John Owen on the Ruination of Christianity
Ruination - there's a word we don't often hear...
John Owen is called the Prince of the Puritans. He was Vice Chancellor of Oxford University. Wrote a massive 8 volume commentary on the book of Hebrews. Which is still published along with his 20 something volumes of other works.
He calls attention here, Hebrews 12, to the fact that every saint is to be an overseer in the church. Really? Roles and responsibilities are fluid and layered, you see. They beautifully overlap as do the watercolors on the paper of a fine artist.
Just as a deacon might be an evangelist, table server, or even a civil servant.
Owen goes on to say that the failure to be engaged is prevalent, disgusting, and represents the (almost) ruining of Christianity. I would have to agree.
This he wrote as an old man, having given the matter much thought. This portion of the commentary was not published until after his death.
Should this oversight role (and privilege) of all saints surprise us? No, all saints are priests and ministers one to another. All, according to their gifts and opportunities, can serve, pray, preach, teach, and prophesy. We are not to look upon our own things but those of others.
Look carefully at the phrase looking diligently in verse 15. You will see that the true meaning - overseeing diligently - in the English Bibles was obscured. It's the same Greek word which describes the elders role of oversight in 1 Peter 5.
Yes, everyone is their brother's keeper. Regardless of gender or age.
Remember, our translators were told to "retain the ecclesiastical words". Thus they added "office of" about half a dozen times. There was even a Bishop's Bible, which later influenced the King James Version.
But let us not be overcome with evil but overcome evil with good!
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Should you be surprised, again I ask? Surprised that the Almighty would require us to be our brother's keeper?
The average person and average Christian would only associate overseeing (bishoping) with the pastors, priests, and clergy.
WRONG!
Likewise with "pastoral visitation". It's also relegated to these same persons. But does not the son of God declare, not to the clergy but unto everyone, that He was in prison and sick and got no visits. See Matthew 25.
Worse still, the modern definition of visit is not the biblical one. To visit meant providing for - not a mere social call.