How Pride Divides and Prejudice Hides
I do not think we should overlook the precious fact that we are Christian, and regardless of what we hold as true, the only truth is Christ died, Christ rose from the dead, Christ will come again. He will come again not to gather titles or groups with faith in titles and loyalties to organizations. When He returns for His bride “the called-out ones,” they will be those who love Him, and obeyed His commands–not those who have held their faith captive to a particular group or organization.
There is a lot that we can share about our walk with Jesus the Christ of God. We need to embrace the thought that dissension is not one of those shareable attributes. We need to be mature enough to see the grace of God on all, not just those who hold to a certain ideology. In study we need to share with others what the Holy One has shared with us while on our journey.
Much of my walk has been a walk of un-learning–unlearning what the world and its institutions taught as truth and fact. What I have been shown, and what you have been shown, is what we need to share with each other. This is our testimony of Jesus the Christ of God in our life. This is what studying the Word means. You see, Scripture is God’s written word to mankind, (a program for living), and Jesus is the living Word of God, (the program standard). It is Him that we study in ourselves; measuring our life against God’s standard because it is our hope of glory not only to live the standard but to have Christ (the anointing) within us.
Our life as shown by Him, and those things that He has delivered us from through our sojourn, is what is need more than any debate or study of the ancient languages. Alas, my hope and prayer are that we can become perfect (complete, mature), as our Heavenly Father is perfect. With that I’ll offer you this little bit of history about the organization of the church. Keep in mind, that as time went on, the people of God were silenced regarding pure worship. Ritual and tradition were initiated to take control and maintain power over the people.
Watchman Nee
In the book of revelations, we are introduced to the word “Nicolaitans.” When Constantine accepted Christianity, the teachings of Balaam occurred and the teachings of the Nicolaitans appeared. Among the many fathers, the one who stands above them all is the pope. When anyone kisses his feet, he must cry, “My Lord.” At the same time there are high officials in the Vatican, with many countries represented by ambassadors and ministers. There are kings and high officials, there are those who are called fathers and those who are called rabbi.
This is the teaching of the Nicolaitans. For this reason, those who have position and reputation in the world must be careful not to bring the things of the world into a gathering of believers, or the church. If you cannot call the humble one who sits beside you a brother, there is something wrong with you.
When you are sitting among the brothers and sisters, and yet you cannot be a brother or sister, then the Nicolaitans appear. The word “laos” in the original Greek word “Nikaolaos” not only means laity (common people), but it also means layman in contrast with experts and specialists. For example, the medical doctors are specialists, and those who are not are called by them laymen. When a carpenter meets another carpenter, they are of the same trade and both experts. When he meets one who is not a carpenter, he calls him a layman, one outside the trade. Nicolait means to conquer the laymen, which means there is a group of people who are the experts, the men inside the trade, while the rest are the laymen, the men outside the trade. The condition of the church in Ephesus and that of the church in Pergamos is different. The church in Ephesus has only the behavior of the Nicolaitans. It takes some time for behavior to become a teaching.
In addition, the word is represented as an adherent of Nikolaos, or a Nicolaitan. An ancient sect whose deeds were expressly and strongly reprobate (Rev. 2:6, 15). Some have supposed that they were the followers of Nicolas (Acts 6:5), one of the first deacons of the church, whom they regard as having apostatized from the true faith. For this view, however, there is no authority. Others regard the term “Nicolaitans” as a symbolic expression. Since Nicolaos means victor of the people, and Balaam means devourer of the people, the two in symbolic unity signify religious seducers of the people. It is more probable that the Nicolaitans were identical with those who held the doctrine of Balaam, mentioned in Rev.
2:14(cf. 2 Pet. 2:15), so that the Nicolaitans practiced fornication and eating of things sacrificed to idols while outwardly professing Christianity.
Now let’s look at the organization of the church:
Justo L. Gonzalez
“The Story of Christianity”
Early in the second century there were in the church three distinct positions of leadership: bishop, presbyter–or elder–and deacon. Some historians have claimed that this hierarchy is apostolic in origin. But the truth is that the extant documents would seem to point in an opposite direction. Although the New Testament does refer to bishops, presbyters, and deacons, these three titles do not appear together, as if they were three clearly defined functions that always existed together.
Actually, the New Testament would seem to indicate that the organization of local churches varied from place to place, and that for a certain time the titles of “bishop” and “elder” were interchangeable. There are also some historians who are inclined to believe that some churches–Rome included–were not led by a single bishop, but by a group of leaders who were called either “bishops” or “presbyters.” As has already been explained, the emphasis on the authority of bishops and on apostolic succession was a part of the response of the church to the challenge of heresies in the late second and early third centuries. As the church became increasingly Gentile, the danger of heresies was greater, and this in turn led to a greater stress on Episcopal authority. The place of women in the leadership of the early church deserves special attention. By the end of the second century the leadership of the church was entirely masculine. But the matter is not as clear in earlier times. Particularly in the New Testament, there are indications that women also had positions of leadership. Philip had four daughters who “prophesied”–that is, who preached. Phoebe was a female deacon in Cenchreae, and Junias was counted among the apostles.
What seems to have taken place is that during the second century, in its efforts to combat heresy the church centralized its authority, and a by-product of that process was that women were excluded from positions of leadership. But still in the early years of the second century, Governor Pliny informed Trajan that he had ordered that two Christian “female ministers” be tortured. When speaking of women in the early church, mention should be made of the role of widows. The book of Acts says that the primitive church helped support the widows in its midst. This was in part an act of obedience to the repeated Old Testament injunction to care for the widow, the orphan, and the sojourner. But it was also a matter of practical necessity, for a widow deprived of means of support either had to remarry or to seek refuge with her children. In either case, if the new husband or the child was not a Christian, the widow would be severely limited in her Christian life. Therefore, it soon became customary for the church to support its widows, and to give them responsibilities. In an earlier chapter, the story was told of a widow whose ministry was such that she enraged the pagans, and therefore became a martyr.
Other widows devoted themselves to the instruction of catechumens. Eventually, the word “widow” changed its meaning within the church and came to mean, not a woman whose husband had died, but any unmarried woman who was supported by the community and who in turn performed some functions within it. Some were women who chose to remain unmarried to perform their ministry. It is then that one begins to read such strange phrases as “the virgins who are called widows.” Eventually, this would give rise to feminine monasticism, which developed earlier than its masculine counterpart. Keep in mind that what I just gave you will fuel some beliefs. In fact, the opening of this post will most assuredly be forgot and the studies about the organization of the church and the Nicolaitans will take precedence.
In Conclusion
This is all offered for information, and I hope as you read you will view it as simply that–information. Please do take this as an advantage to prove an argument because it only compounds the argument. History allows us to see the battles the early believers had to endure. It also shows us the mistakes made, and hopefully teach us not to make them again. If we are repeating history then let’s, make it our priority to stop the cycle of pride and prejudice before it’s too late.
Copyright ©17 August 1998 Mike Kovach
The Christian Underground Journal
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