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BY: JIMMY SWAGGART
ACTS 20:28 – “TAKE HEED THEREFORE UNTO YOURSELVES, AND TO ALL THE FLOCK, OVER THE WHICH THE HOLY SPIRIT HATH MADE YOU OVERSEERS, TO FEED THE CHURCH OF GOD, WHICH HE HATH PURCHASED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD.”
The phrase, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the Flock,” presents a double-barreled thrust.
First of all the word “heed” in the Greek Text is “prosecho,” and means “to be cautious about or to have regard.”
These Elders (Pastors) were first of all to be cautious about their own experience with the Lord. The Preacher of the Gospel can only give the people what is already in his own soul. Many have the erroneous idea that it is not so important respecting the consecration of the man of God, but only what he preaches.
THE MAN AND HIS MESSAGE
While his Message is certainly of singular significance, still, the Holy Spirit has so intertwined the man and the Message, that they are actually inseparable. In other words, if the man is not consecrated to God, the Message, and irrespective as to how truthful it may be, will not be Anointed by the Holy Spirit, and will reap precious few results.
So, the Preacher of the Gospel is not only to seek the Lord constantly that his own life stay clean before God, but, as well, that he stay close to God in order that the Holy Spirit may have full latitude. If one is to notice, the warning concerning the Preacher, comes before the warning respecting the “Flock.”
The second “heed” has to do with the Church Body itself, which is the responsibility of the Preacher of the Gospel.
The Preacher is to first of all preach the Truth to “the Flock,” and, as well, to Love them, even as Christ Loves the Church.
The Preacher is to first of all preach the Truth to “the Flock,” and, as well, to Love them, even as Christ Loves the Church.
The “Flock” cannot rise any higher than the man who stands behind the pulpit. If the Love of God fills his heart, his people will have that same spirit. If there is a burden for souls on his part, a hunger for the Moving of the Holy Spirit, some of his people will most certainly follow course.
Sadly and tragically, if it is otherwise, that too will inculcate itself in those who sit under his particular Ministry, whomever he may be.
THE HOLY SPIRIT
Some time ago, one young man made the statement to me that since he had been coming to our Church, he had seen the Anointing and Moving of the Holy Spirit as he had not seen it before. And then he said, “Brother Swaggart, sometimes now I will go back to Churches where I thought the Spirit of God was actually moving, and now I see that much of what I thought was the Spirit, was really nothing more than the flesh.”
He had been exposed to the True Spirit of God, and regrettably in many Churches, it is little more than noise or activity, which passes for the Spirit, and because the people are so spiritually dull, they do not really know what is, or isn’t, the Spirit of God.
I do not mean to insinuate that our Church is the only Church in our city that has the Spirit of God, for that is not so. However, and to be sure, there are not many Churches anywhere, which truly have the Moving and Operation of the Holy Spirit within the Services. Regrettably, they are few and far between!
The phrase, “Over the which the Holy Spirit hath made you Overseers,” speaks of Pastors. For as we have said, and as is obvious in Acts and the Epistles, the titles of “Elders, Bishops, Overseers, Shepherds, and Presbyters,” all mean the same thing, “Pastor.”
As well, and as one should notice, it was the “Holy Spirit” Who called these men, and not Paul. To be sure, the Holy Spirit does so under the Leadership of the Head of the Church, The Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:22-23).
While Paul advised and counseled even as here, and by the Commandment of the Lord, as is obvious, still, he never took a position, even as he should not have, to force these particular individuals to do anything. It was the Holy Spirit Who was to do the doing. He Alone was the Final Authority.
SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY
It is here where Satan has made his greatest headway in the Church, and I speak of Spiritual Authority. So-called Spiritual Leaders want to exercise this authority over others and, in fact, do so constantly; however, such always abrogates the Headship of Christ. (Spiritual Authority as invested in those called by God, Eph. 4:11, never refers to authority over people, but rather Demon Spirits.)
As we have repeatedly stated, the Lord gives “Some, Apostles; and some, Prophets; and some, Evangelists; and some, Pastors and Teachers;
“For the perfecting of the Saints, for the Work of the Ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ” (Eph. 4:11-12); however, in that “perfecting” and “work” there are strict guidelines to be followed and which are overly obvious in the Book of Acts and the Epistles, that the Headship of Christ never be abrogated. I will give one example and to be sure this is not an isolated case, but actually the norm.
UNSCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY
A Pastor friend of mine was called by the Lord to go to a certain city and plant a Church. The year was 1969.
The Lord helped him to build, which over the course of years saw many people Saved and lives changed.
In 1995 there was a minor problem in the Church which involved, among a few other minor things, the color which a particular item was painted. (Yes, I said it was over the color of some paint!)
Through carnality among some of the Church members, the situation became heated until finally there was a voting in the Church, that is if I remember the situation correctly, with about 85 percent of the people voting in favor of the Pastor, etc.
Irrespective of that, a small nucleus appealed to the Headquarters in that particular State regarding that Denomination, with the ultimate decision by these so-called Spiritual Authorities, that this Pastor must resign, which he did.
This particular Denomination takes the position, as do most Pentecostal Denominations, that “Preachers are a dime a dozen,” consequently, irrespective of the situation, they almost all the time demand that the Preacher leave irrespective as to the right or wrong.
The Truth is, Preachers are a dime a dozen, but only of the stripe of which they speak. Those who are truly God-Called and Anointed by the Holy Spirit, even as is my friend, are as scarce as the proverbial hen’s teeth.
Whether right or wrong, no outside influence has any Scriptural right to override the Authority of the Pastor in any Church. Such is always unscriptural, and that is the reason, sadly so, among other things, that these Denominations are spiritually dying.
Incidentally, the reason they gave him for demanding his resignation was that he was “inefficient as a Pastor.”
In the first place, were that so, which it was not, why did it take them 26 years to find out?
The Bible Way is, that God called this man to this place, even as the Lord calls all, at least those who are truly sent by Him Under the Leadership of the Holy Spirit, and that of no one else I might quickly add, he should attempt to carry out the Work that the Lord has called him to do in that particular place.
No, and even as I have repeatedly said, it is not Scripturally wrong to have a Denominational Headquarters, or something of this nature. The wrong is, whenever Headquarters usurps authority over the Pastor and the Local Church.
I emphasize again, this is not an isolated case of which I have spoken, but rather the norm. In other words, it goes on constantly.
The laity may read this and take the position that these are matters which are of little interest to them. However, I remind the laity that such religious control, which is so abjectly unscriptural, in fact, does affect them greatly! That is the reason many Churches in these respective Denominations are saddled with Preachers who are man-led and not God-led. Consequently, everyone suffers!
Some would read this and argue, even as a man told me just the other day, “Oh, but we must have discipline!”
DISCIPLINE
In fact, he is exactly right, but whose discipline?
The Scriptural pattern is, that the Lord exert such discipline, with that being the reason what Paul said concerning these Elders, “Over the which the Holy Spirit hath made you Overseers,” i.e., “Pastors.”
That does not mean that the Holy Spirit calls individuals, and then turns the discipline over to other men. No!
He Calls, He Guides, He Leads, He Empowers, He Anoints, and He Disciplines, and Him Alone!
AN UNSCRIPTURAL POSITION ALWAYS LEADS TO UNSCRIPTURAL RESULTS
Actually, this of which we here speak, is what ultimately caused the spiritual declension of the Early Church. The Apostles were led by the Holy Spirit and, therefore, used mightily of God to establish the Church in the world of that day.
However, after their deaths and those who had followed them, gradually carnal men began to usurp authority over the Holy Spirit and in actuality the Headship of Christ over His Church, thereby forming Religious Offices which had no Scriptural validity, thereby gradually taking control of the Church from the Lord. The end result of that, even though it took several hundreds of years to come about, was the Catholic Church, which is now, and has been for many centuries, total apostasy.
To be frank, if Jesus would tarry, present Pentecostal Denominations, and even others who have little or no Denominational affiliation, mostly would follow, and, in fact, are following, in the same identical manner as that of the Catholic Church. Spiritual declension is suffered accordingly.
THE SCRIPTURAL POSITION
Everything must be done according to the Word of the Lord. When men make up their own religious rules, obviously the rules are not that which are of God. The idea of the Church on Earth, is its heavenly origin. Every part and parcel must be Scriptural. Even though the Lord definitely uses men and women to carry out this great Work, still, it is always to be done under Scriptural guidelines.
Church Government can be a Godly and Holy thing, if it is held to the Word of God, and for the simple reason that such Government is God’s Government. However, when man begins to insert his own government, which is of necessity out of his own mind and of the world, irrespective as to how much he may cover it with religious overtones, then it simply is not of God irrespective of the good intentions.
GOD’S GOVERNMENT
The Lord will never work outside of His framework of Government, which is outlined perfectly in the Word of God, which leaves religious man with no excuse. His method is to speak to men and women, not Committees, Boards, Hierarchies, Organizations, Denominations, etc. He then expects these men and women to carry out what He has called them to do.
To be sure, it is wise and Scriptural to submit such to others of like Faith and confidence, what one thinks the Lord has instructed one to do; however, the submitting of such is not meant to be for approval, but rather prayer and proper counseling. If the Lord has truly told a person to do something, He certainly means for that person to carry out that Calling. In fact, there are guidelines respecting this, but as we shall see, these guidelines never abrogate the Call of God in its proper order.
SUBMISSION
Peter discusses submission respecting the Local Church in Chapter 5 of his First Book.
He begins the Chapter by addressing “Elders” who are Pastors. He admonishes them to “Feed the Flock of God which is among you . . . .” He then told how that was to be done.
He then addressed the younger Pastors in that Local Church by saying, “Likewise, ye younger (other Preachers who labor under the Elder or main Pastor), submit yourselves unto the Elder” (I Pet. 5:1-6).
However, this submission of which Peter speaks, is confined to that Local Church, and does not include some mythical headquarters elsewhere, etc.
Even then, Peter fell back to the proper type of submission as laid out by the Holy Spirit, by saying, “Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility.”
Other than younger Preachers submitting to the head Pastor in the Local Church, submission as laid down by the Holy Spirit, is always on a horizontal level, and never vertical, other than all submitting totally to the Lord and His Word. Paul said, “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God” (Eph. 5:21).
As stated, submitting one to another is horizontal submission, and not vertical submission which is demanded, unscripturally I m ight quickly add, by those who would be “Lords over God’s heritage,” which is especially forbidden (I Pet. 5:3).
The submission of which I speak has to do with the Church, with another type of submission demanded by the Holy Spirit regarding Civil Authorities, which is totally different (Rom. 13:1-7; I Pet. 2:13).
As well, there is a marital submission as addressed by Paul, which of course, must be followed (Eph. 5:22).
God’s Ways are the only Ways, and they are meant to be followed, and if followed, will bring forth beautiful and wonderful results. To do otherwise, irrespective of the good intentions, will never lead to that which is good.
GUIDELINES OF HONESTY
Going back to previous statements, the Believer, be he Preacher or otherwise, should always “Try the spirits,” as to the veracity of what he thinks the Lord is telling him (I Jn. 4:1). Concerning this very thing, Paul said, “Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of Light” (II Cor. 11:14), meaning that he attempts to deceive people constantly, by claiming what they are hearing is from the Lord, when in reality it is not.
Just because someone has said the Lord has told them to do something, does not at all mean that the Lord has actually done that. Everything must be judged Scripturally, irrespective of the claims. If it is Scriptural it will be obvious; consequently, it will, as well, abide by guidelines of honesty and integrity, with all fairness to others. The idea that the Lord has told someone to do something, which will obviously hurt others, could not truly be of the Holy Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit calls someone to do certain things, it is always done not only with that particular work in mind, but as well, the entirety of the Body of Christ.
Down through the years I have had many people to write me concerning the following:
AN EXAMPLE
The Lord had just Baptized them with the Holy Spirit, but they are attending a Church which does not subscribe to the Pentecostal experience. Some claimed that the Lord had told them to stay there and do “Missionary work,” etc.
Almost all of the time my answer to them would be “No!”
If the Pastor of that Local Church is not in favor of the Pentecostal Doctrine, even though that Doctrine is right, and that Pastor is wrong, still, it is his Church, and no one else has the right to usurp authority over him, teaching that of which he does not approve. To do such, even though the one who has been recently Baptized with the Holy Spirit is Scripturally right concerning Doctrine, he is ethically wrong concerning practice. The Holy Spirit will never condone such!
If the Pastor is not in sympathy with what is being done, irrespective of how right it may be, that person should find another Church to attend.
In view of that, it must be emphasized, that to be right Scripturally, also means to be right regarding integrity and ethics. As well, the Lord can never bless a right thing which is done in a wrong way.
The following is an article written by Dr. Bernard Rossier, a former Professor at World Evangelism Bible College.
Even though some of the things said will be repetitive according to what we have already stated, I feel personally that the detail given is excellent and will be of great Scriptural and Spiritual benefit to the Bible Student.
WHAT IS NEW TESTAMENT SUBMISSION?
The New Testament term for “submission” (hupotasso) is used in a plethora of different ways:
1. Of Believers being subject to Civil Authorities (Rom. 13:5; Titus 3:1; I Pet. 2:13);
2. Of Creation being subjected to vanity or frustration because of the Fall of mankind into sin in the Garden of Eden (Rom. 8:20);
3. Of the spirits of the Prophets being subject to the Prophets (I Cor. 14:32);
4. Of women submitting regarding particular conduct in the Church (I Cor. 14:34);
5. Of Jesus submitting to Mary and Joseph (Lk. 2:51);
6. Of slaves submitting to their masters (Tit. 2:9; I Pet. 2:18);
7. Of younger Preachers in the Local Church submitting to the Elder Pastor (I Pet. 5:5);
8. Of Christians submitting to God (James 4:7);
9. Of the submission of all things to Christ (I Cor. 15:27-28; Eph. 1:22; Heb. 2:8; I Pet. 3:22);
10. Of wives submitting to their husbands (Eph. 5:22; Col. 3:18; Tit. 2:5; I Pet. 3:1, 5);
11. Of the refusal of Israel to submit to God’s Righteousness (Rom. 10:3);
12. Of the impossibility of the carnal mind submitting to God (Rom. 8:7);
13. Of the Church submitting to Christ (Eph. 5:24);
14. Of Believers submitting one to another (I Cor. 16:16; Eph. 5:21)
ECCLESIASTICAL AUTHORITIES OUTSIDE THE LOCAL CHURCH
It is interesting that the New Testament says nothing about submitting to Ecclesiastical Authorities outside the Local Church.
Why?
Because there were none. The Local Assemblies did respond to appeals from people like the Apostle Paul, even as they certainly should have, but none of the Apostles occupied Hierarchial positions as we know them today.
As noted above, Believers generally submitted to one another within Local Assemblies. In fact, the Epistle we know as Ephesians was written to instruct the Body of Christ on the way it should operate.
THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH
It begins by specifying that the New Testament Church has one particular purpose and reason for its existence, and that is to worship God (Eph. 1:6, 12, 14). After dealing with salient topics that relate to the operation of the New Testament Church, the Apostle Paul treated the matter of submission.
Verse 21 of Ephesians Chapter 5 serves as the introductory and the controlling verse for the entire section which continues through Ephesians Chapter 6, verse 9.
This introductory verse literally reads, “Being subject to one another in fear of Christ.” Therefore, this regulating verse contains a qualifier that the submission must be out of reverence for Christ. Actually, this type qualifier can be seen throughout the Passage.
For example, verse 22 of Ephesians Chapter 5 instructs wives to submit to their husbands “As unto the Lord.” Also, the first verse of Ephesians Chapter 6 requires children to obey their parents “In the Lord.”
In other words, in this matter of submission, God does not expect Christian wives to do things that would be unscriptural just because their husbands say so.
Even Christian children would not be required by God to disobey the Bible just because their parents say so.
When Peter and John were commanded by the Sanhedrin not to speak or teach any longer in the Name of Jesus, they implied that they would obey God rather than men (Acts 4:18-20).
Shortly thereafter, the Apostles were issued a similar command by the Sanhedrin, which incidentally was the religious ruling body of Israel, but they responded with the same basic answer (Acts 5:27-29).
VOLUNTARY SUBMISSION
It is important to note that the emphatic word in Ephesians 5:21 is the participle “submitting” (hupotassomenoi). In the Greek Structure, because this is what is referred to as a “middle voice participle,” it indicates a voluntary submission, not one forced as if the participle were active voice, nor one that emphasizes a passive acquiescence.
It is also crucial to notice that verse 23 of Ephesians Chapter 5 designates Christ as the “Head of the Church” (kephale tes ekklesias). This phrase means that He is the Operating Head, not just a Figurehead!
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH HAD NO ECCLESIASTICAL HIERARCHY
The New Testament Church does not indicate an Ecclesiastical Hierarchy. In fact, it indicates the very opposite.
When Paul gave his farewell address to the Ephesian Leaders, he first labeled them as “Elders” or “Presbyters” (Presbuterous — Acts 20:17). Later in the Passage he called the same people “Overseers” or “Bishops” (Episkopous — Acts 20:28).
Also in this latter verse he told them “To shepherd” (poimainein), the Greek word from which we derive “Pastor.”
Therefore, he named the same people “Presbyters,” “Bishops,” and “Pastors.”
In Philippians 1:1 the address is to all the Saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, with the Bishops and Deacons. Since this was a formal salutation in an official Epistle, it seems unlikely that the order of Presbyters would be disregarded; that is, if there indeed was an official order at that point in time.
The qualifications for Bishops and Deacons are listed in I Timothy Chapter 3 where the author did not mention any intermediate order between Bishops and Deacons. Instead, he passed without a break from the characteristics needed by Bishops to those needed by Deacons.
In the same Epistle Paul referred to Presbyters (I Tim. 5:17-19) and ascribed to them functions similar to those discharged by Bishops (I Tim. 3:4; 5:17). In the opening Chapter of Titus there is even clearer identification of Bishops and Presbyters. In other words, these designations all refer to the “Pastor” of the Local Church (last sentence mine).
No Scriptural data exists to point to any Ecclesiastical Hierarchy outside the Local Church.
WHERE DID THE CHURCH COME UP WITH ALL THE UNSCRIPTURAL OFFICES WHICH SEEM SO PREVALENT PRESENTLY?
If, many of these modern man-devised religious offices did not come from the Early Church, which they did not, therefore, when did such begin to develop and from where did it originate?
It is evident that a Monarchical Episcopacy began to surface by the beginning of the Second Century. Ignatius, who wrote noncanonical letters early in the Second Century, was the first definite proponent of the threefold order of Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons, although this form of Church polity did not become widespread for another 50 years.
Throughout his writing, Ignatius designated the Bishop as supreme, ascribing to him all the powers the Apostles previously possessed.
Irenaeus, who probably wrote toward the end of the Second Century, also was one of the architects of the Monarchical Episcopacy.
The Monarchical Episcopacy was the standard pattern, regrettably so, of Church Government by the end of the Second Century. (This gradually went into the Catholic Church as man wrested control of the Church from the Holy Spirit.)
Although they use different terminology, many Protestant Denominations have adopted similar arrangements and usurped the authority that God labeled as belonging to the Local Church. In other words, this type Church polity began because some people did exactly what Peter said not to do when he warned against “Lording it over” God’s people (I Pet. 5:3).
Actually, Jesus used the same Greek term when He cautioned against Hierarchies of importance, or “Lording it down” over other people (Mat. 20:25). “Down” comes from the prefix of the word and indicates a mindset of feeling more important than other people. Jesus said not to do it because it is the world’s way (Mat. 20:25-26). Instead, He said that we should serve one another.
FINALLY . . .
In conclusion, it is quite obvious that the New Testament emphasizes a submission among Believers in Local Assemblies, but it does not authorize Ecclesiastical structures that appropriate to themselves the authority belonging exclusively to the Local Body.
New Testament Churches cooperated with each other, but they were not controlled by any outside governing agency.
They practiced submission, but it was a voluntary submission among the members of a Local Assembly, and it was a submission that recognized Christ as its Operating Head.
The Church needs to get back to following Jesus’ instructions about self-abnegation for the benefit of other people (Mat. 20:27-28; Mk. 10:43-45). Where would we be if Jesus had exalted Himself instead of submitting to the Will of the Father and giving Himself as the Perfect Sacrifice for our sins?
Once again, Paul said, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus . . .” (Phil. 2:5-8).
The phrase, “To feed the Church of God,” proclaims, as is obvious, the responsibility of the Preacher of the Gospel.
Even though each of the fivefold Callings of the Ministry has its different functions and responsibilities (Eph. 4:11), still, Believers must be spiritually fed. That simply means that the Word of God, undiluted, uncompromised and preached and taught with the Power and Anointing of the Holy Spirit, must be given to the people.
(The above article was derived from the Jimmy Swaggart Bible Commentary, “Acts”, Chapter 20.)
