Biblical Leadership and the New Covenant Priesthood

Biblical Leadership and the New Covenant Priesthood

by William J. Knaub

The structure and function of the local church is a topic to which most Christians give little thought. Traditions of men are the standard on this issue rather than the final authority of Scripture. Alexander Strauch, author of Biblical Eldership, writes: For many people, the issue of church government (also referred to as church polity, church structure, church organization, church order or the ministry) is as irrelevant an issue as the color of the church pews. Indeed, for many people the color of the church pews inspires greater interest! To these people, the organizational structure of the church really doesn’t matter. The average church member’s disinterest in how the church is governed needs to be challenged, however. Church government is an extremely practical and theologically significant issue (Biblical Eldership, Lewis And Roth, 1995, page 101).

The normal practice for most local assemblies today is the "one pastor" structure with the focal point of "ministry" surrounding this one man. The "pastor" is viewed as the professional ("clergy") who has some type of special "calling" of God and thereby possesses a holy and unique status as compared to the others ("laity") in the local body. As a result, the local church becomes a "spectator church". In this setting, the "laity" will only sit, listen, sing, and pray while the "pastor" or paid staff does most everything else in the local body. Not only is this unbiblical but it also denies the every member ministry of the New Covenant priesthood (Eph. 4:16). Of course, not every "one pastor" structure will function as indicated above. However, if one examines the New Testament data on these issues, one will find that the Biblical view of local church structure is ignored by many in the body of Christ today.

Although I admire the zeal, love, and commitment that many of these "pastors" display in their ministry to the body of Christ, I contend that the local church with this structure can hinder or suppress the proper functioning of the New Covenant priesthood. In the discussion that follows, I will endeavor to demonstrate that true Biblical leadership is not the "one pastor" system but rather consists of plural eldership. This shared leadership structure best promotes and protects the vitality of the New Covenant priesthood. First, we will examine the biblical support for plural eldership and how this leadership model functions in the local church. Next, we will look at how shared leadership (plural eldership) promotes the priesthood of all believers. We begin however, with a brief review of the New Covenant priesthood.

The New Covenant Priesthood

Since the New Covenant has completely replaced the Old Covenant (Heb. 8:6-13), the structure and function of the local church must be derived from the New Testament. Unfortunately, the Old Covenant (Mosaic Law) priesthood structure is the pattern of local church organization used by many today in the New Covenant era. Under the Old Covenant, only a few men served as intermediaries between God and man. Each person in this setting did not possess equal access to God. The focus of ministry was given to the priest, with others in the Old Covenant community depending on these few to approach God on their behalf (Nu. 3:5-10).

In contrast, the New Covenant consists of a community of all true believers and all are members of the holy priesthood. "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Pet. 2:9 NIV). Each believer is of equal value before God and has the same access to Him through union with Christ (Heb.10:19-22). Jesus is the perfect High Priest who now brings every believer near to God. All believers, then, are ministers before God and offer spiritual sacrifices. God has gifted each Christian to build up the body of Christ (Rom. 12:3-8) and all members are to function in the body (1 Cor. 12:12-27).

Therefore, no one person can be known as "the minister" in the church. The New Covenant structure of the local church does not focus on one part (the pastor) of the body but on mutual ministry from all believers. Jon Zens captures how the New Covenant priesthood is to function:

There is no evidence anywhere in the New Testament for the primacy of one man’s gifts. There is evidence 58 times in the New Testament for the importance of mutual care and multiple gifts: "love one another....admonish one another...edify one another...comfort one another...forgive one another...give to one another...pray for one another." Why are our churches marked by obvious emphasis on "the pastor," but very little - if any - concern for the cultivation of mutual relationships? We have exalted that for which there is no evidence, and neglected that for which there is abundant evidence. We are used to pawning off our responsibilities on someone else. We want the church to minister to us, but we think very little as to how we can minister to the needs of others. (Jon Zens. "The Pastor," 1981, p. 5)

Plurality Of Leadership

According to the New Testament, local church leadership consists of elders and deacons. The roles of elder and deacon are the only two local church offices indicated in the New Testament which have continuing validity. For example, the book of First Timothy was written by Paul to give instructions regarding church conduct. When Paul addresses the issue of leadership (1 Tim. 3), the two offices mentioned are elder and deacon. Elders (also called pastors or overseers) are to direct the affairs of the church and deacons are elder helpers with the basic function of serving the body of Christ. The only qualifications for elders and deacons are stated in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.

Some will contend that the Bible does not present a specific pattern of church government which is binding upon the local church for all times and places. However, Scripture gives us only one model for church government. This structure is plural eldership (shared leadership). There is no example in the New Testament of a local church ruled by one elder. Some maintain that Paul, Timothy or James were pastors, but no Scripture can be found to support this. Each local church is to function with a plurality of elders.

The New Testament provides clear evidence for plural leadership: Acts 14:23; Acts 20:17,28; Phil. 1:1; Titus 1:5 and James 5:14. You will note that it is elders (plural) and church (singular). Thus, at least two or more qualified men must be elders at each local church.

Functions Of Biblical Elders

As with any subject, the careful definition of terms is crucial. Many will state that they embrace the plurality of eldership structure, but in reality they practice the "one elder" model. The New Testament uses the words "overseer", "elder" and "pastor" in reference to the same office. These words are interchangeable. The different functions for the office of elder are described by the terms of elder, overseer, and pastor.

Acts 20:17-36 deals with Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian elders and provides support for the interchangeability of terms for the role of elder. In Acts 20:17, Paul sends for the "elders" of the church. Then in verse 28, Paul refers to this same group of elders as "overseers" and "shepherds". "The term "elder" refers to maturity; "bishop" ("overseer") refers to oversight and administration, and "pastor" refers to the elements of shepherding such as feeding and guarding" (Jon Zens. "The Major Concepts of Eldership In The New Testament," Baptist Reformation Review, Summer 1978, p. 29).

Overall, elders are to govern or direct the affairs of the local church (1 Pet. 5:2-3). Biblical elders equip believers for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:11-12). Pastors (or elders) are to develop and prepare believers through teaching, exhorting, directing, protecting, caring and serving the body of Christ. The idea of elders doing sermon preparation and delivery as their main functions while almost ignoring the shepherding aspect is foreign to the New Testament. Elders are to love people and must be actively involved in people’s lives.

As already indicated, the New Covenant priesthood is a body of believer/priests who are gifted by the Spirit to minister to one another (1 Pet. 4:10-11). Elders, then, do not take on all the work of ministry for themselves. Rather, biblical elders function as player-coaches to develop and direct believers into active ministry. The elders are responsible for facilitating this mutual ministry concept.

Equality And Diversity Among The Elders

All elders have equal authority and share equal responsibility for leadership in the local assembly. The only "Chief Shepherd " in the church is Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 5:4). Since all elders are pastors and all pastors are elders, the idea of an elder board with a "pastor" as the commanding officer is without New Testament warrant. The concept of elder equality does not indicate that all elders perform the exact same functions. All elders are equal because they occupy the same office.

The true test of plural eldership is the submission of elders to one another in the decision making process. That is, all elders of a local church have the final say on matters pertaining to the faith and practice of that local assembly. Of course, the elders are all subject to the final authority of God’s Word. Elders, then, must work together as a council of equals to arrive at conclusions of which each elder is supportive. One can see why having Biblically qualified elders is of great importance.

Although elders are equal in office, they are not equal regarding gifts and spiritual influence. The eldership should promote each man’s gifts and abilities in such a way that maximizes the edification of the body. Each elder is responsible to lead and care for the flock, but flexibility exists as to how each man will function in the body. Some would assert that 1 Timothy 5:17 divides elders into "ruling" and "teaching" functions. However, this text simply points out the diversity of gifts among the elders since all elders must rule and teach in the church (1 Tim. 3:2,5).

Promoting The New Covenant Priesthood

With the biblical foundation of plural elder leadership laid, we will now examine how this model of eldership promotes the proper functioning of the priesthood of believers. One major way biblical eldership encourages the true nature of the local church is through the denial of the "clergy/laity" distinction. The New Testament never indicates such a distinction. Although each local church is to be ruled by elders (Heb. 13:17), the New Testament does not specify this leadership as some separate priestly class of "ordained" leaders. Instead, the New Covenant makes every believer a royal priest before God (Rev. 1:6).

Biblical eldership, then, has no place for special religious titles or exalted positions. No New Testament warrant can be found for titles such as "Reverend", "Minister", "Senior Pastor", "Associate Pastor", etc. Unfortunately, this "professional" clergy system is alive and well in today’s Christian culture. When will sola scriptura be taken seriously?

In contrast, biblical leadership (plural eldership) promotes the pattern of ministry in which each part of the body works towards building up one another in the body of Christ (Gal. 6:2; 1 Cor. 12:12-27). The elders, like all members of the body of Christ, will have diverse gifts for ministry. Therefore, the focal point of ministry is not the "pastor" but the entire body of believers. While there is a Biblical mandate for qualified leaders in the local church, the body of Christ must be viewed as a unit with "equal concern" for all parts of the body (1 Cor. 12:24-25). All believers are one in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:13-20) and the clerical class distinction cannot exist in the New Covenant priesthood.

The model of shared leadership also helps communicate the family character of the local church. Believers are brothers and sisters in Christ which produces intimate relationships with one another. Alexander Strauch summarizes this point as follows:

The reality of this strong, familial community supersaturates the New Testament. The New Testament writers most commonly refer to believers as brethren. Peter refers to the worldwide Christian community as "the brotherhood" (1 Peter 2:17; 5:9). The terms brethren, brother, or sister occur approximately 250 times throughout the New Testament. These terms are particularly abundant in Paul’s letters (Biblical Eldership, Lewis And Roth, 1995, page 110).

Plural eldership is most compatible with this family character. Elders are leaders from among the family. They are not to "lord it over" others but instead act as servant leaders working for the welfare of others in the family (1 Pet. 5:2-3). With this perspective, the Biblical eldership structure protects against self-promotion since the elders are viewed as part of the priesthood of all believers and contribute to the family of believers through leadership functions and gifts.

Finally, the shared leadership structure promotes the New Covenant priesthood through manifesting Christ as the true and only head of the church. Scripture is clear that Christ is head of the church (Col. 1:18). The "one man" pastor system may lead to an abuse of authority where the assembly becomes pastor dependent and not Christ dependent. Plural leadership can help shift the focus from the gifts and influence of the leaders to the absolute Headship of Jesus Christ. With shared leadership it is much more difficult to exalt one man’s gifts since each elder has diverse gifts and varying strengths and weaknesses. Elders, then, are part of the New Covenant priesthood and not the priesthood. Christ alone is Commander in Chief.

Concluding Thoughts

If one takes the doctrine of sola scriptura seriously, the structure and functioning of the local church must be Biblical. Traditions of men must be put aside in favor of God’s order for the local church. Not only is plural eldership Biblical but it also promotes the New Covenant priesthood. Although many godly men adhere to the "one man" pastor church structure and enjoy very fruitful ministries, pragmatism can never replace Biblical truth. Change is difficult but necessary if one is to honor his Lord.

This examination on Biblical eldership and the New Covenant priesthood is not intended to cause division in the body of Christ. Rather, if you hold to the "one man" pastor system, you are urged to study the Scriptures on this subject and then strive to find other qualified men from your assembly who can serve with you as fellow elders/pastors. As a result, you will better serve the New Covenant priesthood where each believer is a minister before God and the Glory of Christ will be exalted through His church (Eph. 1:22-23).

Many of the ideas presented in this article did not originate with me. I owe a debt of gratitude to others whose writings on this subject have helped me better grasp the Biblical structure and function of the church. The following resources were consulted and are recommended for further study:

Searching Together, "Four Tragic Shifts In The Visible Church," Volume 21:1-4, 1993, 65pp. **

Sixteen Tests of An Authentic New Testament Church, Fellowship Bible Church, 1980, 64pp.

Alexander Strauch, Biblical Eldership, Lewis And Roth, 1995, 337pp.

Bruce Stabbert, The Team Concept: Paul’s Church Leadership Patterns or Ours?, Hegg Bros., 1982, 226pp.

Jon Zens, "Building Up The Body: One Man or One Another?," Baptist Reformation Review, Volume 10, Number 2, 1981, pp. 10-33. **

Jon Zens, "The Major Concepts of Eldership in the New Testament," Volume 7, Number 2, 1978, pp. 26-33. **

Jon Zens, "The Pastor," 1981, 8pp. **

Jon Zens, "What Is A ‘Minister’?," Searching Together, Volume 11, Number 3, 1982, pp. 8-21. **

**These resources can be obtained from:

Searching Together Box 548 St Croix Falls, WI 54024
www.searchingtogether.org

Bill Knaub

The Unity of the One and Only True Church

The Unity of the One and Only True Church
by H. M. Riggle

God's church is one fold, one family, one body. We want to show from the Scriptures that her divine author demands perfect harmony in all her members, has fully provided for that unity, and forbids all divisions. Not only is the community of God one body, but all divisions of that one body are condemned in the strongest terms. Let us hear the great founder, as he pours out his heart in prayer to the Father, while already suffering the inward pains of death in behalf of his dearly purchased church: "Holy father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are one." John 17:11. "neither pray I for these alone, but for them also who shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." Verses 20,21. "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." Verse 23.

Three times he earnestly prays that all who believe on him through the apostles' word should be one, yea, one even as he himself and the Father are one. Are we Christians if we respect not those deep heart-yearnings of Christ? Do we care for the salvation of this lost world if we are indifferent about this heavenly unity, which the "wisdom of God" foresaw and declared essential to their faith in the divine mission of Christ on earth? The Lord knew very well that the citadel of the human soul is under the control of reason and can admit nothing without the consent of that high functionary. He also perceived that reason must pronounce division, discord, strife, and confusion inconsistent with a religion declared to emanate from God. Hence that earnest and thrice repeated prayer that we should all be one as he and the Father are one, so that the world might believe that he was really sent from heaven to save men from their sins.

The language virtually implies that if this holy unity should not be seen by the world, unbelief would possess their hearts and his death on their behalf would be largely frustrated. And have not his anticipations proved sadly true? Behold, the world is today rushing on to hell; and ever since strife and division has broken the sweet "one accord" of the primitive church, the gospel has been comparatively powerless to convict of sin and the judgment, and turn the souls of men from the ways of death. There is, then, a solemn and awful weight of importance connected with this divine unity. For this cause there is perhaps no one thing more frequently enjoined in the New Testament than the oneness of all believers, no evil more preemptorily forbidden than that of schisms, and no sin more strongly denounced than that of causing division.

The apostles of the Lord, walking in the spirit and footsteps of their Master, continued the same earnest appeal for the unity of all who profess the name of Christ. "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." 1 Cor. 1:10. "For, ye are all one in Christ Jesus." Gal. 3:28. "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel." Phil. 1:27. "Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." Phil. 2:2. "Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. 15:5,6. "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul.” Acts 4:32.

Here are a few more strong texts on unity. In the first the children of God are exhorted to be "perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment;" in the second, to "stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;" in the third, to "be like-minded," "being of one accord" - not like-minded according to some man's mind or creed, not according to the mind of the flesh nor yet the edicts of some conference of preachers, but "like-minded one to another according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God." An earnest admonition is, "I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you." For a refutation of the false statement that people cannot see alike, for the confirmation of the Word and grace of God, and for the encouragement of God's saints in all subsequent time, it is recorded that "the multitude of them that believed, were of one heart and one soul." Not simply a few were enabled to come into this unity for which Christ prayed, but the whole multitude of believers, and they numbered thousands. Now, we confidently affirm that the same salvation will produce the same fruit today.

Not only did the apostles follow their teacher and Lord in demanding perfect unity in all believers, but they also showed a holy abhorrence of all divisions. Accordingly, we are told that "God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked; that there should be no schism in the body" (1 Cor. 12:24, 25). Here is a direct prohibition of all schisms, or divisions, in the body of Christ. By the standard of truth all divisions among Christians are sinful. "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." Rom. 16:17, 18. "A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself." Tit. 3:10, 11. "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." 2 Pet. 2:1-3.

The foregoing texts, it will be observed, classify together as all the same "a man that causes divisions," "a heretic," and such as bring in heresies. And now we must prove the position correct. The word hairesis is a Greek term, found ten times in the New Testament. In the following instances the word is rendered sect: Acts 5:17; 15:5; 24:5; 26:5 and 28:22. In the first, second and fourth instances it is applied to the sect of the Pharisees. In the third and fifth, the Jews, ignorant to the true and universal character of God's church, called it a sect, the sect of the Nazarenes. As the disciples were nearly all from the Jewish nation, they were very naturally looked upon as another sect of that nation. In all these instances it is clearly seen that hairesis is correctly rendered "sect," which signifies a faction.

There are five more instances of hairesis in the Greek New Testament. In these the word is not, we may say, translated at all, but merely transferred with a slight change of form into "heresy" and "heretic." They are the following: Acts 24:14; 1 Cor. 11:19; Gal. 5:20; 2 Pet. 2:1; and Tit. 3:10. In the last the word is hairetekos, referring to the sectarian instead of the sect. The word in Acts- "after the way which they call heresy" -is translated "sect" by Rotherham, Wakfielsd, A. Layman, Chas. Thomson, H.T. Anderson, Bible Union, Emphatic Diaglott, Young, and the New Version. In 1 Cor. 11:19 - "for there must also be heresies among you" - the word is rendered "sects" by Thomson, Anderson, Bible Union and Young; "parties" by Rotherham; "factions" by Emphatic Diaglott. In the passage in Gal. 5:20 the word for "heresies" is rendered "sects" by Thomson, Anderson, Bible Union and Young; "parties" by Rotherham; "factions" by Diaglott; "divisions" by the New Version. The word for "heresies" in 2 Peter 2 is translated "sects" by Layman, Thomson, Anderson and Young; "parties" by Rotherham; "factions" by Bible Union. The word for "heretic" in Tit. 3:10 is translated as follows: "A man that causes divisions." - Bible Union. "A formenter of divisions." - Wakefield. "A party man." - Rotherham. "A sectary." - Anderson. "A sectarian man. " –Young.

So, then, it is clearly seen that a heresy is a "sect," "faction," "party," or "division;" while a heretic is "a man that causes divisions," foments sects; or he may be simply a "party man," namely, one that holds to, and is zealous for, a sect or party, or, in plain words, as rendered in the excellent translations of Robert Young, of Edinburgh, Scotland, " a sectarian man." So utterly abhorrent in its nature and ruinous in its fruits is the sin of partyism or sectariansm, that God's true children are commanded to reject any one who is guilty of it after the first and second admonition- "knowing that he that is such, is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself." All these translations, even more clearly than the Common Version, prove that there is no sin more utterly abominated by the Word of God than that of sectarianism. Paul declared the Corinthians carnal, because they inclined to be sectish, one saying, "I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos." 1 Cor. 3:1-4.

In Gal. 5:20 the word for "heresies" is translated in plain English "sects;" in several other versions the apostle pronounces them "the works of the flesh," and classifies them with adultery, fornication, idolatry, murders, drunkenness, revelings and such like. It is an awful fact, but the Inspired Volume mentions no sin that is more hateful in the sight of God; and it cannot be denied that sects are classified with the very darkest crimes. There must, therefore, be a way to escape this sin and the judgments of God that will be visited upon such as are guilty of it. The dreadful evil is surely not an unavoidable one. The very fact that God renounces it and commands us to reject and withdraw ourselves from sectarians proves that there is a foundation upon which we may stand clear. In the very prayer in which Christ so earnestly and repeatedly besought the perfect unity of all his disciples, and all who would subsequently believe on him we find him laying down the complete basis of oneness.

COMPLETE BASIS OF ONENESS... (Culled from The Christian Church, Its Rise and Progress by H. M. Riggle )

COMPLETE BASIS OF ONENESS... (Culled from The Christian Church, Its Rise and Progress by H. M. Riggle )

1. NOT OF THE WORLD... "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." "The men which thou gavest me out of the world." John 17: 6, 14. Here is the very first condition of entering into the required unity. This world is all cursed and confused by the malady of sin. The fall of the race not only separated between man and God, but also broke the human family into fragments, bringing hatred and strife into men's hearts. Jesus, however came into the world and wrought a new creation. In it are peace, unity, and harmony. But no man can enter the new creation and still abide in the old. Hence it is no marvel that the mass of sectarians, who conform to the world in pride, love the world in covetousness, and run with the world in all its popular amusements and abominations, persistently cry:

We must agree to disagree;
We mortals cannot hope to see
The Word of God just all the same,

Until we reach a higher plane. Certainly not; but they need not wait for the future to bring the higher state. Let them repent of their sins, deny themselves of the lusts of the flesh, and be saved out of this world by the transforming grace of God; then shall they have met the first conditions of discipleship and also the first conditions of oneness. But in coming out of the old world of sin into what shall we enter and abide?

2. IN CHRIST ALONE... "That they all may be one: as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us." Verse 21. This is an important condition and basis of oneness. We cannot hope to be one in any earthborn association, but we can and must be one in God and in Christ. They put darkness for light and light for darkness, who talk of joining some sect in order to be united. Every sect is a schism, and to join one is to partake of the sin of division, which is, as we have seen, extremely hateful in the sight of God. Of course, many have joined sects ignorantly, not discriminating between the church which is of God, and the sect which is of man; and our compassionate High Priest shows mercy to those who unwittingly go out of the way, provided they are only willing to walk in the light when it shines unto them. If, then, we are to be one in Christ Jesus, they who are saved out of the world unto him and abide in him, walking in all his truth and not allowing themselves to be enticed into anything else—these stand upon the divinely appointed foundation of unity and are free from the great transgression of schism. On the contrary, whoever professes the name of Christ and yet willfully enters anything besides the church of the Lord Jesus, will have to answer for the sin of division. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Gal. 3: 28. “So we being many are one body in Christ. Rom. 12: 5.

What excuse, then, is there for division ? There is salvation in no other than Christ, and "ye are complete in him"—completely saved, completely kept, completely supplied, and completely unified. Since, therefore, we are commanded to "abide in him" and in him we have all grace, peace, and wisdom, oneness, happiness, and holiness, what but the will of the flesh and of the devil can lead men to join themselves to anything else?

"It is utterly impossible for anyone to bring the whole Christian body to this way of thinking," says the devotee of sects.  That is all true, and it accounts for the fact that every human institution has failed to unite all Christians upon the platform of its creed; but with all this admitted, there still remains no excuse for divisions. Man's inability does not overthrow God's ability. It still remains true that the Lord Jesus Christ "is able even to subdue all things unto himself" (Phil. 3: 21). It was not man but Christ who "made both one [i. e., Jews and Gentiles], and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us"(Eph. 2: 14). The same salvation would utterly break down and sweep out of existence every sectarian wall of modern times. "The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul.” He who, by his transforming grace, wrought this beautiful effect at the beginning of his heavenly kingdom on earth is able to give all who truly submit themselves to him the same "one mind" today; and, indeed, we shall show, in its proper place, that just now the Lord is gathering his holy bride from every ism under heaven into his own body and fulfilling prophecy in giving them "one heart and one way."

It is God's own doings, and man's inability has nothing to do with it. The work of unifying the children of God is no more the work of man than is our salvation. We are all one in Christ Jesus.

3. THE NAME... The third provision of our oneness in the prayer of Christ was his fulfillment of the prediction of Isa. 62: 2: "And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name." Here is a clear prophecy of the transition from the first to the second covenant; from the Israel that was born after the flesh and was of the one nation to the Israel that is born of the Spirit out of all nations. The Jews as a nation rejected Christ, and the kingdom of heaven was open to the Gentiles. An entirely new order was then enacted, and old things passed away. The people (church) of God under the new covenant received a new name, which was given by the mouth of the Lord. The same thing is again spoken of in Isaiah 65. In verse 12 is an awful picture of the destruction of the Jews. " Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer." "And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord God shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name." Verse 15. These scriptures were fulfilled when the Lord Jesus said, "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the There are many reasons why the naming of the church is a matter of vital importance. One object, however, is sufficient to speak of here. Thus prayed the Man of Sorrows, "Holy Father, keep them in thy name which thou hast given me that they may be one, even as we are. " Verse 11, world. " "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name." John 17: 6, 12.

While men foolishly affirm that there is nothing in a name, the Lord God attaches importance enough to the naming of his church to constitute it a matter of prophesy. He excluded all men's attempts at naming it by preannouncing that it should be "named by the mouth of the Lord.”  New Version. The word rendered "through" in the Common Version is en in the Greek, and is the same word that is regularly translated in throughout the New Testament. Of the twelve translations that are before the writer all except the Common Version render it, "Keep in thy name." Christ fulfilled the prophecy by manifesting the name of God to be the basis of the church title, and prayed the Father to keep the disciples in his name, that they might be one as he and the Father are one. Therefore, even in the name, perfect unity is provided for. The entire church is to be kept in the one name, as a means of its perfect oneness.

Though other names are not the chief cause of divisions, but more generally have come into use because the divisions have been fomented by some factious spirit or false doctrine, yet? nevertheless, party names have contributed their share to the making of sects. To say that rival names do not help to divide and to perpetuate division is to charge Christ with nonsense; for why did he pray the Father to keep the disciples in his name, in order that they should be one, if they would have been one just the same under various names ? In other words, if oneness in name is not essential to oneness in faith, life, and spirit, why did the Savior pray for the former as a condition of the latter? We admit that sincere, humble children of God mutually cherish much love and enjoy some fellowship with each other while under sectish names; but such names are inconsistent with Bible unity, prevent its manifestation to the world, and become a wedge in the hands of Satan to separate and alienate. Yea, it is a fact clearly seen by spiritual men, that sect names are real idols that men worship and are exceedingly mad upon. But Christ has left no excuse for these names. In giving the one name for the church to be known by, he provides for her unity and condemns all divisions.

"Keep them in thy name." The holy apostles held this prayer of their Lord in profound respect. Let us see how they understood and carried it out. "Feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." Acts 20: 28. "The church of God which is at Corinth. " 1 Cor. 1: 2 and 2 Cor. 1: 1. "Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God. " 1 Cor. 10 32. "We have no such custom, neither the churches of God." 1 Cor. 11:16. "Despise ye the church of God?" 1 Cor. 11:22. "I persecuted the church of God." 1 Cor. 15:9. "Beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it." Gal. 1:13. "For brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus. " 1 Thess. 2: 14. "We ourselves glory in you in the churches of God. " 2 Thess. 1: 4. "If a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?" 1 Tim. 3: 5. "That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God. " 1 Tim. 3: 15.

The word "church" frequently occurs without the qualifying part of the name; because, there being only one church that is of God, it was not necessary to designate it every time by its full name. But that men should not give some appellation of their own to the divine community, we find it twelve times denominated "the church of God, " according to the prayer of the Savior that it should be kept in the name of God, the Father. And lest men should ascribe this heavenly Jerusalem to some earthly god, it is once qualified in full—"The church of the living God." This excludes all dead fraternities of the dead gods of the nations.

The name chosen by divine wisdom beautifully acknowledges the various relations of the church to God. To her it is said, "Thy maker is thy husband." Is it not proper and right that the heavenly bride should honor her husband by assuming his name? Again, the church is the family of God; she therefore naturally inherits the name of the Father. Because of both these relations, to assume any other name is to insult the jealous God, who will not give his glory to another. "For this cause," says the apostle,” I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; of [from] whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named." Eph. 3: 14, 15. We have seen that the name was given by the mouth of the Lord Jesus, but was derived from the Father. This latter fact is clearly seen in the above passage when correctly rendered; for the Greek preposition ez is defined the same as ek, and signifies, from, out of. Hence it expresses the source or derivation of the name. It is rendered "from" in the Emphatic Diaglott: "For this cause I bend my knees to the Father, from whom the whole family in the heavens and on earth is named." Thus also seven out of the twelve versions render it. We should also observe that this title, "The church of God," acknowledges God as its founder, builder, and owner. It, therefore, not only lays an important foundation for the unity of all believers under the one and only Scriptural church cognomen, but also honors God as its author and possessor. Is there, then, no difference in a name? Would a title that does not indicate whether the church originated from, and belongs to, God, man, or the devil, do equal honor to God with that which ascribes it wholly to him!

The glorious institution that Jesus founded is a complete organization. Now, nothing could well take on regular organic form without designating its name. Therefore about the first clause of every constitution of earthly organizations, reads somewhat as follows: " This society [corporation or joint stock company, etc.] shall be known by the name of," etc. So when Jesus, the Son of God, founded his heavenly Jerusalem on earth, he put on record that this holy community should be kept in the name of the Father, and the apostles were inspired to word the name thus: "The ekklesia of God." In this one name her oneness is to be maintained. Whoever, therefore, imposes or assumes any other church title is not only guilty of disobeying the earnest desire of Christ, but also guilty of creating or partaking of the enormous sin of schism. This is a matter of no small weight in the sight of God.

4. THE DISCIPLINE... The fourth plank in the divine basis of oneness is the inspired discipline that the head of the church gave for its government. The Lord Jesus forever cut off all excuse for his professed disciples to usurp the headship of his church by presuming to make laws and regulations for their own government. In the very prayer that pleads for their perfect unity he says, "I have finished the work which thou gayest me to do." John 17: 4. By reference to Deut. 18:15-19 it is seen that one thing the Father required of him was to speak unto the people all his new covenant law. This he had therefore done. Yea, he saith, "I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me." "I have given them thy word." John 17: 8, 14.

Having already shown the perfection and the infallibility of this divinely authorized discipline, we call attention to it here merely to show that nothing essential to the foundation of perfect unity is unsupplied. Had the founder of the church of God left her without a creed or system of cooperation, it might have been taken for granted that men were left at liberty to draft such rules and regulations as they thought best. In this case there would have been an excuse for different creeds and for the resultant divisions. But Jesus has forever excluded all who would be lawmakers in the kingdom of heaven.

"There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. " Eph. 4: 4-6. What a beautiful picture of perfect unity! There is but one body, therefore to start another is to go out of the one; one Spirit, hence to admit another is to give place to the devil. There is one Lord; this ignores all the ecclesiastical lords and high officials that resolve themselves into a rival head and announce themselves "the law making power of the church." "One faith"—the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). By whom was it given? "The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it." Psa. 68: 11. This clearly defines the prerogative both of Christ and of all his ministers. As head of the body, he issues all laws. As simple messengers of the Lord, his ministers deliver and enforce his Word, without adding thereto or taking there from one jot or tittle. How utterly different the province of ministerial duty as portrayed in the Word of God from that disgusting, God dishonoring scheme of general and annual conferences and assemblies of modern sectarians, wherein men usurp the office of Christ, the "one lawgiver"!

There is "one faith, one baptism"; that is, the one faith of the gospel is publicly professed in the one literal ordinance of baptism. Hence when Satan infused party spirits into the disciples at Corinth, the apostle Paul reproved them by three questions: "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" 1 Cor. 1: 13. The idea is this: Christ is not divided; he only was crucified for them; and they all received the same ordinance of baptism. They could not be divided without going out of Christ and inventing a different baptism. Therefore it has come to pass that the modern factions "deny the Lord that bought them" and substitute the sacraments of Rome for the ordinances of Christ, especially wherein we testify our death to sin by burial with Christ in baptism. The Lord having given the same rule for all his disciples to walk by, and the Holy Spirit to guide each one into a knowledge of all this divine system of truth, there is here, again, no possible excuse for division. Neither Christ, his Spirit, nor yet his Word causes divisions. These are all the result of carnality and of subscribing to some tradition or creed of man. He, therefore, that subscribes to anything else than the inspired Word is guilty of the sin of division in the sight of Him who has made all provision for unity.

5. SANCTIFICATION... We now come to the great condition and all potent means of perfect unity. In the very midst of his quadruple prayer that we should be "one as he and the Father are one," he thus implores the Father: "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth." John 17:17, 19. Here, we say, is secured to us the essential and all sufficient means of producing perfect unity in all the body of Christ. First we will trace the blessed cause and effect in its negative virtues. In 1 Cor. 3: 3 and Gal. 5: 19, 20, we see that factions, or heresies, are the works of the flesh, the fruits of the carnal mind. Entire sanctification destroys all divisions by removing the cause; for it cleanses the heart from all unrighteousness. But there is a positive part to this sanctifying work of grace; namely, the infilling of the Holy Spirit; the return of Christ from heaven in the power of the Comforter, bringing with him the Father. Thus his sanctified temples are filled "with all the fullness of God." The perfect cleansing feature of the sanctifying grace removes all carnality, which is the cause of division, and the all‑ pervading love of God, shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Spirit, brings all hearts into the same harmony that reigns in heaven, into perfect unity, as the Father and Son are one.

This is expressed in these words: "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me " John 17: 22. 23. The glory which he has given to the church and I which makes us one as he and the Father, thus defines: "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one." The unifying glory is the indwelling God; for "the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory" (Isa. 60:19). In Luke 2:32 Christ is declared to be, "A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." And again, we read, "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you." 1 Pet. 4:14. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit constitute the excellent glory that Jesus bequeathed to his church. Who dare say that this divine fullness is unable to produce the effect Christ said it would?

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Cor. 3:18. From "glory to glory" we receive the glory of the very image of Christ; namely, from the glory of justification into the glory of entire sanctification. "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thess. 2:13, 14. This very clearly shows that the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ is the infilling of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. For our sanctification is "to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

This glory makes us all one as the Father and his Son. "For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren." Heb. 2:10, 11. Here again the glory and the grace of entire sanctification are spoken of as the same, and perfect oneness is its sure fruit. Christ and all that are wholly sanctified by him are of one, yea, of one Spirit, of one mind, of one faith, of one heart and soul, and all in "one body," of which he is the head, and we are members in particular. If, therefore, Christ and his apostle tell us the truth, we are forced to the conclusion that all who are not thus made one, and who yet plead for sects, are not sanctified, not in possession of the glory.

But let us hear the testimony of the Word once more: "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. " Eph. 4: 11-13. Here again this beautiful fruit of perfected holiness is recorded; namely, unity. The various gifts of the ministerial calling are all given of God, and all center in the paramount object of the perfection of the saints, in which experience they "all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man," a perfect body. Christ "made of twain [Jews and Gentiles] one new man," a new church; and, thank God, he has provided for the perfect holiness and unity of this church of the new covenant. The perfection of the saints is attained in entire sanctification (Heb. 10:14), and "the unity of the faith" is its inevitable fruit. The language implies two things: first, they are all brought into the one faith, the faith once for all delivered to the saints; second, they are not left in various and conflicting views and interpretations of the one faith. Nay, the "unity of the faith" implies one faith and a perfect uniformity in the understanding of that faith.

So we plant our feet on the sure Word of God and by its authority affirm that God has made full provision, in every respect, for the perfect harmony in faith, life, and teaching of all who honestly wish to know the truth and obey the same. Therefore perfect unity is a law and characteristic of God's church in its normal condition.

But before we pass from this point, we must expose the perverse reasonings of modern heretics. In one strain of logic they affirm that it is all right for the Christian world to be divided into so many different shades of belief and to have such a variety of church organization; that thereby the gospel has been more extensively spread and more people evangelized, because everybody can find a church to suit him And when the Word of God is brought forward to show that all God's people should be one, they seek to cover the enormous sin of schisms by saying, "All God's people are one." Now while it must be admitted that in the hearts of all who possess any degree of saving grace there is a measure of inward fellowship and a tendency to draw together, it is equally true that there is such a thing as the sin of division. Had not Christ seen that it was possible for divisions to be brought in among his disciples, he would not have so earnestly prayed that they should all be one. It is also true that although there are men and women in the various organized divisions who have passed from death unto life, they can only "live at a poor dying rate " while they are fenced apart by the party names and creeds. As we have said, the tendency of all who profess any measure of the love of God is to draw together and assemble together; but this very inward bent of the Spirit of God is denied this course by the control of party interests and party lords. And so the Spirit, grieved and hindered, gradually dies out of the heart, and the sectarian spirit only is left to animate the profession.

So, then, be it understood (1) that perfect unity is the order of God's church and his will in all that believe; (2) that disciples of Christ may be in a scattered condition in sects, and are in all the Protestant sects, so far as real Christians compose their membership; (3) that where separations of any kind are brought in between truly converted men, the church is not in the normal state, and spiritual death must sooner or later ensue to the body thus disintegrated; and (4) that the forming of sects, or the organizing of divisions, both destroys the church and prevents the salvation of the world.