Question:

43.1—A friend of mine “belongs” to a denomination that practices church discipline. She wonders why she can’t break bread within the assembly because as far as she’s concerned (and the church she attends is concerned) any sin within the gathering is dealt with. The question she asked me was: “Just because I agree with having official pastors I can’t have communion with you?” Addressing this issue would be greatly appreciated.

43.1—The appointing of “official pastors” in the churches is a practice that has become unquestionably accepted by most Christians.  It is an ancient tradition.  However, one looks in vain in the Scriptures for any word about it.  This practice is based upon a supposed authority that “a church” or others have.  Such authority was never delegated to anyone by the Lord.  Even the apostles, who had authority from the Lord in the laying of the foundation of the Church, never presumed any authority over the Lord’s servants.  The presumption of authority or any control over His servants amounts to the displacement, perhaps the refusal, of the Lord’s authority.

We read in Ephesians 1:22 that Christ is “the Head over all things to the Church.”  We read in Ephesians 4:8 that “when He ascended up on high, He….gave gifts unto men.”  It tells us in verse 11 about some of those He has gifted so that His Body, the Church, would receive ministry from Him through them.  All of this has been done by the Head in heaven, our Lord Jesus Christ. All the work of God that is done on earth should be done through the authority and direction of the Head in the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-6), in accordance with God’s revealed truth.  Christ has appointed His pastors (shepherds) as well as all His other servants and there can be nothing right about others presuming to do so or attempting to exercise any degree of control over them.

At least one more thing should be said on this topic.  The position of the appointed pastor results in damage to the Lord’s people.  Please consider that we are a “holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).  The position and/or authority of the appointed pastor prohibits the exercise of our God-given priesthood.  In a “church service,” everything is done by “the pastor”: the singing, the praying, reading of Scripture, administering the Lord’s supper, and all else.  No one else has the liberty to do these things and nearly everyone would consider such action to be presumptuous.  Yet God in His Word teaches and encourages us to function in these and other ways in our priesthood as the Holy Spirit leads. The clergy/laity system robs God of the united praise of His people and robs them of the joys and blessings they could have when they are in assembly.  To express it very plainly, any way of things based upon human authority is evil in the light of God’s Word. 

Please understand that this is not written in judgment upon the many faithful, godly “pastors” of churches.  No doubt many in their love for the Lord are wanting to fill the place to which they have been appointed.  Nevertheless, I say in all kindness, they are ignorant of the truth of what is God’s order in His Church and of what is the Church’s testimony to its Head in heaven, according to Scripture. 

So to restate, I am judging a humanly ordered way of things based upon human authority, which is in opposition to God.