GRAND POOH-BAHS!

The book of Ephesians furnishes us with a list of gifts that begins with apostles and prophets,"upon whom the whole foundation must be built".  These gifts are no longer needed because they have 'built' (past tense) the foundation by completing the word of God which is now the sole and ultimate authority to be appealed to.

To protect us from error in the word "safety and wisdom can be found in the multitude of counsel".  Believers should prayerfully and carefully seek counsel and advice from, spouses, parents, friends, and a plurality of local elders who are totally submitted to the word of God.  Although counsel will almost certainly differ the Holy Spirit will be faithful to give an earnest son or daughter the necessary discernment and strength to please their Father.  We are not to mindlessly submit to the dictates of men, or to a singular man, be he called Pastor, Priest, Reverend, Father, Pope, Professor, Grand Vizier, Pooh-bah or whatever - or any other 'authority', including this website!

These elders must evidence the grace of God in their lives by meeting the high standards prescribed in the letters to Timothy and Titus.  They, amongst others, will manifest the balance of the gifts found in Ephesians as evangelists, pastors and teachers to the body.  Notice that these gifts are in the lower case.  There is only One who can be appealed to as Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher!

When men  'en-title' themselves by misappropriating these selfless callings into their heirarchies they quite literally 'capitalize' on the gift of God.  In so doing they heap upon themselves many false burdens and hinder, or even cripple, the relationship that all believers, including themselves, as members of the body are to enjoy with the Head.

This 'clergy/laity' split divides (decapitates?) the body of Christ, and is, at best, an immaturity.  This chasm is at the heart of the tragedy of denominationalism (which includes non-denominationalism and "anything that names itself under the sun") and fractures the testimony of Christ into a multitude of variously named and conflicting assemblies.  That those who practice such vanities have any measure of success by affording glimpses of the multifarious wisdom of God gives further testimony to the long-suffering grace and mercy of God and of His promises that, despite the pride and self-importance of man, His "gifts and callings are without repentance" and that "the gift will make room for itself".

Jesus warned His disciples to "not be as the Gentiles, whose mighty ones lord it over one another."  In the upper room He told them, "Henceforth I no longer call you disciples, but friends."  To further demonstrate the true love of spiritual leadership He stripped Himself to the waist and washed their feet and soon after proceeded to the Garden of Gethsemane where he laid His life down - and in so doing totally offended their sense of self-promotion, and order and propiety.

There is so much practiced in the name of 'church discipline'.  These legalisms are the posturings of those who attempt to conform the spiritual organism of the body of Christ into a man-made organisation.  In the light of Mark 7:13, quoted above, consider the following: Wherever you see the word 'church' in scripture it is fabricated from the Greek word "ekklesia".  It should be rendered "called out" or "the called out ones" in EVERY instance!

We are 'called out' from these venerated but dead institutions that, just as the men who perpetuate them do, bear their own titles, "who, having a form of Godliness deny the power thereof".  We are to "be being transformed into the image of Christ and not be conformed to this world".  We are to bow in humility to He who shares His glory with no man and stand in stark contrast to the spirit of entitlement that plagues this age and to flee the idolatory that is promulgated and encouraged by those who elevate and worship men in the place of (=anti-) Christ.

"Come out from her, and touch no unclean thing." 

We happily recognize that precious brothers and sisters labor, especially in prayer, both within and without these Babylonish structures.  In fact some of us still continue to attend congregations where we have been enjoying fellowship for over 40 years.  None of us, neither individual nor sect, can claim an inside-track to maturity because Ephesians also tells us that, "We (the body of Christ) all (the body of Christ) must come together (the body of Christ) into the fullness and stature of Christ." 

"(He's only) a man in a purple dress."  The Who.

"It might be a wrench but think of the stench you're leaving behind."  Ian Dury.

"I've heard their stories, heard them all, but love's the only engine of survival."  Leonard Cohen.