Overseer
The word overseer is translated from the same word we see as bishop.[1] For any government to function, there must be participation by the people in the supply and demand of services. The titular leaders of a free government cannot be given power to exercise authority over how much or when the people entrust their ministers. Christ commanded that His appointed ministers not “exercise authority”. When the people lose their daily right to choose, they are made subjects.
What is given is given completely, like a burnt offering or bread cast upon the water, but the free will choice to give must remain with the people. The choice and manner of service provided by that gift must remain entirely with the minister, who is a servant of God. In essence, this form of sacred purpose trust, with the minister as the steward (a kind of trustee), is at the foundation of His Church.
It has been customary that another group oversee the ministers. Of course in truth the actual overseer of the Church is the Holy Spirit or what is sometimes called the Comforter.[2]
The Apostles met the requirements laid down by Christ. They were prepared to represent the Holy Spirit, and when they had received the power to do so from that Spirit, they were able to go out and preach the Kingdom as the physical representatives of that Comforter. They exercised no authority by their own hand over the people, but relied entirely upon the power of that Holy Spirit.
The ordination requirements of the overseeing ministry of Christ are extremely controversial today, but have been a tradition both at the time of Christ and before. They are well documented in the Biblical text, but neglected by many modern ministers. The Levites did not belong to themselves as freemen, like those in the congregation of the people, but they “belonged” to God. They were His firstborn servants, appointed to minister to the people according to the Holy Spirit as it moved in them and in the people. They had no right to hold a free dominion offered by God to all men. They had no inheritance in the land as a personal estate. The same was clearly true at the time of Jesus’ appointment of His ministers.
The Poor Overseers of a Free Church
In the Bible we see the Greek word ‘episkopos’ meaning overseer.[3] It is often translated as bishop. In the early Church, an archbishop was merely an overseer of overseers. This was a part of the network of the Church ordering itself in groups of tens. Ten families and one minister, ten ministers and their minister or overseer. The early Church used this pattern. But the church of Constantine did not.
On the 30th of April, 311, the emperor Galerius had posted an Edict of Tolerance at Nicomedia making provisions for the Christians, who had “followed such a caprice and had fallen into such a folly that they would not obey the institutes of antiquity” which had been established for the welfare of the people. The Edict of Milan commanded that the “places where they were previously accustomed to assemble” “the same shall be restored to the Christians” including restitution of the value of property taken from the Christians, “without payment or any claim of recompense and without any kind of fraud or deception.”
Constantine was not the first to grant tolerance or restitution, but he was the first to grant favor. His instant converts were often required to get baptized, but not to repent. In 325, a small portion of the Church[4] was about to take a big turn down a new path, from which they have not yet returned. The First Council of Nicaea endorsed the new Christianity of Constantine, the “Bishop of Bishops.” The vast majority of Christians opposed many of his precepts, but he did end violent persecution. However, a new threat loomed in the complacency of his Pax Romana. The Emperor bestowed gifts from the spoils of war and heavy taxation, winning favor with some, bringing in a seed of corruption until finally, Theodosius I made Christianity the “state religion” or could call the state religion Christianity.
These new Christians came to believe without repentance. They were enticed by the favor and grace of emperors, not Christ. These bribes for their faith included millions of dollars in land, gold, and silver, given out of the treasury of Rome. These royal grants were given to bishops who came to his councils and remained, or to those who were appointed by his own permission and authority. These new bishops were soon issuing edicts and commands, even calling for the persecution of pagans or Christians who did not bow down to the thinking of this new church.
The citizens of Milan were truly instant Christians. They eventually elected Ambrose the Bishop of Milan. Ambrose a roman lawyer and governor had tortured prisoners and entertained prostitutes. At first he refused the election, knowing little of Christianity or the ways of Christ. But with popular support and the emperor’s encouragement he relented and within a week he was baptized with water.
Except for words and names there was little alteration of the spirit of these new Christians. Ambrose did take a leave of absence from his employment with the empire to study some of the basic requirements for the ministers of Christ. As bishop of the Church he knew he could own no property in his own name and apportioned his money to the poor, donating his lands, except for provision for his sister Marcellina, and committing some of his property to the care of his family by his brother.
All the ordained ministers of the Church gave up any personal estate or wealth to follow in the service of God. This had been true for Christ,[5] the apostles,[6] and new ministers[7] of the Church the same as it had been for the Levites[8] called out by Moses to serve the tents of the congregations. This was necessary to maintain a government of service as was the network of small intimate congregations..
The true overseers of the Church remained faithful, refusing Faith-Based initiative of the emperor not only for the Church, but for themselves. They were not masters of those they served, but servants of Christ by serving those they ministered unto. The highest overseer is servant of servants.
The true overseer was an ordained minister meeting the qualifications of Christ, being in the world but not of it. Their full faith and fidelity must belong totally to God. They could not apply on behalf of the Church or themselves for gifts or grace of any sovereign or government. Christ was their king and they were His bondservant alone. No minister following Christ could apply to Rome for protection because God’s kingdom is not of their “world”, their “apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government.” To maintain an autonomous church the same continues to be true for its ordained ministers.
The ministers of Israel held a similar status even before kings began to appoint them without meeting these requirements of God given to Moses concerning the called out Levites. In those days when there was no king in Israel,[9] it had been the election by the courts of the people[10] that chose the ministers of God’s kingdom. They were paid according to their service[11] by the offerings of the people of a free nation under God. This peculiar and separate status of the overseers and ordained ministers of the government of God might be called today a vow of poverty.
This is one of the more controversial subjects concerning the nature of the early Church established by Christ. Like so many things from those ancient days the meaning and purpose has been shrouded in rituals and ceremonies. Few understand the full significance of that unique status or how it applies today.
We ask no one to accept anything because it is written. We encourage everyone to study out the truth in other sources and their own hearts and minds, praying to the Father for guidance and understanding.
In The Free Church Report we have tried to shed a new light of understanding on how these ancient precepts and requirements can play an essential role in the free church and free congregations of the people. How without the implementation of these precepts upon precepts of Christ and the prophets the Church becomes vulnerable to the powers and spirit of the “world”. There are multiple concepts centering around the proper application of the biblical doctrine of “no inheritance” or a “vow of poverty” and it is important that we have a clear understanding rather than a blind faith in these matters.
Because words and phrases are defined in many ways according to their context and usage we will need to define terms used in this work according to the message and doctrines of Christ. Titles like Bishop or Overseer and Minister or Elder must be defined within the context of the time of Christ, limiting those positions to His instructions, and not merely accept the definition of modern churches simply because they are common in today’s thinking or religious circles and institutions.
Bishop
- 1 Timothy 3:1 "This [is] a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil."
- Titus 1:6 "If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. 10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: 11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. 12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. 13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; 14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. 15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. 16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
Each of us are to be led by the Holy Spirit with that overseer the Bishop of our soul.[12]
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Footnotes
- ↑ 1985 ~ἐπίσκοπος~ episkopos \@ep-is’-kop-os\@ from 1909 and 4649 (in the sense of 1983); n m AV-bishop 6, overseer 1; 7
- 1) an overseer
- 1a) a man charged with the duty of seeing that things to be done
- 1b) the superintendent, elder, pastor, or overseer of a
- 1) an overseer
- ↑ Parakletos translated comforter 4, advocate 1. 1) summoned, called to one’s side, esp. called to one’s aid. 1a) one who pleads another’s cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate.
- ↑ 1Episkopos. a man charged with the duty of seeing that things to be done by others are done rightly, a bishop.
- ↑ Constantine invited all 1800 bishops (about 1000 in the east and 800 in the west), but like. Eusebius of Caesarea counted more than 250. Many walked out.
- ↑ 32 Corinthians 8:9 “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”
- ↑ Matthew 13:44, 19:2;Mark 10:21; Luke 12:33, 18:22, 14:33 “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”
- ↑ Acts 4:36... 5:11. “... Joses ...a Levite, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.... But a certain man named Ananias... kept back part of the price... fell down, and gave up the ghost”
- ↑ Numbers 18:20, 24; 26:62. Deuteronomy 18:2
- ↑ Judges 17:6 “In those days [there was] no king in Israel, [but] every man did [that which was] right in his own eyes.”
- ↑ 1 Chronicles 9:22 “All these [which were] chosen to be porters in the gates [were] two hundred and twelve. These were reckoned by their genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer did ordain in their set office. The word villages is far more often translated courts from the Hebrew word chatser and the word genealogy is from yachas which had to do with their family group.”
- ↑ Numbers 7:5 “Take [it] of them, that they may be to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; and thou shalt give them unto the Levites, to every man according to his service.”
- ↑ 1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.