Expect perfect governance systems from God for His people

Update: I no longer believe that the Lord wants for there to be elevated positions of authority in churches such as pastors or elders or deacons, given the commandments of the Lord Jesus in Matt. 23 and John 21. 

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The New Testament warns repeatedly about false preachers, false teachers, false evangelists, false missionaries, using strong terms like "wolves" (Acts 20:29) and "self-destruction" (2 Peter 3:16). It is reasonable to expect, therefore, that God would provide church-governance systems that would protect God's people. Read the New Testament and consider whether you see divinely intelligent, even perfect governance systems. 

Consider for example these governance structures specified in the New Testament:

(1) Obedience to Christ and His apostles is the foundation of the church. 
"If they listened to Me they will listen to you", Jesus observes, in John's Gospel (15:20). 

We have the 27 books of the NT as the word of Christ's apostles. This is where the New Covenant between God and humanity is described. 

(2) A huge range of types of divine evidence of church obedience and church disobedience is clearly described.
See for example John 8:31-47; Romans 1:16-31; 1 Corinthians 11:30-32; 2 Corinthians 3:1—4:6; Galatians 5:19-24; James 5:14-18; Revelation 2:19-23.

(3) Highly qualified elders pastor and oversee the church.
The necessary qualifications are listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9. The NT describes a powerful and elegantly simple church-governance model: co-elders pastor and oversee together, they shepherd and manage God's household to be obedient, and the ones who are doing their work well are given a double honour (1 Tim. 5:17-18).

(4) The entire Holy Scriptures, especially the New Testament, are taught to the church.
Knowledge of the Scriptures by the members of the church is vital for governance. Church members understand what is sin (and needs to be challenged), what is false teaching, who qualifies to be an elder, etc. 

"The Word of the Christ must dwell abundantly in you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing yourselves, with psalms, with hymns, with odes spiritual in gratitude singing in the hearts of yours to the God." (Col. 3:16, CFB) 

"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work." (2 Tim. 3:16-17, NRSV)

(5) Elders are rewarded (or penalized) through performance-based honours. 
Consider for example 1 Timothy 5:17-18.

Οἱ καλῶς προεστῶτες πρεσβύτεροι διπλῆς τιμῆς ἀξιούσθωσαν,
"The elders who are leading well must be deemed worthy of double honour,

μάλιστα οἱ κοπιῶντες ἐν λόγῳ καὶ διδασκαλίᾳ·
especially they who are working with the word and the teaching. 

λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφή· Βοῦν ἀλοῶντα οὐ φιμώσεις,
For the Scripture says, 'An ox treading you shall not muzzle',

καί· Ἄξιος ὁ ἐργάτης τοῦ μισθοῦ αὐτοῦ. (SBLGNT)
and, 'Worthy is the worker of his wage.'" (1 Tim. 5:17-18, CFB)

This is a commandment that church members—not evangelists like Timothy, or the elders themselves!—have to carry out. 

(6) Sin by members (or by elders) leads to explusion unless there is repentance.

See for example Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13.

(7) Christians are required to endure any consequence for the sake of love, work that includes the rebuking of false preaching. 
See for example John 15:9-14; 2 Timothy 4:1-2.

In sum, layers of defence is what one finds. Furthermore, these layers of defence are mutually reinforcing. 

But it all depends on knowledge of the foundational texts, especially the New Testament. One could say that disrespect of God's Word carries with it disaster, because perhaps none of the layers of defence will work without complete knowledge of the New Testament. 

Indeed God's Word warns: "God opposes the arrogant, but gives grace to the humble" (Jas. 4:6b, CFB), and "Just as they did not deem the God worthy to have in knowledge, the God gave them over to an unworthy mind" (Rom. 1:28, CFB). 

Mutually reinforcing layers of defence for churches:
(1) A brief text (circa 138,000 words) describes the New Covenant.

(2) All church members are to be taught this text.

(3) All church members are given a duty by Christ to prosecute sin until there is either repentance or expulsion.

(4) Elders must have multiple qualifications listed in the text.

(5) God provides evidence of obedience and disobedience to the New Covenant. This too is described in the text. 

(6) Church members must doubly honour elders working well, especially those working with God's Word and teaching. 

(7) Christians are commanded to give up anything and everything in order to protect each other's eternal salvation.

Now take a good long hard look at systematic deception. How are people led away from the New Covenant? How are people made defenceless?

Fraudulent "retailers" of God's Word (2 Cor. 2:17) pervert the church-defence system, by teaching a message that is at odds with the New Testament. Then people develop perhaps not at all as Christians, and could hardly ever hope to, so long as they believe in an anti-gospel, a false version of the New Covenant that sets itself in opposition to the actual New Covenant. 

For example:

"Christ demands nothing from you except belief that He died for your sins."

"Obey your priest and your church, because only we can guarantee eternal salvation."

"We're all sinners and must not judge others. Only Satan wants us or others to feel guilty."

Such false preaching is the norm today. It is astounding to see the continual bassooning out of radically false, perverting, misleading messages about the New Covenant. It is rare to hear any opposition, in the form of a person quoting the New Testament accurately in order to lead people back into following Christ Jesus as lord, shepherd, king of kings, God in fact. 

How often do you hear for example these warnings by Christ?

"Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God." (Rev. 3:2, NRSV)

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven." (Matt. 7:21, NRSV)

"If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love." (John 15:10, NRSV)

Astounding as the oceanic proportions of false preaching are, Christ Jesus warned of this from the start, as did other apostles like Paul and Peter:
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matt. 7:13-14, NRSV)

"And if our good news is also veiled, it is veiled among those perishing, among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unfaithful, so that the light of the good news of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine." (2 Cor. 4:3-4 CFB)

"For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths." (2 Tim. 4:3-4, NRSV)

"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive opinions. They will even deny the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Even so, many will follow their licentious ways, and because of these teachers the way of truth will be maligned. And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation, pronounced against them long ago, has not been idle, and their destruction is not asleep." (2 Pet. 2:1-3, NRSV)

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Notes

CFB: Scripture quoted from the Christ Family Bible. Copyright © 2017 by J.J. Thomas. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

NRSV: New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

SBLGNT: Scripture quotations marked SBLGNT are from the SBL Greek New Testament. Copyright © 2010 Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software.

Among the sons of the disobedience, when you lived by the limbs that are on the earth

The astounding, liberating, knowledge-giving text of The Letter to the Colossians, chapter 3 (vv.1-10), in the Christ Family Bible translation:

1  If, therefore, you were raised with the Christ, seek the things above, where the Christ is, sitting by the right hand of the God. 
2  Mind the things above, not the things upon the earth. 
3  For you have died, and the life of yours is hidden together with the Christ, by the God. 
4  Whensoever the Christ is revealed—the life of ours—then also you together with Him will be revealed in glory. 
5  Mortify, therefore, the limbs that are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, passion, bad yearning, and the greediness (which is idolatry), 
6  because of which things the wrath of the God comes upon the sons of the disobedience, 
7  among whom also you once walked, when you lived by these things. 
8  Now, though, put away—also you—all of them; wrath, soulish feeling, evil, abusive speech, shameful language from the mouth of yours;
9  do not lie to each other; you having stripped off the old human being together with his practices, 
10  and having put on the new who is being renewed unto recognition according to the image of the creator of him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but where instead the all are also by all things Christ.

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Notes

CFB: Scripture quoted from the Christ Family Bible. Copyright © 2017 by J.J. Thomas. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Christ and His apostles defined the New Covenant—don't try to re-define it!

Update: I believe that the New Covenant is defined by Christ's words, and that other words in the Bible can support understanding of Christ's words. However, contradictions and tensions can also be found. Please see my Translator's Preface to The Christ Family Bible.

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Also in ancient times, people depended on agreements. The most dependable agreement was (and still is) the agreement that God offers to humanity. This is because God is not only all-powerful, able to perform what He promises, but also perfectly honourable. God has exalted His word above all His name (Ps. 138:2, cp. Num. 23:19, Deut. 7:9).

What is the New Covenant in Christ? What is the agreement here? That is what the New Testament is for. Its 27 books define the agreement. 

What then can we say and observe of people who claim that the New Covenant in Christ can be defined differently?

Proper church governance

Update: I no longer have confidence in any church hierarchy, given that the Lord Jesus is recorded as saying in Matthew 23 that all disciples are siblings, none of whom should be called rabbi or guide, and that anyone who exalts themselves will be brought low, and saying in John 21 that Peter should feed the sheep of Christ, omitting any hierarchical term such as pastor.  

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Why is there so much disappointment surrounding church pastors, and church governance in general? Why is there widespread evidence of churches failing in their duties?

One factor may be that churches ignore and disobey God's Word on how a church is to be led. Ignorance of God's Word and disobedience toward God's Word will usually lead to the lack of God's blessing. One can choose blessing and order, with God's Word, or chaos and curse, without God's Word.

How are churches to be governed, according to the New Testament? 

(1) Christ Jesus is the head of the church (Eph. 4:23; Col. 1:18).

The implications of this are that there is no room for disobedience to Christ, who warns of consequences such as loss of church status through the removal of the Holy Spirit (Rev. 2:5), loss of eternal salvation (Matt. 7:21-23), and divine punishments like illnesses even unto death (1 Corinthians 11:30-32). 

Many churches replace Christ in the head position with their own favourite "theologian" / "bishop" / "pastor" whose false teaching veers away from the New Testament.

(2) Elders are overseers responsible for obedience to Christ (1 Tim. 3:4-5).

These men are compared to parents or shepherds, responsible for the wellbeing of those in their care. They have responsibility for teaching, alongside church discipline, and they are to be compensated economically for this work. 

Οἱ καλῶς προεστῶτες πρεσβύτεροι διπλῆς τιμῆς ἀξιούσθωσαν, 

The elders who are leading well must be deemed worthy of double honour, 

μάλιστα οἱ κοπιῶντες ἐν λόγῳ καὶ διδασκαλίᾳ·

especially they who are working with the word and teaching. 

λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφή· Βοῦν ἀλοῶντα οὐ φιμώσεις, 

For the Scripture says, "An ox treading you shall not muzzle",

καί· Ἄξιος ὁ ἐργάτης τοῦ μισθοῦ αὐτοῦ. (SBLGNT)

and, "Worthy is the worker of his wage." (1 Tim. 5:17-18, CFB)

What this and related NT texts appear to show is that each church is to have conciliar leadership: not a pastor who dictates, but a council of elders who together take the vital responsibilities for the wellbeing of the church. 

Πρεσβυτέρους οὖν τοὺς ἐν ὑμῖν παρακαλῶ 

Elders, therefore, who are among you, I exhort,

ὁ συμπρεσβύτερος καὶ μάρτυς τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ παθημάτων, 

I who am a co-elder and witness of the sufferings of the Christ,

ὁ καὶ τῆς μελλούσης ἀποκαλύπτεσθαι δόξης κοινωνός, 

who am also a sharer of the glory destined to be revealed, 

ποιμάνατε τὸ ἐν ὑμῖν ποίμνιον τοῦ θεοῦ, 

shepherd the flock of the God that is among you,

ἐπισκοποῦντες μὴ ἀναγκαστῶς ἀλλὰ ἑκουσίως κατὰ θεόν,

overseeing not compulsorily but voluntarily according to God,

μηδὲ αἰσχροκερδῶς ἀλλὰ προθύμως,

nor shamefully for gain but zealously, 

μηδ’ ὡς κατακυριεύοντες τῶν κλήρων ἀλλὰ τύποι γινόμενοι τοῦ ποιμνίου·  (SBLGNT)

nor as bemastering the lots but being models of the flock. (1 Pet. 5:1-3, CFB)

So whereas the NT appears to provide a simple, transparent and fairly wolf-proof model of governance, where God's Word is applied by church co-governors (elders, overseers) whose work can be evaluated by simply comparing it to what the New Testament says, many churches veer away into complex and perverse set-ups, where for example a professional "pastor", with his own Bible interpretation, is given the responsibility to run the church by elders with little knowledge of God's Word. 

A key mistake here appears to be that people misunderstand the New Testament's terms of "elder", "pastor", and "overseer"/"bishop". These appear to be terms for one and the same office. That is to say, an elder is described by the New Testament as a pastor and as an overseer. One of several indications of this is that the apostle Paul addresses the church in Philippi as follows:

Παῦλος καὶ Τιμόθεος δοῦλοι Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ 

Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, 

πᾶσιν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τοῖς οὖσιν ἐν Φιλίπποις 

to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi,

σὺν ἐπισκόποις καὶ διακόνοις, (SBLGNT)

together with overseers and deacons.... (Phil. 1:1, CFB)

Paul mentions only two types of church offices. Likewise, and perhaps even more compelling, the Letter to Titus (1:5-7) describes an elder as an overseer:

Τούτου χάριν ἀπέλιπόν σε ἐν Κρήτῃ ἵνα τὰ λείποντα ἐπιδιορθώσῃ,
For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting,

καὶ καταστήσῃς κατὰ πόλιν πρεσβυτέρους, ὡς ἐγώ σοι διεταξάμην,
and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

εἴ τίς ἐστιν ἀνέγκλητος, μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἀνήρ,
if any be blameless, the husband of one wife,

τέκνα ἔχων πιστά, μὴ ἐν κατηγορίᾳ ἀσωτίας ἢ ἀνυπότακτα.
having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

δεῖ γὰρ τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ἀνέγκλητον εἶναι ὡς θεοῦ οἰκονόμον,
For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God;

μὴ αὐθάδη, μὴ ὀργίλον, μὴ πάροινον, μὴ πλήκτην, μὴ αἰσχροκερδῆ, (SBLGNT)
not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; (AKJV)

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Notes

CFB: Scripture quoted from the Christ Family Bible. Copyright © 2018 by J.J. Thomas. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

AKJV: Scripture quotations from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.

SBLGNT: Scripture quotations marked SBLGNT are from the SBL Greek New Testament. Copyright © 2010 Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software.

Christians' citizenship isn't only in Heaven

Update: the yellow-highlighted text is questionable, in my view. Please see my Translator's Preface to The Christ Family Bible.

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Careful study of Philippians 3:20 reveal that its highly misleading (and popular) translation, that Christians' "citizenship is in Heaven" is quite inaccurate. What terrible damage has been done when such poor translation has been combined with the similarly misleading translation that Christ's kingdom is not "of this world"? How many people have been misled into irresponsibility and injury? 

The Greek manuscripts can instead be read, 

"Of us, indeed, the governmental affairs begin in heavens, from where even a saviour we await, a lord, Jesus Christ..." (Philippians 3:20, CFB)

and 

"Jesus answered, 'The kingdom of Mine is not from this world...'." (John 18:36a, CFB)

In both cases, Jesus and Paul are speaking about the primacy of the heavenly realms and the subordination of the earthly to the spiritual realms. 

To confirm these readings, and to refute the tragic, popular misreadings, one need only read the whole New Testament, where we learn that Paul takes much care to point out his Roman citizenship (Acts 16:37; 22:25-28), and that Christ Jesus is lord having all authority in Heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). Yet again we see the urgent, vital requirement to read, translate and interpret the Holy Bible with the principle that it is entirely consistent (one part of the One Author Principle).


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Notes

CFB: Scripture quoted from the Christ Family Bible. Copyright © 2017 by J.J. Thomas. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Testament teaching on successful prayer

Careful reading of the New Testament shows conclusively that Christians cannot always successfully ask God to meet their requests, without certain conditions being fulfilled. This earthly time is for testing and sanctification, not gratification. 

What are these conditions? Examples are:

(1) Devotion to respect for God. 

"Your name be hallowed!" (Matthew 6:9; Luke 11:2).

A Christian seeks for his or her heavenly Father's name to be hallowed. 

(2) Devotion to leading holy lives.

"Your kingdom come! Your will be done, as in Heaven, also on earth!" (Matthew 6:10; Luke 11:2)

Christ Jesus teaches that Christians have a duty to do good works and to overcome the power of sin (Matthew 5; Revelation 2-3, 21-22).

(3) Forgiveness for all.

"And when you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone, so that also the Father of yours, who is in the heavens, would forgive you the transgressions of yours." (Mark 11:25, CFB)

"And forgive us the sins of ours, for also we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us." (Luke 11:4, CFB)

(4) Requests that agree with God's will. 

"And this is the boldness that we have before Him, because if we request something according to His will, He listens to us." (1 John 5:14, CFB)

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Notes

CFB: Scripture quoted from the Christ Family Bible. Copyright © 2017 by J.J. Thomas. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

It's not loving to condone sin

The strength and speed of this mistake can be seen in the history of the Christian churches. Already in its first 100 years, the problem of Christian churches believing falsely that it was good to condone sin had to be addressed repeatedly:

(1) Christ Jesus teaches clearly that sin cannot be condoned: 

"Yet whoever would cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and he be sunk in the depth of the ocean. Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! For a necessity is the coming of stumbling blocks, but woe to the person through whom the stumbling block comes! Then, if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and cast it from you. Better it is for you to enter into life lame or maimed, than two hands or two feet having  to be cast into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and cast it from you. Better it is for you one-eyed to enter into life, than  two eyes having, to be cast into the hell of the fire. See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heavens through all see the face of my Father in heavens. What is worthy to you? If there be for a person one hundred sheep, and one of them is led astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go to seek the one going astray? And if he come to find it, amen, I say to you that he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine not having gone astray. In this way, a desire is not before your Father in heavens that one of these little ones should perish. Then, if your brother sins against you, go, reprove him between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, so that ‘upon a mouth of two witnesses or three every word be established.’ But if he is unhearing toward them, tell the church. But if he is unhearing even toward the church, he must be to you like a heathen and a tax collector." (Matthew 18:6-17, CFB)

(2) Christ Jesus confirms that there are severe divine consequences for unrepented sins of such gravity (e.g. fornication):

"But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth." (Revelation 2:14-16, NKJV)

"Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works." (Revelation 2:20-23, NKJV)

John, Peter, Jude, James and Paul also addressed sin in the churches, repeatedly, with great urgency.

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Notes

CFB: Scripture quoted from the Christ Family Bible. Copyright © 2017 by J.J. Thomas. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

NKJV: Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

"Wrath destroys even thoughtful people..." (Proverbs 15:1)

1  Wrath destroys even thoughtful people; 
           yet an answer that submits turns away passion;
           and a word that is painful* arouses wrath. 
2  The tongues of wise people focus on good things;
           yet the mouths of foolish people proclaim bad things.

This is the Christ Family Bible translation of Proverbs 15:1-2 as found in the Septuaginta Deutsch critical edition of the Old Testament in Greek.

Compare, for example, to modern English translations that prioritize the Old Testament in available Hebrew manuscripts. The Greek witness is the one that is more complete and coherent, providing explanation and orderedness for comprehension and memorisation.

1  A soft answer turns away wrath,
           But a harsh word stirs up anger.
2  The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly,

           But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. (NKJV)


1  A soft answer turns away wrath,

           but a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise dispenses knowledge,

           but the mouths of fools pour out folly. (NRSV)

1  A soft answer turneth away wrath:
           but grievous words stir up anger.
2  The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright:
           but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. (AKJV)


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Notes

* "Painful" is a primary sense of the Greek word luperós that metaphorically can mean "offensive".

CFB: Scripture quoted from the Christ Family Bible. Copyright © 2017 by J.J. Thomas. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

AKJV: Scripture quotations from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.

NKJV: Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

NRSV: New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.