posted
Q. Who is the head of the church? A." Christ is the head of the church" (Ephesians 5:23). Q. If Christ is the head, then the church should only follow after him. But what if they don't? A. Jesus said, "without me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5), and Paul wrote for Christians to, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ...And ye are complete in him, which is the head" (Colossians 2:8,10). People are often spoiled today by replacing Christ's headship for something else. This is a warning for the church to examine all things in the light. That includes the way that we gather, our worship, ministry, leadership, etc., and if it is not after Christ then we should repent and reject it. Q If believers don't fully allow Christ to be head, then how can they function properly as a body? A. They can't, and may end up having "a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof" (2 Timothy 3:5). Without Christ, people go into man-made organizations and programs led by a one-man ministry. Q. Are there biblical warnings of not holding the head? A. Yes, there are. And many in the church continue to be spoiled for not doing so. We read that the Colossians were warned of "not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God" (Colossians 2:19). This is important because without the head there is no true ministry, unity, or increase, although there are many imitations and man-made forms. Q. This may be one of the reasons why there are so many different and divided bodies which may be under other heads rather than Christ. But how else does Christ function as the head in his body? A. That the church "may grow up into him in all things which is the head, even Christ. From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love" (Ephesians 4:15,16). This edifying can happen whenever believers gather together and if this is not allowed then they are just playing church.
Bruce
Rick C
posted
An excellent presentation on leadership and the importance of every believer being under the headship of Christ.
I would add that the term "pastor" is only used once in the NT, Eph. 4:11. The Greek word which is there translated "pastor" in most of our Bible versions, is translated "shepherd" in both it's verb and noun forms, almost every other time it is used. In most cases it is used to describe the *role* of the elder (rather than to identify a separate office within the body).
Rick Carr
Jim Pierceall
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I would just guess that we move from one extreme to the other before we hit the balance. If men can't see themselves as being "A plain old brother" then they may never see the day that they are equipped by our Lord to do the elder thing. As is the start of life, the natural way, elders are birthed w/ much pain, as in birth. Show me someone that walks w/ a limp, Jacob/Jesus, and I'll show you someone truly humbled. When I was in military svc we had a saying, " show me someone who likes the smell of gun powder & I'll show you someone that will get YOU killed. Conversely, show me someone that's been wounded & I'll hang w/ him.
Just a take on the subject, do the work and who cares about the title?
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