10/7
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
The Holy Spirit seems to have revived (and increased our understanding of) this word, first received in the late 1970's, as being quite pertinent to all believers today. The title could just as easily be "The Normal Christian Life" because the same principles apply in the life of every believer as in the subject of "Church Government."
The first teaching we received (through a human believer) on the subject of church government came around 1969, as follows:
(1) A (local) church government corresponds to a (local) civil government. Paul writes to The Church at Ephesus, The Church at Corinth, etc. Since the house church that we were a part of at that time was located in Fairfax County, Virginia, and since the government was (and is) Fairfax County, therefore we (wanting to be scriptural) called ourselves "The Church at Fairfax County."
(2) The pattern for church government is typified by The Church at Antioch. The teaching went as follows. In Acts 15, after no small disputation as to whether the gentile converts to Christianity should keep the Mosaic Law, James (the pastor at Jerusalem) said,
...and that ended the discussion. So The Church at Jerusalem typifies the pastor and the elders, which is still very much present in denominational churches, some charismatic churches, and a few house churches today. In this pattern, the pastor basically is the dominant authority, subject (more or less) to input from the elders. The Church at Antioch, as illustrated in Acts 13, represents a plurality of ministry, where no one person stands out above the rest. In Acts 13:2, "... the Holy Ghost said ...". The teaching was that "the Holy Ghost said" is better than "James said." Therefore The Church at Antioch is the scriptural pattern. (As an interesting aside, a number of believers have written books, arguing which of these two churches is "the pattern" for church government. As we describe later, we believe they are BOTH wrong!)
A few years later the Spirit of God quickened that the above is not quite the way that it is. Furthermore, our house church was NOT the Church at Fairfax County because The Church at Fairfax County consists of all genuine believers who live in Fairfax County. And so we were rather presumptuous and prideful (albeit ignorantly so) in taking on our "name." Further, The Church at Ephesus most likely NEVER called themselves The Church at Ephesus or any other name. That was only how Paul referred to them. Moreover, there is no scriptural indication that the early believers even called themselves Christians. They were first called Christians (by others) at Antioch (Acts 11:26). Some believe that the name of Christians was invented by enemies of the cross of Christ as a term of reproach. As a matter of principle, whenever a church group takes on ANY kind of name, that is the first step in the wrong direction, toward stagnation, the ways of the world, tradition of men, the leaven of the Pharisees, etc.
More importantly, NEITHER The Church at Jerusalem NOR The Church at Antioch is the scriptural pattern for church government. Both groups have missed the point. Church government, like the life of a believer, cannot (or at least should not) be a static pattern. We are being changed daily as we cooperate with the Spirit of the Lord. How can a people who are being changed daily continue to operate under a fixed, static form of government? Surely, somewhere toward the bottom line of God's purpose for the Church is "Christ in you, the hope of glory." God desires that the fullness of Christ be formed within each member of the body of Christ, which is His true Church.
No instant maturity is available. Paul said, "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31). John the Baptist said, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). It is amazing how many ministers REVERSE the order and quote the verse as, "I must decrease, but He must increase." The order is significant. If we concentrate on Christ increasing within us, the result is inevitable, namely that I MUST decrease. No man can serve two masters. However, it is possible for me to decrease with no increase of Christ within. The pattern for church government, as well as the life of a believer, must be DYNAMIC, a daily "press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14).
One day in the late 1970's, the Holy Spirit began to quicken His word on church government from the book of Acts. In Acts 1:15, "And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together was about a hundred and twenty,) ..." Then in Acts 2:14, "But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said ..." When I read that Verse, I hollered to my wife, "Linda, come here! There is something important here and I am going to find it!" The Holy Spirit instantly correlated the 120 in Acts 1:15 with the 11 in Acts 2:14. Then the Spirit revealed that in Acts, Chapters 3 through 8, Peter and John are ALWAYS mentioned together. You never see one without the other. But in Chapters 9-28, you NEVER see Peter and John mentioned together. So there is a progression in the life of Peter, as recorded in the book of Acts, which parallels the dynamics of church government as it is meant to be. Peter with the 120, then Peter with the 11, then Peter and John, and finally Peter and no man, but the Lord. Of course this does not mean that Peter never saw or related to John or any of the other disciples again. It simply is not recorded in scripture. That same pattern applies to the pattern of maturity for an individual believer in Christ.
Compare this with the transfiguration of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 17. Peter, James, and John at first saw Moses and Elijah, as well as Jesus (Verse 3). But after the word from God, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him" (Verse 5), and after Jesus touched them (Verse 7), "when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only" (Verse 8). Compare also 1 John 2:27, "But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you ..." We must get our eyes off man (no matter how spiritually mature the man may be), and look only to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
An excellent scripture pertaining to church government is:
Verse six lists a progression of 4 stages:
These SAME 4 stages are typified in the life of Peter, as recorded in the book of Acts.
Stage one MAY be typified by The Church at Jerusalem, but the error is in staying there forever. Stage two MAY be typified by The Church at Antioch, but the error is in staying there forever. Stage 3 takes a lot of maturity (seldom, if ever seen in a group as a whole) and can be typified by the "father" stage in 1 John 2. This stage can rarely operate except in individuals who have a revelation of what lies beyond Pentecost. Stage 4 involves the realization and manifestation of the time when the Son turns everything over to the Father that God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28).
The major point is that church government is NOT patterned after the Gettysburg address ... a government of the people, by the people, and for the people (where people in our context signifies genuine believers). Church government must always be a progression TOWARD the government OF God, BY God (sovereignly), and FOR God, and AWAY from government of, by, and for believers. Again, the order is significant. We can move away from the government of, by, and for believers and be nothing more than a rebel.
Compare 1 Samuel, Chapter 8, when ALL the elders were in error (Verse 4) by asking Samuel to make them "a king to judge us like all the nations." Just in case you think that it is not possible for modern-day Spirit-filled elders to ALL be in error, the Lord has allowed me to see it happen in four different charismatic churches. In Verse 7 the Lord says, "... they have not rejected thee (i.e., Samuel), but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them." Church government has no relationship to democracy (one elder - one vote - majority rule). Neither is Church government a dictatorship through one man called a pastor. We need to change our mind-set from the typical pastor-dominated local church.
A pertinent question at this point might be, "Well, how do you implement this dynamic pattern of church government?" First of all, YOU do NOT implement it; the Holy Spirit does. Second, if this revelation does not produce a corresponding vision, then don't even try. Third, this pattern cannot be implemented if your vision of the church is The Church at Antioch. As far as the mechanics are concerned (if there is any such thing), "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it!" The Holy Spirit must have a freedom to operate.
Now we need to be very careful, lest we fall into the snare of becoming a rebel. This word does NOT propose that there is no place for elders, pastors, teachers, etc. Quite the contrary! Each of the four stages in church government (or the life of a believer) is necessary. "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby" (1 Peter 2:2). As a new believer, we need to see and be fed by visible, human ministers; we feel comforted by symbols that we can see (such as a little metal or wooden cross). A pastor who truly exhibits the love of God is a source of much comfort to us. However, the primary purpose of any minister, including pastors, is to help each believer to mature to the point where he comes to realize and walk in the fact that the Lord is my Shepherd, not a man. At the same time, as we grow into greater spiritual maturity and understanding, we must continue to walk in a spirit of humility and submission.
We know of some believers who pooh-pooh the idea of "elders." (Actually in ANY regular gathering of believers, someone will emerge as a leader or elder of the group.) The impression received from these younger men is that they are past that stage in maturity and do not need elders any more. We believe that kind of thinking represents rebellion to God-given authority. We recognize that the office of an elder has too often been abused and misused and misunderstood. An elder, of course, should be an EXAMPLE to the body, not a dictator. But how, for example, do you explain the TWELVE verses in the book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to the apostle John concerning elders? Such as,
John was told that these were "things which MUST be hereafter" (Revelation 4:1). Although the "fivefold" ministries of Ephesians 4:11 are clearly temporal, the concept of "elder" may, in fact, be eternal! These elders sit around the throne of God, clothed in white robes and wearing crowns (4:4; 14:3); they cast their crowns before the throne (4:10); they continually worship and praise (5:11-12); they bring to God the prayers of the saints (5:6); one elder encourages the seer when he is sad (5:5); and one of them acts as interpreter of one of the visions (7:13). Isaiah speaks of God reigning in glory among the elders ("ancients" in the King James version, but it is the same word). We have no specific revelation from the Lord concerning the 24 elders referenced in the book of Revelation. We know that there were twelve tribes of the Jews and twelve apostles. The one true Church is composed of both Jews AND Gentiles. So the 24 elders may be symbolic representatives of the faithful people of God ... those who one day in glory will praise and worship in the presence of God Himself. Many are called, few are chosen, and even fewer remain faithful! God-given, earthly types and offices will pass away, but the spiritual counterpart will remain eternal.
In any event, there comes a time when we must put away childish things (even the elementary things ordained by God) and move on to the second stage (typified by the "young men" of 1 John 2). This is when we begin to function in the gifts and ministries that the Lord has given to us. Symbols start to lose some of their significance to us. It is time for the "plurality of ministry." If we persist in staying in the first stage, then the increase of Christ within us as a believer is severely restricted.
By the same token, to stay too long in this second stage will cause severe restrictions in the growth of Christ within. Have you ever noticed that very few people have straight feet and straight toes? Most toes are bent inward, due, no doubt to the shape of the shoes that we wear (particularly women's shoes, which are very narrow at the toes). This is symbolic of the great restrictions and constraints placed upon us from the world AND from the religious arena (or perhaps restrictions that we place upon ourselves). But we read in Ezekiel 1:7 concerning the four living creatures, "And their feet were straight feet ..." Also, in Ezekiel 1:12, "whither the spirit was to go, they went ..." The Lord desires to slit our shoes such that our toes have room to wriggle around, with no human restrictions - neither from the world nor from any static religious environment. As a result, we will sense a dramatic increase in freedom ... a liberty to follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth ... a freedom to go whither the Spirit leads.
Many at stage 2 have been persecuted and maligned by those at stage 1. Some at stage 3 have been persecuted and maligned by those at stage 2. Do you really think that it will ever be otherwise? But there is a visible, natural church, and there is the Church which is His body, in the realm of the Spirit. The latter will prevail, but only after much suffering and persecution. Like everything else, we must count the cost.
Of the increase of (secular) democracy there will come an end. Of the increase of (Christian) man's church government, there will come an end. But of the increase of HIS government and peace there shall be NO end. The zeal of the Lord of hosts WILL perform this!
The first teaching we received (through a human believer) on the subject of church government came around 1969, as follows:
(1) A (local) church government corresponds to a (local) civil government. Paul writes to The Church at Ephesus, The Church at Corinth, etc. Since the house church that we were a part of at that time was located in Fairfax County, Virginia, and since the government was (and is) Fairfax County, therefore we (wanting to be scriptural) called ourselves "The Church at Fairfax County."
(2) The pattern for church government is typified by The Church at Antioch. The teaching went as follows. In Acts 15, after no small disputation as to whether the gentile converts to Christianity should keep the Mosaic Law, James (the pastor at Jerusalem) said,
13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His name.15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.18 Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world.18 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach Him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day.
...and that ended the discussion. So The Church at Jerusalem typifies the pastor and the elders, which is still very much present in denominational churches, some charismatic churches, and a few house churches today. In this pattern, the pastor basically is the dominant authority, subject (more or less) to input from the elders. The Church at Antioch, as illustrated in Acts 13, represents a plurality of ministry, where no one person stands out above the rest. In Acts 13:2, "... the Holy Ghost said ...". The teaching was that "the Holy Ghost said" is better than "James said." Therefore The Church at Antioch is the scriptural pattern. (As an interesting aside, a number of believers have written books, arguing which of these two churches is "the pattern" for church government. As we describe later, we believe they are BOTH wrong!)
A few years later the Spirit of God quickened that the above is not quite the way that it is. Furthermore, our house church was NOT the Church at Fairfax County because The Church at Fairfax County consists of all genuine believers who live in Fairfax County. And so we were rather presumptuous and prideful (albeit ignorantly so) in taking on our "name." Further, The Church at Ephesus most likely NEVER called themselves The Church at Ephesus or any other name. That was only how Paul referred to them. Moreover, there is no scriptural indication that the early believers even called themselves Christians. They were first called Christians (by others) at Antioch (Acts 11:26). Some believe that the name of Christians was invented by enemies of the cross of Christ as a term of reproach. As a matter of principle, whenever a church group takes on ANY kind of name, that is the first step in the wrong direction, toward stagnation, the ways of the world, tradition of men, the leaven of the Pharisees, etc.
More importantly, NEITHER The Church at Jerusalem NOR The Church at Antioch is the scriptural pattern for church government. Both groups have missed the point. Church government, like the life of a believer, cannot (or at least should not) be a static pattern. We are being changed daily as we cooperate with the Spirit of the Lord. How can a people who are being changed daily continue to operate under a fixed, static form of government? Surely, somewhere toward the bottom line of God's purpose for the Church is "Christ in you, the hope of glory." God desires that the fullness of Christ be formed within each member of the body of Christ, which is His true Church.
No instant maturity is available. Paul said, "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31). John the Baptist said, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). It is amazing how many ministers REVERSE the order and quote the verse as, "I must decrease, but He must increase." The order is significant. If we concentrate on Christ increasing within us, the result is inevitable, namely that I MUST decrease. No man can serve two masters. However, it is possible for me to decrease with no increase of Christ within. The pattern for church government, as well as the life of a believer, must be DYNAMIC, a daily "press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14).
One day in the late 1970's, the Holy Spirit began to quicken His word on church government from the book of Acts. In Acts 1:15, "And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together was about a hundred and twenty,) ..." Then in Acts 2:14, "But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said ..." When I read that Verse, I hollered to my wife, "Linda, come here! There is something important here and I am going to find it!" The Holy Spirit instantly correlated the 120 in Acts 1:15 with the 11 in Acts 2:14. Then the Spirit revealed that in Acts, Chapters 3 through 8, Peter and John are ALWAYS mentioned together. You never see one without the other. But in Chapters 9-28, you NEVER see Peter and John mentioned together. So there is a progression in the life of Peter, as recorded in the book of Acts, which parallels the dynamics of church government as it is meant to be. Peter with the 120, then Peter with the 11, then Peter and John, and finally Peter and no man, but the Lord. Of course this does not mean that Peter never saw or related to John or any of the other disciples again. It simply is not recorded in scripture. That same pattern applies to the pattern of maturity for an individual believer in Christ.
Compare this with the transfiguration of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 17. Peter, James, and John at first saw Moses and Elijah, as well as Jesus (Verse 3). But after the word from God, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him" (Verse 5), and after Jesus touched them (Verse 7), "when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only" (Verse 8). Compare also 1 John 2:27, "But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you ..." We must get our eyes off man (no matter how spiritually mature the man may be), and look only to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
An excellent scripture pertaining to church government is:
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.7 Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. Isaiah 9:6-7
Verse six lists a progression of 4 stages:
(1) unto us a child is born(2) unto us a son is given(3) the government shall be upon His shoulder (NOT the shoulders of elders or a pastor, but upon HIS shoulder)(4) and His name shall be called ...
These SAME 4 stages are typified in the life of Peter, as recorded in the book of Acts.
Stage one MAY be typified by The Church at Jerusalem, but the error is in staying there forever. Stage two MAY be typified by The Church at Antioch, but the error is in staying there forever. Stage 3 takes a lot of maturity (seldom, if ever seen in a group as a whole) and can be typified by the "father" stage in 1 John 2. This stage can rarely operate except in individuals who have a revelation of what lies beyond Pentecost. Stage 4 involves the realization and manifestation of the time when the Son turns everything over to the Father that God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28).
The major point is that church government is NOT patterned after the Gettysburg address ... a government of the people, by the people, and for the people (where people in our context signifies genuine believers). Church government must always be a progression TOWARD the government OF God, BY God (sovereignly), and FOR God, and AWAY from government of, by, and for believers. Again, the order is significant. We can move away from the government of, by, and for believers and be nothing more than a rebel.
Compare 1 Samuel, Chapter 8, when ALL the elders were in error (Verse 4) by asking Samuel to make them "a king to judge us like all the nations." Just in case you think that it is not possible for modern-day Spirit-filled elders to ALL be in error, the Lord has allowed me to see it happen in four different charismatic churches. In Verse 7 the Lord says, "... they have not rejected thee (i.e., Samuel), but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them." Church government has no relationship to democracy (one elder - one vote - majority rule). Neither is Church government a dictatorship through one man called a pastor. We need to change our mind-set from the typical pastor-dominated local church.
A pertinent question at this point might be, "Well, how do you implement this dynamic pattern of church government?" First of all, YOU do NOT implement it; the Holy Spirit does. Second, if this revelation does not produce a corresponding vision, then don't even try. Third, this pattern cannot be implemented if your vision of the church is The Church at Antioch. As far as the mechanics are concerned (if there is any such thing), "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it!" The Holy Spirit must have a freedom to operate.
Now we need to be very careful, lest we fall into the snare of becoming a rebel. This word does NOT propose that there is no place for elders, pastors, teachers, etc. Quite the contrary! Each of the four stages in church government (or the life of a believer) is necessary. "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby" (1 Peter 2:2). As a new believer, we need to see and be fed by visible, human ministers; we feel comforted by symbols that we can see (such as a little metal or wooden cross). A pastor who truly exhibits the love of God is a source of much comfort to us. However, the primary purpose of any minister, including pastors, is to help each believer to mature to the point where he comes to realize and walk in the fact that the Lord is my Shepherd, not a man. At the same time, as we grow into greater spiritual maturity and understanding, we must continue to walk in a spirit of humility and submission.
We know of some believers who pooh-pooh the idea of "elders." (Actually in ANY regular gathering of believers, someone will emerge as a leader or elder of the group.) The impression received from these younger men is that they are past that stage in maturity and do not need elders any more. We believe that kind of thinking represents rebellion to God-given authority. We recognize that the office of an elder has too often been abused and misused and misunderstood. An elder, of course, should be an EXAMPLE to the body, not a dictator. But how, for example, do you explain the TWELVE verses in the book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to the apostle John concerning elders? Such as,
And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. Revelation 4:4
John was told that these were "things which MUST be hereafter" (Revelation 4:1). Although the "fivefold" ministries of Ephesians 4:11 are clearly temporal, the concept of "elder" may, in fact, be eternal! These elders sit around the throne of God, clothed in white robes and wearing crowns (4:4; 14:3); they cast their crowns before the throne (4:10); they continually worship and praise (5:11-12); they bring to God the prayers of the saints (5:6); one elder encourages the seer when he is sad (5:5); and one of them acts as interpreter of one of the visions (7:13). Isaiah speaks of God reigning in glory among the elders ("ancients" in the King James version, but it is the same word). We have no specific revelation from the Lord concerning the 24 elders referenced in the book of Revelation. We know that there were twelve tribes of the Jews and twelve apostles. The one true Church is composed of both Jews AND Gentiles. So the 24 elders may be symbolic representatives of the faithful people of God ... those who one day in glory will praise and worship in the presence of God Himself. Many are called, few are chosen, and even fewer remain faithful! God-given, earthly types and offices will pass away, but the spiritual counterpart will remain eternal.
In any event, there comes a time when we must put away childish things (even the elementary things ordained by God) and move on to the second stage (typified by the "young men" of 1 John 2). This is when we begin to function in the gifts and ministries that the Lord has given to us. Symbols start to lose some of their significance to us. It is time for the "plurality of ministry." If we persist in staying in the first stage, then the increase of Christ within us as a believer is severely restricted.
By the same token, to stay too long in this second stage will cause severe restrictions in the growth of Christ within. Have you ever noticed that very few people have straight feet and straight toes? Most toes are bent inward, due, no doubt to the shape of the shoes that we wear (particularly women's shoes, which are very narrow at the toes). This is symbolic of the great restrictions and constraints placed upon us from the world AND from the religious arena (or perhaps restrictions that we place upon ourselves). But we read in Ezekiel 1:7 concerning the four living creatures, "And their feet were straight feet ..." Also, in Ezekiel 1:12, "whither the spirit was to go, they went ..." The Lord desires to slit our shoes such that our toes have room to wriggle around, with no human restrictions - neither from the world nor from any static religious environment. As a result, we will sense a dramatic increase in freedom ... a liberty to follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth ... a freedom to go whither the Spirit leads.
Many at stage 2 have been persecuted and maligned by those at stage 1. Some at stage 3 have been persecuted and maligned by those at stage 2. Do you really think that it will ever be otherwise? But there is a visible, natural church, and there is the Church which is His body, in the realm of the Spirit. The latter will prevail, but only after much suffering and persecution. Like everything else, we must count the cost.
Of the increase of (secular) democracy there will come an end. Of the increase of (Christian) man's church government, there will come an end. But of the increase of HIS government and peace there shall be NO end. The zeal of the Lord of hosts WILL perform this!
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