One of the fundamental points in Christianity is the priesthood of all believers. The revelation that we are all called to the same priesthood before God and each member has free access and profound responsibility as ministers to and for the Father, by the Holy Spirit, is a radical concept not known in other religions.
Most modern evangelical churches teach this as a theory but do not manage to practice it in real terms. In the daily and weekly execution we find the pastor (singular) rules and controls like a corporate CEO and the Saints are taught that submission to this one man equals submission to God. 2000 years of Church tradition and man made ritual has turned submission to the pastor or pope into something so revered and believed that it eclipses the sun.
Baby Christians will defend the divine right of the pastor like the virgin birth.
I want to discuss two reasons for this that are innate to man.
Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Genesis 1:28
That some saints desire to Lord it and rule over other saints is not so strange, that is in fact human nature and we see it in world history and politics through the ages, Hitler, Stalin, Mugabe & Genghis Khan.
Even the band “Tears for Fears” sang ” Everybody wants to rule the world”
Important to note this is in line with God’s original design but as mature adults we need to consider the rest of scripture to be the balance right.
42 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 “Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
Mark 10:42-43
9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us.
3 John 9
We were taught by the pastor that Diotrephes is everybody not submitting to the pastor, not that Diotrephes IS the pastor.
The practical value of a single controlling pastor is obvious to most us who see pyramid schemes (captain over 10, captain over 100 captain over 1000) at the office each day. It works well for corporate world and for the army
BUT,.. neither Jesus nor Paul implemented a such hierarchical system (pyramid scheme) in their ministries. They engaged directly with everybody.
Jesus did foresee that He would not be able to be and reach everybody and solved the problem in an unexpected radical way, a way only open to God might I add!
7 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
John 16:7
Paul incidentally also spend only and average of three years (just like Jesus) in each city and then left.
He wrote letters and sent co-workers and minister like Timothy and Titus, but Paul did not control the local churches through a hierarchy.
God’s original design can be seen in creation and the example Paul uses to describe the legitimate authority in church are family terms of parenting. Fathers, mothers and son’s. One thing that is clear from healthy and successful parenting is that kids grow up and become just like their parents – just as big, just a rich, just as clever just as anointed and they do not relate to God via their parents once they have grown up.
Why then do many believe that long term one way submission to the pastor is Biblical, spiritual or correct?
Jesus certainly did appoint special gifted people to equip and minister to the saints but these so-called Five Fold minister were not supposed to become and elite clergy class lording and controlling it over the saints. The FiveFold described in Eph 4 11 have a role like parents and like exhorters, but they do not become long term controllers!
The Five Fold are specifically there to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry. They are not there to do the ministry themselves and then tax the other saints and turn them into spectators or underlings and cheap labor.
It’s an obvious duality in human nature that we want to have dominion and rule and yet at the same time submit to authority. In the army, this is easy to observe. The “yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir ” submission required to those above us, provide safety, guidance and sense of legitimacy when we exercise authority of those who are subject to us.
It is unexpected through that we often prefer having other humans to rule us, rather than God Himself.
Well, ..despite the fact that “God is Love” it is indeed also true “God is also Holy” and that has always been scary in fact scary enough for John the Beloved to fall down dead at Jesus appearance.
Lets look at Heb 12 for a moment
20 (For they could not endure what was commanded: “And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.” 21 And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.”) 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. 25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, 26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”
………
29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:18-29
We see here that God’s people are so petrified of God’s presence. There are three very clear examples of this.
Two are in the scripture and one is obvious in church history and in fact church around us today.
The three Are Moses Saul and the Pastor
18 Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. 19 Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” 20 And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” 21 So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.
Exodus 20:18-21
Then they wanted a King to protect them form the judgment that God brought upon them because of disobedience. God brought the Amalekites of Jebusites or whatever tribe to punish Israel, so their call for a king was in fact a desire to have a King to protect them FROM God.
How bizarre!
7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. 8 “According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. 9 “Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”
1 Samuel 8:7-9
24 “Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. 25 “But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”
1 Samuel 12:23-25
In the modern evangelical/charismatic church, the pastor often fulfills the role Mary plays for the Catholic, a mother figure who protects you from Christ.
Catholics pray to Mary because they fear that Jesus isn’t human enough to understand their weaknesses.
Modern charismatics have the pastor to permanently interpret the Word of God for them and buffer them from direct responsibility before God.
In Jewish culture we see that the father is responsible for his children’s behavior until the Bar/Bat Mitzvah, after which the boys and girls are regarded as adults and will account to God themselves.
Why do our modern so called spiritual parents teach and glorify the issue or permanent submission to them and do not have an obvious a linear path and expectation to maturity for their disciples? Books like “Under Cover” pro-actively teach that boys remain boys and beholden to their pastor? This is serious perversion and the most probably reason is annuity income and a spiritual ego trip.
Maybe due to bad teaching received the disciples are spiritual mongols (downs syndrome) and cannot grow.
If the pastor nurtures and controls you for a few years then you grow up, under an equip and release program into a powerful spiritual adult then cool. But if you don’t grow and the pastor, as a pseudo-spiritual mother figure stays in change then its perversion.
So beloved I want to end with Paul words:
9 But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. 10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Hebrews 6:9-12
The pastoral job job does lend itself for mothering, which is “Nurture & Control” rather “Equip & Release” and we need to take cognizance of that. Not all pastoral control is evil intentioned but the inherent malfunction remains present.
click Fathering & Mothering