Clergyism

Clergyism

"Is there a text that justifies clergyism?"

Neither clergy nor clergyism appear in the Bible translations. It will be important to define terms like these and how they are used for any serious study of the subject matter.

"Clergyism" is a view of church and and its ministers that puts the ordained clergy in the center. It could minimizes the importance of the people of God and their potential for ministering to each other. It weakens the the body of the people by implying that what really matters is what the pastors, priests, and preachers do, say or think.

This is not a serious problem until we redefine words like Religion, Elder, Deacon, or even ordained.

There is use of the term of clergyism used to reject any kind of clergy citing their existence as dangerous and in opposition to the teachings of Christ. So, the question arises is there a Clergy of Christ since the apostles and ministers of the early Church were a form of clergy serving the people.

To use the term clergyism to suggest there was no Clergy of Christ would do the scriptures an injustice and is a classic case of throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Their points may be examined for learning purposes because there are forms of clergy that would not measure up to the directives of Christ. Learning to distinguish those types can be important. But anyone who claims there is no clergy of the Church is often relying on the "clergy of the State" for those duties and provisions once provided exclusively by the early Church.

Here are five claims of the anti clergy protestors:

• 1. There are churches that "hold to elevated titles" but that would be a rejection of Christ's statement in Matthew 23:8 "But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, [even] Christ; and all ye are brethren."

In Matthew 23:9 "And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven." When Jesus made this statement everyone in the crowd understood who the Fathers of the earth were and should have understood why He said it. The Fathers of the earth were like the Patronus of Rome and other states of the earth who provided welfare and free bread for the people. Those Fathers provided benefits through their state run temples because they had an exercising authority where they took from some to give to others. The Clergy of Christ were not to be like the "clergy of the State" who worked for the governments of the gentiles who exercise authority. Any Church or individuals who depend upon men who call themselves benefactors but exercise authority to provide welfare for the people are not followers of Christ.

Matthew 23:10-11 states "Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, [even] Christ. 11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant." The "clergy of the State" do exercise authority to administer their systems of welfare much like the Pharisees and their system of Corban which we know makes the word of God to none effect. When Jesus appointed or ordained His little flock He specifically told them not to exercise authority or hold positions that made them greater.

• 2. Claims exclusive offices of authority - reserve ministries for only themselves. Rejects Jesus Luke 6:40 "The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master."

Of course a disciple is merely a student and the word master here is the word teacher. It is the word perfect that may be causing some confusion. When Jesus uses this Greek term it is more often translated "mending" as in mending nets. Jesus says we should "strive", "persevere", and "seek" the kingdom of God and His righteousness. We are also told that the Holy Spirit is to be our comforter and write His laws upon our hearts and minds.

• 3. Expect a paycheck - False claim marketplace work is "secular". They will claim that a salary is a rejects Jesus because of Matthew 10::8 "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." This of course is a misapplication because the power to "cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils" is given by God and should be given freely. Any other work done should be compensated for because a laborer is worthy of his hire as we see in Luke 10:7 "And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house." The daily ministration of the early Church was often a full time job for the clergy of the early Church who took care of the needy of their society through Pure Religion by that faith, hope, and charity of the people, by the people and for the people, which the ministers collected and freely redistributed because the whole church was organized like Christ commanded. Most of the people who claim the Church has no need of Clergy of the Church depend upon the clergy of the State for their daily welfare and the care of the needy even in their congregations. They look to men who exercise authority and take from their neighbor in those covetous practices where people bite one another to obtain what the Bible calls the wages of unrighteousness.

Colossians 3:23... is actually instructions to the people who may be servants or even slaves of others. The Clergy of Christ are the bond servants of Christ and are not servants to other men. At that time most of the people were subjects of governments of the world bu the ministers called out by Christ to serve the people who sought the way of Christ were not of the world and did contrary to the decrees of Caesar because they had another king. All Christians could not separate because of some of their entanglements with bondage.

It is true that ministers did not take a salary nor were they employees of local congregations or even the whole body of clergy. Paul makes it clear that he had every write to eat and be supported by the contributions of the people as he performed the religious duties of caring for the needy. He explains this in1 Corinthians 9 where he who plants eats of the crop and he who is a shepherd takes the milk of the flock. Even Moses said "Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn". The called out of Christ like the called out of Moses had the right to eat of that which was given in sacrifice upon the Altars of God.

Paul did accept help from those in Phillipi but not from Corinth but did point out that they did not give as much as other churches for the needs of the whole body. The vanity of Modern Christians causes them to think they are already saved while most of the needs of the people are met by the governments who exercise authority one over the other contrary to the teachings of the Bible, Christ and all the prophets. They actually imagine that religion is what you think about God and not the "pious performance of your duties to God and your fellow man" as it used to be defined. And they even think that you can save yourself by what you say you believe. In their imagination they have become accustomed to living at the expense of others and depending for their livelihood on the property of others with no interest in practicing Pure Religion.

• 4. "Preach the word..." becomes lecture the word in perpetual dependency. While many ministers and pastor have become ear ticklers and comforters of the people they are not preaching "the word" according to Christ. They have replaced the Holy Spirit with emotion bringing the people under a strong delusion that they are already saved when they are actually workers of iniquity and lovers of those wages of unrighteousness.
• 5. Claim power to "rule". Reject Jesus Matthew 20:24-27. Of course they are right that the Clergy of Christ do not have the power to rule over the people nor force them to contribute to their daily administration like the "clergy of the State" which cares for the needy of their society. Their gatherings are just about feelings of righteousness rather than doing righteously by one another. The early Church had a daily ministration provided by an appointed clergy of Christ that met the criteria of Christ and provided real services of welfare for an international community of Christians

The common denominator of all Christians was Christ and his sound doctrines and there was no need for thousands of denominations.

Persecution of those early Christians was because of the Christian conflict between the public religion of the welfare state and the private religion provided for through the clergy of Christ and the elders of families in congregations in free assemblies.

Even in 1 Timothy 5:17-18 we see, "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. 18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer [is] worthy of his reward." This again should be clear once we understand that an elder is the head of their family and ministers should only be chosen and appointed for the real work of the Church when they have proved they could rule their families well. Of course these words rule well are not about the normal word for rule which would be from "archo" but is the Greek word proistemi meaning place or set before. These workers of Christ were providing for all the needy of the Christian community which was no small task at times and was certainly worthy of his hire.

The modern Christians and anti-clergy protestants as well as deluded Catholics have a hard time understanding the simplicity of the gospel of the kingdom. It may be harder for them than it was for the Emperors. Certainly Justin the Martyr around 150 AD gave it a good try when he wrote his Apology to Antonius Pius the emperor to explain how Christians took care of their free bread since they did not apply to the Emperor for his free bread or wine or cheese or anything else they distributed in their welfare system... in defense of the Christian faith and allegiance to Christ he wrote:

• “And the wealthy among us help the needy ... and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need.” "Justin the Martyr's Apology" to the Emperor Antonius Pius in 150 AD, (Ch. 65-67)

If you understand the gospel of the kingdom and the mission of the Little flock which was ordained by Christ for His purposes and who they were, along with the restrictions imposed by Christ, then clergyism becomes less of a threat. The Church is spirit driven and no leaders in the Church have the right to exercise authority one over the other. The Holy Spirit is to dwell within every man writing upon his heart and mind. Since an elder is an office of the family and not of the Church it is the Holy Spirit living in the hearts and minds of the people that is the driving force of the whole body of the people in [[free assemblies and amongst those who might be called the Clergy of the Church.