The Ministry's Authority to Limit Contact (Marking)

 
If things go according to plan, this will be the first in a series of several posts I plan to publish over the next several days, maybe a week or so.  There may be five or six, and they are intended to all be read as a related group.

From time to time there are crises and splits in the Church of God.

I do not know the hearts and intents of various leaders in the Church of God.  I cannot, at this time, form judgments as to the right or wrong of various decisions that have been made and are being made.  I cannot judge the spiritual condition of anyone involved in recent events.  Even if I could make judgments, I should not judge others except as I need to do so to make decisions I have a responsibility for making.  But even in that case, I am unable at this time due to a lack of information (I cannot read minds) and my lack of wisdom to put the information together properly (even if I could read minds).

I don't know what Christ has in mind in the current situation.  I do not know how He intends things to develop.

Over time, things will probably become more clear, to me and to others.  But not yet.

But I do understand certain lessons from the Bible and from Church of God history about God's way of life and how things are being worked out in the Church and in God's work, and I want to talk about those things in this post and in the next several posts.  These are general principles, and each Christian who reads this or understands these principles from his or her own Bible study and meditation can apply these principles to form necessary judgments  - judgments needed for making decisions God has given us the responsibility for making.

The above paragraphs I write not just for others, but for myself.  I should re-read what I just wrote from time to time as I write these posts, for I must resist the temptation to judge things too quickly.  Let me stick to principles.

This is an importance post.  I suggest you read it carefully, remember it, and print it or copy it to your hard drive.  And later, if your friends ask you to send them a copy of the text of this post, go ahead.  You have my permission.

Do your own research in the Bible, as needed, to check up on what I say in this post, to see if it is true, and believe what you find in your Bible.  Don't take my word for what I say.

If a Church of God leader (apostle, prophet, presiding evangelist, pastor general, president, or whatever title is used for the top man in a Church of God fellowship and organization) marks someone as causing division and forbids members of that fellowship from having contact with the person so marked, is that binding upon the members?  Does God require members to obey that order and avoid contact?

In general, yes.  The authority to prohibit contact is established by a number of passages in God's word.

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:18-19).

"Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 18:18).

"Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you" (Hebrews 13:17).

"Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them" (Romans 16:17).

When your Church leader tells you to avoid contact with a marked person, you should obey.

But there is an exception, which I will get to.

Christ is the head of the Church.  He has delegated certain authority to His leaders and his ministry.  They do have the authority to mark those who cause division.

But how does Christ exercise headship over the Church?  Does He do it only through the human government and ministry in the Church?  Is that the only way He guides and leads the Church of God and its members?

No.

There are actually three separate, overlapping authority structures, reporting structures, "chains of command" as they say, by which Christ rules the Church, as identified in the Bible.  You can draw an organization chart for each, and I have done so in my book, Preaching the Gospel.  These reporting structures or chains of command do not contradict each other or conflict with each other, but compliment each other (when used properly).  They work together.  They differ in the kinds of decisions and matters they govern: church organization, Christian family, and our direct relationship with God.

In other words, Christ rules members of the Church through the leadership and ministry in the Church only for certain things. Not everything.  There are some matters the ministry has no authority over.

The idea of multiple channels of authority may seem strange to some, but I can illustrate it with some human examples some of us may be familiar with.

In business, an employee, call him Jim, may report to the head of the department he is in (call him Fred).  He may have been hired by Fred.  Fred has authority over him.  He tells him what work to perform and how to perform the work.  He can promote him, give him raises, or even fire him.  

But there are other departments in the company, and there is a project that involves several departments.  Perhaps that project is the development of a better mousetrap that uses the latest technology including atomic power, lasers, computer chips, nano-robots, micro-black holes, quantum mechanics, and general relativity.  All these departments work on many projects, but they all work on the mousetrap project.  To keep the work on track for that project, a project manager is appointed, Larry.  That project manager supervises a team that works on the project, but that team includes employees from several departments.

Jim is assigned to Larry to work on the mousetrap project.

So Jim reports to Larry for the details of his work on the project.  Larry tells him what to do, for that project, but not for other projects.  You see, Larry's project is not the only thing Jim works on.  He spends about half his time on Larry's project and the other half of his time on other duties over which Larry has no authority.

And Larry does not report to Fred, because Larry is not part of Fred's department.  Several of Fred's employees, including Jim, are "on loan" to Larry for the duration of Larry's project, no more.  

So Jim has two bosses, Fred and Larry.  Fred is the "big boss", the one who hired him and can fire him and gives his is annual review and pay raise as well and tells him what to do.  But Larry is also his boss, only regarding the details of the mousetrap project.

Does having two bosses lead to conflict and confusion?  Not at all, but each boss is only in charge of certain things.  For certain decisions Jim goes to Larry and for certain other decisions he goes to Fred.  The lines of responsibility are clear, when it is set up right.

This type of arrangement is used in big business all the time because it works very well.

Here is an example from history and the military.  American and British soldiers participated in an invasion of Hitler's Europe in June 1944 in an operation code-named, "Overlord".  Although the soldiers of each nation had primary loyalty to their own country's leaders, to keep the invasion force unified, Dwight Eisenhower was appointed supreme commander over the invasion operation.  But his authority was temporary and limited, and his authority over a nation's soldiers could be overridden in a crisis by the governments of those nations.

Jesus Christ is the head of the Church and all its members, but He does not use the same chain of command for all things.

In matters of the organized work of the Church, Christ supervises the Church and its members, through the human leadership and ministry.  What is the "organized work of the Church", as I call it?

"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ - from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love" (Ephesians 4:11-17).

"Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues" (1 Corinthians 12:27-28).

Matters the ministry has authority over include: determining what doctrines are to be taught so we all speak the same thing, preaching the gospel to the world, feeding the flock, caring for the poor in the Church, administering services, handling budgets, counseling members and prospective members, baptizing, teaching, disciplining members for sin, and resolving disputes.  Conduct at services would fall into this category.

Their authority for these things is given in several places, but the main summary of the extent of that authority is given in Ephesians 4:11-17. They do not have authority over everything, but only those things having to do with the organized work of the Church.

But in family matters, Christ uses a different chain of command.  He rules the Christian family, not through the ministry, but through the husband, the head of the family.

"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything" (Ephesians 5:22-24).

"But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God" (1 Corinthians 11:3).

Notice that in family matters, the head of the man is not his pastor or the human leadership of the Church, but Christ directly. This is describing a chain of command from Christ to the man that does not include the ministry of the Church.  But in these family matters, the head of the wife (and children) is not Christ directly, but the man.

So the wife has two bosses.  She obeys the ministry in matters of the Church, but she obeys her husband in matters of the family.  In both cases she is obeying Christ, through the ministry in matters of the Church and through her husband in matters of the family.

Does she, or any man or woman in the Church, obey Christ directly, not through any man?  Yes.  In matters of faith and obedience to God, she obeys Christ directly, as we all must.

In our faith in and obedience towards God, men and women in the Church of God are equal.  We all are led by God and Christ through the Bible, God's word, and through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).

Our faith must be in God and His word directly, not through the ministry.  The Bible specifically says that the human leadership and ministry do not have authority over your faith.  They decide what can be taught so we all speak the same thing (1 Corinthians 1:10), but they cannot tell you what to believe.  As the Bible words it, they do not have "dominion" (rule, authority) over our faith (what we believe).

"Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand" (2 Corinthians 1:24).

So in matters of what we believe, Christ rules each of us directly.  Even a wife is to believe God's word, the Bible, more than her husband or minister.

Any minister who tries to teach you to believe him more than the Bible, or to believe his interpretation of the Bible (the Bible interprets itself, and clear passages interpret difficult passages) more than what you can see for yourself in your own Bible, is taking upon himself a prerogative that belongs only to God.  If he does that, he is making an idol of himself and wanting Church members to worship him.

Our faith and trust must be towards God, not man, not even ministers in the true Church of God.

This Church and work was built on those who followed Mr. Armstrong's suggestion, "Don't believe me.  Don't believe any man.  Believe God.  Believe your Bible".

Ministers are not consistent if they say that to the public, but tell their members something else.  And saying that to the public is the only way we can preach the gospel effectively.

When we pray, our prayers go to God direct, not through the ministry.  We pray in Jesus Christ's name, that is, by His authority, and the ministry is not in that loop.

The Holy Spirit works in our minds to help us understand spiritual knowledge directly.

When we obey God, we obey Him directly.  The ministry can sometimes help us in this, but our obedience is to God.  If a minister commands us to break God's law, to sin, such as by lying, or if a husband commands his wife to lie, a Christian must obey God rather than man.  The chain of command for obedience to God's law is through Christ direct, not through any man.

So in matters of our relationship with God in faith, in trust, in prayer, in obedience - Christ rules each member directly, not through any man.  He is the head of the Church, the head of all of us, that way.

But also, in family matters and decisions, Christ does not rule the wife and children directly, but He rules the family, through the husband.  Christ leads the husband to make the decision, and the husband is then to lead the wife and children in Christ's decision.

Do husbands follow Christ perfectly?  I suppose few do all the time, but some follow Christ more than others.  But unless the husband tells his wife to sin, she should obey.  Just because the husband's decision is unwise, in the wife's opinion, is no excuse for her to disobey.

But in matters involving the organized work of the Church, the chain of command Christ uses to govern the Church is not direct over every member, nor is it through the husbands over the wife, but it is through the human leadership and ministry in the Church of God, and we are to obey that chain of command.

I said that when your Church leader tells you to avoid contact with a marked person, you should obey, but there is an exception.

With the background of how Christ is head of the Church, we can discuss that exception.

Normally, if there is no pressing spiritual need for contact with a marked individual, you should avoid contact as your ministry tells you.  You should not read the marked person's website or listen to his speaking for purposes of entertainment, or curiosity, or gossip, or having something interesting to talk about with other Church members.

But . . .

The Church of God is scattered.  That is undeniable.  And Church of God organizations and fellowships change over time - sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly - that is also obvious.  Probably, we are in the Laodicean era - a time when the predominant characteristics of the Church are lukewarmness and blindness.  "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' - and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked" (Revelation 3:15-17).  Christ has scattered us, or as He says, vomited us out of His mouth.

Sometimes it takes research to learn where God wants us to go or who to support.

Your primary relationship should be with God direct.  You obey the ministry only because God tells you to, not the other way around.  God has priority.

If your obligation to seek and obey God requires you to learn and know what is going on so you can most effectively seek and obey God - if God Himself requires you to do certain research for important spiritual reasons - and if that research requires you to have contact with a marked person, at least temporarily until you find some answers - then that obligation to God overrides your obligation to obey His ministry.  It becomes a special case of obeying God rather than man.

But you better have a good reason, because God knows your heart, and He is your judge.  He won't take it lightly if you kid yourself and listen to those who cause division out of idle curiosity or other non-important reason.

Why is it sometimes necessary to do research to "check out" those who have been marked on accusation of causing division?

I will use myself as an example.  I have been a member and am still a supporter of Living Church of God.  I tithe to them and I recommend them to others as the best fellowship to support and attend.  I don't necessarily agree with every detail of what they say and do, but I have seen them as doing the best job of all the major Church of God fellowships.  None are perfect.

But I did not come to this conclusion, or come to Living Church of God, blindly.  I had to check up on many organizations with an open mind.  I had to make judgments.  And I could not be disuaded by ministers in a group I might be with saying, "Don't read their literature", or "Don't listen to them."  I checked up on everyone, the bad as well as the good.  I had to.

Likewise, when I was Catholic, no pope or priest could command me not to listen to Herbert W. Armstrong.  I was after the truth, and my obligation was to God, not to any church.

That is the exception.  Generally, avoid those marked by the fellowship you are in, but if there is an overriding spiritual necessity - one required by your direct relationship with God - then that is a case of obeying God rather than man.  Do the research you have to do - get the facts - so you can follow where Christ leads as He wants you to do.

Christ leads the ministry.  But the ministry does not always follow where Christ leads.  History proves that.  The Bible gives examples.

Christ can force obedience in the Church.  Sometimes He does.  Sometimes He does not.  He tests all of us.

I heard a story that someone said something like, "If you think Christ cannot rule His Church, you don't know Christ".

True enough, but if you think ministers always follow where Christ leads, you don't know ministers.