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Character traits and mental attitudes of fivefold ministers

A new generation of ministers

Jannie van Zyl’s writings on the new generation of ministers that God is now raising are full of precious truths that have wonderfully enriched not only this chapter but also my spiritual life.

The Lord says the following in 1 Samuel 2:35:

And I will raise for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my soul. And I will build him a sure house so that he may walk before my anointed forever.

This priest was Samuel. He is also a type of Jesus Christ who became our high priest. Jesus also pleased God by being a faithful High Priest who acted just as the Father’s heart and soul required. He only did and said what He saw the Father do and what He heard from the Father.

Before Samuel, Eli was the priest in Israel. However, Eli did not act before God and do what was pleasing to Him. For this reason, God brought judgment on Eli and his house. He also replaced Eli with Samuel when He executed judgment on him. God always replaces the old with the new, the imperfect with the perfect, the flesh with the Spirit, and knowledge with revelation; He transforms the sweat and flesh smell of religion into the blessings and favor of true worship, which is a sweet-smelling aroma to the Father.

Samuel is a type of the new generation of ministers that God is now raising. These ministers submit themselves completely to the will of God. They have truly crucified their own selves. With them there is no ambition to become a big name in the body of Christ. For them there is nothing more important than pleasing God alone. They do not regard the honor of men in any way. They live an unknown or obscure life largely. They are not television preachers and prefer to remain in the background. The heart and soul of God is the primary focus of this new generation of ministers. In fact, there is a completely different attitude, a different focus, and a different motivation in their hearts than with the “Eli” ministers. They take immense pleasure in always walking before the face of the Anointed One of God, Jesus Christ our Lord. They want to be obedient; they want to serve.

Samuel was faithful to God until his death. He never strayed from this path of surrender, obedience, and righteousness that he walked with God. Like Paul, he walked the path faithfully, and like Paul, he will also receive the unfading crown of glory when the Chief Shepherd appears.

We also read in Acts 13:22 about the attitude of David:

And when he had removed him (Saul), he raised up for them David as king, of whom he also said and testified, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all my will.

What made Samuel and David and Paul different from the Eli ministers? It was an attitude. In fact, they possessed the same attitude that Jesus had. They possessed a deep hunger, thirst, and burning desire to please God. It was a heart ministry, not a mind ministry. So that same attitude is in the hearts of the new generation of ministers today. They see the positions, the honor, and the glory of the Eli ministry. They note it, but it does not attract them.

Who can resist the honor and glory that come with a great ministry? Besides the spiritual blessings, there are also other benefits that honor us and flatter our ego. The latter refers to the benefits that arise from institutional church structures. As in historical wars, the church also hands out “medals” for outstanding actions and bravery to its “generals”. As in these wars, everything also revolves around the strategy and vision of the senior officers in charge of the armies. They are honored, admired, and almost idolized. This type of honor has no value for the new generation of ministers.

They witness the glory, but they also recognize the cost associated with it.

They see the flesh; they see the human hand in the religious activities. They see the product of the soul, and they recognize it as belonging to the flesh. They want nothing to do with it.

In each of their lives, there came a day when they could see through it. Organized religion, with its glory, lost its luster to them. They are only interested in Christ and the true spiritual church. Behind it all, dim and veiled, they saw a picture of Divine revelation. Through the haze of religion, they saw a living God waiting to reveal Himself fully to His children as He truly is. Over time, as they received more revelations, His glory increased in them.

However, they knew that there was more. They knew the time had come for them to experience new dimensions of revelatory knowledge and a fuller life of victory. They knew that the void in their hearts that religion had left would be filled. With what are their hearts filled? With Jesus Christ. We refer to this as the revelation of Jesus Christ in His body, the church. We call it the “fullness of life.” We call it the “Jesus life” in and through His body, the church of God.

The church is impregnated by Jesus Christ. Through revelation, He “grows” in stature in the church and ultimately lives in his fullness in and through it. This is precisely why the glory of being famous, being capable, and being dynamic is not relevant to them. They would rather die to themselves to behold the One Supreme Being of glory and majesty in His church. They desire to please Him and to see, feel, and experience Him within themselves at a level of glory they have never encountered before. This attitude makes them obedient instruments in the hands of God. They only carry out what is in the heart of God and in his soul.

More and more new generation ministers are reporting to the king for service. They desire more of Him. The events described in the book of Acts show that this revelation and these experiences are not found in the institutional church. They hear his voice, they know his heart, and they know they have seen enough and heard enough to reject the lie.

Therefore, they are willing to move into the unknown. They are willing to face the strange and follow Him on the water. They yearn with an unprecedented thirst and hunger for the will, glory, and honor of Christ, as only He can reveal Himself and only He can declare. They are ministers so close to the heart of God that they will do all His will. They are never disappointed. They experience a Jesus who absolutely amazes and intoxicates them! Their encounters with Him and their interactions with Him leave them speechless and overwhelmed!

They were willing to lay down ambitions and everything that would deprive them of this glory they longed for. They were willing to follow this “Servant-God”  by becoming a servant themselves. To them, the towel and the dish are not an embarrassment. Position means nothing to them. Being the least is no problem at all. As Jesus led in this “serving” type of attitude, so do they. They understand that being different from the rulers of the world has a very practical connotation. You lead by serving, doing, showing how, and motivating others to do the same.

You realize that the rest of the body does nothing different from you. You show your actions, and others do the same. They do not do anything different from what you do. All are brothers, all are equal, and all have the same job description. While they have different gifts and functions, they all share the same job description. The New Testament leadership is therefore not built on worldly leadership systems but on the priesthood of all believers and on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit makes everybody ministers and priests. He is the able maker. He works through all.

We read the following in 1 Peter 2:9:

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for his own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Jesus says that He has made us kings and priests to His Father. He has given us power to overcome the world and to reign on the earth. We will be called priests of the Lord; we will be called, “Servants of our God!”

We have become a new generation of ministers because we have all become a new “species” inhabited by the Holy Spirit. Unlike the ordinary people in the Old Testament, we have received the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was only “on” people, but also only on the leaders of the time: the priests, the prophets, and some kings like David. The ordinary man did not have the Spirit of God. Today we are all “leaders” because we are all filled with the Holy Spirit. Hear what Jesus says in Matthew 20:25-28

But Jesus called them to Him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant. And whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave. Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to offer His life as a ransom for many. In the true church of God there are no outstanding men. We are all serving a great God. We do not regard ourselves as great.

Many leaders in the institutional church exercise authority by asserting their opinions, living out their faith, propagating their vision, and valuing their preferences above those of others when making decisions. This attitude often leads to unfair negotiations and even autocratic decision-making, usually if the issue is important enough for the leader in question. Some of them even speak of “my” congregation and “my” pulpit. Most do this with a humble spirit, but that doesn’t make the system right. Everyone’s opinions should have equal value and carry equal weight. Everyone should be able to live out their faith, and when making decisions, everyone’s point of view counts equally. This is precisely why decision-making in the early church was so effective.

The institutional church has become accustomed over the years to an autocratic type of decision-making and management style without questioning it too much. Family interactions that were once on an equal footing have now transformed into a command-style relationship, resembling that of employees in a company. These same intentions and attitudes are never expressed most of the time, but they are there: “My position gives me the authority to impose my principles and beliefs on you if I have to”. “I do this in a gentle spirit and a beautiful attitude, but if I encounter opposition, I will put my foot down”.

The institutional church measures greatness by the number of followers, prominence, external power, and political influence. Church leaders often abuse their positions. Their power lies rather in status, title, and position. These positional appointments are often also based on political considerations. I think Hosea 8:4 can be applied very well here:

They have set up kings, but not by me; they have chosen princes, but without my knowledge…

Look where the decision-making process in the institutional church has brought us: Pastors marry same-sex couples, homosexual ministers are allowed in pulpits, leadership is protected when they are caught for child molestation and corruption (to protect the denomination’s good name, of course), the virgin birth of Jesus Christ and with it his claim as Son of God is not recognized, moral standards of church members are not addressed, people are appointed to positions that make no sense, congregations become family businesses when all the pastor’s children get full-time appointments and many more worldly and even sinful activities are allowed and approved by the church. The big gap here is that a tiny group of people make decisions by means of worldly methods.

The worldly methods used in decision-making have significant loopholes and gaps, leading to decisions that should never have been made. Decisions are made for technical reasons that should not have been considered. Sometimes just one vote makes the difference. Sounds like politics, right?

This “exercise of authority” by some church leaders ranges from no pressure on the ordinary congregation members to pressure that borders on the pressure that employees experience at work from their employers. This statement is by no means an exaggeration. No matter how nicely or diplomatically church leaders do it, the authority they exercise has a deadly effect. This approach leads the congregation to become passive and dependent in ministry, as well as submissive in decision-making. It also leads to the making of decisions that are not within the will of God.

Decisions are simply made by 0.01% of the congregation, and these decisions are imposed on the majority. This is self-evident, and everyone accepts it. However, it is no different from the world.

On the contrary, the industrial or business world is still trying to engage the workforce more actively in decision-making. Various workshops aim to equip and motivate the workforce for greater involvement in decision-making.

However, history has proven that this has always been a problem for the institutional church. Church leaders have always wanted to have control to effectively protect the institution and its structure. As soon as it feels like situations and circumstances arise that take authority from their actions or cause exposure, church leaders have always quickly moved into action. In the name of “protecting the church” or “doing the will of God” or “doing what is best for the congregation” or whatever, many decisions have been made that are actually against the will of God.

For God, his bride within the institutional church holds a special place in his heart and is his top priority. For the church leader, the structure comes first because it is essential to his survival. The “structure” in effect dictates what must be followed, allowed, pursued, and not allowed. The “structure” is, in fact, in control, and the leadership in the structure is its slave. They are the pawns of the “powers” in control of their own creation.

These are all areas and systems that the new generation minister does not cling to. He has thrown that yoke off his neck. The bands are cut loose and the chains broken. He begins to breathe, and he begins to live. He is free to serve his God in spirit and truth, without bondage and without the dead atmosphere and spirit of religion. He hears the church bell ring on a Sunday morning, and it always brings mixed feelings: an unprecedented joy knowing he is delivered from religion but also a sadness knowing that so many are still trapped in its grip. Such people feel trapped by the effects of forces that existed long before his birth, which continue to hinder, burden, and rob him.

The new generation minister knows that even though he is not in control, God is still in control. He knows he does not need to protect anything or anyone. God does not need us to protect his church or his congregation or his children. No one appointed us to do this work. Just read the Bible, and you will see that no one was ever appointed to protect God’s property. He is the head of the congregation and in control. The new generation minister has not only surrendered himself but also everything, including the control of people, to God. He trusts God that His will will be done.

It is precisely this attitude of acceptance, surrender, and obedience that makes him a perfect instrument in the hands of God. He only does what is in the heart and soul of God. He carries out his will. He does not need to do anything else because there is nothing that prescribes anything else. No one else prescribes or demands anything. He only hears the Voice of God in every situation. He is free to disregard everything and everyone. He only takes into account what God wants to carry out. He avoids asking questions and taking control. He only carries out the tasks that the Holy Spirit wants him to do in reverence, obedience, respect, and love. The risen Christ lives in him. He only serves God and nothing else. And by doing so, he serves the congregation as God instructed.

This attitude makes a huge difference. Let us describe, analyze, and compare the work of the new generation minister with that of the institutional church with the help of an illustration:

Function of the typical institutional church minister

I want to illustrate the reality in regard to the institutional church leader by making a few statements. He or she is like a carpenter who never created a single piece of furniture in his life. Instead of making furniture whilst he teaches apprentices, he stands at the front of a classroom, and he teaches the young apprentices a theoretical foundation. Everyone sits in rows with their eyes fixed on him. There is no equipment, no wood, screws, wood glue, or any other materials or tools in the classroom. He has a neat theoretical manual on the lectern in front of him with all the information that he will need to give them all the knowledge that they will need on “how to make wooden furniture”.

He works very skillfully through the manual and other information sources. The audience pays close attention, takes notes, and learns the furniture industry’s theory. He himself learned this way. However, the naked truth is that they are all completely passive. They absorb information, but they do not learn any skills. Nobody makes furniture. Not the lecturer, and so the students.

The theoretical lessons are given over a very long period of time. On the contrary, they never stop. Years go by, and no one makes furniture. So here and there someone shows up with a chair or a jewelry box that he has put together at home. However, as with the lecturer, the vast majority of the spectators have never made a piece of furniture of any kind.

The institutional church is the same. The work of the ministry, the Great Commission, is never truly carried out by anyone. This is not an exaggeration. It is often the naked reality.

Function of the typical new generation minister

You find him on the street, in the market square, on the sports field, and in houses in his area. He moves from house to house, from street corner to street corner, from the market square to the sports field. Everywhere he goes, he is actively carrying out the Great Commission. And while he is doing so, he teaches his students to do the same. On porches, in garages, under sheds, along the main road, on the sports field, and on the market square.

The new generation of servants helps here and there. He hands over wood. He holds a piece of wood for someone who is sawing it to size. He applies wood glue to the marked areas for someone. He is involved with many carpenters all over the city. Sometimes he applies sandpaper for someone. Then he stands around for a while and looks at the work around him. He is constantly giving advice when he sees someone struggling a little clumsily with his tools. He asks a person if he can show him a trick that he has learned. He fiddles with the device’s adjustment knobs, finds the right cutting depth, and tightens the crank. He shows his colleague how to hold the wood. Gives a little advice regarding safety. He gives a few tips on how to choose quality wood and where to buy it.

He walks to another person, but he keeps an eye on the person that he just advised. He observes how his young colleague now moves the wood more deftly over the planing machine. The smell of wood has always been a pleasant scent to him. He enjoys seeing the satisfied smile on his spiritual brother’s face. “Yes, I can see this guy is going to be a wonderful carpenter and furniture maker”, he thinks with excitement. For the rest of the afternoon, he works on his own piece of furniture, which must be supplied to his client before Friday. In God’s world, no one is passive. Everybody is working, even the lecturers.

Equipment is not theoretical schooling.

For ministry, one must be equipped. Jesus bestowed anointed gifts on the church to equip the saints for ministry. We have already discussed these gifts according to Ephesians 4:8,11 and 13. (Apostles, prophets…). He also gave the gifts of the Spirit (Word of knowledge, tongues…) to reveal Himself to the saints. The purpose of these gifts is to teach the saints in Christ.

So it is all about Christ as a person. It is all about knowing Him and revealing Him to unbelievers and his fellow Christians, whilst gathering the harvest. The equipping of the saints has nothing to do with schooling in Bible subjects, and ministry is not the imparting of Scripture knowledge or Scriptural interpretation. For this reason, the entire organized religion is a man-made product.

True ministry is the interaction with Jesus Christ, the Person, in the lives of the new generation of ministers. They love Jesus, they speak Jesus, they reveal Jesus. He speaks to them, He reveals Himself to them, He lives through them, and they learn to live through the indwelling Christ. It is a triangular relationship (I, you, and God) that includes all aspects and dimensions of being human, being a child, being a bride, being a brother, being a sister, being a father, being a mother, and being a family. It is a daily interaction that never stops throughout the week.

On a Sunday morning, the fruit of divine revelations and divine relationships expresses itself in the congregation meeting, and we experience the living Jesus in our midst. Throughout the week, there was interaction during which the congregation lived out the  “Jesus-life” for each other, and in the meeting everyone participates in edification. Ministry is therefore the manifestation of the Christ life. He works in us and through us. There is no mental or intellectual schooling, Bible subject studies, programs, or rituals involved.

Paul had enough faith in the work of the Holy Spirit and understood his own position in the Great Commission. The apostles merely laid the foundation on which new believers could build their relationships with God. They knew that the new-found joy in Jesus would be enough to encourage them to congregate regularly. It would be the platform from which they would develop accountability and responsibility towards one another. These converts were now the agents ministering to the needs of their own communities. They did so within the context of their own abilities, resources, and spirituality.

– Johan Carstens

Who makes all this possible? How is it possible that such miracles can be performed by such unskilled fishermen? How is it that they speak with such wisdom? Isn’t it Estelle and Frans who grew up here before our eyes?

The Holy Spirit is responsible for transforming ordinary people into special individuals. God is no respecter of persons. He does not search for smart people. He searches for ordinary people, and He equips them to be His ministers. All of them. No one is excluded. The Holy Spirit equips us all for service. Not a single person in the church of God is not a minister of God! Seed thoughts from “A New Generation of Ministers” by Jannie van Zyl:

God is currently raising kings and priests for Himself through His Spirit. These kings and priests do not follow their own religious programs. They only have a heart for what is in God’s heart. Ambition plays no role in them. They are imbued with heavenly vision. These priests and kings are overcomers. They are overcomers because they listen only to the Holy Spirit, not to our time’s well-defined theology.

Only overcomers share the throne and the dominion with Jesus. They reign on earth with Christ. Every true born-again person can grow up to be a mature son of God. Through mature sons of God, God’s life flows to a needy and dying world. They are not interested in ministry at all. Their focus is on Jesus, and his image takes shape in them. They know that true ministry is the release of the indwelling Christ. They live in a new Spirit dimension and truly have a profound relationship with the Lord. They do not live by convictions or methodology. They live through fellowship with the heavenly Bridegroom. The new generation of ministers has discovered and embraced the fullness of life.

– Jannie van Zyl

Because they have tasted the Divine, the Spirit’s anointing on relationships instead of religion, the following characteristics and qualities are beautiful and close to their hearts: Special regard and respect for other children of God, being the least in all things, humility and modesty, willingness to serve, meekness and humility, high regard for others, willingness to work in the kingdom of God. When he is not facilitating or giving “on-the-job training”, then he also makes “furniture” himself.

True spiritual leaders are trustworthy characters, not dynamically gifted; they are faithful brothers and sisters, not thorough administrators; they are good examples, not rulers; they are exemplary fathers and mothers, not despots; they are persuaders of the truth, not autocrats; they are leading servants, not slave drivers; they are ordinary Christians, not intelligent giants; they are facilitators, not tyrants; they are servants, not aristocrats; they are caregivers, not intimidators; they are just ordinary God-fearing people, not spiritual specialists; they are spiritual supervisors, not professional preachers; they seek the kingdom of God; they do not manipulate or control the children of God; they recognize the needs of others more than their own; they do not work for money; they are not mercenaries; they sign up for service without negotiating compensation. They are truly sold out to God and his eternal purpose.

What are the practical consequences of this attitude that Jesus came to demonstrate?

In the church of God, everyone works and the “leaders” supervise the work. I put the word “leaders” in quotation marks because it still suggests that New Testament leaders are not a position but only a function. A function that can be easily abused. Their supervision consists entirely of a “show how” or “demonstration”. They motivate others to do the same. They identify and highlight potential dangers and deviations. They provide advice and counsel, and they facilitate. They leave the rest to God and to the congregation. They avoid forcing anything or taking any actions. They exhort, they urge, and they try to persuade, but that is as far as they go. They take no control. They trust God and the system that He has established.

They realize that leadership according to worldly methods harms and limits the “all are priests” system of the church. It damages the family image of the church. It suppresses free participation and free functioning. It keeps the believing priest in his infancy. He cannot develop. They never grow up. They remain weak in the Spirit and unsure of themselves. They are fed “fat” theoretically but never take action.

There are only one of two options left for the information-educated child of God: leave the institutional church or obtain your diploma or degree and teach other people what you have been taught for the past twenty years.

The vicious cycle just goes on and on. Even the institutional church leaders admit that they are deeply disappointed in the progress and spiritual growth among their members. It cannot be otherwise. The structure and systems that are in place cannot promote spiritual growth. The structure must be bid farewell, dismantled, and sold for scrap. The living organism in the institutional church must be released to live freely.

There will come a day when this step will no longer be postponed. Church leaders will eventually be forced to do it. Church members will leave the institutional church, and there will be no one left. The bitter-enders will eventually practice a dead religion and die of spiritual hunger and thirst. I have no idea when it will happen, but I know it is coming.

Consider what happens if the minister or pastor suddenly resigns and there is no replacement for a month or two. For a few days, nothing is going on. Nobody knows what to do. Who is going to preach? Who is going to pray for the sick? Who is going to visit the hospitals? Who is going to handle the church finances? Who is going to do the counseling? Who is going to handle the new fundraising project? Who is going to handle the Bible study class? Why did he resign so suddenly and leave us in this predicament?

Everyone is stunned. They sit passively in the pews and look at the empty pulpit. They don’t know what to do. He didn’t make “furniture” himself; he never showed them how to make “furniture,” but now they can’t even do what they have seen him do so faithfully year after year (tell others how to make furniture). We need to call a pastor very urgently!

Let’s take a look at what the Bible says about the functions and characteristics of the new generation of ministers:

1 Peter 5:1-3

I exhort the elders among you, who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that is to be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by compulsion, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but willingly; neither as lording it over those who are yours, but being examples to the flock.

Here we see God’s will regarding leadership clearly spelled out. God wants us to lead by example and not by authority or dominion.

1 Peter 5:5

Likewise, you younger ones, be subject to your elders, and all of you, be clothed with humility toward one another, for God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Paul says that the younger should be subject to the older, just as they should all be subject to one another. In the kingdom of God, everyone esteems one another above themselves and is subject to one another. Even the oldest must be like the youngest (Luke 22:26).

Younger individuals are encouraged to learn from the elders, who can offer valuable lessons and advice from their life experiences.

So be prepared to be persuaded by them for your own good.

What then are we as elders? The Bible says we are appointed to oversee the flock, right?

The word “elder” in Greek is “presbuteros,” which means “an older man”. It refers to an “experienced” or “seasoned” man. Someone who has experienced the journey and understands its significance. That is why a woman can also be an elder. Experience has equipped them for their ministry. That is why women can also oversee and serve as examples to other women. They know the path; they know what works and what doesn’t. Elders can guide people on their path.

However, he or she is still only human and is not a “superman” or a “superwoman”. They can also be wrong and make mistakes. That is why they must also be humble and always have a teachable spirit.

Because they are experienced, God has given them a supervisory function: “As you walk the path, look out for the younger and the inexperienced men and women. Be there for them when they need you. Help them and guide them. Don’t rule over them. Just guide them in love and humility. Without coercion but with willingness. Don’t abuse them or have hidden agendas. Don’t do it for dirty gain.

The Bible-based elder function was actually much more passive than we think. They actually kept a very low profile in the local house church congregation. For example, an outsider would visit quite a few times, either during the meetings or during the weekly interaction, and not know at all who the elders in the congregation were.

In this way, the role of the elders can be likened to the human liver. The liver works invisibly, filtering out poisons and other toxic substances. It resists infections by producing immune factors and removing bacteria from the bloodstream. The liver organically detoxifies the human body, causing it to function properly. But it does so in a quiet, hidden way. In a similar fashion, the elders detoxify the church behind the scenes so that the body can function without hindrances.

– Frank Viola

They simply monitor it. They see who is struggling and who needs help. They know about everyone’s pain and sorrow. They provide some encouragement here and a little advice there. They monitor the well-being of the congregation members. The congregation collaborates with him on the work. They do the same thing. They just look out a little without being critical, knowing better, or being intrusive.

While his hands are on the planing machine, he looks around a bit. He recognizes a “wolf” the moment he sees him. He recognizes false prophets the moment he comes into contact with them. She knows immediately when something or someone is trying to sneak into the local congregation to cause harm. They know that God is in control, and therefore they do not overreact. Yet they faithfully warn everyone and leave it up to God and the congregation to make the right decisions and take the right actions. He persuades but does not force. It is not his congregation or his flock. It belongs to the Chief Shepherd who will faithfully do his work in the congregation.

These functions are all performed discreetly. They do it in restaurants while chatting over coffee, on the phone, or casually when they meet in town. Occasionally he suggests proactive actions such as providing a poor family with food for the month. He suggests that someone be encouraged. He goes and prays for the sick. However, he does this by inviting people together to teach and show them how to obediently put “works with faith” to God. He also does it in the Spirit. He is not busy with his programs and methods.

Kings and priests after God’s own heart

We all shared in positional appointments in the church of God when we became believers. Christ made us all kings and priests to his Father. We sit in heavenly places with Jesus on his throne. We already reign with him. He has enabled us to rule as kings and priests. So there are positional appointments in the church, and they are for everyone in the kingdom of God. No one is excluded. God does not need to appoint leaders over his kings and priests. He just needs some supervision. What is needed is someone to keep an eye on them.

To illustrate this, I would like to use the following example:

A dynamic, resourceful farmer paid a high price for a fruit farm with many fruit orchards, farm implements, a pickle factory, a fresh fruit packing department, a dried fruit factory, and so on. He had recently had several experts on the farm at intervals and during different periods to equip the workers for their service work.

After the experts left, he did not put anyone in charge of the different sections and areas of responsibility. He left the workers just as leaderless.

He had enough confidence in the workers to perform all the functions themselves. They were specially selected for this purpose. It is a new system that has never functioned like this in the history of man. The farmer spent a lot of time with each worker and gave something of himself, a piece of his vision and personality, to each one. He spent so much time with each one that they became very attached and dependent on Him. They knew Him very well and knew exactly what makes Him happy.

He decided to go on a long vacation abroad and leave the farm in the care of the farm workers and factory workers. However, just before he left, he called four of the laborers who had been working for him for a long time aside. With the following words, he said goodbye to them as he left:

“Keep an eye on the work guys. Don’t take over, but just give a little advice when needed. I want the men to grow, but they won’t if you interfere too much. If things do get out of hand, just talk to them nicely. If they get discouraged, encourage them a little, but they must get up on their own. It will be hard for them at times, but if they stand on their own from the start, they will succeed. Don’t let them even notice you are keeping an eye on me, guys. Good luck”

This is the function of the elders in the congregation. If they remain faithful to these principles, they will exercise divine Bible-based oversight over the flock of God. The congregation and the kingdom of God will benefit greatly from it. There will be days when they will feel like taking control and chastising the sheep, rebuking them, showing their displeasure, showing their disappointment, ordering them, and forcing them. However, God says that they may not act like this. It falls outside the guidelines of their function. They have no right, authority, or mandate to act like that. They only have the following tools in their hands: encouragement, teaching, persuasion, reprimand, advice, prayer, help, being an example, and motivation. Nothing else.

The power of decision-making or authority lies in the hands of the entire congregation. Therefore, the discipline of disorderly congregation members also lies in the hands of the congregation. The authority to discipline disorderly members cannot rest with the elders and the fivefold ministers. This would undoubtedly have imposed the hierarchical system of the world on the congregation. All the kings and priests of God decide together about congregation activities and church affairs.

Paul and John had serious problems with a certain Diotrephes who was abusing his position as an elder. He began to exercise more and more authority and eventually appointed himself to a leadership position. Another possibility is that he came in from outside as a false apostle and took over the congregation. Whatever it was, it had serious consequences for the congregation.

3 John 1:9-11

I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not care about us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to remembrance his works, which he does, blaspheming against us with evil words. And not content with this, he not only does not receive the brothers hospitably himself but also hinders those who would and casts them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but imitate what is good. He who does good is of God; but he who does evil has not seen God.

Here John describes to us a man who took over the decision-making and exercised authority in the congregation. He unlawfully took ownership of the congregation and acted as if it was his. He was in control and did as he pleased. This behavior is not how Jesus and the apostles laid the foundation for a Bible-based congregation. Consider the words of John: “…whoever wants to be first among them”

Paul also railed against these types of religious leaders in 2 Corinthians 11:1-33. He called them false apostles. However, Paul was also upset that the congregation, with whom the decision-making rested, had allowed such a person to come in and take over. He admonished them about this laxity.

2 Corinthians 11:4,19 and 20

For if someone comes and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it well (you are just satisfied with it).

You willingly tolerate fools because you are so wise!

You tolerate it when someone makes you a slave, when someone eats you, when someone takes you, when someone appoints him, when someone hits you in the face.

Notice how seriously Paul views this weakness in the congregation. In verse 13, he says that such people are false apostles and deceitful workers. The congregation did not act wisely by allowing these false apostles to appoint themselves over them and rule them. Paul criticizes the congregation for allowing someone to enslave them. Furthermore, He was unhappy that the congregation did not correct this mistake. Paul and the other apostles had warned the congregations several times about such people who had hidden agendas.

Even Jesus, in his letter to the church of Ephesus in Rev. 2:2, highly appreciated the fact that the church tested those who said they were apostles but were not. The church found these apostles to be liars and did not allow them to take over the church. This speaks of a mature church in this area:

Rev. 2:2

I know your works, and your labor, and your patience, and that you cannot bear evil men; and you have put those who say they are apostles and are not to the test and have found them liars.

Compensation for elders

The elders did not claim financial help from the congregations. They were ordinary people with ordinary secular occupations and were self-sufficient. However, Peter and Paul highly valued this function of the elders. It is an important function, and the elders deserve double honor for it. We read in 1 Peter 5:4 the following:

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Paul says the following in 1 Timothy 5:17-18:

Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

The Greek word for honor in this verse is “time” (Pronounced: tie-mê), which means “respect” or literally “honor”. The normal New Testament words for “financial compensation” or “salary” or “wages,” namely (misthos or opsonion), do not occur in this verse. A double honor truly means receiving both double respect and double honor, rather than financial compensation.

Paul wrote nine epistles to the churches in Asia. All nine letters were written to and addressed to the brothers. To the Saints in… To the brothers in…, To all the beloved of God… To the churches of… He always addressed the church or congregation.

He encouraged, strengthened, exhorted, taught, and ministered to everyone as a whole. He did not address a single letter to the elders or to any other leader. On the contrary, he did not speak to the elders once in the letters. He only greeted the elders briefly and impersonally on one occasion. He asked the congregation to greet them on his behalf. We read about this in Hebrews 13:24:

Greet all your elders and all the saints…

This clearly shows the position of elders and leaders in the church. There are no positional leaders. Only functional leaders. James, Peter, Jude, and John also took the same attitude regarding elders in the epistles they sent out. They did not address any letter to any elder or speak to them. They also addressed the entire congregation in their letters. Even when the apostles motivated the congregations to take disciplinary action against disobedient brothers, they addressed the congregation and not the elders. Why? The entire congregation was responsible for both congregation activities and disciplinary actions. This role was not a function for leaders, as we see in the institutional churches today.

The Practical House Church Manual was written by ASR Martins

Session 13