|
2
Chron 20:20 “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe
in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His
prophets, and you shall prosper.”
How
does God give direction to his people? How does He make His will known?
There are many examples in the Bible of anointed prophets speaking the
words of God, who are venerated to this day. Where are today’s prophets?
Where are those who speak the words of the Lord for these days? How can
a denomination or Christian group find God’s will for what it is
supposed to do? Who is the ‘prophet of the endtime’? Do we really need
prophets today?
A
related question would be concerning the importance of Christian
leaders. Just how are we to take the verses that exhort us to ‘obey
those who rule over you’ (Heb. 13:17)? What is the biblical function of
church leadership, and how does that apply to the Family?
Leadership principles in the Family
In the
Family, each member is taught to accept the writings of top Family
leadership as the words of God. Whether they are financial edicts,
disciplinary regulations or ‘new spiritual revelations’, that which
comes in writing from the leader of the Family via the Family
administration body World Services (WS) is considered to be God’s
message for today.
Family
members are taught that the leader (Berg/ Dad until his death in 1994;
Zerby/Maria since then) is anointed by God as the absolute ruler of the
order of a king or queen. Their writings, therefore, are the writings of
God. For more details, see 'Who is The Family?'
Older writings.
Members are also taught that today’s message takes precedence over
yesterday’s message, being (logically) what God wants His people to do
today. Yesterday’s program may have served its purpose but God is moving
in a new way today. Older Family writings are regarded in several ways.
Some writings are more of a ‘spiritual’ nature, explaining doctrinal
points, giving details of ‘new revelations’ from God or expounding on a
variety of theological topics. These writings, in general, are
considered to remain as God’s word for the Family (except of course when
a new doctrine has superseded the older one). Other writings give rules
and regulations, or specific practical directions, and these are rarely
read, except when they confirm or support the latest directions.
General leadership principles.
All
Family members therefore agree to believe and follow certain principles,
if they wish to remain Family members. While there is no specific
agreement as such to adhere to these principles, all Family members are
expected to conform to them. No current Family member would take
exception to any of these principles:
-
God speaks directly to Family leadership.
-
The material published in official Family writings
are explanations of what God has said, or direct quotations from
God’s words received via prophecy.
-
What God says to Family leadership takes precedence
over what God says to the individual member; God follows a ‘chain of
command’ leadership structure.
-
What God says today takes precedence over what He
said in the past.
-
When God issues a direct command via Family
leadership, individual members are duty-bound to obey it to the best
of their ability.
-
Individual members obey their leaders ‘as unto the
Lord’; obeying a leader is tantamount to obeying the Lord.
-
Individual members who neglect or disobey what God
has said through Family leadership may well suffer consequences as
God will withdraw His blessing from them.
The
Family justifies its particular
autocratic style of government (explained further in the
page ‘Who is the
Family?’) by calling attention to biblical prophets of
the Old Testament, who often exercised great power. Moses, for example,
was placed by God in authority over the children of Israel, to the
extent that God Himself supernaturally defended Moses’ authority on
occasion, when it was challenged. The prophet Samuel had enough
authority to challenge the king. Elijah, Elisha and others were regarded
as mouthpieces of God. God gave them His message, which they then
relayed onto His people or to the king. Doesn’t that give biblical
precedence for the Family’s style of government whereby one person is
anointed by God to be the ‘prophet’ and that person rules His people?
The
Family’s founder (Berg/Dad 1919 – 1994) noted that Moses filled the
triple roles of prophet, priest and king, and identified himself as
likewise filling those three roles. The current leader (Zerby/Maria)
identifies herself as a ‘queen’.
In
rather simplistic terms, it can be said that the Family (and it must be
said, certain other religious groups as well) adhere to a formula like
the following: ‘God speaks to the prophet and the prophet speaks to the
people’.
In
what appears to be the antithesis of this formula, there is
notwithstanding considerable encouragement within the Family for its
members to ‘hear from the Lord’ for themselves. This is a topic that has
been covered in great detail on this site in ‘Getting
Prophecies’ parts one to three. The spiritual principles
involved in receiving personal prophecies therefore will not be examined
on this page. However, an important qualification must be made: any
‘prophecy’ that a Family member receives will first be compared with
previously published Family material, whether overtly or subconsciously,
to ensure complete agreement. Any personal ‘prophecy’ that disagrees
with published Family material will be discarded or regarded as
‘tainted’. It can be said, then, that the Family believes that they can
‘hear from God’ on minor matters, but when God wants to issue a
directive of importance, including regarding matters which personally
concern individual members, He will speak first and foremost to the top
Family leader. Examples of this kind of ‘divine directive’ issued to
Family members through the top leader have included global issues
(reasons for the tsunami, right and wrong in the Israeli-Palestinian
struggle), legislative issues (organisation of the various levels of
leadership within the Family),
financial issues (requirements for
tithing, exhortations against
secular employment), spiritual issues (new ‘spirit
helpers’), sexual matters (rules concerning extra-marital
sex and resulting pregnancies), and so on. Decisions that rest with
individual members are those that concern implementation of these
directives issued via Family leadership. Thus, Family members cannot
choose whether or not to tithe, as there are numerous Family writings
explicitly directing them to do so. However they can choose to whom they
wish to give financial help after their tithe has been paid. They cannot
choose whether or not to believe in the existence of certain named
‘spirit helpers’ as revealed in Family writings, but they can pray about
any extra spirit helpers for themselves personally. They cannot decide
whether extra-marital sex is scriptural or not, but they can decide with
whom they should associate sexually.
The
fourth principle above, that the current message from God supersedes any
previous message necessarily includes the idea that what God says today
supersedes what He said in the Bible. Now, no Family member would say
that the Bible is entirely out of date or irrelevant. They would,
however, argue that portions have been updated as God adapted His
methods to changing world situations, portions of the Bible are
‘unclear’ and have therefore been clarified by what He has revealed to
the Family, and that there are
‘gaps’ in the Bible,
which are in the process of being filled by new revelations given to the
Family.
Herein
lies grave danger. When the Bible is no longer the
ultimate
authority, it can become little more than a reference
book used to support extra-biblical doctrine. This is a serious misuse
of the Scriptures which is addressed in detail on this site.
The question at hand
Is it
true that God’s people should look to a human prophet to tell them the
words of God? Do God’s people owe allegiance to a prophet who speak
God’s words to them? Does God expect obedience to this chosen prophet?
Is the prophet the representative of God on the earth?
The Old Testament
It
certainly appears that in Old Testament times, God mainly spoke through
prophets. In the story from which the verse at the top of this page is
taken (2 Chronicles 20:20), the armies of Judah were under attack from
their enemies. The whole nation came before the Lord to beg for His
help. Then, the Bible says that the spirit of the Lord came upon a
Levite named Jahaziel, who prophesied of the victory that the Lord would
win in the battle. King Jehoshaphat believed the message and proclaimed
to all the people that they should believe in both God and His prophets
in order to secure success (verse 20). Sure enough, the battle was won.
Throughout the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit
apparently came selectively upon who the Lord would choose to give His
message. When Moses was finding the care of the children of Israel too
burdensome, he appointed seventy elders upon whom the Spirit of the Lord
came. When this happened, the seventy began prophesying, although this
only occurred once. The Holy Spirit did not remain with these seventy
elders.
Num 11:16-17,25
16 So the LORD said to Moses: “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of
Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over
them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there
with you.
17 Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the
Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall
bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it
yourself alone.
25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of
the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy
elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they
prophesied, although they never did so again.
In the
Old Testament, the ‘Spirit of the Lord’ came upon certain people who
were then anointed for a purpose. Warriors like Joshua, Othniel, Gideon
and Samson were all anointed by the Spirit of the Lord. There were
administrators like Joseph in Egypt and even the workman Bezalel, who
was commissioned to build the tabernacle of the Lord, was filled with
the spirit.
Ex 35:30-31
30 And Moses said to the children of Israel, “See, the LORD has called
by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;
31 and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and
understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship
There
are many places in the Old Testament where it mentions the Spirit of the
Lord coming upon someone in order that they could prophesy. When Asa was
king over Judah, he ‘did what was right in the eyes of the Lord’ (2
Chron 14:2), although he did not have a priest to teach him the ways of
the Lord (2 Chron 15:3). So, when the Lord wanted to give him His words,
He anointed someone to be a prophet.
2 Chron 15:1-2
1 Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded.
2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: “Hear me, Asa, and all
Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you
seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will
forsake you.
Joash
was seven years old when he became king (2 Chron 24:1). Under the
guidance of Jehoiada the priest, he did what was ‘right in the sight of
the Lord’ (2 Chron 24:2). However after Jehoiada died, the king turned
away from the Lord. The only way God could speak to him was by sending
prophets.
2 Chron 24:17-20
17 Now after the death of Jehoiada the leaders of Judah came and bowed
down to the king. And the king listened to them.
18 Therefore they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and
served wooden images and idols; and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem
because of their trespass.
19 Yet He sent prophets to them, to bring them back to the LORD; and
they testified against them, but they would not listen.
20 Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the
priest, who stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God:
‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD, so that you cannot
prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He also has forsaken you.’”
Joash
had the prophet killed and this eventually cost him his life.
2 Chron 24:21-25
21 So they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they
stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the LORD.
22 Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his
father had done to him, but killed his son; and as he died, he said,
“The LORD look on it, and repay!”
23 So it happened in the spring of the year that the army of Syria came
up against him; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all
the leaders of the people from among the people, and sent all their
spoil to the king of Damascus.
24 For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men; but the
LORD delivered a very great army into their hand, because they had
forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. So they executed judgment
against Joash.
25 And when they had withdrawn from him (for they left him severely
wounded), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of
the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed. So he died.
And they buried him in the City of David, but they did not bury him in
the tombs of the kings.
There
is even an occasion when King Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit, even
though at the time he was looking for David in order to murder him. The
Holy Spirit so completely took over Saul’s thoughts and actions that
this murderous, jealous king actually stripped naked and rolled around
in the dirt prophesying! The story is in 1 Samuel 19.
The New Testament
Then
Jesus came and changed everything. John the Baptist, whose ministry was
to prepare the way for the Messiah, said that God had told him that the
Christ would baptise with the Holy Spirit.
John 1:32-34
32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from
heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.
33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to
me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this
is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
34 And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
In His
last message to the disciples before He was crucified, Jesus told them
plainly that He would leave them, returning to the Father, but that He
would send them the Holy Spirit.
John 14:25-26
25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My
name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all
things that I said to you.
John 15:26-27
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of
Me.
27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from
the beginning.
From
these two well-known passages, it can be seen that one of the functions
of the Holy Spirit is to teach Jesus’ disciples about Him. In this next
passage, the Holy Spirit is described as the conveyor of truth,
revealing Jesus to His followers.
John 16:12-15
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them
now.
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you
into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever
He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it
to you.
15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He
will take of Mine and declare it to you.
Note:
For a more in-depth study on the Holy Spirit in the Family go to the
page entitled ‘The
Holy Spirit’. Note also that John 16:13 does not give us
license to claim that the Holy Spirit will give us personal revelations
of the kind that contradict the Bible, or that espouse new doctrines not
found in the Bible. For more on this topic see ‘Is
the Bible a Jigsaw?’
Then,
on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit did indeed come.
Acts 2:1-4
2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one
accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty
wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat
upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with
other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Under
the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter declared that the miraculous
signs that were happening were in fulfilment of God’s promise to send
His spirit to all people.
Acts 2:16-18
16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will
pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream
dreams.
18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My
Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.
Note:
For more on prophecy, go to the studies on
hearing from God.
God’s permanent personal presence in His children.
Here
is the point: In the Old Testament, God sent His Spirit selectively to
various people, who then prophesied. Some of those people seemed to have
a constant anointing of the Holy Spirit, other people seemed to be
filled with the Holy Spirit temporarily. Things changed with the coming
of the Messiah. Jesus came to provide atonement for our sins, that we
may be able to come to God the Father (John 14:6 − for more, see
Salvation).
Following Jesus’ return to His Father in Heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit
so that He could remain in personal contact with His children.
John 14:15-18
15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that
He may abide with you forever —
17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it
neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you
and will be in you.
18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
Note
here that the Holy Spirit is a gift of God the Father, which is given to
believers, not the world. Note also that the Holy Spirit is given to
those who obey Jesus’ commandments. What commandments are we to obey in
order to receive the Holy Spirit? Those which we receive in prophecy?
No, because prophecy is a gift of the Holy Spirit, not a requirement for
receiving the Holy Spirit. What commandments? Those commandments that
Jesus said, those that are recorded in the Bible.
With Jesus, God brought about a change.
Note
also a very important change from what was happening in the Old
Testament. The Helper would be God’s permanent presence in His children.
God would now ‘abide with you forever’.
In the
Old Testament, God spoke through the prophets.
Heb 1:1-2
1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to
the fathers by the prophets,
2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed
heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
When
He sent His Son, He spoke plainly of our need to come to Him personally,
providing the necessary atonement for our sin. Thereafter, He provided
the means whereby we might remain in constant communication with Him.
The Holy Spirit
is God Himself in us. The Holy Spirit is not some kind of spirit helper
or angel sitting on our shoulder whispering in our ear. He is God in us,
God dwelling in us, God living in us that we in turn might live a godly
life.
Jesus
illustrated this point with a parable in which He plainly foretold His
own fate.
Mark 12:1-11
12:1 Then He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a
vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and
built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far
country.
2 Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he
might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.
3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
4 Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones,
wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.
5 And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others,
beating some and killing some.
6 Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them
last, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
7 But those vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come,
let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
8 So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard .
9 “Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and
destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.
10 Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders
rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
11 This was the LORD’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
One
important point we can draw from this parable is that in it God sent
many servants (the Old Testament prophets), but there is a note of
finality about it when the Owner of the vineyard sends His own Son. ‘He
also sent Him to them last’.
When
God came to earth in human form, that was the end of an era. Before
Jesus came, God’s children could only listen to the prophets. Thereafter
God Himself would dwell in His children permanently via the Holy Spirit.
Now,
of course there will still be prophets because prophecy is one of the
gifts of the Holy Spirit. God can and does anoint some of His children
to proclaim a particular message at a particular time. One example may
be found in Revelations 11 when the two witnesses prophesy for 1260
days.
However there is a definite difference that must be made between New
Testament prophets and Old Testament prophets. Old Testament prophets
were the mouthpiece of God. They proclaimed the will of God, the words
of God. During the Old Testament times, God’s people did not have the
Holy Spirit to lead and guide them, with only a few notable exceptions.
New Testament prophets are Christians who are exercising their gift of
the Holy Spirit, but they are no longer the link between God and His
people because each and every one of His people now has the Holy Spirit
dwelling within them. God has fulfilled His promise to dwell with His
people. No believer need look to a prophet for contact with God, because
believers have God within them. A Christian ‘prophet’ has a particular
gift of the Holy Spirit, but so do all other Christians. God speaks to
each Christian, God dwells in each Christian, God leads each Christian,
because as Jesus said in John 14:6, He came to provide a means that all
may come to the Father.
False prophets and teachers.
The
New Testament has many warnings against false prophets and false
teachers. For example, Jesus warned in Matthew 24 of ‘Christian’
prophets who would lead His children astray.
Matt 24:4-5
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives
you.
5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will
deceive many.
Many
deceivers would come, Jesus said, appearing to be Christians, using the
name of Jesus to back up their message, claiming that Jesus had given
them the message. For example, these false teachers might write out
their ‘prophecy’ and proclaim that their message was ‘Jesus speaking’!
They
might even be able to back up their message with miracles.
Matt 24:24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great
signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
False
prophets would appear to be Christian, they would come as men and women
of God.
Matt 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s
clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
These
deceivers would get worse and worse.
2 Tim 3:13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse,
deceiving and being deceived.
How can we tell if a prophet is true or false?
Firstly, it is not enough to say that the fact that a prophet speaks in
Jesus’ name makes him or her a true prophet. Jesus said that there would
be prophets speaking ‘in Jesus name’ who would be far from His kingdom.
Matt 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom
of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in
Your name?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me,
you who practice lawlessness!’
These
are some of the most horrifying verses in the Bible. This passage should
strike dread into the heart of every soul with the realisation that
there are people who live their whole lives appearing to be Christians,
who convince themselves that they are Christians, who speak in Jesus’
name, prophesy in Jesus’ name, do miracles in Jesus’ name, and yet who
will be rejected by Him because of their disobedience. These are not
verses to take lightly, of which to say, ‘Oh yes, that is talking about
the Spanish Inquisition, or about the warring crusaders of the middle
ages, or about some financially motivated televangelist’. These verses
cannot be brushed aside. Their significance goes far beyond petty issues
like church membership or allegiance to a favourite pastor, leader or
prophet.
People
may live their lives sincerely in the name of Jesus, and still be
rejected by Him. Sincerity of motive will have no relevance when it
comes to our salvation and admittance into His kingdom. Saying the name
of Jesus does not guarantee us salvation. Neither does spending time in
praise in worship, for there are some whose worship is in vain.
Matt 15:9 And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the
commandments of men.
Jesus’
message was uncompromising: only the perfect will go to heaven.
Matt 5:18-20
18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot
or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and
teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but
whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom
of heaven.
20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter
the kingdom of heaven.
Matt 5:48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven
is perfect.
After
the rich young ruler sadly left Jesus, His disciples asked Him of
salvation:
Matt 19:25-26
25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying,
“Who then can be saved?”
26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is
impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Salvation
is covered elsewhere on this web site, and it is a topic that should be
examined in great detail by every Christian.
Returning to the topic at hand, it is obvious that one main indicator of
false teachers and false prophets is that they teach doctrine that is
contrary to the commandments of God in the Bible. False teachers, for
example, may use the Bible to ‘prove’ that it is no longer necessary to
obey the Ten Commandments (even though Jesus Himself quoted them
repeatedly). Note that the ‘Law
of Love’ is also covered elsewhere on this site.
A mark
of a false teacher or false prophet is that they teach ‘Christian’
doctrine that divides Christians. When a doctrine causes division, the
doctrine is most probably wrong, and the teacher of that doctrine should
be avoided.
Rom 16:17-18
17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and
offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.
18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their
own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts
of the simple.
These
verses are not talking about division within a particular Christian
organisation, because when this was written there were no separate
denominations. A doctrine that separates us from the body of Christian
believers does not come from a servant of Jesus Christ.
This
is true even if that divisive doctrine is a special revelation, received
in a supernatural spiritual experience.
Gal 1:6-9
6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in
the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to
pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to
you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any
other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed
A new
doctrine will not be different from that which we read in the Bible.
God’s words today will not contradict God’s words in the Bible. It is
interesting to note the connection between verses eight and nine of
Hebrews 13.
Heb 13:8-9
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is
good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have
not profited those who have been occupied with them.
Christians should not follow after strange divisive doctrines because
they do not come from Jesus Christ, Who does not change. He does not
give one doctrine to the main body of Christians, and a different,
divisive doctrine to another group of Christians. Therefore when the
Family boasts of its particular revelations that foster total separation
from the rest of the Christian body, it is a cause for major concern.
There
is more published on this topic under ‘Unity
of Doctrine’.
Peter
had a lot to say on false teachers.
2 Peter 1:20-2:3
20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private
interpretation,
21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke
as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there
will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive
heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves
swift destruction.
2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way
of truth will be blasphemed.
3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long
time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not
slumber.
Firstly, there are no ‘private’ doctrines because it is the same Holy
Spirit that dwells in every true believer. God now dwells with His
people, both individually and collectively. His word and will have been
revealed in the Bible and through Jesus Christ, and while He continues
to teach and lead His people, He will not reveal some special new
doctrine to one person or one group alone.
Secondly, there are grave warnings throughout the Bible for those who
propagate false teachings. Second Peter chapter two contains many such
admonitions, specifically directed to those in positions of authority in
the church, who teach error.
To
sum up, a ‘prophet’ may get it wrong. They may be deceived themselves or
worse, they may even be intentionally deceiving others. However, true
believers can and should compare their message to that which is in the
Bible, because each believer has his or her own personal access to God
through the Holy Spirit dwelling within, and each believer is
responsible to follow the righteousness of God for him or herself. No
one will be able to hide behind a prophet on judgement day.
Church leadership.
There
is, of course, a place for leadership within the church. However this
comes with important qualifications.
The
Holy Spirit anoints some people to be teachers or prophets (1 Cor.
12:28-30), but He anoints all with the spirit of truth (John 16:13) in
order that each Christian may be able to see for themselves the truth,
without being dependant upon the prophet or teacher. The New Testament
prophet who tries to assume the role of an Old Testament prophet is
taking an unbiblical role and should be avoided, as their teachings may
lead the flock away from the truth of the Bible.
Organisations that rely on the ‘obey leadership’ verses to maintain
order would do well to note the conditions and the contexts in which
those verses were given.
1 Cor 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
Paul
imitated Christ, so the Corinthians should imitate him. This verse
certainly sets a biblical precedent for following our mentors and
Christian teachers, but it in no way sets down a doctrine that God
operates on the principle of absolute obedience to the elders in your
church.
Heb 13:17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they
watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so
with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
Here
is a precedent for obedience to ‘those who rule over you’. It seems also
that this refers to those within the church (‘they watch out for your
souls’). However, this verse in no way implies blind obedience to their
every word, or acceptance of the doctrines they teach, for the same
chapter also warns us not to be carried about with various strange
doctrines (Heb. 13:9, quoted above).
In
first Peter chapter five there is an exhortation for young people to be
submissive to their elders. Is this a blanket command to listen to
elders as the voice of God? No, this verse is included in a paragraph on
church behaviour.
1 Peter 5:1-7
5:1 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a
witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory
that will be revealed:
2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers,
not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;
3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to
the flock;
4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of
glory that does not fade away.
5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes,
all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility,
for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may
exalt you in due time,
7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Firstly the elders should tenderly care for the younger ones around
them, eagerly feeding them without expecting anything in return. The
elders should guard themselves against expecting absolute obedience as
to one in a position of political authority but should live the way the
younger Christians should live in order that the younger ones may see
their example.
Secondly, the younger Christians should be ‘clothed with humility’. They
should be humble and submissive not only to the elders, but also to each
other, knowing that God’s mighty hand will bring them to the place He
has prepared.
The
elders are to live a caring example, and refuse to act as spiritual
drill-sergeants over the younger believers in their care. The younger
ones are to be humble in all their relations with everyone.
Is
there a command for young people to regard their elders as God’s voice
for them? No, these young people should be developing their own
understanding of the Lord through the Holy Spirit that is within them
and through the gentle feeding, care and example of those more
experienced.
Believe in the Lord… believe His prophets.
So,
what about 2 Chron. 20:20 (quoted at the top of this page)? Does this
verse apply only to the Old Testament? What should we understand from it
for ourselves?
Jehoshaphat, who was the king of Judah, was in trouble. He had narrowly
escaped death when he had sided with Ahab (2 Chron. 18:31), and upon his
return from that battle he’d been rebuked by a prophet (2 Chron.
19:1-3). Thereafter, he instituted a variety of reforms throughout his
kingdom in order to bring his people ‘back to the LORD God of their
fathers’ (2 Chron. 19:4).
However, peace did not last long, for a large army mobilised against him
from the east. Jehoshaphat was worried.
2 Chron 20:3-4
3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and
proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the
cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
His
prayer is recorded in verses 7-12. In verse 14, ‘the Spirit of the LORD
came upon Jahaziel’, who then gave an encouraging and instructional
message from God on how to go about this battle. Jehoshaphat believed
the message and all present worshipped the Lord.
Early
the next day Jehoshaphat took his army out to meet the enemy. His plan
was unorthodox, for he had determined he would trust the Lord to win the
battle. Before sending out his first formation of troops, he explained
the reasoning behind his strategy.
2 Chron 20:20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the
Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said,
“Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD
your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you
shall prosper.”
Jehoshaphat then appointed a group of singers to go before the army,
singing praise to the Lord, and the Lord completely destroyed the
attacking armies, without Jehoshaphat’s army even drawing a sword (2
Chron. 20:22-30).
What
can be learned from 2 Chron. 20:20? Does it contain the Lord’s
commandment that His people should follow His prophets in order to
prosper?
Firstly, verse 20 must be read as it is given within the original
context. It was the king of Judah who said the words in the quote. He
had thrown his trust on the Lord and wanted to encourage his people to
do the same, especially his soldiers who at that point expected to be
sent at any minute into bloody combat. He probably also needed to
explain the rationale behind sending a troop of singers before the
soldiers.
Secondly, the focus throughout the story is on Jehoshaphat’s dependence
on the Lord, not on the means by which the Lord spoke. The particular
prophet who gave the message of encouragement on that day is neither
mentioned before nor after that one instance. The point of the story
was Jehoshaphat’s trust in the Lord and His message, not in that
particular prophet, or even in prophets in general. Jehoshaphat believed
the message and that was that. The prophet Jahaziel who gave the message
was not consulted with the battle plans or specifically mentioned as
being involved in the decision to send singers in front of the army.
Thirdly, the message of this story should be understood from a New
Testament perspective. In other words, the message of Christianity
affects the entire understanding of Scripture, including the Old
Testament. Therefore, as Jesus brought a change when He sent the Holy
Spirit to dwell with believers permanently, this constant presence of
God cannot be ignored when it comes to learning how to walk according to
His will.
In
order to apply this verse to modern Christians, the truth behind
Jehoshaphat’s words must first be discerned, and then seen from a
Christian perspective.
The
question must first be asked: Isn’t this changing the verse to suit
one’s own purposes? Could this be twisting the Scriptures to escape
conviction?
The
immediate answer is that as Jehoshaphat’s message was spoken
specifically to Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the location
must be adapted in order to apply it at all.
2 Chron 20:20 … Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you
inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be
established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”
In
other words, if this verse cannot be changed in order to apply it today,
then it can only be applied to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. There must
be an adaptation in some regard.
Now,
the adaptation is not merely changing the physical location, or
appropriating the verse as if it was spoken today. In order to
understand what it means, as stated above, the first step is to
understand what it meant to the original hearers. Secondly the truth
behind it must be recognised. What is the principle that this verse is
illustrating? Thirdly, how does that principle apply to Christians?
What
does 2 Chron. 20:20 say to New Testament believers? Believe in the LORD
your God, and you shall be established; believe His words, and
you shall prosper. Or, believe God, for that is the beginning of
Christian life. Act on His words, for obedience to Him is following the
‘straight and narrow way’.
On leadership.
Examining biblical principles of church leadership is beyond the scope
of this study. Suffice it to say that there are examples in the Bible of
those who took charge of practical matters, as well as ‘elders’,
‘bishops’, ‘pastors’ and spiritual shepherds. Their roles are not well
defined in the Bible, but it is clear that regardless of the specific
position of any of these people, each believer walked with God, each
Christian lived ‘in Christ’ without reliance on their overseer. Some
Christians have gifts or natural abilities that lend themselves toward
the job of teachers or administrators, but no one has been given the
right in the New Testament to act as a type of king over any Christian
church demanding absolute obedience as unto the Lord. Absolute obedience
can be expected as a right by God and God alone.
Other studies on church leadership.
The
links given here are to classes compiled by other people, and are not
necessarily endorsed by the authors of Make Straight Paths.
Nevertheless, they are interesting reading and contain much food for
thought.
http://www.raystedman.org/leadership/
http://www.ptmin.org/thepastor.htm
http://www.religion-online.org/listbycategory.asp?Cat=12
In Summary…
2
Chron. 20:20 (or any other verse) does not authorise any person to
demand obedience as though he or she were the sole voice of God. All
Christians have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them and are therefore
responsible for their own walk with God. They are no longer dependent on
a prophet of God to reveal truth to them, or on a special group of
prophets. They have Jesus Christ, the Truth Himself dwelling within
them. They have the Holy Spirit, the Truth-revealer of God, dwelling
within them. God Himself has fulfilled His promise to dwell with them
and He has sent His Spirit to each believer. So, where are today’s
prophets? All true believers have the Holy Spirit, as much as any Old
Testament prophet did. Not all Christians, it is true, have the gift of
prophecy, but all without exception have the Holy Spirit who guides them
into all truth.
Regardless of what prophecies people may give, the Bible is clear that
each Christian must look to God alone for truth, and that each and every
Christian has been equipped with the means to learn truth.
How
are Christian churches supposed to learn what God wants them to do? The
Holy Spirit dwells with each true believer, and has a presence in the
collective body of believers. This Holy Spirit presence is not confined
to the anointed elders or the elected leaders, but to all Christians who
gather together in Jesus’ name.
God is
the guide, not a prophet.
© 2006 Make Straight Paths
Home |
