Cancers Growing in the Kingdom

The church of the first century as Jesus created and the apostles established is our model for today. The church is a sanctuary for those seeking spiritual development and preparation of their souls for the life hereafter. It is not a non-profit institution, established recently by right of the Constitution, and manifested solely for the purposes of silver tongued speakers to swoon the masses with religion and take their money. Many people in the world have become disenchanted with the concepts of worship and the church in general because of all the media surrounding dishonest clergy. The New Testament clearly documents how the church should operate. It also documents at length the nature of problems during the times and unfortunately, many of the same issues exist in the church today. The important thing to remember is to not blame or reject God or what he has established because of the shortcomings of the people who make up the kingdom. God did not make us automatons to perform His will but gave us the freedom to make choices based on spiritually defined principles of His nature. This is recorded and illustrated in His word.

Part of His plan includes exposure of those who would make a mockery of His work and who allow Satan to take hold of those who would be foolish enough to reject Him for it. In the end, those who are in a leadership position in the church will receive a greater punishment for their failures. Those followers who reject God because of human failure deserve punishment by not being willing to see the difference between the perfect author of the plan and the imperfect executors of its principles. You can’t blame the father for the crimes of the child.

In this article, I point out some of the issues that the church is dealing with today and was also dealing with when the church was initially established.

Doctrinal Conservatism & Liberalism

The idea of applying words that generally deal with political viewpoints to matters of the church is somewhat tainted in thought. The Lord’s church, when structured properly and is doctrinally consistent, can only be categorized as ‘balanced’. To suggest that one congregation is more liberal or conservative over another is to imply a degree of division within the kingdom that is wholesomely unacceptable. Perhaps it is as a result of the inherent imperfections of the human condition but spiritually, it is not possible. Such monikers should generally be avoided and instead, study and development of understanding through the scriptures should prevail. Label denominations as liberal or conservative if you must but the Lord’s church is, or should always be, balanced – rightly dividing the word of truth (cf. 2Tim. 2:15); being neither conservative or liberal as these words are loosely defined.

Not all things are subject to interpretation, as it were. The scriptures are clear on matters of life such as marriage and divorce, worship such as what is required for salvation and the treatment of others; love your neighbor as yourself. It is important to recognize where the freedoms are and where they are not. As Paul so eloquently stated in 1Cor. 6:12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. (ASV)

In the book of 1Corinthians, Paul dealt with problems within the church in every chapter. There were problems with behavior of the members at every level and Paul rebuked and exhorted appropriately. It is interesting that he deals with consistency of thought in the very first chapter when he says “Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1Cor. 1:10)

Some congregations of the Lords people think that they are better than others. They say that they are more doctrinally correct than others. This seems to soften the blow to a serious statement of challenge. Whatever this means, it is clear that if one congregation thinks they’re right, then they also must accept that they believe others are wrong. It truly is that simple. There is no question that some issues in the church are subject to the agreement among its congregational members. Examples such as whether to break the bread representative of the Lord’s body during communion versus already having it broken or serving the fruit of the vine in one vessel or several. Some are matters of protocol and not doctrine. All these are issues that ultimately are trivial in nature when viewed from the perspective of spiritual intent. Yet there are some who would suggest that it is damning to perform this ritual one way over the other. I have observed that some congregations choose not to have kitchens in the church building as a matter of doctrine and appeal to 1 Cor. 11:22 as support text. In this passage, Paul was referring to the Corinthians who treated the Lord’s Supper as a regular meal and not in the reverent purpose of remembrance that it was intended to display. It had nothing to do with the facilities of the building. Yet some in the leadership of these congregations refuse to associate with other congregations because of the arrangement of their facilities. Such will be held accountable for this and similar attitudes. As Jesus said in his rebuke to the Pharisees in Mat. 23:24, “Ye blind guides, that strain out the gnat, yet swallow a camel!”

Incomplete Congregations

The prevalence of church’s without complete leadership e.g. Elders or Deacons, has become a growing cancer among the Lord’s people. It is too prevalent that congregations would grow into hundreds, perhaps thousands of members and yet not a single Elder or Deacon is appointed. This ultimately leads to a self-contained monarchy where the Minister is ultimately in control of all church business including and especially, the money. As a result of this, all kinds of problems are evident. Preachers alone are not equipped nor qualified to handle all of the church business including maintenance of the flock. Members are left with only one man in whom they can identify the scope of the Lords ability to work in their lives. One man in which to take all of their problems, many of whom are not comfortable with such an idea. Women are especially deprived because there are some things they are not comfortable with in talking to a man, yet the wife of an Elder will feel more appropriate. Seldom does any one man have the respect and confidence of the entire congregation. The flock is fed but not groomed. Some have spiritual lice (multiple problems known only to themselves whether self-identified or not), interpersonal relationships are suffering and plenty slip back into the world as a result of gaps in the fences of spiritual development. No matter how long a preacher has been in the pulpit, he cannot possibly manage the complexities of a congregation in this way. Undoubtedly, many develop prideful and arrogant attitudes (usually unbeknownst to themselves) thinking that they are so well developed spiritually and on the surface, the congregation looks just fine that they no longer see the need to appoint Elders and Deacons with any urgency. They believe they are doing the right thing and if they would look closely in the mirror of their lives with God, they would see the danger that is lurking beneath. The man who attempts to lead such a congregation will undoubtedly have a number of souls to answer for on the day of judgement among other things. Observant new converts end up seeing a group of people enamored by a man in the pulpit and not by a properly focused and developed love for Christ through a perfected form of leadership.

To compensate for the deficiency in leadership, some Ministers appoint men in the congregation to ‘assist’ him in maintaining the churches business. This is wholly unsupported in scripture. They attempt to justify this practice by suggesting that there are no men who are qualified or desire to be Elders or Deacons within their congregations. One suggested that Elders or Deacons have to be trained first. None of these excuses are acceptable and if no Elders or Deacons are appointable out of several hundred members, then it represents a dismal failure on the part of the one leading the congregation. The reality is that ultimately, the minister knows that he is held accountable to the Eldership and doesn’t really want to be. The members of these congregations are empowered and should dismiss such a spiritually dishonest person. They have a responsibility to do so for their souls are at stake should they continue to allow such a person to remain the sole leadership within a congregation. All sins will be revealed, even those that seemingly are hidden. The prudent observer, strong in the faith, will notice misleadership among men.

1Tim. 5:24 The sins of some men are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later.

Finally, some believe that Elders and Deacons are to be sinless men. This is simply not true for no man can ever be sinless. There is often confusion over what it means to be “blameless” which is what is required. It is important to recognize that “blameless” men are those who are walking in the light of Christ with such a consistency as to not be easily charged with sinful behavior. It does not mean that they never sin. They are to be sound in the faith and able to address matters of life with concepts found in the scriptures as opposed to concepts founded by men. They are highly distinctive in character but far from perfect.

The Role, Purpose and Importance of Elders (Bishops), Deacons and Ministers (Teachers & Preachers)

In the Lord’s infinite wisdom, he created a structure where there is accountability at every level in the church. The books of 1Timothy and Titus largely define the requirements for church leadership. You are encouraged to study these books thoroughly and see where you stand as a congregation. Nevertheless, it can be tempting to exaggerate these requirements such that it becomes difficult to make these key appointments. The reason there needs to be accountability within the church is because of the highly fallible nature of men and the risks are certainly higher with a single man in the leadership. The leadership is accountable to the members of the congregation. The members are accountable to the leadership. Both are accountable to God. The need for every element of church leadership cannot be overstated. There are very serious dangers to the souls that compromise or otherwise neglect the Lord’s requirements and expectations in this area.

The structure of the church is not like a typical corporation from a spiritual perspective. The structure from a societal perspective in order to meet governmental requirements is very different than the spiritual design of governance the Lord has prescribed. Ministers, Preachers and Teachers are effectively, employees of the congregation. They are primarily responsible for the administration of God’s word to the flock. It is the Elders (Bishops), Deacons and Pastors that are largely responsible for tending of the flock, handling church business, dealing with interpersonal matters of the members, ensuring correct doctrine, benevolence, etc. This is why the Lord authorized a plurality of these roles for no man can do it all alone.

The scriptures contain many warnings concerning false teachers and their methods to infiltrate the kingdom and contaminate the word of truth.

2Pet. 2:1 “But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. “

It is the responsibility of the Elders to ensure that false teachings do not come into the church. This covers matters of worhip as well. If there are no Elders, how are the members as a whole to remove a false teacher who is in control of the whole congregation? Likewise, even if the teaching is sound, the character of overall management is deficient because Preachers are not held to the same qualifications as Elders. A Preacher can be a single man, unmarried and with no children. He can have no idea of what it means to raise a family or maintain a spiritual household. He can be young and subject to pride. Thus, as it says in 1Tim. 3:5 (but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?). Even if he be married with a family, as the sole leader of the congregation, he exempts himself from reproach. Being deficient and ineffective in managing church affairs, he can find himself easily overwhelmed with many important issues falling through the cracks.

It has been common practice to appoint an odd number of Elders within a congregation. Traditionally, at least three Elders are appointed the first time if possible. There is no scriptural requirement for the number but there is a logical and practical reasoning behind it. With a single elder, there could be a struggle for control or there could be aberrations that develop in terms of loyalty between the congregation and the ministry. For example if there are two or more Ministers and one Elder, he could easily be overruled. With two Elders, there could be an impasse that develops over important decisions and nothing gets done. With three however, it is not likely that any of these problems would develop, not that they can’t, just unlikely. There is nothing wrong with having a single Elder or two, the number really doesn’t matter but spiritual discernment would lead one to recognize that such issues could be a problem.

The importance of Deacons in the congregation are equally clear. First, a Deacon is not ‘below’ an Elder. They do not work for the Elders or the Preacher, rather, they have different responsibilities within the congregation. Deacon’s typically are slightly younger men able to perform the physical labors of church management. They handle much of the administrative responsibilities of the church. They are resourceful in obtaining those things that are needed to get various jobs done. The requirements are the same as for an Elder and so due respect should be given. Like Elders, they are to be “blameless” but not “sinless”. It is common practice to place Deacons in roles that do not deal with the interpersonal matters of the membership. Deacons often become Elders later in life but it is neither a requirement or expectation. It is simply tradition.

A note on women in the congregation is in order. Women represent a most important aspect of church management. Although not in an official capacity of the leadership, their influence is equally important and it can easily be understood why Elders and Deacons must be married and have believing children. Spouses are the counter-balance to the Elders and Deacons in a congregation just as they are in a family environment in general. The church is a family and without the spouses of these Holy men, the leadership could never be complete. When a female member needs someone to talk to, they can go to the spouse of an Elder or Deacon to discuss it and know that it will be held in confidence. Although it is likely to be discussed between the Elder and his wife, there is little exposure or fear of privacy being compromised.

Congregational Size and Church Plantings

If you’ve ever attended a congregation that has several hundred or even a thousand members, it can be overwhelming. It becomes increasingly difficult to maintain a “family atmosphere” with a congregation of several hundred members. Many congregations go to two Sunday morning services as a result of a growing membership. There is nothing wrong with a congregation growing beyond the physical capacity to support the number of people who love the Lord. It is a wonderful testament to the quality of the message being delivered and the love shown by long-standing members who welcome guests into the house of the Lord.

Nevertheless, there are inherent difficulties that can develop with so many people and without careful observation and consideration, a large congregation is subject to pockets of apostasy, especially when there is a deficiency in the leadership. A person could argue that a large congregation is better than many smaller congregations for reasons of community visibility and financial stability among other things. Likewise, one could argue that smaller congregations promote more solid relationships among members and make it easier to maintain accountability. Either way, there is something to be said of optimizing the size of a congregation that best promotes spiritual growth for all members. There is no magic number but prudent leadership of larger congregations would want to promote the planting of new facilities wherever there is a need and possibly seed those new plants with faithful members to help ensure a successful build.

The Lord requires that each congregation be autonomous, having its own leadership in place and without continued oversight of others. The Lord required of us to go into “all the world, preaching the gospel”. This is done, in part, through new church builds. A new congregation being built does not require the approval of any man. There is no scriptural support for an Elder being over a plurality of churches or for one congregation to have authority over another. However, in the planting of a new church building, there is an expectation that established congregations in the area help the budding church get off the ground by supplying resources where available and providing the doctrine of the new plant is sound. It is a basic tenet of the Christian walk. Just as we would not offer a stone to the hungry instead of bread, we should offer more than words of encouragement to a new congregation. Some congregations would sooner help a lost soul in the world to increase its own membership than support its extended family in a new congregation. I am aware of one congregation of some 600 members and having some $800,000 in the bank, yet wouldn’t offer a dime to assist in a new build started by one of its former attendees. The gentleman is sound in doctrine, saw a need and stepped out on faith to fill the need, yet a congregation with the ability to help would not for seemingly personal reasons. The reason that was given was because he did so ‘without their approval’. It just so happens that this same congregation has not a single Elder or Deacon. There is no excuse for this behavior.

Conclusion

It is clear that there are cancers growing in the church just as they did in the first century. We have not mastered the challenges and must be humble in recognizing that no matter how peachy things might appear, Satan is always and continually at work trying to divide and conquer the Lord’s kingdom. Unless there is a reconciliation of ‘purpose’ with the ‘word’, these cancers cannot successfully be excised from the body of Christ. It is my hope that leaders throughout the kingdom set aside their personal differences, distinguish between protocol and doctrine, and work towards the perfect mind and judgement that Paul encouraged to the church at Corinth in the first century. Preachers in congregations must take the Lord’s requirements on structure seriously and work diligently on completing those houses that are currently incomplete.

The Lord’s plan is perfect, it is people with imperfect thinking that leads to problems of pride and division. We need to constantly decrease in ourselves so that the Lord may increase in our spirit.