In that page I discussed the differences
between the Ascension gifts and the Descension gifts. This is very necessary
to understand the following teaching. But in recap let me say that the
church is not to be governed by deacons nor is it to be ruled by women,
which I discuss here:
Deacon boards that rule churches are unscriptural.
It is scriptural to have deacons, but unscriptural to let them rule. Government
decisions for the church must be made by elders/bishops.
A bishop is an elder, and is basically
the same thing as discussed in the 1st link I shared above, only that Bishops
are anointed to oversee souls.
It is because I am not an elder or a bishop
that this teaching has taken so long to be available. While I am gifted
with a doma gift, I am not (as I write this) an elder. I do not rule any
church, I have no bishoprick of the church. These qualifications are also
discussed in the 1st link above.
I am not going to clutter this page with
the details of my anointing, nor the lack of qualifications of me being
an bishop. But even before a doma is to be qualified, he must be ordained
and set in place in the church. I have not been placed as such in the church
either. This does not necessarily equate with the Baptism into the Body
of Christ as I discuss here:
But may indeed be associated with it. While
I may be Baptized into the Body for other functions, the lack of being
an elder/bishop does not equate to not being Baptized into the Body. But
those who are called and qualified to such a position and reach such a
place most likely have been Baptized into the Body themselves.
Church government is not a government of
democracy, but Jesus, Himself, is the head of the church.
Eph 4:15: But speaking the truth in
love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ
Isaiah 9:6 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.
Church government is an actual scriptural
position as seen here:
1 Cor 12:28: And God hath set some in
the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after
that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities
of tongues.
And to make it more interesting this is
most likely from the following gift:
Rom 12: 6: Having then gifts differing according
to the grace that is given to us... 8: ... he that ruleth, with diligence...
This is from the charisma's list, which
I also list in the 1st link on this page. As noted, the charisma's are
descension gifts, where as a doma is an ascension gift. This means a person
can have the charisma of ruleth, and NOT be a doma. But to be an elder,
one must 1st have a doma gift. Thus a person with ruleth and is not gifted
with a doma, is more than likely called to rule a business, or perhaps
in politics, or maybe even rule in the helps of the church among the deacons,
but he cannot (or she) rule the church without having a doma gift.
Also please note that the opposite could
be true. It is entirely possible for a person to have a doma and not have
the charisma ruleth, thus you will have doma's who are NOT in church governments.
Or perhaps some will be in church governments, and will focus and manifest
the shepherd part of the leadership rather than the bishop anointing, which
does the over seeing.
To be an elder, there does not appear to
be a qualification to have the charisma of ruleth:
Titus 1: 6: If any be blameless, the husband
of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 7: For a bishop must be blameless,
as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine,
no striker, not given to filthy lucre; 8: But a lover of hospitality, a lover
of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9: Holding fast the faithful word as
he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort
and to convince the gainsayers.
We do see in verse 6 however, that his
children must not be unruly and riotous. But there does seem to be a need
for it to operate as a Bishop:
1 Tim 3: 1: This is a true saying, If a man
desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2: A bishop then must be blameless,
the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality,
apt to teach; 3: Not given to wine, no striker, not
greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4: One that ruleth well his
own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5: (For if a man know not how to
rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6: Not a novice, lest being lifted
up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7: Moreover he must have a good report
of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of
the devil.
The bishop, needs to have the ruling gift
more exercised that the regular elder. The elder must have children that
are not bad trouble makers, where the bishop must have rule over his whole
house; wife, children and anyone else.
Thus we see there is a small difference
between an elder and a bishop. The elder will perhaps have functions such
as teaching and preaching, and help steer the church in these capacities,
but it is the bishop who will oversee souls, and bring correction, directing
the people when they need a more direct hand. We can note the list in Titus
is aimed at elders and not the office of Bishop specifically because of
the prior verse:
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:
But the word bishop is found in the texts,
note it in Titus 1:7. Thus to be a Bishop one must 1st qualify as an elder.
Perhaps one of the more stickiest parts
of Church rule or governments is the office of the Bishop. In the last
couple of decades the church has seen this gift/office abused, and we have
seen its neglect in the centuries prior. What the church needs is a balance.
Many of the the churches neglect the office
of the Bishop perhaps because of the misuse of the office in the traditional
churches like the Roman Catholics. They have made the office of a bishop
into a religious hierarchy. This abuse takes the oversight more political
within the clergy and often does not rule the sheep. Whereas the modern
day abuse of the Bishop in some protestant circles we see the bishops lording
over the flock. This is called "The Shepherding Movement". This creates
cults and cultic behavior in many cases.
Rom:13:3: For rulers are not a terror
to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power?
do that which is good, and thou
shalt have praise of the same:
The flock need not have fear of a bishop,
unless the sheep is doing wrong. Many times abusive elders or bishops cause
terror in the flock.
2 Cor:10:13: But we will not boast of
things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which
God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.
Sometimes we see the abuse of authority.
This is often very apparent in the abusive Apostolic ministries. Elders
rule the church, elders do not rule households. The rule of the house is
given to husbands as seen in the qualification above and here:
1Cor:11:3: But I would have you know,
that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the
man; and the head of Christ is God.
Eph:5:23: 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.
Elders and Bishops, no matter what title
they have; apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher, cannot go to
another lot, and take authority, whether this lot is a home or another
church. Sometimes we have seen "apostles" and "prophets" go to other churches
where they have no authority and try and take over. This is unscriptural:
2 Cor 10: 13: But we will not boast of things
without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God
hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you. 14: For we stretch not ourselves beyond
our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far
as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ: 15: Not boasting of things without
our measure, that is, of other men's labours; but having hope, when your
faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule
abundantly, 16: To preach the gospel in the regions
beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready
to our hand.
1 Cor 3: 3: For ye are yet carnal: for whereas
there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal,
and walk as men? 4: For while one saith, I am of Paul;
and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 5: Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos,
but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6: I have planted, Apollos watered;
but God gave the increase. 7: So then neither is he that planteth
any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8: Now he that planteth and he that
watereth are one... 9: For we are labourers together with
God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. 10: According to the grace of God which
is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation,
and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth
thereupon. 11: For other foundation can no man
lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 16: Know ye not that ye are the temple
of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17: If any man defile the temple of
God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple
ye are. 18: Let no man deceive himself. If
any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool,
that he may be wise.
Those who rule, do not do so in terror
as I have shown above from Rom 13, but need to do so with joy:
Heb 13: 17: Obey them that have the rule over
you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that
must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not
with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
If an elder/bishop seeks to take unscriptural
authority and tries to rule where he has no measure, he will be a terror
and a grief, and will not bring any profitable work to those he seeks to
rule. For we grow in liberty and not in legalism.
Gal:2:4: And that because of false brethren
unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we
have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
2Pt:2:19: While they promise them liberty,
they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome,
of the same is he brought in bondage.
I am not advocating a walk
without authority and a walk in sin.
Gal:5:13: For, brethren, ye have been
called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh,
but by love serve one another.
1Cor:8:9: But take heed lest by any
means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
1Pt:2:16: As free, and not using your
liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
I was personally involved in a church which
was headed towards the Shepherding Movement, I left before they crossed
over into the more blatant abuses, but some abuse of authority was already
present before I left. This church was the Church in Marshall, in Marshall,
Texas, started by Randy Shankle. I discuss this church and it's errors
more detailed here:
