all one [body and bride.” Hebrew Strong’s Concordance, no. 5650 and 8198 clarifies, “Men and maidservants are men and women [ministers]...” That’s why Paul could write in Gal. 3:28 & Eph. 4:24 that the spiritual body of Christ is completely without nationality, social class, or gender. Therefore, “put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the Image of Him Who created him, where there is [spiritually] neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, [male nor female, Gal. 3:28,] but Christ is all and in all [Scripturally and sincerely born again believer-followers,] (Col. 3:9-12.) Menservants and maidservants are therefore willing male and female ministering members of the same body, (Eph. 4:11.) This is the unchangeable, contextual truth of New Testament, New Covenant truth in our Lord Jesus Christ. · However, all misogynists refuse to read the Scriptures in context, and use very strange passages that Paul supposedly commanded to discriminate against women on all levels of life. To them, every woman who fulfills the Holy Spirit calling of “elderly” in her life, is supposedly possessed by the Jezebel spirit! However, this is simply misogynist witchcraft. The spirit of Jezebel, according to New Testament truth, has nothing to do with women per say, or with women teachers and preachers in the Kingdom of God - just read this whole passage in Rev. 2:20-29 in context. In fact, misogynist male witches have the spirit of Jezebel in them, according to the truth of God’s Word, for they “call themselves prophets, but they teach and seduce God’s servants” to follow false doctrine and to cling to Christianized, pagan norms and forms in man-made churches. All false teaching in the traditional church, both in Catholicism and in Protestantism, originated from, and was carried forth by men not women! The women who spread fallacies in churches such as in Seventh Day Adventism are in the vast minority! What’s more, if it was really Paul who wrote that women must keep silent in church, wear head coverings while praying and ‘prophesying’ [or ministering,] bear children to be saved, etcetera, he must have suffered from spiritual schizophrenia, because he was the one who taught that in Jesus, spiritually, there “is neither male nor female, for we are all one in Christ.” It is more likely that the Vatican and their Jesuit-conceived Protestant sons pressed such nonsense into Scripture, nullifying the truth of God’s contextual Word, (Mark 7:13; Mt. 15:6,) which states that “whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have eternal life,” and that He “poured out His Spirit on men servants and female servants [or ministers,]” etcetera. (Jn. 3:16; Acts 2:18.)
ALL TRUE BELIEVERS (NOT UNBIBLICAL ELDERS) HAVE THE REAL ANOINTING OR “ABIDING INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT” AND FUNCTION TOGETHER AS A SINGLE UNIT: THE BODY OR BRIDE OF CHRIST, (1 John 2:22,27.) At creation, God gave male and female joint management in everything that does not pertain to their personal marriage covenant. God did not submit all women on all spheres of life to all men — only to their “own” Godly husbands, (Eph. 5:23.) Where our spiritual and secular lives are concerned, except for in the marriage covenant, “there is no more male nor female…” (Gal. 3:28.) Every sincerely and personally born again child of God is a spiritual king and priest in Christ and a spiritual worker in his or her own territory as God allots. Firstly in their own home, then among family and friends, at work, and in the secular world, (Acts 1:8; 1 Pt. 2:9.) All real believers who follow Jesus in the truth of His Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit, already “have [present tense] the anointing from the [indwelling] Holy Spirit… Who abides [or constantly lives] in them,” (1 Jn. 2:27.) The anointing of the Spirit does not ‘come down’ on them repeatedly as under the Old Testament Covenant when He was not yet given to live inside believers. Now, all true believers already have the fullness of His anointing inside them. Some believers do not have ‘more of the Spirit’ than the other believers have. · Most importantly, from Jesus’ spiritual, royal priesthood, (who all function as the spirituality genderless, cultureless, non-race body of Christ,) the Holy Spirit Himself sovereignly chooses, sets apart, and teaches the “elderly.” The elderly are not necessarily old people but sincere, spiritually and emotionally mature believers of Christ, who still remain ‘ordinary’ spiritual kings and priests as Christ the King Alone is the Eternal High Priest. Thus, the elderly live and serve on the same spiritual ‘level’ as all the other believers, (not ‘above’ them,) to “equip” the Scripturally born again saints for their personal work in the Kingdom of God, (Eph. 4:11; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; 1 Cor. 4:1-2.) Paul unmistakably taught in 1 Corinthians 12:11-31, “The fact is that the body is not one member but many… [So] God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased… that there must be no schism [division or denominations] in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honoured, all the members rejoice with it. We are the body of Christ and members individually. · “[From these members] God appointed [the elderly] to [the ministry or service] of the other members…. Are all apostles… prophets… teachers… workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings… speak in tongues… interpret?” The members of the body and the gifts, which the Holy Spirit gave them to equip them and the rest of the body, are diverse. Yet, spiritually, all are “one in Christ” and together they must all serve Jesus to glorify His Name and to evangelize the whole world, (Mt. 28:19-20.)
In contrast, the humanly elected, hierarchical elder-clergy of the Christian church system are hierarchical rulers or oppressors, who think it is their ‘right’ to lord over Jesus’ believers as they please; demolishing the truth of Scripture to trample His blood-redeemed body, (Mark 7:13.) It might sound paradoxical, but the serving elderly - all of them together and on the same spiritual level as all the other believers, minister to, or serve in the body of Christ without human glory or physical importance. They do not have superior ‘authority,’ ‘hyper’ anointing, ‘high esteem’ or any type of unscriptural power over the body of Christ. God did not call His elderly to control, use, and oppress His believers but, by His grace, to ‘equip’ them with His truth. Therefore, they are five different God-called types of servants, all on equal footing, who, with equal non-status in this world, who must do the extraordinary spiritual work that God had allotted to each of them. Not for selfish gain but because they love, honor, obey, and glorify Him above all else. That is why it is the task of the elderly of Eph. 4:11-12, (proved servants leading sincere, consecrated lives as examples to the flock), to also anoint the sick with oil, (simply as a symbol of the omnipotent Holy Spirit,) and to minister a prayer of healing over them, (Jam. 5:14-16.) But because their spiritual authority pertains only to the spirit world and not to any manmade norm, form, or structure, the Scriptural elderly serve without the believers’ reverential admiration of their personhood, work and calling, although we all have to respect, consider, appreciate, and submit to one another in everything Scripturally true and good, while bringing God all the glory. · The only One with ‘superior’ authority in the body of Christ is the Head, Christ Jesus. · He Alone is the Chief Shepherd or “Chief Elderly,” 1 Pet. 5:1-2. · A human chief elder, chief elderly, or chief shepherd does not exist. God did not anoint or ordain a chief leader such as a so-called ‘bishop,’ ‘cardinal’ or ‘pope’ to rule the other ‘leaders,’ 1 Tim. 3:1-2. To put a human in Jesus’ place as ‘high priest’ or ‘the head of the body [which they call the church]’ is shameless idolatry, to say the least. Yet, this is exactly what the Roman Catholic papacy and the hierarchies of Protestantism have been doing for nearly two millennia. According to Scripture, Reverend Doctor So and So, Bishop this and that, Chairman or Whatever of such and such a church, society, consistory or council, simply does not exist — except in the church-indoctrinated minds of people, who remain unknowingly enslaved to dreadfully false and therefore dangerous church systems, (Heb. 3:1; 12:2.)
“But someone has to take control!” someone cried To some, criticism of the hierarchical ‘elder’ clergy might sound unimportant and to others it even seems ‘blasphemous,’ although most complain of “spiritually powerless and oppressive leaders.” They believe that appointing ‘elders’ as church secretaries, treasurers, etcetera, is Biblical. Yet, in this way, many more unbiblical ‘elder’ offices are still being created. Bible schools train job-seeking men for their systems and send them out as ‘pastors’ to rule their many denominations or divisions of Christianity. A democratic election chooses popular friends as elders and deacons, and every other kind of church-post, and they function under the authority and leadership of most important priests, so-called pastors, ‘ministers’ and ‘reverends’, while God never instructed them to do so. Is it still strange that chaos and a lack of true spiritual leadership overcame the church? An indoctrinated church elder said to me, “No you are wrong. To maintain order someone has to take control. Therefore there must be a chief elder” — meaning a male elder such as the so-called ‘higher ranking’ pastor, and if he is not ‘high’ enough, a ‘bishop’ or whoever they can find to outrank him will do just fine. · This sounds as if God gave His Scriptural elderly, all on equal footing, permission to suddenly ‘ascend’ in steps of authority and importance in the Kingdom of Christ (just like in the masonic lodge and other forms of paganism) — and this is the reason why the deceived clergy of all churches believe ‘a human high priest’ of some kind must rule or lord over them as pastors rule the ‘church.’ · Instead, the pastors, evangelists, etcetera, as all believers, must “submit to one another” in everything Scripturally true and in the leading of the Holy Spirit! · So, the real ‘leader or chief’ in ‘meetings’ must be God the Holy Spirit Himself. Why then, are they looking to mere humans to lead them when they must look to the Holy Spirit to lead them? · Where, may I ask, are they taking Jesus’ believers? Well, unless believers begin to ask, seek, and knock on “heaven’s door” to find the truth of God’s Word and to obey His Moral Law of Love, these self-appointed hierarchies of rulers are taking them to hell with them. If God did not spare Adam and Eve because they submitted to deception after they disobeyed Him only once, how can we believe we can submit to deception, and keep on eating of the same deadly fruit that they ate, and live? (2 Ths. 2:9-10.)
God’s Theocratic order exists in the fact that the Holy Spirit Himself is the Leader of the body of Christ, Acts 13:3-4. He Alone decides whom He chooses to set apart. He Alone calls His spiritual servants and uses them as He wills, (1 Cor. 12:11.) He Alone places them in different positions in the body of Christ to ‘equip’ the saints for their great commission to evangelize the world together as the body of Christ, (Mt. 28:19-20.) · So, real Biblical elderly, all on equal footing, must humbly “submit to one another” in everything that is true in the full context of Scripture, (Eph. 5:21.) If they are God-chosen elderly, who adhere to the moral requirements of 1 Tim. 3, and submit to one another in everything Scripturally true, good and Godly, these Spirit-led servants will work together in a miraculous way. · For ages, everyone accepted that the so-called ‘chief’ elder is the pastor that oversees the other pastors as each pastor in turn oversees his congregation like a prison warden and not as a caregiver, servant or shepherd who protects, watches and leads. But Scripturally, ‘chiefs’ do not exist and pastoral responsibility does not elevate ‘servants or elderly’ above the other elderly or servants in a highly paid job. · Practically, every elderly or servant is also an evangelist, prophet, teacher and pastor as all these callings constantly overlap in practical service to the body of Christ. Paul, also just an ordinary elderly, said to the other elderly of Ephesus, “I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not neglected to declare to you the whole counsel of God, [the full Gospel and all the precepts of God’s Moral Law.] Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit made you [servants and shepherds not harsh] overseers, to feed the body of Christ, which He has redeemed with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departing grievous wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from our own selves [democratically elected Christian ‘elders’] will arise men, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them,” (Acts 20:17-38.) Paul prophesied that a cruel, false hierarchical elder-clergies would replace the Godly elderly or servants of the Theocracy. Wolves that would devour the spiritual, social, family lives, finances, and even the eternal lives of Jesus’ blood-redeemed nation; lording over them with their uncontextual and unscriptural legalistic laws and false authority. They would burden those whom Christ has set free from darkness and the ceremonial, Old Testament Law. They would oppress the holy bride, whom Jesus’ cherishes and leads in love. And they would confuse and abuse God’s spiritual nation with their pagan, Christianized church practises. Because the ‘fivefold’ elderly are pastors or shepherds themselves, they are all supposed to “keep watch over the souls of the flock, guarding their spiritual welfare, as they will have to render an account” of every soul that God had entrusted to them, (Heb. 13:7,17.) · James understood this huge responsibility, and so he wrote in Chapter 3:1, “Not many of you should become elderly [or servants,] for you know that we elderly will be judged by a higher standard and with greater severity than other people; thus we assume the greater accountability and more condemnation.” A stricter judgement awaits all the Holy Spirit’s true elderly, [not to mention the self-appointed elder-clergy,] as God had entrusted to the elderly, as caretakers of His flock, so much more of His truth, wisdom, and insight to ‘minister’ to His precious blood-redeemed souls, (Jn. 21:15-17.) And so, Paul declared that he is “innocent of anyone’s blood,” as he did not neglect to tell them “the whole truth.” He did not keep quiet about the things that God had revealed to him. He spoke out against sin and false teaching. He admonished the other elderly as well as the flock with a motive of Godly love and in pure truth, at the risk of being slandered, rejected, and even murdered, (2 Tim. 4:2.)
WAS IT PAUL AND THE OTHER ELDERLY’S ‘RIGHT’ TO CLAIM TITHING, ACCEPTANCE, AND A NICE COMFORT ZONE? Of course God will always supply all the needs of His children. Jesus Himself said that even an ox should not be prevented from eating from the wheat that it treads. Why, God even supplies the needs of those who never serve Him! So, concerning the needs of His elderly, we can be certain He will see to it that they have everything they need to fulfil their calling in Him and to live physically in this life. · Yet, no one has ‘rights’ as far as God is concerned. We live by His faith and grace not by rights. Our ‘rights’ are pure privilege because God’s Kingdom is not a democracy but a Theocracy where He Alone reigns supreme. The first, most important, and under His New Testament Covenant, the only law of God’s Kingdom is “to love [and therefore submit to] the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength... And the second is like it: You will love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets, [the entire truth of the Old Covenant — as well as the New Testament Covenant in Christ.]” Nothing we need and desire must ever come between us and our obedience to God’s Moral Law of love. If necessary, we must be willing to suffer hardship and every other thing the world can throw at us to keep on doing the will of God. We can only succeed in this great mission if our eyes and minds are stayed on Jesus our Lord, and as long as our priorities centre on heaven, which is way beyond everything on earth. Paul explained the Godly calling placed on the lives of all truly God-chosen elderly by showing us the other side of the servant coin. He wrote in 1 Cor. 9:16-18, “If I preach the [true] Gospel, that gives me no reason to boast, for I feel compelled of necessity to do it. Woe is I if I do not preach the Gospel! For if I do this work of my own free will, [because I chose to do this according to church doctrines in a church system,] then I have a reward, [because I get paid for it.] But if it is not of my own will, [as God called and ordained me and I did not choose His calling but He chose me,] I am entrusted with a sacred trusteeship and commission, [which cannot be paid by a salary or even large amounts of money and human applause, because my priorities centre on God’s Spiritual Kingdom and the eternal souls of those whom God had entrusted to me.] What then is the actual reward? Just this, that in my preaching the Gospel, [as a calling and not a job,] I may offer it absolutely free of expense to anyone, [because God supplies all my needs and makes it possible for me to execute His calling;] not taking advantage of my privileges as a preacher.” God never regrets His calling or His gifts of grace. Still, God Alone decides who does what and when.
In conclusion we can say that we must know for certain God will never call anyone to an unscriptural church office or post, commanding him or her to submit to false religious authority and false doctrines, becoming part of the hierarchal elder-clergy to force unbiblical church norms and forms unto gullible believers. The Truth of God’s Word remains forever unchangeable. Jesus is the Spirit of Truth Who leads those believers who choose to follow Him above all else into “All truth.” The entire context of Scripture, is the truth, (Ps 119:160.) Why would the Most Holy, Most Righteous Truth, the Lord Jesus Christ, call anyone to twist His Word and abuse His blood-redeemed believers in Christ? Jn. 14:6. Surely, if one finds oneself in a church setup through circumstance and a lack of knowledge, it still remains one’s personal responsibility to follow Christ and not men — to seek His face earnestly until He leads one to the spiritual place that each of us must occupy in the body of Christ. (Jn. 14:6; 1 Cor. 12:12-31.) Jesus declared in Mt. 10:34-39, “Do not think that I came to bring [outward] peace on earth… For I have come to set a man against his [father, wife, daughter, son, mother in law,] and a man’s [greatest] enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves [them] more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take up his cross [hardship for the truth of the Word] and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life [in church comfort zones and the acceptance of men] will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it [for all eternity.]” · No one will have an excuse for clinging to church systems instead of following Jesus Himself through the truth of His Word. Jesus will not leave His blood-redeemed souls to perish in a false church system, which is powered by deception and oppression, without clearly speaking to them! True believers all have the Holy Spirit of Truth, Who convicts and convinces every person on earth of “sin, righteousness [in The Truth, Jesus,] and judgment” for disobeying Him, (Jn. 16:8-10.) How much more will He speak to His believers, who are in spiritual danger? · No one will be allowed to do his or her “ministry” as they choose and ‘get away’ with it. That is why Jesus cautioned in Matthew 7:21-24, “Not everyone who says to Me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My father in heaven. Many will say to Me in That Day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your Name, cast out demons in Your Name, and did many wonders in Your Name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Practicing church dogma instead of Jesus’ Scriptural Truth is serious “lawlessness.” The Theocratic ministry (service) of elderly is a calling of God. It is not a job; it is a stewardship. Because the responsibility is so great, no one should ever aspire after it. Yet, if it is God’s calling, no one dare refuse it either. Sincere believers are truly the willing slaves of Christ. If we simplify Paul’s words in the entire Scriptural context of 1 Cor. 9:16-18, he actually said, ‘If I were a member of the religious, hierarchical ‘elder’ clergy, occupying a so-called important church post, I would have counted it my legal right to be paid for my services. However, the mere fact that I am able to offer the Gospel absolutely free of charge IS my spiritual and emotional pay, as it proves that God is my Provider and Shepherd because He takes complete care of me! For if I now choose to be rewarded by men, I actually forfeit my reward in heaven, (Mt. 6:1-8.) We cannot expect to be paid twice for the same job, can we?” Accordingly, Paul The Servant chose to work with his own hands, rather than to be paid for the spiritual “services he rendered.” And he instructed all sincere believers to follow his example, (2 Ths. 3:6-10.) How can one reconcile Paul’s selfless life with the elder hierarchy - the superrich pastors, preachers, prophets and teachers who are employed by the idolatrous church system? Paul could have claimed a salary if he wanted to, but following in the steps of Jesus his Lord, he renounced all such demands to profit the souls whom God had entrusted to him. He chose to benefit the flock with the truth of the Gospel entirely free of charge, because he focused on the salvation of their eternal souls. He gave all his practical, Godly love in selfless service to Jesus Christ to glorify His Wonderful Name, (Rom. 12:1-2.) To be able to offer the body of Christ the entire ‘Christ-package’ of eternal life without incurring any cost to them, WAS Paul’s reward. Paul The Servant freely received it all from the Father, and by God’s immeasurable grace He provided for all of Paul’s needs, thereby placing Paul in the blessed position to give everything entirely free of charge, and so, to glorify the Name of Jesus as his highest priority, (1 Pet. 2:5.) Repent from false doctrine and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior
Is it Scriptural that Women should Minister in church just like Men do? God gave male and female joint rule in everything that does not pertain to the marriage covenant
For excellent, free teaching on the Biblical ‘elderly’ of Jesus’ body, read ‘The Great Ecclesiastical Conspiracy,’ by George Davis and Michael Clark. Get it on my friend Curtis’ website at: http://www.inthebeginnig.com
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How do we know the Voice of God? Casting lots to determine Gods will for a particular situation — can we still practice that under the New Covenant? |