In my former treatise and discourse entitled: “Christianity has no class distinction” l emphasized that in accordance with Biblical teaching by doctrine and practice as taught by Jesus Christ and the early Church apostles and prophets there were no such class distinction as being practice by so many Church denominations that discriminate among believers and disparity in relationship to the extent that some cannot access the grace of God in partaking on Holy communion, sit in certain places in the local assemblies, and officers of Church assuming certain titles and offices without scriptural foundation that make them lord over God’s heritage. You cannot shake hand with certain Church leaders nor have audience with them to receive counseling and prayers unless certain unscriptural conditions are fulfilled. A Christian Minister/believer cannot go over to another Church and be accepted as a Christian Minister/believer unless he/she fulfill certain tradition/legal rudiments of the Church.
Some Churches go to extent of practicing tribalism/ethnicity, racism and selective ministration to congregants. If these are true where in the Bible is that taught and practice especially the New Testament. Because the discriminatory order in the Old Testament was made away with because the ecclesiastical order of the old was faulty and so was replaced with new order that remove the old partition that kept some from accessing the grace of God freely without sacrifice. This Jesus Christ did by His sacrifice and removing the middle wall of partition by His body on the cross (see Heb. Chapter 9 & 10, Eph. 2:14-15).
Has the curtain not been torn? Did God not say everyone is now free to enter the Holy of Holies without intermediary? Why the distinction and classification? The ranking of officers of the Church is for administration of ministering gifts for edification, maturity and advancement of the kingdom and Body of Christ not class distinction. It does not give liberty to treat Christian Believers with preference and discrimination. The Church ranked officers are told to serve in humility and not lord over God’s heritage (See 1 Peter 5:1-5). This series is response teaching emanating from Apostle Zilly Aggrey insightful teaching at Leadership session at Royal House of Grace International Church, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Nobody can stop any believer from accessing the presence of God.
Rank Church officers are instrument of grace under God to serve the body with ministering gifts not to restrict, discriminate and prevent some from partaking in Holy Communion or ministrations. In the old order in Old Testament it was permissible class distinction with rituals, and dressing that differentiate the priest from the laity. God created and instituted it under Aaronic priesthood. But after Christ sacrifice in the new order God took away the old order and brought all believers under the new order after the order of Melchizedek that does not require the elaborate religious requirements of Aaronic priesthood. This error and misinterpretation of Scripture is reason for different ranking and assumption of different order and titles in the Church today. That reason for Catholic priest ranking as opposed to protestant Churches ranking today. The Pentecostal Churches ranking and practices is a big misnomer and confusion. With different titles and General Overseers’ perception and what they want, they build their leadership hierarchy not necessary what the Bible say or teach.
What sayest the Bible on Church ranking and order? Inspite of abuses there is ranking and order in the Church. The central Scripture is 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, “12For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14For the body is not one member, but many. 15If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: 25That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. 27Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 28And 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. 29Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 30Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? 31But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way”.
Reading this Bible passage of the Scripture from the beginning you will understand that God intent and purpose through the writings of Paul to the Corinthians was to correct the discrimination, division and quarrels that was going among the believers there because of the abuses of administering and use of the different gifts of the Holy Spirit to exert authority over others in the Church. Paul response was simple. Haba he queried why the division and why excluding and discriminating, don’t you know though we are many members we have been baptized into one body of Christ as such no more discrimination or class distinction. The Holy Spirit baptism made us one in Christ. No faction no discrimination.
The body has many members, small and big parts but all parts are unique and important Paul said. Furthermore, he said that does not mean there is no ranking or order. Hence he listed the order and ranking in 1 Cor. 12:28. “28And 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.” This ranking and order is for what purpose? Is it to distinguish? No, it is to serve, minister to the less members of the body that has need not to lord and crave special privileges from other believers as is practice among non Christian believer. This is where the error in practice come that occasion the different ranking and order in different denominational churches.
Ranking and order in the Church is for service and meeting the need of the less or needy members of the Church not hierarchal Church boss leadership. It is servant leadership, leading by serving the members and meeting the need of less members to become mature and grow up in Christ. Hence the emphasis here is that of have different gifts to meet the need of the members of the body of Christ not to create a hierarchy that dominates other and exclude others within the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:39-49, emphasis and reinforces this truth. That we all need each other.
We are all created specially and distinctly with different gifts to serve one another for the betterment of the Church and the society. 38But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. 39All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. 40There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. 42So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 50Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption”(1 Cor. 15: 38-49). The emphasis here is about the quality of resurrection body of Christian believer because of the new status in Christ not ranking. Not done, read next issue.
Written By Dr. Lewis Akpogena
akpogena@yahoo.com
