CHURCH ORDER by J. B. Frisbie

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 26, 1856

CHURCH ORDER.

By J. B. Frisbie

BY J. B. FRISBIE.

(Continued.)

4. ORDINATION.—We will consider the office of a bishop or elder. Bishop comes from the Greek word, episkopos, which signifies an inspector, overseer, superintendent, a chief officer in the Christian church. Acts xx, 28; Phil. i, 1; 1 Tim. iii, 2; Titus i, 7; 1 Pet. ii, 25. Greenfield's Gr. and Eng. Lexicon. The word itself conveys some idea of his duty; but this we will consider hereafter. It is the authority by which a bishop receives his office that we wish here to notice in particular.

By what authority does the bishop receive his office? We as a church acknowledge no authority except that which comes from God the Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and by being chosen by the church, and set apart by the laying on of hands of the presbytery, or elders and bishops.

For direct testimony for such authority we will examine 1 Cor. xii, 28: "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers," &c. "Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, through the will of God." We will here observe that it is God who sets the different officers or gifts in the church. Eph. iv, 11. "And he (Christ) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some pastors and teachers." This is God's work through Christ.

Acts xx, 28. "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers," (episkopos, bishops.) Here the Holy Spirit made these bishops overseers of the church of God.

2 Cor. viii, 19. "And not that only, but who was also chosen, (cheirotoneo, to vote or choose by holding up the hand; to choose, appoint by vote, select, ordain, appoint, constitute, (Acts xiv, 23; 2 Cor. viii, 19.) of the churches to travel with us with this grace, (or gift,) which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind."

This testimony proves that the churches chose, ordained or appointed by holding up their hands in voting their choice who should be messengers of the churches. 2 Cor. viii, 23. "Now there were in the church that was at Antioch, certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate (for) me Barnabas and Saul; for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost departed," &c. Acts xiii, 1-4.

In this we learn that the Holy Spirit called Barnabas and Saul to be separate or set apart by the laying on of hands of these prophets and teachers who were in the church at Antioch, after they had fasted and prayed. The Spirit had called them to the work of preaching, establishing churches, and causing elders to be ordained (cheirotonia) by lifting up hands, as the word imports. Acts xiv, 23. This can be seen to have been their work by reading the 13th and 14th chapters of the Acts of the Apostles. Whatever was done by the order of the Holy Spirit, is spoken the same as if the Spirit had done the work.

It is very evident from the above proof that the power and authority to ordain elders or bishops in the church came from the Holy Spirit of God. And the laying on of hands was the separating act by which grace was imparted to do the work and office of a bishop. We have no account that those brethren in the church at Antioch were any more than prophets and teachers, like Paul and Barnabas at that time, but acted under the direction of the Spirit of God. This does away with all this endless controversy that has been in the churches, about apostolic succession of power through popery, &c.

We will say here that if we have no higher power than that which comes through popery, we have no power at all; for they have none themselves, therefore none to impart to others. So we have no other way but to apply to the great Head of the church, Jesus Christ, and get our power and authority directly from heaven as the early Christians did, as in the examples referred to. By this means we can have the restitution of all things back to primitive order. (gifts not excepted.)

But it may be asked who has the power to lay on hands to separate these preaching elders or bishops to their office. We answer in the first instance, the presbytery. And who are these? 1 Tim. iv, 14. "Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery." (Gr., presbuterion, a body of old men, an assembly of elders, spoken of the Jewish Sanhedrim, Luke xxii, 66; Acts xxii, 5; and of the elders or chief persons in the Christian church, a presbytery. 1 Tim. iv, 4.) We ask, then, Who appointed the elders or chief persons in the Christian church? We answer The church ordains or appoints them by a vote taken by the lifting up of hands, according to the direction of the Lord.

Then we see that the laying on of hands was the separating act by which the grace of God was imparted. But the power and authority comes from God by the Holy Spirit; for it is said, "The Holy Ghost hath made you overseers," "The Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul." Then it is by the authority of God and not of man.

5. THE DUTY OF ELDERS.—Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." Acts xx, 28. "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock." 1 Pet. v, 2, 3. "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come [now is] when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto [heathen, Catholic] fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." 2 Tim. iv, 2-5. "Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." Col. i, 28.

These things teach and exhort. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself." 1 Tim. vi, 2-5.

The bishop should watch over the church as a good shepherd would watch over his sheep, to keep them from devouring wolves. Acts xx, 29-32. To watch against false teachers and false doctrine. 1 Tim. iii, 3, 7. "As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine. Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm." This led the Apostle to lay down plain rules of qualification against self-sent teachers.

1 Tim. iv, 6, 11, 12. "If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. These things command and teach. Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

To feed the flock of God is to minister the word of life and administer the emblems of bread and wine in remembrance of the broken body and spilt blood of our Lord, until he come again the second time according to the example set by our Lord himself while on earth. John xiii, 4-17; 1 Cor. xi, 23-26, in which is found the example of Christ's administering, and his telling his ministering disciples to do the same; and also Paul's saying, "that which I also delivered unto you," &c. And the instances of the teachers' breaking bread, show quite conclusively that this is part of the elder's duty.

6. HOW TO PREACH.—1 Cor. ii, 4, 5. "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." Rom. i, 16. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." Rom. xv, 19. "Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ." 1 Cor. iv, 20. "For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power." 1 Thess. i, 5. "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance: as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake." 1 Thess. ii, 11-13. "As ye know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, that ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe." 2 Cor. vi, 4-10. "But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings; by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed: as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." Jude 17-20. "But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building

up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost."

That kind of preaching that has no Holy Ghost in it, is not true gospel preaching in the sight of God. All formal, cold words, without the Spirit of God, can do but little good. Let it be our constant prayer, O! Lord, give us thy Spirit, that we may not only preach the word but feel the power. Let the love of God be shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

(To be Continued.)