God the Father loves the Son of God (John 3:35), Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Son of God loves God the Father (John 14:31), and this communion is in the Holy Spirit of God (1 John 5:6-8)! Perfect Love in one God (John 17:21), Agape! The Father in Heaven's banquet is for His Son, and the purpose of this feast is to celebrate the marriage to His Chosen Bride, and she has the favor of the Father because of the Son (Matthew 22:1-14)! Let us examine His authoritative declaration of His Bride, His Holy Nation (1 Peter 2:9), His Body (1 Corinthians 12:12), the Assembly of God (1 Corinthians 1:2)!

The purpose of this essay compares church to the revealed Word of God. A deep dive into Scripture while concurrently examining Church,, as manifest at various times and various locations around the world, provides a mountaintop perspective . The objective, the target is to seek God's answer in Scripture defining the Assembly of God, the dictates of the Father in heaven for the Bride of His Son!

Reference Chart/Table of Contents:

The Table of Content provides this essay's (1) listing of sections, (2) a listing of sidebars in order of appearance, (3) a listing of sidebars arranged by topic, and (4) table exhibits.

Sections (best read in order):

• Ecclesia Defined - By the Word of God
• Word of God Authority
• History of the Church
• Other Essential Definitions
• Influences on the English Language
• Examining the Holy Scripture! The WORD OF GOD Is Authoritative!
• Destructive Division Among People of the Church (Galatians 5:19-21)
• A Church Pastor's Email
• Authority in the Ecclesia Defined - By the Word of God
• God's Plan

I AM (Exodus 3:14); YHWH (Genesis 2:4); The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob (Exodus 3:6); God Most High (Genesis 14:18), precisely laid out the Tabernacle, it's courtyard, interaction with it, and it's contents to Moses; it's fiber, form, and factor (Exodus 25-31 as well as elsewhere). Make no mistake, God gave this for the edification of His Holy Nation (1 Corinthians 10:11), the children of God (Matthew 5:9), that now walk by faith by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:7, 2 Timothy 1:14, Ezekiel 36:27). God provided precision about the Tabernacle on the Mountain of God. God is the God of peace and orderliness (1 Corinthians 14:33).

Before the foundation of the world, the Holy God of all eternity established His plan in love (Ephesians 1:4, 1 Peter 1:20). The Firstborn was known to Him (Psalm 89:27, Colossians 1:15-16, Colossians 1:18, Hebrews 1:6, Hebrews 1:8). Each child of God was known to Him (Revelation 13:8, Revelation 21:27, Revelation 20:12, Revelation 3:5). This One True God reigns absolute, and no man can ward off His Hand (Daniel 4:35, Jude 1:4, Revelation 21:27, Romans 9:20-21).

Ecclesia Defined - By the Word of God

In the Old Testament (Septuagint), every occurrence of ecclesia in the Word of God is translated assembly. The actual Greek for ecclesia is εκκλησια (diacritics occur occasionally), and it may have several transliterations such as ecclesia and ekklhsia.

Here are a mere two of the 107 Bible verses in the Septuagint which include the word root of ecclesia, in Nehemiah (13:1) "assembly of God" as well as, interestingly, in Leviticus (8:4) the Word of God reads "congregation was assembled at the doorway" with the word congregation being synagoge and assemble being ecclesia.

The exception to the rule is in the book of Ecclesiastes where the word with the root of ecclesia has not been translated to the word assemble, rather it has been translated ecclesiastic (Solomon referring to himself). Please consider "I an ecclesiastic became king over Israel in Jerusalem." (1:12) and so with several occurrences of ecclesia in Ecclesiastes. In this, we find the nuance of ecclesiastic meaning one of the assembly, that is, Solomon, one of the assembly, became king over Israel. Ecclesia occurs 7 times in Ecclesiastes, and this number is included in the 107 Bible verses mentioned above.

Further, let's examine Acts 19 in the New Testament, which was originally penned in Koine Greek. In each of these verses, Acts 19:32, 19:39, 19:41, we find ecclesia translated assembly. Luke, the author under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, used the word ecclesia to describe the mob of unbelievers in Ephesus! Should the people translating to English have employed "church" as the term for the enraged, lost, unsaved mob in Ephesus? After all, very frequently in the New Testament in the King James Version (KJV), New American Standard Bible (NASB), New International Version (NIV), English Standard Version (ESV), etc, the word ecclesia is translated church.

Paul, the former persecutor of Christians named Saul, provides a definition of ecclesia in 1 Timothy 3:15. First, here is the interlinear for you to read yourself (this does not contain the KJV which has been whited out here on this current page, but a copy of the below image which contains the KJV is available by clicking here, but please carefully read the copy of this page first):

Let us listen to the Master Himself, Our Living and Loving Lord Jesus Christ, as recorded by Matthew the Apostle under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (18:17) "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the ecclesia; and if he refuses to listen even to the ecclesia, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector." The KJV, NASB, NIV, and ESV all use the word "church" for ecclesia; however, contemporary with Jesus' words, the synagogue was a place where the congregation of Jews assembled. Should the word synagogue have been used in place of ecclesia? That would be inconsistent with the use of ecclesia in the Law (Old Testament - in particular the Septuagint). After all, synagogue was translated congregation as is shown again and again in the Holy Spirit inspired writings of Moses! The word "assembly" fits wonderfully with ecclesia, after all, Jesus and the disciples were people walking and talking in a growing assembly!

The definition of ecclesia is out-called, called out assembly, community, and congregation.

Jesus declared "many are called, but few are chosen" as recorded by Matthew (22:14). Please take special note of the word "called", King Jesus calls people out of the realm of death (Ephesians 2:1), so those with ears opened by the Lord Jesus to hear are His sheep (Mark 7:31-37, Mark 4:9, John 10:27).

An exhaustive analysis of New Testament occurrences of ecclesia is due, so please find it at this link, "Table of Every Occurrence of Ecclesia in the New Testament".

In all this, it is clearly evident that God calls and extracts people out of this world (1 Peter 2:11), and, in a mighty act, God places these citizens into the exclusive dominion of the Kingdom of God (Romans 9:16, Ephesians 2:19). This blessed act of God adds to the Assembly of God, and His Assembly is inclusive as well as impartial (Deuteronomy 10:17, Acts 10:34).

The Assembly of God is the group of people that experience the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ secure in the faith delivered to the saints (Jude 3, Ephesians 2:8-10), including those asleep and living.

Word of God Authority

"If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32)

But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. (2 Peter 1:20-21)

The sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:15-17 [the word "inspired" literally "God-breathed" and "training" literally "training which is in"])

You have ordained Your precepts,
   That we should keep them diligently.
(Psalm 119:4)

How can a young man keep his way pure?
   By keeping it according to Your word.
(Psalm 119:9)

Blessed are You, O Lord;
   Teach me Your statutes.
(Psalm 119:12)

How sweet are Your words to my taste!
   Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
(Psalm 119:103)

From Your precepts I get understanding;
   Therefore I hate every false way.
(Psalm 119:104)

Your word is a lamp to my feet
   And a light to my path.
(Psalm 119:105)

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. (Genesis 1:1-5 - the first passage of the Word of God)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:1-5 - the first passage of the Word of God in the Gospel recorded by the Apostle John)

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

a voice out of the cloud said "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!' (Matthew 17:5))

"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great." (Luke 6:46-49)

"It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD." (Matthew 4:4 [take note that Jesus said "EVERY WORD" because words matter])

History of the Church

Yahúwah Yahushua haMashiyach established His ecclesia on the Ledge of Truth, that is, Himself. The entire foundation of this section is founded on the previous statement, so dissecting this statement Scripturally is critical:

WORD/PHRASE	MEANING	SCRIPTURE
Yahúwah	Master, Lord, Controller, Shepherd, Adonai, kyrios/kurio in Greek	1 Corinthians 12:3
Yahushua	Hebrew name of Jesus meaning "YHWH Salvation", Iesou in Greek	Matthew 1:21
haMashiyach	Hebrew title meaning "Anointed One", Christos in Greek, Messiah another English rendered form	Mark 8:29
established His ecclesia	Jesus' assembled people, His Body of believers	John 15:5
on the Ledge	a Ledge is a bed-rock, a solid, massive boulder, Petra in Greek (city of Petra - Wikipedia)	Matthew 16:18
of Truth	Jesus said "I am the Truth" and Peter (Petros in Greek, meaning pebble) declared profound Truth when he said "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."	John 14:6, Matthew 16:16
that is, Himself	in this passage, the Truth is revealed that the ecclesia would be built on this massive, wonderful Truth	Matthew 16:13-20

Here is the declaration of God's Ecclesia before the existence of the Church!

Not unlike Jesus; Who lived, died on the cross, resurrected, and ascended to the right hand of the Father during the time of the Roman Empire; the children of God followed in His steps (1 Peter 2:21) as sheep before the slaughter by Roman persecutors (Romans 8:36), yet these saints were gripped by the deep, deep love and joy of the Author and Perfecter of the faith (2 Corinthians 4:7-15, Hebrews 12:2)!

Furthermore, since the time of Jesus, there were apostate people (fell away from the faith [1 John 2:19, 2 Thessalonians 2:3]), and people that expressed heretical beliefs (some denied Jesus absolute authority and control [Matthew 10:33, 2 Corinthians 5:14]). As incredulous as it may sound, there was a gradual departure from the teachings of Christ Jesus that can be called antichrist. Nevertheless, God continues to preserve a people unto Himself, and one such account of a person is Polycarp, an elder in the assembly of God that was discipled by John (as in the Gospel according to John), is depicted in this excellent movie, Polycarp available on DVD as well as several sources of accounts of his life, and death, that centered on Christ around 150 A.D.

The following indented section is based on assertions from documents and claims made by others about history.

The earliest known reference to the term "pulpit" as it pertains to the church is found in the writing of Cyprian (c. 250 AD), in Epistle XXXIII:

When this man, beloved brethren, came to us with such condescension of the Lord, illustrious by the testimony and wonder of the very man who had persecuted him, what else behoved to be done except that he should be placed on the pulpit, that is, on the tribunal of the Church; that, resting on the loftiness of a higher station, and conspicuous to the whole people for the brightness of his honour, he should read the precepts and Gospel of the Lord, which he so bravely and faithfully follows? Let the voice that has confessed the Lord daily be heard in those things which the Lord spoke. Let it be seen whether there is any further degree to which he can be advanced in the Church. There is nothing in which a confessor can do more good to the brethren than that, while the reading of the Gospel is heard from his lips, every one who hears should imitate the faith of the reader.

It is claimed that the day before the battle of Milvian Bridge on 28 October 312, that Roman Emperor Constantine had a vision of a symbol about Christ with a voice telling him "In this sign, [you shall] conquer". It is said that this event impacted Constantine's attitude toward Christianity in a positive fashion. Constantine's alleged vision precipitated a transition which occurred with the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D., issued by Constantine, which resulted in the legalization and favor of Christianity.

People in leadership of the Church tacitly approved the role of vicar of Christ to Constantine, or said another way, the pontus of Christos, the pope by act. Constantine insinuated himself as the head of the Church, and Church leadership was complicit, if not explicit in the act as Constantine called for synods and councils over which he presided over the results, such as the Nicene Council.

Later in Constantine's reign, persecution of professing Christians who rejected subscribing to Constantine's beliefs underwent brutal destruction of life. Constantine exercised authority over the Church, and those people that agreed with Constantine had the peace of the world.

Roman Emperor Theodosius I, 379-395 A.D., prohibited all forms of pagan worship as recorded in the "Codex Theodosianus", a codification of legislative enactments from the time of Constantine, as sixteen volumes arranged in chronological order. Ambrose, the Church bishop of Milan, exerted extraordinary dominance over Theodosius I, including leveraging the threat of excommunication. The effective result of Theodosius' edict made the Church the state religion of the western empire. While pagan rituals such as burnt offering or the divining of entrails were treasonous, the pagans that venerated a statue or tied a ribbon around a tree just faced loss of property (Codex Theodosianus, XVI.10.12).

At about the same time, the Church also targeted people that they identified as having heretical Christian beliefs, for example "It is Our will that all the peoples who are ruled by the administration of Our Clemency shall practice that religion which the divine Peter the Apostle transmitted to the Romans....The rest, whom We adjudge demented and insane, shall sustain the infamy of heretical dogmas, their meeting places shall not receive the name of churches, and they shall be smitten first by divine vengeance and secondly by the retribution of Our own initiative" (Codex Theodosianus, XVI.1.2).

It was under Theodosius I's successor, Theodosius II, that pagans were denied public employment, that is civil and military administration.

The final edict recorded in the Codex Theodosianus, XV.10.21., forbade sacrifices on penalty of death and ordered the destruction of temples, if any existed.

The tale of the Caesareum church in Alexandria, Egypt.

Part 1 of 3 of this tale identifies dates/times and the associated rulers.

Alexandria, Egypt was founded around a small, ancient Egyptian town c. 331 BC by Alexander the Great, the Greek conqueror of Egypt, The Royal Library of Alexandria was created by Ptolemy I Soter, who (1) was a Macedonian general, (2) the successor of Alexander the Great in 323 BC, and (3) later declared himself Pharaoh of Egypt. The Ptolemaic Kingdom, a Hellenistic (Greek) kingdom based in Egypt, was ruled by the Ptolemaic dynasty which started with Ptolemy I Soter's accession in 323 BC and concluding with the death of Cleopatra VII and the Roman conquest in 30 BC. Cleopatra VII Philopator (69 - August 12, 30 BC), known to history simply as Cleopatra, was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, briefly survived as pharaoh by her son Caesarion. After her reign, Egypt became a province of the recently established Roman Empire. (reference [each of these opens to Wikipedia for history]: Alexandria, Library of Alexandria, Ptolemaic Kingdom, Cleopatra)

Part 2 of 3 of this tale identifies a place, the Caesareum.

The Caesareum of Alexandria was a temple in Alexandria, Egypt. It was conceived by Cleopatra VII of the Ptolemaic kingdom, the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, to honour her dead lover Marc Antony. The edifice was finished by the Roman Emperor Augustus, after he defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra. He destroyed all traces of Antony in Alexandria, and apparently dedicated the temple to his own cult (this is the same Caesar Augustus that issued the decree for the census at the time of Jesus Christ [Luke 2:1]). Hundreds of years later, the Caesareum was converted to a Christian church in the late 4th century. The Caesareum was the headquarters of Cyril of Alexandria, the Patriarch of Alexandria from 412 to 444. (reference: Caesareum of Alexandria [opens to Wikipedia for history])

Part 3 of 3 of this very specific tale identifies actions of various peoples.

Hypatia (born c. 350-370; died 415 AD), often called Hypatia of Alexandria, was a Greek mathematician, astronomer, inventor, and philosopher in Egypt, then a part of the Eastern Roman Empire. She was the head of the Neoplatonic school at Alexandria, where she taught philosophy and astronomy. A pagan, Hypatia was murdered by a mob of people identified as Christians after being accused of exacerbating a conflict between two prominent figures in Alexandria: the Prefect, Orestes, and the bishop, Cyril of Alexandria. This is the account of the murder/killing of Hypatia:

"There was a woman at Alexandria named Hypatia, daughter of the philosopher Theon, who made such attainments in literature and science, as to far surpass all the philosophers of her own time. Having succeeded to the school of Plato and Plotinus, she explained the principles of philosophy to her auditors, many of whom came from a distance to receive her instructions. On account of the self-possession and ease of manner, which she had acquired in consequence of the cultivation of her mind, she not infrequently appeared in public in presence of the magistrates. Neither did she feel abashed in coming to an assembly of men. For all men on account of her extraordinary dignity and virtue admired her the more. Yet even she fell a victim to the political jealousy which at that time prevailed. For as she had frequent interviews with Orestes, it was calumniously reported among the Christian populace, that it was she who prevented Orestes from being reconciled to the bishop. Some of them therefore, hurried away by a fierce and bigoted zeal, whose ringleader was a reader named Peter, waylaid her returning home, and dragging her from her carriage, they took her to the church called Caesareum, where they completely stripped her, and then murdered her with tiles. After tearing her body in pieces, they took her mangled limbs to a place called Cinaron, and there burnt them. This affair brought not the least opprobrium, not only upon Cyril, but also upon the whole Alexandrian church. And surely nothing can be farther from the spirit of Christianity than the allowance of massacres, fights, and transactions of that sort. This happened in the month of March during Lent, in the fourth year of Cyril's episcopate, under the tenth consulate of Honorius, and the sixth of Theodosius [AD 415]." (Socrates Scholasticus included in the Historia Ecclesiastica [Ecclesiastical History] [VII.15] [opens to uchicago.edu for history])

Epilog of this tragic witness and story

1. Please see that in part 2, the Caesareum was built as a pagan temple under Cleopatra then later rededicated to cultic practice under Augustus.
2. Please see that in part 1, that Cleopatra died 30 years prior to the birth of the Christ.
3. Please see that in part 3, the Caesareum is referred to as a "church" about 400 years after the birth of the Christ.
4. See in part 3, the church called Caesareum is used as a place for the destruction of a life selfishly sending Hypatia to the place of eternal destruction (see John 3:36, Matthew 24:45-51, Matthew 25:45-46, 2 Thessalonians 7-9). Carnal man's selfishness starkly contrasts against the Christian's love for his or her neighbor (Matthew 22:39, Luke 10:25-37), even the Christian dying while the neighbor is yet a sinner (John 15:13).
5. Timeline: about 350 years before Hypatia. A Christian Martyr in Alexadria named John Mark (John Mark [opens to Wikipedia], Encyclopedia of The Bible - John Mark [opens to BibleGateway]). Tradition holds that Mark is the author of the second gospel, "the Gospel According to Mark". Tradition also holds that "the pagans of the city resented his efforts to turn the Alexandrians away from the worship of their traditional gods. In AD 68, they placed a rope around his neck and dragged him through the streets until he was dead" (Mark the Evangelist [opens to Wikipedia], The Gruesome Death of Saint Mark the Evangelist [opens to TaylorMarshall.com]), even a Christian dying while his neighbor is yet a sinner (John 15:13).

Over the subsequent centuries, various groups professing to be Christian arose. The Albingenses (a.k.a. Cathars) appeared in what is now modern day France. The Waldensians were largely in the mountains between Northern Italy, France, and Germany. They disagreed with the Church, and they faced extermination by the Church.

Prior to the 12th century, execution was rare for heresy, rather ecclesiastical proscription or imprisonment were the tools of the Church.

The Church's inquisition initiated in the 13th century under pope Innocent III. The Order of the Dominicans, founded by a Church priest Dominic Guzman, were the pope's chief instrument in the evil inquisition. The Church opposed people possessing a Bible!

Dominic said of the Albingeneses, "It is not the display of power and pomp, cavalcades of retainers, and richly-houseled palfreys, or by gorgeous apparel, that the heretics win proselytes; it is by zealous preaching, by apostolic humility, by austerity, by seeming, it is true, but by seeming holiness. Zeal must be met by zeal, humility by humility, false sanctity by real sanctity, preaching falsehood by preaching truth."

At the Colloquy of Montreal of 1207 A.D., Dominic clearly lost the debate with the Albingenses. In humiliation at his failure, Dominic claimed to speak on behalf of Christ when he promised slavery and death to his opponents. Two years later, after the formation of the Order of the Dominicans, pope Innocent III ordered the crusade against the Albingenses. The popes relished in their conquests.

In 1233 A.D. pope Gregory IX established the inquisition as official Church doctrine. The popes outlawed possession, translation, and reading of the Bible.

About the year 1384, John Wycliffe translated the Bible from Latin into Middle English, so people could read the Scriptures! About 50 years after John's death, the Church exhumed his decaying body, smashed it, and burned the bones for heresy.

In 1526, William Tyndale completed the translation of the New Testament based on Greek text "compiled by Erasmus from several manuscripts older and more authoritative than the Latin Vulgate" of Jerome (A.D. c.340-420), and the New Testament in English was published (utilizing the newly introduced metal movable type printing presses Printing press [opens to Wikipedia for history]) and distributed. At that time, the leaders of the churches opposed the publication of the Bible in the common language of the land; in other words, the clergy only wanted the Bible in Latin to be produced, anywhere! By the way, Koine Greek is the common language Greek as opposed to Majuscule. In the course of a dispute with a promminent clergyman who disparaged this proposal to translate the Scriptures into English, there is a keen statement by William. The priest said "We are better to be without God's laws than the pope", to which William replied "I defy the pope and all his laws. If God spare my life ere many years, I will cause the boy that drives the plow to know more of the scriptures than you!" In 1536, William's prayer standing on the pyre of his execution (the Church executed him in Belgium for opposing their doctrine of works righteousness because William declared that Children of God are saved by grace through faith that not of ourselves but it is the gift of God, yet he was arrested when it was discovered by the government when informed of his work locally on the English translation), his last, dying audible words "Lord, open the king of England's eyes." William had been vigorously hunted by men of renown, the Roman Catholic Church clergy as well as King Henry VIII, who became the head of the Church of England during this time, and those under Henry's authority.

About one year later, King Henry VIII ordered that each Church of England display the largest book of the Bible.

Contemporary with William was Martin Luther, John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli, and Menno Simmons.

Martin, John, Huldrych, and Menno all started Churches.

Martin acknowledged being saved by faith, and no "free will" in that. Martin posted the 95 Theses on the Church of Wittenberg doors, a normal practice for announcements. In the 95 Theses, Martin denounced Roman Catholic Church practices, including indulgences, as Martin wrote that only God can forgive sin. Martin worked for a time under the protectorate of the House of Wettin starting with Prince Frederick III who appointed Martin to the University of Wittenberg as well as the wisking off of Martin as he approached Wittenberg by means of a counterfiet kidnapping by masked highway robbers after the Diet of Worms due to Charles V's Edict of Worms that declared Martin outlaw with permission to kill Martin without legal consequence. Martin enjoyed further protection to continue his work under the successors of Frederick the Wise. John the Steadfast, Frederick's successor, gifted a former monastery as a wedding gift to Martin and Katharina.

Menno acknowledged adult baptism, peacefulness at all costs to oneself, separation from civil government, and human perfectability as attainable after conversion meanwhile John stressed an Augustinian theology of human depravity. Menno was vigorously hunted by men of renown, yet he died at the age of 65 - that apparently not of execution; nonetheless, Menno suffered much in life for his declarations.

There was conflict among the Churches. John's Church in Geneva burned Michael Servetus (opens to Wikipedia), a Spanish theologian with whom John disagreed about the doctrine of the Trinity as well as anti-paedobaptism (anti-infant baptism); in turn, Martin's friend and authority in the Church sent a letter of congratulation to John for executing a heretic (History of the Christian Church, Volume VIII: Modern Christianity. The Swiss Reformation. § 137. Calvin and Servetus., 13th paragraph, quote noted by 994)! John was involved with the brutal death of Michael approximately 20 years after "Calvin was suddenly converted to recognizing the Lordship of Christ -- around the age of twenty-four -- he saw this as his own yielding to the Triune God Who had previously sealed him at his infant baptism many years earlier in 1509. It was only in 1533 that he underwent the internal crisis of sudden conversion to Christ. That was followed, three years later, by the first edition of his great work: The Institutes of the Christian Religion" (The Sacraments of the New Testament - The Anabaptists and their Stepchildren [opens to Reformed.org]). Huldrych's Church in Zurich drowned people from the immediate precursor to Menno's Church. Felix Manz (opens to Wikipedia), a professing Christian, was the first of the Anabaptists to be drowned under the Zürich council's authority; furthermore, the Zürich council and Huldrych's church were cooperative, unified in control, integrated, and symbiotic entities with the civil government of Zürich carrying out Huldrych's church desires, for example, executions for the "crime" of adult baptism, and Huldrych's church carrying out the Zürich council's desires, for example, Huldrych using the carnal sword weapon for fighting in battle (Beneficial Note: a Christian's weapons are not carnal/fleshly, see 2 Corinthians 10:4). Huldrych died in battle between his Church and another Church (the one with a pope). Martin rejoiced over the death of Huldrych (Martin Luther [opens to Wikiquote] then search the page for Zwingli), of whom, Martin wrote of Huldrych "We are not of the same spirit" after the Colloquy at Marburg (ZWINGLI AND LUTHER: THE GIANT VS. HERCULES [opens to ChristianHistoryInstitute.org]).

The men, of what is termed the Reformation, is where this short exercise nearly stops. It was a theme found among the reformers to identify the Roman Catholic Church as the "Whore of Babylon" based on "and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, 'BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.'" written in Revelation (Revelation 17:5) (Whore of Babylon: Reformation view [opens to Wikipedia]).

With this, the churches of today include (these links are all to Wikipedia):

Constantine	Eastern Orthodox Church Oriental Orthodox Churches Roman Catholic Church
King Henry VIII	Church of England (Anglican)
Martin Luther	Lutheran Church
Menno Simons	Mennonite Church
John Calvin	Congregational Churches Reformed Churches (such as Reformed Baptist) Presbyterian Churches
Huldrych Zwingli	Reformed Churches
John Knox	Presbyterian Churches
John Wesley Also involved: Charles Wesley George Whitefield (some call his beliefs Calvinistic)	Methodist Wesleyan Church Pentecostal Church/Holiness Movement
Charles Fox Parham	Pentecostal Church

While it is difficult to place a specific timeframe on the Roman Catholic Church's nearly unchecked reign, we can deduce that it was about 1,200 years (roughly 300 A.D. until 1500 A.D. either end could be subject to a century or more of adjustment, but this roughly demonstrates the duration of the Roman Catholic Church exerting dominance).

Other Essential Definitions

Definitions are important, without them, we are each left to our own devices, and misunderstanding is almost certain to ensue.

And, now, to the dictionaries:

DEFINITION: Church

• http://www.thefreedictionary.com/church

  Church

  Church - relating to, like Basilica and Cathedral

  ---

  http://www.thefreedictionary.com/basilica

  basilica (bəˈzɪlɪkə) n (Architecture) a Roman building, used for public administration, having a large rectangular central nave with an aisle on each side and an apse at the end (Architecture) a rectangular early Christian or medieval church, usually having a nave with clerestories, two or four aisles, one or more vaulted apses, and a timber roof (Architecture) a Roman Catholic church having special ceremonial rights [C16: from Latin, from Greek basilikē hall, from basilikē oikia the king's house, from basileus king; see basil] baˈsilican, baˈsilic adj Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

  ba•sil•i•ca (bəˈsɪl ɪ kə, -ˈzɪl-) n., pl. -cas. an early Christian or medieval church characterized by an oblong plan including a nave with a clerestory, two or four side aisles, one or more vaulted semicircular apses, and often a narthex and atrium. one of the seven main churches of Rome or another Roman Catholic church accorded the same religious privileges. (in ancient Rome) an oblong building with a double colonnade used as a court of law and public meeting place. [1535–45; < Latin < Greek basilikḗ (oikía) literally, royal (house). See basil] ba•sil′i•can, adj. Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

  ---

  http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cathedral

  ca·the·dral (kə-thē′drəl)

  n.

  1. The principal church of a bishop's diocese, containing the episcopal throne.
  2. A large, important church.
  3. Something that resembles a cathedral, as in grandeur or authority.

  adj.

  1. Of, relating to, or containing a bishop's throne: a cathedral church.
  2. Relating to or issuing from a chair of office or authority; authoritative.
  3. Of, relating to, or resembling a cathedral: tall trees whose branches met to form cathedral arches over the path.

  [Short for cathedral church, from Middle English cathedral, of a diocese, from Old French, from Medieval Latin cathedrālis, of a bishop's see, from Latin cathedra, chair; see cathedra.]

  American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

  n.
  1. a building for public Christian worship.
  2. a religious service in a church.
  3. (cap.)
     1. the whole body of Christian believers; Christendom.
     2. any major division of this body; a Christian denomination.
  4. a Christian congregation.
  5. organized religion as distinguished from the state.
  6. (cap.) the Christian Church before the Reformation.
  7. the profession of an ecclesiastic.
  v.t.

  8. to perform a church service for (a woman after childbirth).

  [before 900; Middle English chir(i)che, Old English cir(i)ce « Greek kȳri(a)kón (doma) the Lord's (house); akin to Dutch kerk, German Kirche, Old Norse kirkja. See kirk]

  Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

• http://www.thefreedictionary.com/kirk

  Kirk

  n.

  1. Chiefly Scot. a church.
  2. the Kirk, the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian), as distinguished from the Church of England or the Scottish Episcopal Church.
  [1150-1200; Middle English (north and Scots) < Old Norse kirkja church]

  kirk'man, n., pl. -men.

  Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

• http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=church (etymology)

  church

  Doma, what it means:

  The Greek word doma appears 4 times in the New Testament. Three occurrences are "gifts" with one occurrence "of gift". Doma is Strong's G1390.
  Old English cirice, circe "church, public place of worship; Christians collectively," from Proto-Germanic *kirika (cognates: Old Saxon kirika, Old Norse kirkja, Old Frisian zerke, Middle Dutch kerke, Dutch kerk, Old High German kirihha, German Kirche), probably [see note in OED] from Greek kyriake (oikia), kyriakon doma "Lord's (house)," from kyrios "ruler, lord," from PIE root *keue- "to swell" ("swollen," hence "strong, powerful"); see cumulus. Phonetic spelling from c. 1200, established by 16c. For vowel evolution, see bury. As an adjective from 1570s.

  Greek kyriakon (adj.) "of the Lord" was used of houses of Christian worship since c.300, especially in the East, though it was less common in this sense than ekklesia or basilike. An example of the direct Greek-to-Germanic progress of many Christian words, via the Goths; it probably was used by West Germanic people in their pre-Christian period.

  Also picked up by Slavic, probably via Germanic (Old Church Slavonic criky, Russian cerkov). Finnish kirkko, Estonian kirrik are from Scandinavian. Romance and Celtic languages use variants of Latin ecclesia (such as French église, 11c.).

  Church-bell was in late Old English. Church-goer is from 1680s. Church key is early 14c.; slang use for "can or bottle opener" is by 1954, probably originally U.S. college student slang. Church-mouse, proverbial in many languages for its poverty, is 1731 in English.

• http://www.thefreedictionary.com/circean
  It is unsettling to see the similarity between the Old English word "circe", the Latin word "circe", the Greek word "circe"!
  Circe

  n. Greek Mythology

  A goddess who turned Odysseus's men temporarily into swine but later gave him directions for their journey home.

  Cir′ce·an (sûr′sē-ən, sər-sē′ən) adj.

  American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• http://www.theoi.com/Titan/Kirke.html

  Greek Mythology >> Greek Gods >> Sky Gods >> Circe (Kirke)

  CIRCE (Kirke), a mythical sorceress, whom Homer calls a fair-locked goddess, a daughter of Helios by the Oceanid Perse, and a sister of Aeetes. (Od. x. 135.) She lived in the island of Aeaea; and when Odysseus on his wanderings came to her island, Circe, after having changed several of his companions into pigs, became so much attached to the unfortunate hero, that he was induced to remain a whole year with her.

  A QUOTE FROM HOMER'S ODYSSEY: She gave each one of them a potion of cheese, honey, barley-groats, and wine, into which she had mixed a drug. When they had drunk it, with a touch of her wand she changed them into different shapes, some into wolves, some pigs, some asses, and some into lions.

• http://dictionary.sensagent.com/kirkos/el-el/
  That the English word "circus" derives from Greek word "kirkos" (which is very similar to the Old Norse word "kirkja" that may have later developed into the English word "church") should be alarming. After all, circus, a noun, is defined as:

  1. a performance given by a traveling company of acrobats, clowns, and trained animals "the children always love to go to the circus"
  2. a frenetic disorganized (and often comic) disturbance suggestive of a large public entertainment "it was so funny it was a circus" "the whole occasion had a carnival atmosphere"
  3. an arena consisting of an oval or circular area enclosed by tiers of seats and usually covered by a tent "they used the elephants to help put up the circus"
  4. (antiquity) an open-air stadium for chariot races and gladiatorial games
  5. a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals "he ran away from home to join the circus"
  6. a road junction at which traffic streams circularly around a central island "the accident blocked all traffic at the rotary"

  from: http://dictionary.sensagent.com/Circus/en-en/

  The whole discussion of circus is highly relevant! If you doubt the relevance, then please review the Destructive Division Among People of the Church (Galatians 5:19-21) section! Again, it is better to read this whole essay in order, though.

  kirkos
     (also kirk-os)

  Kaakkoismurteet
     ... : n ja i : n ) kato kirkos ' kirkossa ', yhten päivän ' yhtenä päivänä ', puol ...

  Sirkus
     ... Rooma Sanan alkujuuret ovat kreikan kielessä , jossa kirkos merkitsee pyöreää . Sana sirkus nykyisessä merkityksessään on peräisin latinan ...

  Circle
     ... word " circle " derives from the Greek , kirkos " a circle ," from the base ker - which ...

  Circus
     ... The Latin word circus comes from the Greek word kirkos , meaning " circle " or " ring ".[ 1 ...

  Circus
     ... The Latin word circus comes from the Greek word kirkos , meaning " circle " or " ring ".[ 1 ...

  Circus
     ... The Latin word circus comes from the Greek word kirkos , meaning " circle " or " ring ".[ 1 ...

  Circus
     ... which is the romanization of the Greek κίρκος ( kirkos ), itself a metathesis of the Homeric Greek κρίκος ( ...

  Emanuel Dimas de Melo Pimenta
     ... :// www . asa - art . com / kirkos . html . Retrieved 2008 - 06 - 25 . •^ " ...

  List of Greek words with English derivatives (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Greek_words_with_English_derivatives)
     ... psychokinesis , kinetic energy , kinesis • κίρκος • kirkos • κιρκο - • kirko - • ring , circle • circus ...

  Uranocircit
     ... Robert Scott : A Greek - English Lexicon - kirkos •↑ Hans Lüschen : Die Namen der Steine . Das ...

  Copyright © 2012 sensagent Corporation: Online Encyclopedia, Thesaurus, Dictionary definitions and more. All rights reserved.

DEFINITION: Local

• If God Almighty wanted a "local" anything, then He Who knows all things would have used a Greek word meaning "local" such as the Greek word "topikos", but topikos is NOT in the New Testament! Two words that are near "local" are εγτοπιος (entopios) and τόπος (topos). Entopios occurs once in the New Testament, and it is translated place in Acts 21:12, "they of that place, besought him not to go". Topos is used 92 times, and it is never translated "local", rather place (80x), room (5x), quarter (2x), licence (1x), coast (1x), where (1x), plain (with pedinos/level plain) (1x), rock (with trachys/rough rocky) (1x); moreover, none have any relation to a "local church".

  One occurrence of topos/local/place is in close enough proximity to ecclesia to bring up here, but it does not point at "local church". It is 1 Corinthians 1:2.

       http://biblehub.com/1_corinthians/1-2.htm

  To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: NASB

  to the assembly of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all those calling upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place -- both theirs and ours: YLT

       A quick note about a convention used in this essay...

  WHAT: New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation WHERE: left hand column. WHO: The Lockman's were rich farm landowners in California, U.S.A. who spent their fortune on the NASB translation. WHY: It is claimed by many to be one of the most literal translations of the Bible. Details can be found at American Bible Sales. It is important to read both columns in each of these boxes throughout this essay in order to get a clear view.

  WHAT: Young's Literal Translation (YLT) by Public Domain WHERE: right hand column. WHO: Young's Literal Translation (YLT) (opens to Wikipedia) is a translation of the Bible into English, published in 1862. The translation was made by Robert Young (opens to Wikipedia), compiler of Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible and Concise Critical Comments on the New Testament. Young used the Textus Receptus (TR) and the Majority Text (MT) as the basis for his translation. Robert Young, LL.D., F.E.S.L. (10 September 1822 – 14 October 1888) was a Scottish publisher who was self-taught and proficient in various oriental languages. WHY: This translation contains important words, such as assembly instead of church. Also, the word bishop is not used in the YLT.

   

• http://www.thefreedictionary.com/local

  local

  adj.

  1. pertaining to or characterized by place or position in space; spatial.
  2. pertaining to, characteristic of, or restricted to a particular place: a local custom.
  3. pertaining to a city, town, or small district rather than an entire state or country: local transportation.
  4. stopping at most or all stations: a local train.
  5. pertaining to or affecting a particular part or particular parts, as of a physical system or organism: a local disease.
  6. (of anesthesia or an anesthetic) affecting only a particular part or area of the body without concomitant loss of consciousness.

  n.

  1. a local train, bus, etc.
  2. a newspaper item of local interest.
  3. a local branch of a union, fraternity, etc.
  4. a local anesthetic.
  5. Often, locals.
     1. a local person or resident.
     2. a local athletic team.
  v.i.

  [1400–50; late Middle English < Late Latin locālis. See locus, -al1]

  lo′cal•ly, adv.

  lo′cal•ness, n.

  lo–cal

  adj.

  low-calorie

  Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

DEFINITION: Elder

• Let us seek the Word of God for the definition of Elder/Overseer.

  • First, it is a choosing of the Lord Jesus Christ:
         http://biblehub.com/matthew/9-9.htm

    As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector's booth; and He said to him, "Follow Me!" And he got up and followed Him. NASB

    And Jesus passing by thence, saw a man sitting at the tax-office, named Matthew, and saith to him, 'Be following me,' and he, having risen, did follow him. YLT

    
    

    Why two columns? A convention reminder.

  • Second, notice that it is Fruit of the Spirit oriented:
         https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Timothy+3%3A1-7&version=NASB1995%3BYLT

    It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. NASB

    Stedfast [is] the word: If any one the oversight doth long for, a right work he desireth; it behoveth, therefore, the overseer to be blameless, of one wife a husband, vigilant, sober, decent, a friend of strangers, apt to teach, not given to wine, not a striker, not given to filthy lucre, but gentle, not contentious, not a lover of money, his own house leading well, having children in subjection with all gravity, (and if any one his own house [how] to lead hath not known, how an assembly of God shall he take care of?) not a new convert, lest having been puffed up he may fall to a judgment of the devil; and it behoveth him also to have a good testimony from those without, that he may not fall into reproach and a snare of the devil. YLT

    
    

    Why two columns? A convention reminder.

  • Paul, the Apostle, was addressing the elders of Ephesus, and words for elder are used twice in this single passage of Acts 20:17 and Acts 20:28. In verse 17, the word for elder is presbuterous, and in verse 28, the word for overseer is episkopous (and it's bishop in some English translations for Acts 20:28, and in the KJV's 1 Timothy 3:1 it is bishop). In this we see that these Greek words are nearly interchangeable because the same group of elders are being addressed. Elders that are overseers, or said another way overseers that are elders. These words are used frequently throughout Scripture. In the Old Testament (Septuagint) presbuterous (presbyt) is found referring to elders while episkopous is not. I performed an exhaustive examination all occurrences of "episk" case insensitive in the Old Testament, and here are some examples:
    • Exodus 3:16 Episkope is the word indeed, as in referencing the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob having Moses say "I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt." (NASB, but The Apostolic Bible Polyglot [Septuagint interlinear] contains this word for word translation: "In overseeing, I have watched you, and as much as has come to pass to you in Egypt" with Episkope being "in overseeing")
    • 2 Kings 12:11 episkopon is the "who had the oversight" is "And they gave the silver which was weighed out into the hands of those who did the work, who had the oversight of the house of YHWH; and they paid it out to the carpenters and to the builders who worked on the house of YHWH;"
    • Esther 2:11 episkopon is "overseeing" in "by the courtyard feminie overseeing would come to pass with" (Septuagint) which is the last part of this verse "And Mordecai walked every day in front of the court of the house of the women to know Esther's welfare and what would be done to her."
    • 2 Chronicles 34:10 hoi kathestamenoi is "who had the oversight" and episkeuasai is "repair" in "And they gave it into the hand of the doers of work who had the oversight of the house of YHWH, and they gave it to the doers of work that wrought in the house of YHWH to repair and to strengthen the house."
    • 2 Chronicles 34:12 episkopoi is "were appointed" and episkopein is "oversee" in "And the men did the work faithfully and over them were appointed Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites of the sons of Merari, Zechariah and Meshullam of the sons of the Kohathites to oversee, and the Levites, all who were skilled in instruments of song."
    • 2 Chronicles 34:17 episkopon is "overseers" in "And they have emptied out the money which was found in the house of YHWH, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers and into the hand of the doers of the work."

  • http://www.thefreedictionary.com/elder

    elder¹

    adj. a compar. of old with eldest as superl.

    1. of greater age; older.
    2. of higher rank; senior.
    3. of former times; earlier.
    n.
    1. an older person: a boy who respects his elders.
    2. an aged person.
    3. an older, influential member of a tribe or community, often a chief or ruler.
    4. a presbyter.
    5. (in certain Protestant churches) a lay member who is a governing officer, often assisting the pastor in services.
    [before 900; Middle English; Old English eldra, comp. of eald old]

    elder²

    n.

    any shrub or tree of the genus Sambucus, of the honeysuckle family, having divided leaves and clusters of small red, black, or yellow berries.

    [before 900; Middle English eldre, elrene, Old English ellaern]

    Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

DEFINITION: Overseer

• http://biblehub.com/greek/1985.htm
  • overseer - Strong's Concordance

    Short Definition: overseer, supervisor, ruler

    Definition: (used as an official title in civil life), overseer, supervisor, ruler, especially used with reference to the supervising function exercised by an elder or presbyter of a church or congregation.

  • overseer - HELPS Word-studies

    1985 epískopos (a masculine noun, derived from 1909 /epí, "on/fitting contact," which intensifies 4649 /skopós, "look intently," like at an end-marker concluding a race) – properly, an overseer; a man called by God to literally "keep an eye on" His flock (the Church, the body of Christ), i.e. to provide personalized (first hand) care and protection (note the epi, "on").

    "Though in some contexts 1985 (epískopos) has been regarded traditionally as a position of authority, in reality the focus is upon the responsibility for caring for others" (L & N, 1, 35.40).

    copyright © 1987, 2011 by Helps Ministries, Inc. http://helpsbible.com/

• http://www.thefreedictionary.com/overseer

  overseer

  n

  1. a person who oversees others, esp workmen Also called (less commonly): overlooker
  2. (Historical Terms) history Brit short for overseer of the poor; a minor official of a parish attached to the workhouse or poorhouse

  Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

DEFINITION: Steward

• http://biblehub.com/greek/2012.htm
  • epitropos (steward G2012) - Strong's Concordance

    an administrator (one having authority)

    Definition: (a) (procurator) a steward, (b) (tutor) a guardian (appointed for an infant [under 14 perhaps] by the father or by a magistrate).

• https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2012
  • epitropos (steward G2012) - Outline of Biblical Usage
    1. one to whose care or honour anything has been instructed
       1. a curator, a guardian
       2. a steward or manager of a household, or of lands
          1. overseer
       3. one who has the care and tutelage of children, either where the father is dead (a guardian of minors), or where the father is still alive

  • epitropos (steward G2012) - Concordance Results

    3 occurrences in the Holy Bible.

    Mat 20:8		So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, G2012 Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
    Luk 8:3		And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, G2012 and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.
    Gal 4:2		But is under tutors G2012 and governors until the time appointed of the father.

• http://biblehub.com/greek/3623.htm
  • oikonomos (steward G3623) - HELPS Word-studies

    Cognate: 3623 oikonómos (from 3624 /oíkos, "house, household" and nemō, "to allot, apportion") – properly, a steward (literally, "household-manager"). See 3622 (oikonomia).

    [3623 /oikonómos ("manager") often functioned as the "steward" of a household, and was generally a freedman – i.e. a slave released from forced, legal servitude (J. Thayer).]

• https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3623
  • oikonomos (steward G3623) - Outline of Biblical Usage
    1. the manager of household or of household affairs
       1. esp. a steward, manager, superintendent (whether free-born or as was usually the case, a freed-man or a slave) to whom the head of the house or proprietor has intrusted the management of his affairs, the care of receipts and expenditures, and the duty of dealing out the proper portion to every servant and even to the children not yet of age
       2. the manager of a farm or landed estate, an overseer
       3. the superintendent of the city's finances, the treasurer of a city (or of treasurers or quaestors of kings)
    2. metaph. the apostles and other Christian teachers and bishops and overseers

  • oikonomos (steward G3623) - Concordance Results

    10 occurrences in the Holy Bible (showing 4 occurrences here, all are at blueletterbible.org).

    Luk 12:42		And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, G3623 whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
    Gal 4:2		But is under tutors and governors G3623 until the time appointed of the father.
    Tit 1:7		For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward G3623 of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
    1Pe 4:10		As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards G3623 of the manifold grace of God.

• http://www.thefreedictionary.com/steward
  • steward

    n

    1. One who manages another's property, finances, or other affairs.
    2. One who is in charge of the household affairs of a large estate, club, hotel, or resort.
    3. A ship's officer who is in charge of provisions and dining arrangements.
    4. An attendant on a ship or airplane.
    5. An official who supervises or helps to manage an event.
    6. A shop steward.
    7. A wine steward.

    intr. & tr.v. stew·ard·ed, stew·ard·ing, stew·ards
         To serve as a steward or as the steward of.

    [Middle English, from Old English stigweard, stīward : stig, stī, hall + weard, keeper; see wer- in Indo-European roots.]

    stew′ard·ship′ n.

    American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

  • steward

    n

    1. (Professions) a person who administers the property, house, finances, etc, of another
    2. (Professions) a person who manages the eating arrangements, staff, or service at a club, hotel, etc
    3. (Nautical Terms) a person who attends to passengers on an aircraft, ship, or train
    4. (Aeronautics) a person who attends to passengers on an aircraft, ship, or train
    5. (Military) a mess attendant in a naval mess afloat or ashore
    6. (Professions) a person who helps to supervise some event or proceedings in an official capacity
    7. (Industrial Relations & HR Terms) short for shop steward

    vb
         to act or serve as a steward (of something)

    [Old English stigweard, from stig hall (see sty) + weard ward]

    ˈstewardˌship n

    Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

• http://www.thefreedictionary.com/janitor

  • Janitor

    A janitor is an attendant.

    The etymology which includes "doorkeeper", and we see something very similiar with the word "steward" with "hallkeeper".

    When the synonyms are considered, something interesting comes to light, that the word "steward" is synonymous with janitor.

    In the "Word History" of janitor, we see that an early quotation about Peter the Apostle as "the Janitor of heaven".

    janitor

    n

    1. One who attends to the maintenance or cleaning of a building.
    2. A doorman.

    [Latin iānitor, doorkeeper, from iānua, door, from iānus, archway; see ei- in Indo-European roots.]

    jan′i·to′ri·al adj.

    Word History: In Latin iānus was the word for "archway, gateway, or covered passage" and also for the god of gates, doorways, and beginnings in general, known in English as Janus. Our month January—a month of beginnings—is named for the god. Latin iānitor, the source of our word janitor and ultimately also from iānus, meant "doorkeeper or gatekeeper." Probably because iānitor was common in Latin records and documents, it was adopted into English. In an early quotation Saint Peter is called "the Janitor of heaven." The term can still mean "doorkeeper," but in Scots usage janitor also referred to a minor school official. Apparently this position at times involved maintenance duties and doorkeeping, and the maintenance duties took over the more exalted tasks, giving us the position of janitor as we know it today.

    American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

  • Thesaurus: janitor
    • Noun 1. janitor - someone employed to clean and maintain a building
      custodian, keeper, steward - one having charge of buildings or grounds or animals

      © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

    • noun caretaker, porter, custodian, concierge, doorkeeper My mother was the janitor in the town school.

      Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

DEFINITION: Guide

• http://biblehub.com/greek/3594.htm
  • hodēgeō (guide G3594) - Strong's Concordance

    Part of Speech: verb

    Definition: to lead, guide, teach

• https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3594
  • hodēgeō (guide G3594) - Concordance Results

    5 occurrences in the Holy Bible

    Mat 15:14		Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead G3594 the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
    Luk 6:39		And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead G3594 the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
    Jhn 16:13		Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide G3594 you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
    Act 8:31		And he said, How can I, except some man should guide G3594 me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
    Rev 7:17		For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead G3594 them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

• http://biblehub.com/greek/3595.htm
  • hodégos (guide G3595) - Strong's Concordance

    Part of Speech: noun

    Definition: a leader, guide; met: an instructor, teacher.

• https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3595
  • hodégos (guide G3595) - Concordance Results

    5 occurrences in the Holy Bible

    Mat 15:14		Let them alone: they be blind leaders G3595 of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
    Mat 23:16		Woe unto you, ye blind guides, G3595 which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
    Mat 23:24		Ye blind guides, G3595 which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
    Act 1:16		Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide G3595 to them that took Jesus.
    Rom 2:19		And art confident that thou thyself art a guide G3595 of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,

• http://www.thefreedictionary.com/guide

  guide

  n

  1.  
     1. One who shows the way by leading, directing, or advising.
     2. One who serves as a model for others, as in a course of conduct.
  2. A person employed to conduct others, as through a museum, and give information about points of interest encountered.
  3.  
     1. Something, such as a pamphlet, that offers basic information or instruction: a shopper's guide.
     2. A guidebook.
  4.  
     1. Something that serves to direct or indicate.
     2. A device, such as a ruler, tab, or bar, that serves as an indicator or acts to regulate a motion or operation.
  5. A soldier stationed at the right or left of a column of marchers to control alignment, show direction, or mark the point of pivot.

  v. guid·ed, guid·ing, guides

  v.tr.

  1. To serve as a guide for; conduct.
  2. To direct the course of; steer: guide a ship through a channel.
  3. To exert control or influence over; direct: guided the nation through the crisis.
  4. To supervise the training or education of.

  v.intr.
       To serve as a guide.

  [Middle English, from Old French, from Old Provençal guida, from guidar, to guide, of Germanic origin; see weid- in Indo-European roots.]

    guid′a·ble adj.

    guid′er n.

  Synonyms: guide, lead¹, pilot, shepherd, steer¹, usher
  These verbs mean to conduct on or direct to the way: guided me to my seat; led the troops into battle; a teacher piloting students through the zoo; shepherding tourists to the bus; steered the applicant to the third floor; ushering a visitor out.

  American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

DEFINITION: Pastor

• http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pastor

  pastor n,

  1. a minister or priest in charge of a church.
  2. a person having spiritual care of a number of persons.

  [1325–75; Middle English pastour (< Anglo-French) < Latin pāstor shepherd =pās-, base of pāscere to put to pasture, feed + -tor -tor]

  pas′tor•like`, pas′tor•ly, adj.

  pas′tor•ship`, n.

  Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

• http://etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=pastor

  pastor (n.)
  late 14c. (mid-13c. as a surname), "shepherd," also "spiritual guide, shepherd of souls," from Old French pastor, pastur "herdsman, shepherd" (12c.), from Latin pastorem (nominative pastor) "shepherd," from pastus, past participle of pascere "to lead to pasture, set to grazing, cause to eat," from PIE root *pa- "to tend, keep, pasture, feed, guard, protect" (see food). The spiritual sense was in Church Latin (e.g. Gregory's "Cura Pastoralis"). The verb in the Christian sense is from 1872.

  pastoral (adj.)
  "of or pertaining to shepherds," early 15c., from Old French pastoral (13c.), from Latin pastoralis "of herdsmen, of shepherds," from pastor (see pastor (n.)). The noun sense of "poem dealing with country life generally," usually dealing with it in an idealized form and emphasizing the purity and happiness of it, is from 1580s.

  pastern (n.)
  late 13c., "shackle fixed on the foot of a horse or other beast," from Old French pasturon (Modern French paturon), diminutive of pasture "shackle for a horse in pasture," from Vulgar Latin *pastoria, noun use of fem. of Latin pastorius "of herdsmen," from pastor "shepherd" (see pastor). Metathesis of -r- and following vowel occurred 1500s. Sense extended (1520s) to part of the leg to which the tether was attached.

  pasture (n.)
  c. 1300, "grass eaten by cattle," from Old French pasture "fodder, grass eaten by cattle" (12c., Modern French pâture), from Late Latin pastura "a feeding, grazing," from Latin pastus, past participle of pascere "to feed, graze" (see pastor). Meaning "land covered with vegetation suitable for grazing" is from early 14c. To be out to pasture "retired" is from 1945, from what was done (ideally) to horses after the active working life.

  food (n.)
  Middle English foode, fode, from Old English foda "food, nourishment; fuel," also figurative, from Proto-Germanic *fodon (cognates: Swedish föda, Danish föde, Gothic fodeins), from Germanic *fod- "food," from PIE *pat-, extended form of root *pa- "to tend, keep, pasture, to protect, to guard, to feed" (cognates: Greek pateisthai "to feed;" Latin pabulum "food, fodder," panis "bread," pasci "to feed," pascare "to graze, pasture, feed," pastor "shepherd," literally "feeder;" Avestan pitu- "food;" Old Church Slavonic pasti "feed cattle, pasture;" Russian pishcha "food").

  Food-chain is from 1917. Food-poisoning attested by 1864; food-processor in the kitchen appliance sense from 1973; food-stamp (n.) is from 1962.

  clergywoman (n.)
  1670s, a nun, from clergy + man (n.). Not seriously as "woman pastor" until 1871; in between it was used humorously for "old woman" or "domineering wife of a clergyman." Compare clergyman.

  flock (n.1)
  Old English flocc "a group of persons, company, troop," related to Old Norse flokkr "crowd, troop, band," Middle Low German vlocke "crowd, flock (of sheep);" of unknown origin, not found in other Germanic languages; perhaps related to folc "people," but the metathesis would have been unusual for Old English. In Old English of humans only; extended c. 1200 to "a number of animals of one kind moving or feeding together;" of domestic animals c. 1300. The special reference to birds is recent (19c.). Transferred to bodies of Christians, in relation to Christ or their pastor, from mid-14c.

DEFINITION: Pulpit

• https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G968
  • pulpit - Strong's Concordance

    Greek word: bēma

    The KJV translates Strongs G968 in the following manner:

    • judgment seat (10 times)
    • throne (1 time)
    • to set (one's) foot on (with G4128) (1 time)

    Examples as used in Holy Scripture:

    • Mat 27:19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, G968 his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
    • Jhn 19:13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat G968 in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
    • Act 7:5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set G968 his foot on: G968 yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.
    • Act 12:21 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, G968 and made an oration unto them.

• http://biblehub.com/greek/968.htm
  • pulpit - Strong's Concordance

    Short Definition: the space covered by a step of the foot, a tribunal

    Definition: an elevated place ascended by steps, a throne, tribunal.

  • pulpit - HELPS Word-studies

    968 bḗma (from bainō, "to step, ascend") – properly, a platform to which someone walked up to receive judgment; (figuratively) the administration of justice – literally, given from "a tribunal-chair" (throne) where rewards and punishments are meted out.

  • pulpit - NAS Exhaustive Concordance

    Word Origin: from the same as basis (basis is Strong's http://biblehub.com/greek/939.htm)

    Definition: a step, raised place, by impl. a tribunal

    NASB Translation:

    • ground (1)
    • judgment seat (7)
    • rostrum (1)
    • tribunal (3)

• http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pulpit

  Pulpit

  n.

  • 1. a platform or raised structure in a church, from which the sermon is delivered or the service is conducted.
    2. the pulpit, the clerical profession; ministry.
    3. (in small craft)
       1. a safety rail rising from the deck near the bow and extending around it.
       2. a similar rail at the stern.
    4. an elevated control booth in a factory.
    [1300–50; Middle English < Late Latin pulpitum pulpit, Latin: platform, stage]

    Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

  • From classical Latin pulpitum, "platform, stage."
    Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

• http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ambo

  Ambo n, pl ambos or ambones

  1. (Ecclesiastical Terms) either of two raised pulpits from which the gospels and epistles were read in early Christian churches
  [C17: from Medieval Latin, from Greek ambōn raised rim, pulpit]

  ---

  n, pl ambos
  1. an ambulance driver
  2. an ambulance
  Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

DEFINITION: Dogma

• https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1378
  • dogma - Strong's Definitions

    Greek word: dogma

    from the base of G1380 (dokeō); a law (civil, ceremonial or ecclesiastical):—decree, ordinance.

• https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1380
  • dokeō (G1380)- Strong's Definitions

    Greek word: dokeō

    1. to be of opinion, think, suppose
    2. to seem, to be accounted, reputed
    3. it seems to me
       1. I think, judge: thus in question
       2. it seems good to, pleased me, I determined

• http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dogma

  Dogma

  n. pl. dog·mas or dog·ma·ta (-mə-tə)

  • 1. A doctrine or a corpus of doctrines relating to matters such as morality and faith, set forth in an authoritative manner by a religion.
    2. A principle or statement of ideas, or a group of such principles or statements, especially when considered to be authoritative or accepted uncritically: "Much education consists in the instilling of unfounded dogmas in place of a spirit of inquiry" (Bertrand Russell).
    [Latin, from Greek, opinion, belief, from dokein, to seem, think; see dek- in Indo-European roots.]

    American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• http://www.thefreedictionary.com/decree

  Decree n.

  • 1. An authoritative order having the force of law.
    2. Law
       1. The judgment of a court of equity.
       2. The judgment of a court.
    3. Roman Catholic Church
       1. A doctrinal or disciplinary act of an ecclesiastical authority.
       2. An administrative act applying or interpreting articles of canon law.

  v. de·creed, de·cree·ing, de·crees

  v.tr.
       To order, establish, or decide by decree: decreed that the two kingdoms would be united.

  v.intr.
       To issue a decree.

  [Middle English decre, from Old French decret, from Latin dēcrētum, principle, decision, from neuter past participle of dēcernere, to decide : dē-, de- + cernere, to sift; see krei- in Indo-European roots.]

     de·cree′a·ble adj.

     de·cre′er n.

  American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

DEFINITION: Catalog

• https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2639
  • katalegō - Root Word (Etymology)

    Greek word: katalegō

    • from the base of G2596 (κατα kata); down from, through out, according to, toward, along
    • from the base of G3004 (λεγω legō); to say, to speak, affirm over, maintain, to teach, to exhort, advise, to command, direct, to point out with words, intend, mean, mean to say, to call by name, to call, name, to speak out, speak of, mention

  • katalegō - Occurrences in the New Testament
    • one in 1 Timothy 5:9 is katalegesthO

  • katalegō - Outline of Biblical Usage
    1. to lay down, to lie down
    2. to narrate at length, recount, set forth
    3. to set down in a list or register, to enrol
       1. of soldiers
       2. of those widows who held a prominent place in the church and exercised a certain superintendence over the rest of the women, and had charge of the widows and orphans supported at the public expense

• https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2596
  • κατα (kata)- Outline of Biblical Usage

    Greek word: κατα

    1. down from, through out
    2. according to, toward, along

• https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3004
  • λεγω (legō, lego) - Outline of Biblical Usage

    Greek word: λεγω

    1. to say, to speak
       1. affirm over, maintain
       2. to teach
       3. to exhort, advise, to command, direct
       4. to point out with words, intend, mean, mean to say
       5. to call by name, to call, name
       6. to speak out, speak of, mention

• https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3056
  • λογος (logos) - Root Word (Etymology)

    Greek word: λογος (logos)

    • from the base of G3004 (λεγω legō); to say, to speak, affirm over, maintain, to teach, to exhort, advise, to command, direct, to point out with words, intend, mean, mean to say, to call by name, to call, name, to speak out, speak of, mention

  • λογος (logos) - Outline of Biblical Usage

    Greek word: λογος (logos)

    1. of speech
       1. a word, uttered by a living voice, embodies a conception or idea
       2. what someone has said
          1. a word
          2. the sayings of God
          3. decree, mandate or order
          4. of the moral precepts given by God
          5. Old Testament prophecy given by the prophets
          6. what is declared, a thought, declaration, aphorism, a weighty saying, a dictum, a maxim
       3. discourse
          1. the act of speaking, speech
          2. the faculty of speech, skill and practice in speaking
          3. a kind or style of speaking
          4. a continuous speaking discourse - instruction
       4. doctrine, teaching
       5. anything reported in speech; a narration, narrative
       6. matter under discussion, thing spoken of, affair, a matter in dispute, case, suit at law
       7. the thing spoken of or talked about; event, deed
    2. its use as respect to the MIND alone
       1. reason, the mental faculty of thinking, meditating, reasoning, calculating
       2. account, i.e. regard, consideration
       3. account, i.e. reckoning, score
       4. account, i.e. answer or explanation in reference to judgment
       5. relation, i.e. with whom as judge we stand in relation
          1. reason would
       6. reason, cause, ground
    3. In John, denotes the essential Word of God, Jesus Christ, the personal wisdom and power in union with God, his minister in creation and government of the universe, the cause of all the world's life both physical and ethical, which for the procurement of man's salvation put on human nature in the person of Jesus the Messiah, the second person in the Godhead, and shone forth conspicuously from His words and deeds.

• http://www.thefreedictionary.com/catalog

  catalog or catalogue

  n.

  1. 1. A list or itemized display, as of titles, course offerings, or articles for exhibition or sale, usually including descriptive information or illustrations.
     2. A publication, such as a book or pamphlet, containing such a list or display: a catalog of fall fashions; a seed catalog.
  2. A list or enumeration: a catalog of complaints.
  3. A card catalog.
  v. cataloged, cataloging, catalogs or catalogued or cataloguing or catalogues
  v.tr.
  1. To make an itemized list of: catalog a record collection.
  2. 1. To list or include in a catalog.
     2. To classify (a book or publication, for example) according to a categorical system.
  v.intr.
  1. To make a catalog.
  2. To be listed in a catalog: an item that catalogs for 200 dollars.
  [Middle English cathaloge, list, register, from Old French catalogue, from Late Latin catalogus, from Greek katalogos, from katalegein, to list : kata-, down, off; see cata- + legein, to count; see leg- in Indo-European roots.]

  cataloger, cataloguer n.

  American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

DEFINITION: Authority

• http://www.thefreedictionary.com/authority

  Author, A Component of Authority

  We children of God are fixated upon our Lord Jesus for He alone is the Author and Perfecter of the faith (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus is our Assurance.

  The word authority contains the word author.

  The Word of God is the Authority.

  authority

  n. pl. au·thor·i·ties

  1.  
     1. The power to enforce laws, exact obedience, command, determine, or judge.
     2. One that is invested with this power, especially a government or body of government officials: land titles issued by the civil authority.
  2. Power assigned to another; authorization: Deputies were given authority to make arrests.
  3. A public agency or corporation with administrative powers in a specified field: a city transit authority.
  4.  
     1. An accepted source of expert information or advice: a noted authority on birds; a reference book often cited as an authority.
     2. A quotation or citation from such a source: biblical authorities for a moral argument.
  5. Justification; grounds: On what authority do you make such a claim?
  6. A conclusive statement or decision that may be taken as a guide or precedent.
  7. Power to influence or persuade resulting from knowledge or experience: political observers who acquire authority with age.
  8. Confidence derived from experience or practice; firm self-assurance: played the sonata with authority.
  [Middle English auctorite, from Old French autorite, from Latin auctōritās, auctōritāt-, from auctor, creator; see author.]

  American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• http://www.thefreedictionary.com/author

  author n.

  1.  
     1. The writer of a book, article, or other text.
     2. One who practices writing as a profession.
  2. One who writes or constructs an electronic document or system, such as a website.
  3. An originator or creator, as of a theory or plan.
  4. Author God.

  tr.v. au·thored, au·thor·ing, au·thors

  1. Usage Problem To write or be the author of (a published text).
  2. To write or construct (an electronic document or system): authored the company's website.
  [Alteration (influenced by authentic, authoritative, and other technical terms of Greek origin spelled with th) of Middle English auctour, autor, from Old French auctur, autor, from Latin auctor, creator, from auctus, past participle of augēre, to create; see aug- in Indo-European roots.]

  au·thor′i·al adj.

  Usage Note: The verb author has been criticized for its transitive use as an unnecessary or pretentious synonym of write, though note that it typically refers to the writing of material that has been published—and not to unpublished texts such as love letters or diaries. So the two words are not exact synonyms. The Usage Panel has tended to sympathize with the traditional view, but this sympathy has been slowly eroding over the decades. In 1964, 81 percent of the Panel found the verb unacceptable in writing. In our 1988 survey, 74 percent rejected it in the sentence He has authored a dozen books on the subject. In 2001, the proportion of Panelists who rejected this same sentence fell to 60 percent. · Journalists frequently use the verb author to apply to the creation or sponsoring of legislative acts, as in The senator authored a bill limiting uses of desert lands in California. In these cases the lawmaker may not have actually written the bill that bears his or her name but rather promoted its idea and passage. While the Panelists were a bit more tolerant of this legislative usage, the nays still have the slightest edge, with 51 percent rejecting the previously quoted sentence in 2001, down from 64 percent in 1988. This suggests that the verb will eventually be accepted by most people.

  American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Influences on the English Language

Now, let's take a snapshot of history and how different languages and cultures affected the English language...

HISTORY: The Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, and French

From http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/anglo_saxons/saxons.shtml:

The term Anglo-Saxon is a relatively modern one. It refers to settlers from the German regions of Angeln and Saxony, who made their way over to Britain after the fall of the Roman Empire around AD 410.

The Roman armies withdrew from Britain early in the fifth century because they were needed back home to defend the crumbling centre of the Empire. Britain was considered a far-flung outpost of little value.

At this time, the Jutes and the Frisians from Denmark were also settling in the British Isles, but the Anglo-Saxon settlers were effectively their own masters in a new land and they did little to keep the legacy of the Romans alive. They replaced the Roman stone buildings with their own wooden ones, and spoke their own language, which gave rise to the English spoken today.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_activity_in_the_British_Isles

Viking raids: 793-850 A.D., Norsemen sack monasteries

Invasion and Danelaw: 865-896 A.D. the Vikings invade England then captured lands; furthermore, the people in England capitulated other lands to the Scandinavians. The Danes law was over part of England.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_conquest_of_England

The Norman conquest of England was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army of Norman, Breton, and French soldiers led by Duke William II of Normandy, later William the Conqueror. Much influence of French can be found in the English language, with this period being that of "Old English".

And, we need to take a little snippet from an Encyclopedia:

ENCYCLOPEDIA: Circe

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circe (and can be found on http://www.reference.com/browse/circe?s=t)

In Greek mythology, Circe (/ˈsɜrsiː/; Greek Κίρκη Kírkē pronounced [kírkɛ͜ɛ]) is a goddess of magic (or sometimes a nymph, witch, enchantress or sorceress). By most accounts, Circe was the daughter of Helios, the god of the sun, and Perse, an Oceanid. Her brothers were Aeetes, the keeper of the Golden Fleece, and Perses. Her sister was Pasiphaë, the wife of King Minos and mother of the Minotaur. Other accounts make her the daughter of Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft herself.

Circe was renowned for her vast knowledge of potions and herbs. Through the use of magical potions and a wand or a staff, she transformed her enemies, or those who offended her, into animals. Some say she was exiled to the solitary island of Aeaea by her subjects and her father for ending the life of her husband, the prince of Colchis. Later traditions tell of her leaving or even destroying the island and moving to Italy, where she was identified with Cape Circeo.

ENCYCLOPEDIA: Pulpit

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulpit#Origins

Pulpit: originates in man or in God?

As mentioned earlier, Cyprian wrote of the "pulpit" around 250 A.D. That would be about 150 years without any other known mention of a pulpit for use in delivering a sermon in early Christian writings!

Also mentioned earlier, both bema and ambon are Greek words meaning pulpit according to definitions. In the New Testament, bema is not a term denoting a man delivering a sermon; rather, it is vastly about the judgement seat and throne, after all, Herod was eaten from the inside on his throne (bema) and Pontius Pilate sat on his judgement seat (bema)! Startlingly, the word ambon is not in the New Testament. There is a word that contains "ambo" which is the Greek word "thambos" (G2285) which is defined as "to render immovable, amazement" which we think of as awe, astonishing.

We do not find a stage on which a Christian stands behind a lecturn to deliver a sermon, no pulpit in this form, in the New Testament!

When a man, local church pastor, ascends the pulpit, it sounds like a person is being "lifted" above the others, possibly even on a higher platform. It sounds like men setting apart ("holier") some people, called clergy or "local church pastor", and their being elevated to a superior position/profession (heartbreakingly, a job?).

See how the "pulpit" is used for connotation:

• "Power of the Pulpit"
• "bully pulpit"
• "the pulpit is vacant" (indicating no paid, professional preacher/reverend/priest)
• "he has the pulpit"
• the pulpit has almost a complete monopoly on the sermon (most pastors preach at the pulpit as opposed to "going out" [link to a wonderful video on the meaning of to "go out" farther down in this essay, but there is much info in the intervening material])
• the pulpit strongly encourages showmanship (if the pastor is not entertaining, then he risks losing his audience to other churches)

Accordingly, there is the "pulpit" with it's complimentary word, "pew"; in other words, there is "clergy" and "laity/laymen". There is a "special priesthood" in the churches similar to the Roman Catholic Church.

Becoming a parson, a special class of person, or local church pastor is a legal step. A parson must follow the proper denominational procedure to "enter the ministry" in order to ascend the pulpit in authority.

Jesus was a carpenter (Mark 6:3). Jesus, being God, must have been the best carpenter EVER. Almighty God went to great lengths in the Word of God, in the Torah, to describe the the Tabernacle; peculiar and funny thing, that God, the architect of the Tabernacle so precise, and being God, Jesus did not specify nor build a platform, nor a guard rail, nor a lecturn, nor a pulpit, nor a church building, recorded in the New Testament, as a pattern/example for His people to replicate.

Origins

The Ancient Greek bema (βῆμα) means both ‘platform’ and ‘step’, and was used for a variety of secular raised speaking platforms in ancient Greece and Rome, and from those times to today for the central raised platform in Jewish synagogues. Modern synagougue bemas are often similar in form to centrally-placed pulpits in Evangelical churches.

The use of a bema carried over from Judaism into early Christian church architecture. It was originally a raised platform, often large, with a lectern and seats for the clergy, from which lessons from the Scriptures were read and the sermon was delivered. In Western Christianity the bema developed over time into the sanctuary and chancel (or presbytery).

The next development was the ambo, from a Greek word meaning an elevation. This was originally a raised platform from which the Epistle and Gospel would be read, and was an option to be used as a preacher's platform for homilies, though there were others. Saint John Chrysostom (died 407) is recorded as preaching from the ambo, but this was probably uncommon at this date. In cathedrals early bishops seem often to have preached from their chair in the apse, echoing the position of magistrates in the secular basilicas whose general form most large early churches adopted. Often there were two ambos, one to each side, one used more as a platform on which the choir sang; sometimes the gospel was read, chanted or sung from one side and the epistle from the other. The location of the ambo within the church varied, with about the same range of places as modern pulpits. In ancient Syrian churches it was often placed in the centre of the nave (on both axes). Gradually the ambo came to resemble the modern pulpit in both form and function, though early examples in large churches are often large enough to accommodate several people. The steps up to the pulpit almost invariably approach it from the side or behind, and are often curved. The typical design of the Islamic minbar, where a straight flight of steps leads to the front of the pulpit, is very different.

The Ambon of Henry II, an Imperial gift of 1014 to Aachen Cathedral, was originally installed centrally, but later moved to the side. It is richly decorated with sheets of gold, ivory, and gems, probably emulating Justinian's lost pulpit of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, of which a description by Paul the Silentiary survives. In churches where there is only one speaker's stand at the front of the church, it serves the functions of both lectern and pulpit and may be called the ambo, which is still the official Catholic term for the place the gospel is read from.

Consolidating Definitions, History, and Encyclopedia

German, or Teutonic, and Norse mythology have much to do with English words! Even Greek and Roman words and mythology are part of English vocabulary. The above history of the Anglo-Saxons reveals the Roman presence in Britain followed by the Germans.

In the definition of "church", under the etymology, we find the striking appearance of circe repeatedly. The evolution of the word circe through Greek, Latin, and English languages are very revealing about it's deeper meaning. It is conclusive that circe is germane to this topic at hand.

The mother "Church" (circe) starts to take form as the evidence is considered (Revelation 17:5).

Examining the Holy Scripture! The WORD OF GOD Is Authoritative!

As we have at this link, the "Table of Every Occurrence of Ecclesia in the New Testament", we know that the word "church" does not exist in the original manuscripts! The word "church" includes the primary meaning of a building (as in the DEFINITION above); however, the ecclesia does not include structures built by men, for example, the corner church building is not the ecclesia. The definition of ecclesia is not "church". The ecclesia is the entire Assembly of God that includes the saints that have gone to sleep and the saints that live! The saints are in the world, but not of the world. For example, a saint living in China and a saint living in Angola are both in one ecclesia, even though the two saints never met, never communicated with one another, nor set foot on the same continent as the other.

Possessive form of speech: NOT used with ecclesia, the ecclesia is not owned by a city.

Universal or Local - It Makes a Difference

The ecclesia of God which is at Corinth, the ecclesia of Thessalonica, ecclesia in Philadelphia, in every place in every ecclesia (as in 1 Corinthians 4:17, this would be an enumeration, like the first 3 in this sentence, the word "every" in Acts 14:23 can be discarded because the word "every" does not occur in the Greek manuscript). It is terribly important to notice that the possessive form is NEVER used; in other words, it is never Corinthian ecclesia (implicating that the ecclesia is Corinth's), rather it is ecclesia of God which is at Corinth. There are two instances of highly suspect/questionable verses that use the possessive form, yet I do not count those two verses because the verses (1) do not appear in some manuscripts, (2) the language deviates from the flow, (3) the verses appear AFTER the end of the passage concluded by AMHN (amen) that indicates the conclusion of the passage, and (4) the markings in the KJV column of the Scripture4All.org manuscripts demonstrate the inconclusiveness of the verses. The ecclesia of God which is at Corinth is that portion of God's Ecclesia that gathers in Corinth. Corinth is a place, and a gathering occurred there, yet the ecclesia exists in God's Ecclesia.

Another point to distinguish is that when referring to an ecclesia in a particular region, the preposition "in" has been "of" in some instances of the New Testament translations, and in some instances the preposition is absent in the Greek. For example "ecclesia Thessalonica" in Greek has been translated "ecclesia of Thessalonica", yet the absence of a city as a possessive noun remains intact because the word "of" is NOT in the Greek writings!

The God of all creation owns His ecclesia, not constrained by place, locale, nor region. We simple people are constrained by place. Recall Jesus' words in John 4:21 and Matthew 16:18, about the worship of the Living God being independent of place and time (He used the future verb "will" to cover all time coming), and His possession of His Assembly (not churches). Every occurrence of ecclesia refers to the assembly being Christ's Bride whole and set apart, sometimes in a particular place or locale, sometimes in the 1st century, and today sometimes in the 21st century, yet a careful examination of the Word of God reveals that the ecclesia is not termed a "local" anything, rather the children of God gathered in some place, but the universal Body nonetheless.

We can most certainly rule out that the word "church" derives from the Greek word kuriakon as indicated per the definition above. Ecclesia has been translated to "church" in the KJV, NASB, ESV, and NIV; meanwhile, the only instances of "kuria" in ALL of the New Testament are two, yet neither refer to "church". Here are the verses:

• Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper, (the word "Lord's" is kuriakEn - 1 Corinthians 11:20)
• I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, (the word "Lord's" is kuriakEn - Revelation 1:10)

That's it, only two places in all of the New Testament Greek which contains the sequence "kuria", yet the word "church" would certainly not fit there!

Something strange happens in the KJV and some English translations just prior to the stoning of Stephen, during his discourse to the Jews. In Acts 7:38, we find ecclesia translated to church; however, Stephen, a man described as full of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5, Acts 7:55), was speaking about Moses' encounter with God on Mount Sinai and the twelve tribes of Israel which occurred about one thousand, five hundred years before Jesus was conceived in the virgin's womb by the power of the Holy Spirit! This means, that according to the KJV's translation, the nation of Israel in the Old Testament can be called "church", and even more disturbing, it follows logically from the KJV translation that Israel can be referred to as "church" before the incarnate Christ arrived.

Why was the word "church" used?

The devil is crafty, and he tempts people. The devil tempted Jesus Himself (Matthew 4:1), and Jesus overcame (Matthew 4:10). We children of God are dependent on the Lord Jesus to protect and deliver us!

There are people tempted by the lust of power and money.

The King James Version of the Bible (opens to Wikipedia for history) was authorized by King James I of England (opens to Wikipedia for history). It is absolutely KEY to recognize that King James was a king, and he had an interest in exercising and maintaining power over people.

King James I gave instructions to the fifty-four Hebrew and Greek scholars commissioned to create the KJV "Authorized Version" of the Bible (thus implying all other versions to be unauthorized), and we need to pay particular notice to rule number 3 "The old Ecclesiastical Words are to be kept; i.e.,the word Church not to be translated congregation or community, etc." The king appointed Richard Bancroft, soon to be made the Archbishop of Canterbury, as chairman and "chief overseer" of this committee in 1604.

It appears that King James I maintained a method to "control" his subjects; furthermore, the KJV translation conventions pleased the institutional Church and it's ruling officers/clergy, such as bishops, deacons, etc. The discussion about the office of bishop, deacon, and overseer are reserved for the next section, Authority in the Ecclesia Defined - By the Word of God.

The "church" has been fashioned by men into a powerful force that dictates it's "truth" to people, and it wields that ecclesiastical sword as a powerful weapon for it's own advantage. The clergy of the Church rule by their own authority (Jeremiah 5:31). The "church" imposes itself as mediator between man and God making obedience to it an absolute necessity, without which there is no salvation (contrast with 1 Timothy 2:5). In my possession is an email from a "local church pastor" in 2015, this year, in which he attempts to use fear of either loss of salvation or never having had salvation to coerce local church membership, and in the very same email he indicated that he needs to be paid by the "local church" by way of tithes which is sordid gain (1 Peter 5:2) that the Apostle Paul did not draw from an assembly for himself as he worked in the tent making trade (Acts 20:33-35; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12), yet Paul did receive funding from outside the assembly that he was serving though the funding was not drawn from the assembly Paul was serving (2 Corinthians 11:8, the funding was an offering for God's Kingdom by other believers). The "local church pastor" claims are a far cry from the recorded words of Justin Martyr who lived in the 2nd century, when asked where he assembled, he answered "Where each one chooses and can; do you suppose that we all are accustomed to meet together in one place? Quite otherwise, for the God of the Christians is not confined by place, but being invisible, He fills the heaven and the earth, and the faithful everywhere adore Him and sing His praise."

The arrangement of "church" services into pews or rows with a monologue by a "church pastor" rather than a dialogue or discourse defies the Word of God's layout of gathering of the holy ones for worship, encouragement, edification, exhortation, breaking of bread, and prayer by the Will of God! Once again, we must examine the Scriptures very carefully, and the particular passage lies in Acts 20:7-12 detailing the account of Paul's dialogue with the saints in Troas in a third story room that the youth Eutychus fell asleep and out the window to the ground below where he died, and God raised the lad when Paul fell upon him. Let us focus on verses 7, 9, and 11, where in many English translations the word "preach" is used where dialogue should have been used, verse 11 uses a different Greek word, so it's included for completeness sake:

VERSE	GREEK WORD	ENGLISH WORD	TRANSLATION	LINK
7	dielegeto	preached	KJV	Acts 20:7
9	dialegomenou	preaching	KJV	Acts 20:9
11	homilEsas	talked	KJV	Acts 20:11

It is as if someone involved in the English translation, primarily the KJV, wanted to set the stage for a dictatorship... See the Greek word in the table sure looks like dialog, that is, a conversation/dialog NOT a monologue. Please note, that third word, homilEsas looks a lot like the English word homily which has it's roots from "Greek: discourse, from homilein to converse with, from homilos crowd, from homou together + ilē crowd" in the Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003.

Our Father Who are in heaven Whose Name is Holy, Pure, and Clean details His plan for the gathering of His holy people. Listen to the the words of Jesus' instruction on prayer "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:9-13). A dissection of this part of the prayer is quite telling... Where is God's will done? In heaven. On earth as it is in heaven. One assembly in reverence to God Almighty. As God's will is in heaven, so be it on earth. The Lord Jesus, the Master Orator, tells us about His plan for His ecclesia right there! God's plan includes the saints speaking as led by the Spirit, praying, prophesying, praising, and singing, all to God's glory (1 Corinthians 14 please see for example verse 29). The saints raising hands high in adoration (1 Timothy 2:8)! All this is accomplished orderly by, for, and through God (1 Corinthians 14:40). At the leading of the Spirit someone may prophesy, that is speak, for some length of time for the edification of the saints. A prophecy is a word from God. It can be a Word of Remembrance of God's promises and commandments from the past, a Word of Instruction or Commandment for the present, or a Word of Foresight for the future. As it is written, "And prophets -- let two or three speak, and let the others discern," (1 Corinthians 14:29). And from the Old Testament, "your sons and daughters will prophesy" (Joel 2:28). And, again, from the New Testament, "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Revelation 19:10). No prophecy that is of God will contradict the Word of God (Revelation 22:18-19, Deuteronomy 4:2).

Proclaiming the Gospel of Grace in Christ Jesus to the unsaved is certainly Scriptural, and a labor of love (Romans 10:14 the word translated to "preach" in English is kErussontos which more accurately is herald or proclaim).

A herald is a messenger that carries news, but completely eclipsing the world's definition, we saints herald the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to judge the living and the dead! Where is the blessed message to be proclaimed? To the saved? We know that the saved share in dialogue, so it's not the saved (that would be exhortation, lest we rebellious people forget). The target for the message are the dead, that God Himself form sinews and flesh on their dead, dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14), that God Himself remove the heart of stone from the unbelieving and put in a heart of flesh and fill with His Holy Spirit (John 3:3-5, Ezekiel 36:26).

Where is the "church member" on Sunday? By the decree of the "church pastor", being "orderly", that is, sitting silently except when told to sing, in the climate-controlled church's seat receiving preaching with walls between the "church member" and the world, yet Jesus said that He left us saints in the world (John 17:15-17). Is this seeking the lost as described by Master Jesus (Matthew 18:12-14; Luke 15:1-7)? The lost are eating, drinking, buying, selling, building, planting, marrying, and giving in marriage (Matthew 24:37-39, Luke 17:28-30). The exercise of preaching (lecturing) on Sunday's in the "local churches" is NOT Scriptural. Is the "church member" held hostage by the "church pastor" who tempts the "church member" to question the member's salvation if the member is not at "church" on Sunday? Even intimidating the "church member" to give tithes to the "local church pastor" treasury? The Holy One of Israel needs neither us nor our money, yet He permits His unworthy slaves to participate in His joy (Luke 17:10, Matthew 25:23)! If you are a "local church member", see the Truth in the Word of God, for this One True God is the only One capable of setting you free from bondage to the "church building" and it's "edifices" (clergy). In addition to the surrounding context of anyone or anything coming into contact with unclean carcasses, God told Moses and Aaron "If a part of their carcass falls on any seed for sowing which is to be sown, it is clean" (Leviticus 11:37), so could it be that God has a second intent for this statement as a picture/figure of coming out from where people try to mix lies with the Truth. Repent and turn to God. Take comfort in the fact that God finds pleasure in setting free!!!

Please examine these two opposing columns of phrases to discern which honors the King of Glory:

"go to church"	"gather in the Name of Jesus Christ"
"attend church"	"commune with the Father in Christ Jesus"
"attend church"	"fellowship in the Prince of Peace"
"church family"	"family"
"church family"	"brothers and sisters"
"church body"	"Body of Christ"
"church member"	"Christian"
"church life"	"a life conforming to Jesus"
"church life"	"life in Christ"
"I need to talk to my pastor"	"I need to ask my Lord Jesus"
"church planting"	"evangelization"
"bring someone new to church"	"go to someone's home"
"invite to church"	"invite to home"
"local church"	"God's Assembly"
"church"	"Bride of Christ"

The rows are not equivalent terms. For example, in the left column we have "bring someone new to church" and "invite to church" which have no grounds in Holy Scripture; however, in the right column, we have "go to someone's home" and "invite to home" referring to going to the home of the ones receiving the proclamation of the Gospel, also dialoging about the Gospel, as it is written in Matthew 8:14 (Peter's Home), Mark 14:3 (Simon the leper's house), Luke 7:36 (Simon the Pharisee's house), Luke 19:5 (Zacchaeus' house), Acts 16:15 (Lydia's house), and Acts 16:34 (Jailor's house). Thus the right column contains verbiage that stands on the solid foundation of the Word of God!

Lord Jesus propounded "My house shall be called a house of prayer" (Isaiah 56:7, Jeremiah 7:11, Matthew 21:13, Mark 11:17). In this sentence spoken by the Son of God, Jesus speaks using the future tense (around 30 AD), and Prophet Jesus prophesied the destruction of the temple (Matthew 24:2) (prophesy around 30 AD and fulfillment around 70 AD [destruction of temple occured about forty years after Jesus' resurrection from the dead {Second Temple [opens to Wikipedia], The Destruction of the Second Holy Temple [opens to chabad.org]}]). The same Jesus that predicted the temple building radical stone displacement is the same Jesus that declared the "My house" sentence clearly speaking of His Own House, His Own People. Jesus did not say that His house would be church buildings all around the cities, some church buildings even next door to each other! King Jesus said "a house of prayer"! If you doubt that Pastor Jesus was talking about Himself, a mere 3 verses later, the Apostle Matthew records the indignant chief priests and scribes complaint aimed at Jesus Christ "Do You hear what these [children] are saying?" to which Creator Jesus replied "Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself'?" (Matthew 21:16).

Do not put the Lord your God to the test.

It has been asserted to me, as well as articles that I've read, that using the term "church" does not matter in the overall scheme of things, yet let us never forget the immovable words of Lord Jesus when the devil led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and Satan said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here;

for it is written,
   ‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU,’

and,
   ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP,
   SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’”

Jesus, my God and my Savior answered and said, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test."

This passage can be found in Luke 4:9-12, and Jesus referred to Deuteronomy 6:16.

Do not put the Lord to the test by abusing the liberty that exists in the Lord Jesus Christ alone (1 Corinthians 15:2). The word "church" carries much troublesome connotation and denotation as carefully outlined throughout this essay, so the evidence presented proves the meaning of "church" carries a dangerous concept.

Scriptural Results Of Man's Authority

Some people in "church leadership" do not envision seeking power and authority over men when they first obtain church clergy office, some do. Some are seduced over time. Here are a few Scriptural results of authority in man's hands and other pertinent passages:

• To His Chosen people, the nation of Israel, through Moses as the proclaimer of the Word of God, YHWH God said "I will break the pride of your power" (Leviticus 26:19).
• We know of Solomon, the king who was granted great wisdom by God, who started off kindly and generously with God's chosen people, Israel, yet as the king aged, he oppressed the people (1 Kings 5:13-14).
• King Rehoboam said he would severely increase the yoke that his father, King Solomon, had on Israel (1 Kings 12:14).
• Jeremiah cried out against Jehoiakim "Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice; who makes his neighbors work for nothing, and does not give them their wages" (Jeremiah 22:13).
• Satan lusted for power, and Satan was condemned by God Almighty (Isaiah 14:12-15)!
• A man in his pomp will not endure, and he will perish like the beasts (Psalm 49:12).

• Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich,
  When the glory of his house is increased;
  For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
  His glory will not descend after him.
  Though while he lives he congratulates himself-
  And though men praise you when you do well for yourself-
  He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
  Man in his pomp, yet without understanding,
  Is like the beasts that perish.

  (Psalm 49:16-20)

• Simon the magician wanted power and authority and recognition for himself, and this even after being baptized. Peter rebuked Simon for his lust (Acts 8:9-24).
• The Apostles in the upper room argued over who was greatest, and Jesus exhorted them that greatest is to be like the youngest as well as the leader like the servant (Luke 22:21-27).
• Jesus exhorted as recorded by Matthew (6:1-2):
  "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full."

  And, further, Matthew records the words of Jesus (6:5):
  "When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full."

  The Lord Jesus did not say to serve God in seclusion nor to practice righteousness without people knowing it. The Lord Jesus also commands "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" as recorded by Matthew (5:16). Humility, serving, following in His Steps that people may benefit to the Glory of God is the treasure. Attempting to be noticed by men for personal honor is the warning and the condemnation for those who fall into the prideful sin, their reward is on earth. A wrong heart is deadly serious in the eyes of the Lord!

• The Apostle Paul wrote that we are not like many, peddling the word of God, rather as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God (2 Corinthians 2:17). See here that at the time of Paul, there were many people peddling the word of God for their own sordid gain/profit (1 Peter 5:2). Who has the aroma of death to death versus the aroma of life to life? As Paul wrote about in this passage, 2 Corinthians 2:14-17, and he refers to "us" and "we" as the saved in Christ.
• James, the brother of Jesus, wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit "But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?" (2:6) Who is important to the "church leadership", the one without money? Or the one with money? Who gets the better treatment, the big tither or the no tither? Who gets noticed if they are not at church, rich man or poor woman? The love of mammon - even tithes - are a pursuit of riches. Jesus said you can not serve two masters, so, know this well, that you cannot serve both God and mammon (Matthew 6:24). Men in "church leadership", whose hearts are deceitful (as are all people's hearts [Jeremiah 17:9]), may be deluded into the theory that their work of growing their "local church" audience is not mammon, yet the "growth strategy" of the clergy is the seeking of their own gain and glory. Have you ever heard a "local church pastor" say that he had a dream that his church would burgeon with people (Jeremiah 23:25-27) or that he desires a bigger "church building"? Saying "his church" puts the possessive with the "local church pastor" and "burgeon with people" does not equate with the growth of the Body of Christ visible in the world, and I have personally been told by a "local church pastor" that the "return" from a church outreach at a city sponsored festival was too low, so that church would not repeat the outreach in future years unless something changes. The Apostle Paul said that he proclaims Christ, and Him crucified that some might be saved (1 Corinthians 1:23, 1 Corinthians 9:19-23). I heard yet a different "local church pastor" say in a sermon in 2015 that he covets the large, beautiful "church building" that he saw around the region. Holy Scripture tells us there should be no strife, no division. The church leadership's stock is the discipline of delusion (Jeremiah 10:8).

What of Apostolic decrees?

Is it written: "Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe." (Acts 16:4)? Our first order of business is to ascertain the original Greek word for decrees, which is dogmata (the definition is included in the "Other Essential Definitions" section of this essay). It is reasonable to seek and determine the decrees referred to in the passage, well, that written message (called decrees in Acts 16:4) is recorded shortly prior to this statement, in Act 15:23-29:

     https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+15%3A23-29&version=NASB1995%3BYLT

and they sent this letter by them, “The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings. “Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. “Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth. “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.” NASB

having written through their hand thus: `The apostles, and the elders, and the brethren, to those in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia, brethren, who [are] of the nations, greeting; seeing we have heard that certain having gone forth from us did trouble you with words, subverting your souls, saying to be circumcised and to keep the law, to whom we did give no charge, it seemed good to us, having come together with one accord, chosen men to send unto you, with our beloved Barnabas and Paul -- men who have given up their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ -- we have sent, therefore, Judas and Silas, and they by word are telling the same things. `For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, no more burden to lay upon you, except these necessary things: to abstain from things offered to idols, and blood, and a strangled thing, and whoredom; from which keeping yourselves, ye shall do well; be strong!' YLT

Why two columns? A convention reminder.

The apostles and elders and brothers in Jerusalem warned the brothers in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia of some men's false doctrine that encroached in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia. These men, we might call wolves, came down from Judea; however, those in Jerusalem wrote "some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls". These men had told the brothers in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia that they needed circumcision. The above letter was the result of a gathering of the apostles and elders and brothers in Jerusalem. Does this sound like a decree, like something with the "force of law"? The apostles and elders and brothers in Jerusalem wrote "lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials", see there "essentials" which matches with belief (again, see the definition in the "Other Essential Definitions" section for dogma in thefreedictionary.com "Latin, from Greek, opinion, belief, from dokein, to seem, think;" after all the apostles and elders and brothers wrote "it seemed good to us" in the letter), and "if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well.", and finally, they told them to fare well!

The word "decree" sounds very authoritative, yet it is wrong for the denotation and connotation of the passages. We can see the fingerprint in the word "decree" of someone seeking false authority!

A directly significant factor shines forth as an ommission from the message's essentials, as recorded in Act 15:23-29. The message omits a dogma to build churches to meet corporately as the apostolically approved form of gathering, or, more mundanely, a so-called "early-church" governance approved "decree" outlining church services. Neither does the message mention the hiring of a church pastor for the purpose of corraling God's Assembly in order to (1) issue a weekly monologue nor (2) protect the assembly from other people with strange doctrines antithetical to Pastor Jesus' teachings. It seems that the message would have been an opportune moment to establish such a thing - if such a thing were to exist as part of God's Assembly. The absence of such a thing is conspicuous!

The traditions of men, with "church", goes beyond power and greed. It is divisive.

Destructive Division Among People of the Church (Galatians 5:19-21)

God knows the degree to which any church exhibits any of these maladies. We pray for the churches.

Unbiblical Church Membership Convenants and Church Governance

In a fashion similar to Paul pointing out the error of Hymenaeus and Philetus (2 Timothy 2:17-18), Paul identifying Demas' apostasy (falling away from the true faith) (2 Timothy 4:10), and John labeling the grave error of Diotrephes (3 John 1:9-11); I intend to identify the error of human authority within the Church by using some current affairs (these were unknown to me until around New Years of 2018). The reputations and finances of certain people were heavily damaged by publicly identifiable men that call themselves elders and pastors of the church. These events which I am about to mention occurred in a very public manner inside the church and outside the church including some reports at ChristianityToday.com; therefore, naming the names as a matter of illustration is very telling about the state of affairs within church governance as well as local church membership covenants. With very minimal research the following events can be confirmed. To expand to see the detail for each of the next five items, the triangle must be toggled.

• An 8 Month Long Ordeal

  • Related articles (the dates of posting of the two articles are important):
    • Church disciplines wife for wanting to divorce husband who admitted paedophile leanings [opens to ChristianToday.com]
           by Mark Woods posted on May 22, 2015
    • Former Member Accepts Acts 29 Megachurch Apology ... | Christianity Today [opens to ChristianityToday.com]
           by Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra, Morgan Lee, and Bob Smietana posted on June 10, 2015
  • Amy Smith's Watch Keep articles:
    • She Speaks: The Village Church protects a confessed pedophile and "disciplines" his wife, a brave young woman and missionary (posted on May 20, 2015)
    • Karen Hinkley's response to The Village Church 5/23/15 email sent to 6000 "covenant members" about her and Jordan Root (posted on May 27, 2015)
  • The Wartburg Watch articles:
    • Watchkeep: Karen Hinkley's Response to The Village Church Email (posted May 27, 2015)
    • Karen Hinkley Did Not Have a Valid Marriage Covenant; Some Information About Pedophilia (posted May 28, 2015)
    • An Apology from Matt Chandler/Elders of The Village Church and a Statement of Forgiveness from Karen Hinkley (posted June 10, 2015)
    • Update on Karen Hinkley (posted July 19, 2015)

  Beneficial Note: A church covenant is a vow by church leaders and church members to stick together no matter what.

  To discern the events:		To summarize the events as found in the above articles:
  Jordan engaged in child pornography use before he married Karen, throughout his marriage to Karen, and while in seminary.		Long before November 2014, Jordan Root and Karen Hinkley were married. After being married, Jordan and Karen entered service as missionaries with Serving in Mission (SIM), an international missionary agency. Karen comments concerning Jordan's actions in the fall of 2014. Karen notes that Jordan claimed an addiction to adult pornography sometime in November. Jordan admitted child pornography use to Karen a few weeks after he originally admitted adult pornography use as a result of her pressing him for more details, Karen states "That night he admitted to almost ten years of child pornography use that began while he was in college and continued throughout his seminary studies into our dating and engagement." ("that night" refers to sometime late in November 2014)
  The Village Church pastor Matt Chandler later admits that his church leadership's countenance toward SIM was perceived as threatening!		George Salloum, SIM's vice president of finance and operations, confirmed to Christianity Today that Karen reported that Jordan allegedly violated SIM's child safety protection policy in late 2014. SIM removed Jordan from the mission, and they opened up a child safety investigation. SIM reported Jordan's actions to the authorities. SIM's Salloum said "I can't speak to the FBI's processes," as no charges had been filed since Jordan's return to the U.S., and Salloum said "Jordan was definitely found guilty of this violation which was against SIM policy and, we believe, in violation of US law. From a biblical perspective, he was definitely in sin, without question." The Village Church learned of Jordan's child pornography activity from SIM in late December, and Karen's concerns that Jordan may have molested children, according to an email to Karen from Richard Brindley, a pastor at the Village Church's Dallas Northway campus, where the couple had previously attended. Jordan was fired by SIM in February (after two months - after the couple returned to the U.S.).
  On the next two points, it is critical to recall that SIM already found Jordan guilty, and notified the Village Church leadership prior to those leaders's heinous acts. Clearly, The Village Church leadership hypocritically expected Karen to submit to their "supposed" authority; however, The Village Church leadership did not fully heed SIM's council (later admitted by the Village Church pastor Matt Chandler)! The hired hands among the Village Church leadership failed to notify the congregation immediately of the wolf among them; rather, church leaders enouraged the congregants to spend time with Jordan!		The Village Church elders indicated that they reported Jordan to local authorities. The Village Church urged church members to say hello to the couple, Jordan and Karen, and spend time with them. The Village Church did not notify the congregation of Jordan's child pornography activities, claiming it could cause parents to panic and a "devastating stigma" on Jordan's life. This is a list of Jordan Root's access to children via employment and volunteer capacities beginning his freshman year of college provided by Karen: Paid: Daycare in Albany, NY (Prior to 2003 and then off and on until 2007) Daycare in Cedarville, OH (Period of time between 2004 and 2007) Summer Camp at First Baptist Dallas, Dallas, TX (May-August 2008) Dolfin Swim School, Dallas, TX (September 2008-July 2010) In Class Learning Differences Aid, Dallas, TX (September-December 2010) Practicum Counselor at Dallas Life, Dallas, TX (worked with families and children; January-August 2011) Private Children's Swim Instructor, Dallas, TX (June-September 2011) Mental Health Technician at Timberlawn Mental Health Services, Dallas, TX (November 2011-March 2012) Therapist on the Child and Adolescent Unit at Timberlawn Mental Health Services, Dallas, TX (March 2012-May 2014) A substantial amount of paid babysitting over these years in Albany, NY, Cedarville, OH, and Dallas, TX Unpaid: Informal Children's Ministry to Refugee Children in Vickery Meadows, Dallas, TX (2008-2011) Lived in Santa Fe Trails Apartment Complex, Dallas, TX; spent a lot of time alone with children (2008-2012) Volunteered in children's and youth ministries at various churches in Cedarville, OH and Dallas, TX (and possibly Albany, NY) A substantial amount of unpaid babysitting over these years in Albany, NY, Cedarville, OH, and Dallas, TX
  		Much later, in March the Village Church did notify the congregation of Jordan's child pornography activities, after SIM and Karen communicated it widely and people started to complain to the church. The Village Church pastor Matt Chandler would not discuss details of Jordan's case except to say that their church policy requires notifying the authorities for any accusation or confession of abuse or child endangerment. The church also immediately places restrictions on anyone accused of being a danger to children. The Village Church leaders have not always immediately informed the congregation of allegations of abuse, they have informed all the staff, including church security personnel, Chandler said.
  Karen's request to withdraw from the Village Church membership roster was declined by the Village Church leadership in a severe bought of arrogance. The Village Church leadership attempted to coerce Karen to submit to their unscriptural and illegitimate authority by intrusively manipulating Karen's friends, family, and supporters - people that could help her recover from the habitation separation from Jordan and the marriage annulment she sought, yet the Village Church leadership opposed!		Karen asked the Village Church elders to help her separate her finances from Jordan's finances. The Village Church elders declined saying that it might lead to a divorce. Karen withdrew her membershkip from the Village Church two weeks later, and Karen notified the Village Church that she had also filed for a legal annulment of her marriage. In February, Karen wrote to the Village Church leaders "I recognize both Jordan's and my need for a church family who can love and care for us as we pursue our individual paths of healing and recovery," and "For my own health and the health of all parties involved, I have decided it is not best for me to be in the care of the same church family as Jordan." Quote from Karen Hinkley resignation letter dated February 11, 2015: I ask that The Village Church refrain from any future communication on my behalf to my friends, family, and supporters, The Village Church rejected both the annulment and the membership withdrawal: because Karen signed a membership covenant agreeing to "walk through the steps of marriage reconciliation at TVC before pursuing divorce from my spouse," Karen received a letter from one of the Village Church's pastors, Matt Younger: Younger wrote that Jordan's conduct "must have inflicted a great wound upon you, one that we cannot fully understand" Quoting Younger: "We desire to care for you and lead you in a manner that is worthy of the gospel." Quoting Younger: "We have been perplexed by your decision to file for an annulment of your marriage without first abiding by your covenant obligations to submit to the care and direction of your elders. As I mentioned in my first letter, this decision violates your covenant with us-and places you under discipline. Per section 10.5 of The Village Church bylaws, you are prohibited from voluntarily resigning membership while subject to the formal disciplinary process. We cannot, therefore, accept your resignation." Quoting Younger: "We are confident that The Village Church is where the Lord would have you during this season of your life. We believe that The Village can adequately care for both you and Jordan, even as you are separated." offers a "robust care plan" and a "modified home assignment".
  Jordan was off the hook for church discipline with the Village Church leadership - after all, he was submitted to their authority. Karen was to be crushed under the weight of church leadership authority - at all costs to her!		Jordan was not placed on church discipline because Jordan "has begun to walk in repentance and willingly submitted to the direction of his pastors," the Village Church said in an email to the congregation. "...Instead, moving forward, Jordan will remain in a season of intentional pastoral care, where his role will be to remain faithful to actions in keeping with repentance (Acts 26:20), pursuing holiness and purity, and continuing to flee from sin." Karen indicates "In signing their Membership Covenant shortly after my 24th birthday, I had agreed to nothing in regards to the possibility of annulment should I come to realize that my marriage had been a complete sham from the beginning," she wrote. "There is a vast difference between a divorce and a marriage that is voided on the grounds of fraud." According to Karen, under Texas law, if a person voluntarily cohabitates with their spouse after learning of the fraud, then they do not qualify for an annulment. "If I had 'come back together [with Root] for the sake of pursuing possible reconciliation,' I would not have had the option of having the fraudulent marriage annulled," Karen wrote. "I would have been forced to choose between resuming a marriage to a fraudulent pedophile and pursuing a divorce."" The Village Church pastor Steve Hardin inadvertently copied Karen on an email intended for the Village Church pastor Richard Brindley and the Village Church pastor Matt Younger after receiving word of her letter to withdraw her church membership: "Any back story on her email? Where is she living? Have we tried to help push her under our *care?" The annulment of Karen and Jordan's marriage was finalized on April 16.
  Karen nobly indicates her love for children when she spoke out. The Village Church was being secretive about the matter - until light pierced their darkness.		Karen issued a statement, included in the ChristianToday.com article published on May 22, that includes the following points and quotes: Karen said the discovery of Jordan's use of child pornography was "an indescribable shock and triggered a thorough upheaval of every aspect of my life". "what has become even more troubling than the issues that have come to light in Jordan's life has been the consistent refusal of the pastors and elders of The Village Church to respond in a way that takes into account the seriousness of the situation at hand". She also accused them of "spiritual abuse", saying: "The treatment of Jordan as the victim and me as the perpetrator by the leadership of the church is an appalling reversal that evidences priorities that are not in line with the Word of God." "She told Christian Today she believed there was 'an unwavering commitment to an extreme theology of church authority combined with a strong desire to control the narrative and maintain control of the situation' at The Village Church." According to Christian Today, "She said that after she arrived in Dallas, she was told by a pastor that the elders were instructing her not to separate her finances from her husband's because it 'felt too much like a step toward divorce' to them and they were 'not ready to approve any steps that would bring further separation to our marriage'. Karen stated, "When I asked why the elders felt as though my choices about personal finances were within the scope of their authority, I was informed that 'In a marriage separation, every aspect of your marriage is under the authority of the elders of the church',". Karen said the main reason she decided to speak out was that she feared that her former husband might pose a risk to children. As of late May 2015, Jordan Root was a currently licensed professional counselor in the state of Texas, License Number: 68895.
  Key point: a single day before things became radically public on ChristianToday.com... The parties were at a standstill. Only two pastors sat down with Karen to apologize in person - where were all the other leaders?		As late as May 21, 2015, things were at a standstill. In late May 2015, the Village Church pastor Matt Chandler apologized during a sermon at the Village Church, saying that church leader counseling had turned into "control" and that "That is behavior unbefitting to an elder of the church of Jesus Christ,". He also said. "We did not act in accordance with the grace we have been shown by Christ. Please forgive us." The Village Church pastor Matt Chandler did not mention Karen by name in the sermon. The Village Church pastor Matt Chandler and pastor Josh Patterson sat down with Karen Hinkley, and they specifically told her, after further review of her situation, that she did have biblical grounds for divorce or annulment, that she should have been released from Covenant Membership as she requested and that she should not have been put under church discipline.
  Did the Village Church go outside the church for a licensed sex offender treatment provider to counsel Jordan?		In a letter to the Village Church members, pastor Matt Chandler and other church leaders: apologized to the church and to Karen and wrote "We are sorry for our error and how it affected Karen," wrote, "We reached out to several individuals at SIM, including the president, to apologize for times when we did not fully heed their counsel and were perceived to be threatening," explained that the Village Church engaged a licensed sex offender treatment provider to counsel Jordan, and that the Village Church would follow that provider's recommendations. explained that The Village Church's abuse prevention and reporting procedures will be reviewed by experts the discipline procedures will be "a much more patient process" that keeps an eye out for the need for "specialized treatment that goes beyond the kind of care that we, or even a qualified biblical counselor, can offer."
  THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN SPIRITUALLY ABUSED BY THE VILLAGE CHURCH LEADERS - THE VILLAGE CHURCH PASTOR MATT CHANDLER CLEARLY ADMITTED! Under the guise of prohibiting gossip, men like the Village Church leaders squelch people. Are they really changed? They still call themselves church leaders in opposition to the very Word of God.		SIM's Salloum said: "In general, we prefer that missionaries be in good relationship with the sending church," "I'm not going to say we wouldn't redeploy a person if they didn't have a good relationship with their church, but it would be a factor we would consider." he's uncertain whether Karen could work with SIM again if she found another church which would support her. "Karen's a victim. That's the reality," "She needs a lot of care, touch, and encouragement. The situation around her got bigger than I think anyone thought it was going to get, but at the end we care as much about Karen as we do about Jordan." The Village Church pastor Matt Chandler admitted that the Village Church has been too heavy handed at times in requiring members to stick to the church's covenant: "There are specific instances where we have let our practices blind us to the person sitting in front of us," he said. "We want to own our mistakes and apologize for that. When we have sinned-we want to own our sin and ask for forgiveness." he said the church will reach out to anyone it has harmed through church discipline to apologize and to try to make things right. That includes admitting that the church elders have failed to uphold their part of the church's membership covenant, which requires them to treat everyone-including struggling members-with care and compassion. "We have failed to do that," he said. ["]If there is anyone else who has been dealt with harshly in the past or is being dealt with harshly-we want to own that and work to restore that relationship."

  In September 2017 Chritianity Today reported that the Village Church leadership plans to separate it's six campuses into six autonomous churches over the course of the next five years, pending a member vote. A key point of the article is that "the churches will roll out new names". This begs the huge question - despite the statements of the article - what does an organization do with a tainted brand name? The answer: the organization either (1) drops the brand, (2) integrates the brand into another brand, (3) changes the name of the brand, and/or (4) claims improvements to the brand (Matt Chandler's Village Church Ends Multisite Era [opens to ChristianityToday.com] by Kate Shellnutt posted on September 28, 2017).

• An 8 Year Long Ordeal?

  • Related articles:
    • Life Today with James Robison | TBN - Mark Driscoll: A Journey of Forgiveness (Video) [opens to TBN.org]
           April 6, 2017
    • Transcript of Life Today - Mark Driscoll: A Journey of Forgiveness [opens to LifeToday.org]
           April 6, 2017
  • Warren Throckmorton's articles:
    • A Former Mars Hill Pastor Speaks Out and Why Others Are Afraid: The Mars Hill Church Non-Disclosure Agreement [opens to Patheos.com] (posted on March 9, 2014)
    • Former Mars Hill Pastors Repent at New Website [opens to Patheos.com] (posted on March 29, 2014)
    • Acts 29 Network Removes Co-founder Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill Church From Membership (UPDATED) [opens to Patheos.com] (posted on August 8, 2014)
    • Mars Hill Church Board Reacts to Being Removed from Acts 29 Network (UPDATE) [opens to Patheos.com] (posted on August 8, 2014)
    • Twenty-One Former Mars Hill Church Pastors Bring Formal Charges Against Mark Driscoll [opens to Patheos.com] (posted on August 21, 2014)
    • Nine Current Mars Hill Church Elders Take a Bold Stand [opens to Patheos.com] (posted on August 28, 2014)
    • Mark Driscoll Launches The Trinity Church (VIDEO) [opens to Patheos.com] (posted on August 7, 2016)
    • Read the Plan of Dissolution for Mars Hill Church [opens to Patheos.com] (posted on March 31, 2017)
    • From the Archives: Mars Hill Church Elders Post Letter of Confession to Bent Meyer and Paul Petry [opens to Patheos.com] (posted on April 15, 2017)
  • Former Mars Hill Church Pastor Dave Kraft's articles:
    • Do You Swear To Tell The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But The Truth, So Help You God...I do! [opens to davekraft.squarespace.com/] (posted on March 8, 2014)
    • Dave Kraft, Mars Hill Church and Mark Driscoll [opens to davekraft.squarespace.com/] (posted on March 21, 2014)
  • Additional Highly Relevant Articles:
    • Driscoll ousted by faith network he co-founded [opens to SeattleTimes.com] (by Craig Welch on August 8, 2014)
    • Sign or face the consequences - Faith & Religion - WORLD [opens to world.wng.org] (by Warren Cole Smith on March 7, 2014)
    • Elevation Church stands out in Charlotte for its growth and governance [opens to CharlotteObserver.com] (by Tim Funk and Rick Rothacker on July 12, 2016 with CO Editor's note: This story was first posted in January 2014)

  Beneficial Note: A plethora of elders are described in the Bible respecting the Assembly of God, but man has twisted the meaning of elder and pastor by inconsistently and wickedly interpreting office, responsibility, duty, authority, and governance - and "executive elder" as Mars Hill Church leaders did.

  To discern the events:		To summarize the events as found in the above articles:
  Satan is the father of lies Lies and secrecy stoke confusion		Back on 6 April 2017 Mark Driscoll, pastor of The Trinity Church in Scottsdale (Arizona, USA) and former pastor of the scandalous and now defunct Mars Hill Church formerly in Seattle (Washington, USA), made an appearance on the Life Today show with Randy Robison and Sheila Walsh. Mark indicated 8 years of contention among at Mars Hill Church leadership "behind the scenes over who is in charge and how things play out" among 67 elders across 5 states among 15 locations.
  NDA = secrecy antonyms:   concealment transparent		Mark explicily stated "I signed a non-disclosure agreement" (NDA); furthermore, he told the hosts that they are not to talk about certain aspects Mars Hill Church. Mark said "I was very concerned about the well-being of those people because there's -- a lot of churches have fights or conflicts or governance battles, it is nothing new but it is the dear people that don't understand sometimes what's going on and they pay the highest price and they're unsure even of what happened".
  This astounds me, that the blind guides, the pastors of Mars Hill Church, are blind to the fact that they integrated the world into their kingdom with a Non-disclosure Agreement. Money carrot: Mars Hill Church leaders used severance pay as well as medical/dental/long-term disability/vision benefits as a barter tool in exchange for silence from the church employees. In a purely illegal and unethical move under California and US law, the pastors attempt to exert restricted speech against the spouse of the church employee in the "Confidential Information" would be punishable by the courts of the land. The "Confidential Information" section claims control over "inventions", "improvements", "financial information", "marketing", "donor lists", "personnel", "concepts", "members and church guests", and so many other points of information. If they "invented" some fantastic "concept" of "marketing" (method of outreach), then they try to withhold it from other churches... What kind of church are they then? The pastors even threaten the church employees with paying for the legal eagles that Mars Hill Church leaders would use to sue the church employees. More money in the mix - this time as scare tactics. The pastors even try to bind the spouse of the church employee in the "Non-Disparagement" such that even speaking negatively about Mars Hill business practices is punishable - by the courts of the land. Hiding something?		A few actual letters provide clear insight of the turmoil, even intense confusion, surrounding the Mars Hill Church offices of the pastors, the following letters are chuch leaders to church leaders - even including a church pastor to church pastor letter. LETTER: Mars Hill Church Non-disclosure Agreement a.k.a. Separation and Release Agreement (converted from PDF to text by Online OCR [opens to OnlineOCR.net] [the recognition engine appears to have encountered some noise, so the NDA contains some minor textual errors that need correction; however, the context of the sentences make word replacements and punctuation obvious thus making the meaning clear. I may return to this in the future to clean up the NDA using the PDF], and the source document for Online OCR was obtained from MH-Separation-and-Release-Agreement-1.pdf [opens to wp.patheos.com.s3.amazonaws.com] as available on A Former Mars Hill Pastor Speaks Out and Why Others Are Afraid: The Mars Hill Church Non-Disclosure Agreement by Warren Throckmorton posted on March 9, 2014): Date uncertain MARS HILL CHURCH Re: Separation and Release Agreement Dear This letter (-Agreement') sets forth our agreement regarding the terms of your separation of employment with Mars Hill Church ("Mars Hill n). Both you and Mars Hill desire that your separation be on an amicable basis and want to permanently resolve and avoid any disputes concerning your employment with and separation from Mars Hill as well as any other relationships with Mars Hill> Consequently, we have agreed as follows: I. Date of Separation. Your last day of employment is a Separation Date"). Effective on the Separation Date you understand you no longer De employed by Mars Hill. 2. Severance and Other Consideration, in addition to the payment of any wages and all sums earned or owed to you as of the Separation Date, as consideration for this Agreement, Mars Hill will (a) Pay you an amount equal to your current oros sai v (less applicable deductions and legally required withholdings) through - *--e "Severance Period"). The initial payment will occur on aria payments will be made on the 151h and last day of each month (or sooner it 15- or last day of the month falls on a weekend or holiday) with your last payment being made on (b) Until Dr sooner if other coverage from other employment goes into effect), aiiow you to continue to participate in Mars Hill sponsored medical/dental/long- term disability/vision benefits, Effective the clay immediately following your Separation Date, Mars Hill vv II stop contributing to your Flexible Spending Account or Health Saving Account; however, you may continue to have the option to contribute to the account on a pre-tax basis. You may be eligible for continuation of benefits for medical/dental/vision coverage and will receive information explaining continuation of benefits coverage in a separate document. You will be ineligible to continue your retirement contributions through Mars Hill's retirement plan effective the day immediately following your Separation Date. (c) You acknowledge and agree that said consideration and benefits constitute sufficient and adequate consideration for the enforcement of all provisions contained in this Agreement, and that after the Separation Date, you will receive no further salary, benefits, bonuses, vacation pay, sick pay, severance pay, wages in lieu of notice, expense reimbursement or similar payments or c rnpensation from a s Hill except and to the extent set forth in this paragraph 2 above. Release. In consideration of the above severance payments and consideration, you hereby on behalf of yourself and your spouse, agents, heirs, executors, estates, representatives, successors and assigns, irrevocably and unconditionally release and forever discharge Mars Hill and any and all of its members, elders, deacons, managers, directors, administrators, employee benefit plans, officers, affiliates, employees, agents, predecessors, successors and assigns from any and all actions, debts, liabilities, rights, attorneys' fees, costs, grievances, suits, causes of action, charges, EEOC charges (meaning your right to recover monetary damages arising out of said EEOC charges) claims and demands, whether known or unknown. which you have had now have or can shall or may have against them in law or equity, under federal, state or other law, whether the same be upon statutory or common law claim, contract, tort or other authority, including attorney fees and costs, for any reason whatsoever, including without limitation any claims of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation on any basis including, among others, race, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability under any law, including but not limited to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Civil Rights Act of 1991; 42 U.S.C, �1981 and �1982, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act the Older Worker Benefit Protection Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Equal Pay Act, the Employee Retirement income Security Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, the U.S. Code, Labor, the Washington State Law Against Discrimination, the Washington State Family Leave Act, and any other federal, state, or local law or ordinance, public policy, whistleblower, contract, tort, common law or any law sounding in equity. By its terms, this Agreement includes not only claims arising before the effective date of this Agreement, but also any and all claims arising after such date which arise from the then-present effect of acts or conduct occurring before the effective date of the Agreement. Indemnification. YOU agree that you will indemnify and hold harmless the parties released above against loss, including without limitation costs of defense and legal fees incurred by them, occurring as a result of any actions, causes of action, charges, claims or demands made or brought by you or on your behalf relating in any way to the claims released above. You further agree that in the event you breach any of your obligations under this Agreement, Mars Hill will be entitled to recover all monies paid to you under paragraph 2 above and to obtain all other remedies, provided by law or equity, including without limitation actual damages and injunctive relief; and that this clause does not constitute :a liquidated damages provision such that Mars Hill would not be entitled to damages or other relief in addition to the recovery of monies paid to you under paragraph 2. 5. Confidential Information. (a) You and your spouse agree at all tirnes to keep in confidence and trust and not to use, divulge or otherwise disclose for any purpose any Confidential Information of Mars Hill, "Confidential Information' means any information pertaining to inventions. Page 3 improvements, modifications, discoveries, costs, profits. financial information, marketing, strategy, promotions, projections, estimates, procedures, donor lists or other related information, products, personnel, employee compensation, operational methods, concepts, technical processes and applications, members and church guests, including contribution history, serving records, contact information, appointments made with pastors, information discussed during meetings or counseling sessions, all personal information related to Mars Hill elders, employees, and any other business affairs and methods of Mars Hill and its affiliates, collaborators, consultants, suppliers, and customers. as well as any other similar information not readily available to the public. including without limitation any information supplied by third parties to Mars Hill under an obligation of confidence. Confidential Information may be contained in various media, including without limitation patent applications, computer programs in object and/or source code, flow charts and other program documentation, manuals, books, plans, drawings, designs, technical specifications, supplier and donor lists or membership rolls, internal financial data and other documents and whether or not in written form and whether or not labeled or identified as confidential or proprietary, The obligations specified in this paragraph will not apply to any information that: (i) is or becomes publicly available without your breach of this Agreement; (ii) is received by you from a third party without restriction or obligation of confidentiality; or (iii) that the above-, referenced parties (other than you) make generally available to other third parties without restriction. You represent and warrant that you have returned to Mars Hill all items (including electronic copies) containing or embodying Confidential Information, except that you may keep your personal copies of your compensation records and this Agreement. You further agree to fully comply with any and all other prior agreements or applicable law regarding the protection of Mars Hill's confidential information. (b) You agree that any intentional or unintentional violation of your obligations under this paragraph 5 will cause irreparable harm to Mars Hill, and not withstanding the provisions of paragraph 6 regarding mediation and arbitration, that Mars Hill shall have the right to enforce the provisions of this paragraph in any court of law or equity and to seek all remedies available to it including without limitation, injunctive relief, monetary damages, costs and attorneys fees. Christian Alternative Dispute Resolution, In keeping with 1 Corinthians 6:1-8, all disputes which may arise under this Agreement shall be resolved by mediation, and if not resolved by mediation, then by mandatory binding arbitration under the procedures and supervision of the Rules of Procedure for Christian Conciliation of the Institute for Christian Conciliation, or similar faith-based mediation and arbitration group. In the event that the Institute for. Christian Conciliation ceases to exist during the course of this Agreement or should the use of the Rules of Procedure for Christian Conciliation fail to meet the procedural standards required under state law for mandatory binding arbitration, arbitration under this section shall be conducted according to the rules of the American Arbitration Association, Judgment upon an arbitration award may be entered in any court otherwise having jurisdiction, The parties each agree to bear their own costs related to any mediation or arbitration proceeding including payment of their own attorneys' fees, Either party may file a motion seeking temporary, preliminary and permanent injunctive relief from a court of competent jurisdiction to prevent a breach of this Agreement by the other party in order to maintain the status quo unto the underlying dispute or claim can be submitted for mediation or arbitration. You acknowledge that (i) you wish for any disputes between yourself and Mars Hill to be subject to the alternative dispute resolution procedures, including mandatory binding arbitration, described in this paragraph 6: (ii) you have access to a copy of the Rules of Procedure for Christian Conciliation for your review at wvr,v.peacemaker.net and you desire for those procedures to be used in any mediation or arbitration between you and Mars Hill; (iii) you are receiving adequate consideration for this provision, (iv) you fully understand the binding force and effect of tills provision, including without limitation, that with arbitration you and Mars Hill are giving up the right to a trial by a Court or jury with respect to the matters covered in this Agi eernent, and (v) you are freely and voluntarily agreeing to mandatory arbitration of disputes herein. Non-Disparagement. You and our spouse agree that you shall not make any negative or disparaging remarks about Mars Hill or its elders, deacons, officers, employees, managers, ministries or business practices. Miscellaneous. (a) YOU represent and warrant that you have made no assignment of any of your claims, rights or obligations described herein, or any part thereof, to any other person or entity, (h) You and your spouse agree that you will keep the terms and conditions of this Agreement confidential, (c) if any provision of this Agreement is declared invalid or unenforceable, the remaining portions of the Agreement shall not be affected thereby and shall be enforced. The language of this Agreement shall be construed as a whole, according to its fair meaning and not strictly for or against either of the parties hereto. (d) This Agreement shall at all times be construed and governed by the laws of the State of Washington and the applicable provisions of the federal laws of the United States. Venue shall reside in King County, Washington. (e) Nothing contained in this Agreement shall constitute or be treated as an admission by you or Mars Hill of liability, of any wrongdoing. or of any violation of law (f) You agree that except as expressly provided in this Agreement, this Agreement renders null and void any and all prior agreements between you and Mars Hill regarding your employment; that this Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between you and Mars Hill regarding the subject matter of this Agreement; and that this Agreement may be modified only by a written document signed by you and a duly authorized officer of Mars Hill. You do not rely on any representation, promise, or inducement. other than covenants made in this Agreement. Page 5 (g) You agree that this Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be an original, but all of which shall together constitute one agreement. 9 Representations. You have the right to consult with an attorney of your choosing, at your own expense, before signing this Agreement, and you understand and acknowledge that whether or not to consult with an attorney is your decision. You expressly acknowledge that you have carefully taken sufficient time to consider this Agreement before signing and that you fully understand all provisions, covenants, releases and waivers contained in this Agreement, You are entering into this Agreement knowingly and voluntarily of your own free will with the intent to be bound hereby, and have not been forced or coerced into entering into this Agreement. You acknowledge that this agreement is written in a manner calculated to be understood by you You understand and agree that the amounts and benefits to be paid and other consideration to be provided to you by this Agreement are in excess of what you would be otherwise entitled to receive as a separated employee of Mars Hill. [Signature Page Follows]
  The letter to Paul and Bent is brutal. It is brutally honest. It shows the brutality that Paul and Bent underwent. The date of the letter, November 2, 2014, comes after the intense exposures of August 2014 letters (below). This brings me to a question: Why did the church leader signatories fo the letter wait until the walls of Mars Hill Church were crumbling around them to issue an apology? The letter was issued about seven years AFTER the events described in the letter, so those men drew their salaries from the Mars Hill Church coffers - the church's corporate account - and they had their soft pillows to lay their heads at night. For 7 years.		LETTER: Mars Hill Church leaders Apologize to Mars Hill Church Leaders (obtained from archive.org because repentantpastor.com changed copy of below letter on archive.org): November 2, 2014 Dear Paul and Bent, we want to publicly confess our sin against you regarding events that took place at Mars Hill Church back in 2007. We were wrong. We harmed you. You have lived with the pain of that for many years. As some of us have come to each of you privately, you have extended grace and forgiveness, and for that we thank you. Because our sin against you happened in a public way and with public consequences, we want to make our confession public as well with this letter. On September 30th 2007, you were both terminated from your employment as pastors at Mars Hill Church. Your status as elders of the church was suspended, according to the church's bylaws at the time, pending an investigation of your qualification for eldership. It's hard to imagine just how disorienting and painful this experience must have been for you. That night, Bent, you called Mike Wilkerson, your direct supervisor, to let him know that you'd been terminated. Within hours, Paul, you emailed all of the elders to notify us of what had happened to you that night. We had the opportunity and the responsibility to intervene, to care, to listen to you, and to make sure that any harmful treatment against you was corrected. Instead, we allowed the process of your investigation and trial to continue unimpeded and we participated in it. By failing to intervene and by participating in that process without protest, we implied to the members of Mars Hill Church, to each other, and to you and your families that your termination was above reproach. We stood by as it happened, and that was wrong. We now believe that you were grievously sinned against in that termination. We believe that the termination meeting's content and tone was abrupt, one sided, and threatening. Hearing each of you recount your experiences of this meeting is shocking and sad. By failing to intervene, we enabled a growing trend of misuses and abuses of power and authority that would be feared and tolerated by the rest of the church's eldership. We now understand that these sorts of overpowering actions against elders were some of the very concerns that you had each expressed regarding some of the pending proposed changes to the bylaws. It is tragic that you were proved right by your own experiences. The harm permitted by our failure to protect you has had a devastating and lasting impact on you, your families, Mars Hill Church, and the watching world. Paul, On October 15, 2007, all twenty-three elders at the time-including most of us signers of this letter-voted that you were in violation of the biblical qualifications of eldership. The alleged violations included a "lack of trust and respect for spiritual authority". All but two of the elders then voted to remove you from eldership based on these perceived violations. We now believe our decisions were invalid and wrong. The entire investigation and trial process was skewed by the implication that your termination was above reproach and for just cause. If there had been sin in your life that might have warranted a warning about possible disqualification from eldership, we should have patiently, carefully, and directly addressed it with you before the matter became so extremely escalated. By reporting our wrongheaded assessment to the church, we put doubt about your character in the minds of church members, though you had done nothing to warrant such embarrassment and scrutiny. By doing this, we misled the whole church, harmed your reputation, and damaged the unity of the body of Christ. Bent, On October 29, 2007, all twenty-three elders at the time-including most of us signers of this letter-agreed that you were guilty of "displaying an unhealthy lack of trust in, and respect for, the senior leadership of Mars Hill Church". We also unanimously approved that, based on your repentance, you would remain an elder of the church on probation. Bent, we were wrong to have called you guilty of lacking trust and respect for the senior leadership of the church when you had good reasons for challenging the church's senior leadership. We were wrong to have insisted that you repent of this lacking trust as a condition of your continued eldership, because it was not sinful on your part in the first place. Bent and Paul, you each had every right as an elder to openly express your strong concerns about the bylaws and to influence our thinking so that we might have made the most informed decision possible. You also had good reason to contact the church's attorney about those bylaws. These were not sinful acts of mistrust on your part, but reasonable acts of due diligence. We needed to learn from you at that time and we should have trusted you and respected your spiritual authority as elders of the church to educate us about potential problems with those bylaws. Instead, we silenced your voices through our complicity in your terminations and our decisions to remove Paul as an elder and keep Bent on probation instead of examining the issues more closely. Paul, On December 5th, 2007 those of us who were elders at the time voted to instruct the members of Mars Hill Church to treat you as an unrepentant believer under church discipline after you had resigned your membership from the church. This treatment was to have included "rejection and disassociation" in the hope that you would "come to an acknowledgment of [your] sin and repent." This instruction was given with the weight of all twenty-seven elders at the time. This disciplinary rejection led to great loss to your family in extreme financial hardship, sudden loss of long standing friendships, spiritual and emotional trauma to your family, and the public shaming of your character. We share responsibility for those losses due to our participation in the vote. A church disciplinary act of this magnitude is extreme. It's perhaps the most powerful that can be enacted upon a pastor. We now think that motion was hasty and harmful. We should have challenged the motion rather than approving it. Instead, we used our voting power as elders in a way that resulted in further harm to you. Further, we brought disrepute on the Church and its responsibility to exercise church discipline in a godly, loving and redemptive way. We failed to love you as a fellow elder and brother in Christ. Confessing our sins against you has been a process that has taken us some time. We have engaged in self-examination, challenged our memories of what happened by reviewing the documents and interviewing one another, and spent time listening to you and your wives tell your heartbreaking stories. Many of us have met personally with each of you over the years to confess our sin and to seek forgiveness for our sinful actions and inaction. We don't intend to convey by this letter that we are the only elders or former elders who've come to similar conclusions, and we hope that in time, the others will join us in public confession. Our desire is to clear the reproach from your names. We hope that our confession also brings healing to the many past and present members of Mars Hill Church whose hearts were broken for you and your families as a result of our sin. As part of our commitment to walk in repentance, we invite anyone who has been impacted by our sins against you to contact any of us so we can continue to walk in repentance by listening, confessing, and asking for forgiveness. Paul and Bent, we are sorry for our sinful behavior toward you, for harming you, and for bringing shame to Christ's church. We hope that you will forgive us. May the peace and grace of our Lord heal our hearts. Signed, Mars Hill Elders as of October, 2007 -Scott Thomas -Dave Kraft -Gary Shavey -Steve Tompkins -Brad House -Phil Smidt -Mike Wilkerson -James Harleman -Lief Moi -Adam Sinnett -Jesse Winkler -Zack Hubert -Tim Reber -James Dahlman -Dick McKinley Additional Mars Hill Elders as of December 5th, 2007 -Jon Krombein -Matt Johnson -Joe Day
  The Board of Acts 29 had been the recipients of countless shots and dozens of fires directly linked to Mark Driscoll, and the board considered Mark's actions ungodly behavior. Despite the stated fact that multiple church pastors WITHIN the Acts 29 church network CONFIRMED Mark Driscoll's behavior, the Acts 29 Board PUBLICLY supported Mark Driscoll and by extension the Mars Hill Church leadership. Where is the love of Christ for three years for the members of Mars Hill Church? The Board of Acts 29 did not stop with the firing of Mark Driscoll, but the Board of Acts 29 removed Mars Hill Church from the Acts 29 membership. The Board of Acts 29 clearly indicates a "plan of reconciliation" existed for Mars Hill. The Board of Acts 29 explicitly states that it does not have faith that Mars Hill Church leaders were capable of executing the "plan of reconciliation".		LETTER: Acts 29 Church Network Fires Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll And Admonishes Mars Hill Church Leaders: Date uncertain, but Warren Throckmorton indicated he received the below letter from several Acts 29 Church Network pastors, and Warren posted it on August 8, 2014 Mark, As the Board of Acts 29, we are grateful to God for the leadership, courage, and generosity of both you and Mars Hill in not only founding the network but also sustaining it through the transition to this board three years ago. The very act of giving away your authority over the network was one of humility and grace, and for that we are grateful. Over the past three years, our board and network have been the recipients of countless shots and dozens of fires directly linked to you and what we consider ungodly and disqualifying behavior. We have both publicly and internally tried to support and give you the benefit of the doubt, even when multiple pastors in our network confirmed this behavior. In response, we leaned on the Mars Hill Board of Advisors & Accountability to take the lead in dealing with this matter. But we no longer believe the BoAA is able to execute the plan of reconciliation originally laid out. Ample time has been given for repentance, change, and restitution, with none forthcoming. We now have to take another course of action. Based on the totality of the circumstances, we are now asking you to please step down from ministry for an extended time and seek help. Consequently, we also feel that we have no alternative but to remove you and Mars Hill from membership in Acts 29. Because you are the founder of Acts 29 and a member, we are naturally associated with you and feel that this association discredits the network and is a major distraction. We tell you this out of love for you, Mars Hill, Acts 29, and most significantly, the cause of Christ, and we would be irresponsible and deeply unloving not to do so in a clear and unequivocal manner. Again, we want you to know that we are eternally thankful for what you as a man and Mars Hill as a church have meant to our network. However, that cannot dissuade us from action. Instead, it gives added significance and importance to our decision. We hope and pray that you see this decision as the action of men who love you deeply and want you to walk in the light-for your good, the good of your family, and the honor of your Savior. Shortly after sending this, we will be informing the members of Acts 29, your Board of Advisors and Accountability, and your elders, as well as putting out a public statement on the Acts 29 website. It brings us no joy to move forward in this direction, and we trust that the Lord will be at work in all of this. In sorrow and with hope, The Board of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network Matt Chandler Darrin Patrick Steve Timmis Eric Mason John Bryson Bruce Wesley Leonce Crump
  There is no doubt that something radical happened in this struggle between pastors - even if both the LETTERS in items 7, 8 9, 11, 12, and 13 are discounted.		LETTER: Acts 29 Church Network Notice To Public about Mark Driscoll Firing as well as Mars Hill Church Termination From Acts 29 Church Network (obtained from archive.org because Acts29Network.org seems to have relocated the page copy of below letter on archive.org): August 8, 2014 A Message from the Board of Acts 29 concerning Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill Church It is with deep sorrow that the Acts 29 Network announces its decision to remove Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill Church from membership in the network. Mark and the Elders of Mars Hill have been informed of the decision, along with the reasons for removal. It is our conviction that the nature of the accusations against Mark, most of which have been confirmed by him, make it untenable and unhelpful to keep Mark and Mars Hill in our network. In taking this action, our prayer is that it will encourage the leadership of Mars Hill to respond in a distinctive and godly manner so that the name of Christ will not continue to be dishonored. The Board of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network Matt Chandler Darrin Patrick Steve Timmis Eric Mason John Bryson Bruce Wesley Leonce Crump
  The Mars Hill Church Board of Advisors and Accountability (BOAA) indicates that they "are making real progress in addressing the serious reconciliation and unhealthy culture issues that have been a part of Mars Hill Church for way too long" in the first paragraph of the letter to the "Men", yet the contradictory fourth paragraph contains "There is clear evidence that the attitudes and behaviors attributed to Mark in the charges are not a part and have not been a part of Mark's life for some time now". According to Warren Throckmorton, (1) only the two remaining independent members of the BOAA signed this letter, (2) the other two independent members, Paul Tripp and James MacDonald recently resigned (unclear when they resigned), and (3) the "executive elders" did not sign the letter despite the executive elders being on the BOAA.		LETTER: Mars Hill Church Leaders Telling Reaction to Acts 29 Church Network: August 8, 2014: Warren Throckmorton indicates the below letter circulated "in the member's weekly email, Mars Hill Church Board of Advisors and Accountability responded to today's news that the church had been removed from the Acts 29 Network". Update from the Board of Advisors & Accountability Earlier today our board chairman, as well as many of our other pastors, received a letter from Matt Chandler, the president of Acts 29. The letter notified us that the board of Acts 29 has removed Pastor Mark and Mars Hill from membership in the Acts 29 church planting network. Our board responded to the letter with the following update to our elders, and we wanted to share it with you as well. Men, I told the lead pastors at the recent annual retreat that we are making real progress in addressing the serious reconciliation and unhealthy culture issues that have been a part of Mars Hill Church for way too long. And we are. I also told them that more opposition would undoubtedly be coming, and it has. Friendly fire always hurts the most. I have never in my life spoken with Matt Chandler or any of the A29 board members for that matter (except Darrin Patrick, once about 4 years ago as part of Pastor Mark's employment review process which he used to be a part of). In addition, no one from Acts 29 contacted Larry Osborne of our board prior to this decision. And perhaps most significantly, Pastor Mark was not personally contacted by the A29 board prior to receiving this announcement. So I am not quite sure what Matt means by "leaning on the board to take the lead in dealing with this matter". Be assured of this, the formal charges that were filed were serious, were taken seriously and were not dismissed by the board lightly. There is clear evidence that the attitudes and behaviors attributed to Mark in the charges are not a part and have not been a part of Mark's life for some time now. Our board's decision is final regarding these charges, although will no doubt continue to be played out in the courts of public opinion. Again, I am deeply saddened that the A29 board would make such a decisive and divisive conclusion without speaking directly to the board or Mark prior to their public announcement. My counsel to you is to not become bitter or angry. Continue to pray for all involved. Continue to love and lead the people God has brought to your churches. They need a pastor right now and God has given them you! Michael Van Skaik Chairman, Board of Advisors and Accountability Larry Osborne Board Member
  A huge document outlining sin, corruption, violence. These twenty-one former Mars Hill Church pastor's letter in this current item seems to directly contradict assertions made by church leaders in the item number 10 letter.		LETTER: 21 Former Mars Hill Church Pastors Level Formal Charges Against Mark Driscoll: August 21, 2014: Warren Throckmorton article post date. CONFIDENTIAL: We don’t intend to make this communication public, and we ask that you not make it public either. Statement of Formal Charges and Issues - Mark Driscoll By: Former Mars Hill Pastors Dave Kraft, Jeff Bettger, Phil Poirier, Jon Krombein, Jesse Winkler, Mike Wilkerson, Lief Moi, Adam Sinnett, Matt Johnson, Zack Hubert, Andrew Lisi, Kyle Firstenberg, Phil Smidt, Mark Bergin, Will Little, Matt Jensen, James Noriega, Aaron Mead, Tim Gaydos, Zach Bolen, Wesley Oaks To: The Executive Elders of Mars Hill Church and the Board of Advisors and Accountability Cc: The Full Council of Elders of Mars Hill Church Introduction We love the people of Mars Hill Church, and we are grateful for how Pastor Mark’s ministry has impacted our lives in positive ways. He has taught us sound doctrine. Many of us have been connected relationally to Mark and his family, and they have regularly been hospitable, and generous. Yet we believe that Mark has also impacted us, the church, and the watching and listening world with a pattern of harmful ways. We feel responsible to submit these charges for the sake of the gospel, our own consciences and the future well-being of Mars Hill Church. In addition, we believe that Mars Hill Church, and each and every Christian church worldwide, belongs to Jesus, not to any one leader, or group of leaders. The reputation of Jesus in our communities and around the world, and the noble office of elder is to be upheld and respected, no matter how gifted the leader. This document contains four main sections: formal charges, examples demonstrating the disqualifying pattern, supporting materials, and issues. Formal charges are stated with confidence and with the unified voice of all signers. Issues are questions being advanced for serious consideration, by some or all of the signers, but not necessarily charges. The answers to those questions could possibly provide cause for additional charges or further evidence to establish the current charges. This document is signed by several former elders of Mars Hill Church. We submit these charges together and are prepared to stand as witnesses to these charges. In addition to these signers, there are 21 additional witnesses who stand prepared to testify to various charges when interviewed by the board. Their names have been omitted from this document for privacy and safety reasons both for themselves and for Mars Hill Church and/or because they have previously signed a non-disparagement agreement when exiting Mars Hill employment and are only prepared to be named within the context of an investigation in an effort to honor their prior agreement. They want their names and testimonies to be known by the board at the proper time. Once a proper investigation is opened, according to Article 12 of the Mars Hill bylaws, the lead investigator may contact Mike Wilkerson to get the names and contact information of these additional witnesses. In May 2013, Dave Kraft submitted similar formal charges. To our knowledge, the witnesses who were at that time prepared to be interviewed during the investigation of those charges were never interviewed. At the time Dave prepared these charges, some of the instances of disqualifying behavior to which the witnesses were prepared to speak had taken place within weeks. They were recent offenses, demonstrating a current pattern. Formal Charges Per Article 12 of the Bylaws of Mars Hill Church, we hereby file formal charges against Pastor Mark Driscoll, the primary preaching and teaching pastor for the Church that, if investigated and found to be true, could disqualify him from his position as an elder in the Church, based on the biblical requirements of an elder. As such, it is our understanding that these charges shall be referred to the Board of Advisors & Accountability. We believe that Pastor Mark Driscoll has violated the following biblical qualifications of an elder as a result of an ongoing pattern of attitude and behavior. He has personally sinned against some of us in these ways. Some of us have witnessed him sinning against others in these ways. We have witnessed these sins in the pulpit and other public teaching settings. And we are aware of similar offenses against others based on credible reports. We, the signers, are prepared to stand as witnesses to these charges. As such, we satisfy the biblical standard for multiple witnesses, according to 1 Timothy 5:19 and Deuteronomy 19:15. Additionally, we believe that many more, if called upon as witnesses, would confirm these charges beyond any reasonable doubt. Furthermore, we believe that letters already submitted to the board in response to the board’s request in 2013 testify to these charges, including letters written by some of us. In the biblical passages cited below, we acknowledge that a single instance might not be a disqualifier from eldership; but an established pattern of such behavior supported and substantiated by eyewitnesses would be. We believe that Pastor Mark has a long-standing pattern of violating these eldership qualifications and has done so with dozens of individuals, including some of us. 1. Self-controlled and disciplined (1 Tim. 3:2, Titus 1:8) Self-control and disciplined are related and relevant to controlling one’s emotional impulses. The Greek for disciplined is enkrates, which BDAG describes as “pertaining to having one’s emotions, impulses, or desires under control, self-controlled, disciplined.” a. Pastor Mark exhibits lack of self-control by his speech and by verbally assaulting others. b. He also demonstrates lack of discipline with his words and the judgmental comments he makes, and has made, about his own elders and other leaders. This may be characterized as slander. Scripture condemns speaking slanderously, or “speaking evil,” of others (Rom. 1:30, 3:8; cf. Tit. 3:2). If an elder—or anyone else—causes injury to others by speaking ill or evil of them to anyone, it should be regarded as slander. A single instance of slander might be confronted, repented of, forgiven, and reconciled. This does not necessarily disqualify an elder. However, if there were a pattern of slander, we would have to ask: Is this elder self-controlled with his tongue? It is out of the abundance of the heart, after all, that the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). The injury to others is serious. The pattern suggests something wrong, not only in the tongue, but in the heart of that elder. 2. Not domineering (1 Pet. 5:3): See examples from Sam Storms below, which we believe describe Pastor Mark’s leadership. 3. Not violent, but gentle (1 Tim. 3:3, Titus 1:7). a. Pastor Mark exhibits anger and ungraceful ways of dealing with those with whom he disagrees and who disagree with him. He does this by (among other ways) putting people down, caricaturing, and dismissing. b. We believe that the way Pastor Mark leads has created a culture of fear instead of a culture of candor and safety. People are often afraid to ask questions or challenge certain ideas. c. Pastor Sutton in a Full Council Elder’s meeting on January 15, 2013 indicated that we have a culture of fear. We believe that Pastor Mark is the most significant contributor to those fears. d. Pastor Mark is verbally abusive to people who challenge him, disagree with him, or question him. e. Pastor Mark uses words to demean, attack or disparage others. f. We believe that few (including Mark himself) would characterize him as gentle. Some definitions for plektes, translated “not violent,” include “pugnacious person, bully” (BDAG), “striker; pugnacious person, bully, quarrelsome person (ANLEX), “a person who is pugnacious and demanding” (Louw-Nida). Merriam-Webster defines pugnacious as: “having a quarrelsome or combative nature. “The degrees of modes of violence that the word might express are numerous (bullying, verbal abuse, angry pushing, and shoving), and prohibition should be regarded as widely as possible” (Taken from Philip H. Towner, The Letters to Timothy and Titus.) It seems unlikely that one could establish a disqualifying charge of “violent” based on a single instance. The definitions clearly indicate a pattern of life, character traits that show up in various interactions with people. It’s the pattern that results in disqualification; while it may well be that no single instance would warrant a disqualifying charge. 4. Respectable (1 Tim. 3:2). We can no longer respect Pastor Mark Driscoll and submit to his leadership as a result of his persistent sinful behavior toward others. We believe that an investigation would discover that a significant number of current Mars Hill elders, leaders, and members have also lost respect for Pastor Mark’s leadership, in addition to the many who have left Mars Hill Church in the recent past. 5. Not arrogant (Titus 1:7). Pastor Mark has stated in public numerous times that he is guilty of pride. It is one thing to acknowledge sin, quite another to repent of sin and experience change through the power of the Holy Spirit. 6. Not quick-tempered (Titus 1:7). Many Mars Hill elders have witnessed quick-temper on numerous occasions. Examples Demonstrating the Disqualifying Pattern While the primary evidences for these charges are the personal experiences and testimonies of the signers and witnesses, we want to make it clear that these experiences are tied to many concrete events. The following is a small selection of examples that illustrate a pattern of disqualifying behavior. The signers of these charges and the additional witnesses are prepared to provide details for these examples along with many more examples when interviewed as part of the investigation of these charges. Please note the recency of the events below. We have selected more recent examples to challenge a prevalent impression that while Pastor Mark may have sinned in these ways in the distant past, he has been a changed man in more recent years. To the contrary, we know of recent evidence that strongly indicates disqualifying patterns having continued into recent times. Dave Kraft’s formal charges were submitted in May 2013. At that time, several of the examples listed below were current. 1. April 2010—Bullying and slander of a former Lead Pastor 2. October 2011—Mark said in a meeting that he did not want a certain staff elder (who was not slim) to take on a certain prominent leadership role because “his fat ass is not the image we want for our church.” 3. April 2012—Slander of a former Lead Pastor 4. Early 2012—Slander about former Executive Pastor in a Lead Pastor’s meeting 5. Early 2012—In a meeting with Lead Pastors, shaming and bullying of a Lead Pastor to break his conscience and cuss in front of the group. Sexual harassment of another Lead Pastor by way of inappropriate comment about his sex life. Threats of termination. 6. April 2012—Threatening and bullying phone call to a staff elder 7. May 8, 2012—In a meeting of the Full Council convened to vote on the slate of nominees for the new board of advisors and accountability, Mark was explaining to the elders that under the newly revised bylaws, the Full Council would have the right to review any changes by the board. One elder corrected Mark with his own understanding that the new bylaws, in fact, allow the board to make decisions without running it by the Full Council. Mark’s response to that elder was bullying, with some elders present recalling language to the effect of: “I don’t give a shit what you think. I’m trying to be nice to you guys by asking your opinion. In reality, we don’t need your vote to make this decision. This is what we’re doing.” 8. June 2012—Slander about another former Executive Pastor in a Lead Pastor’s Sync meeting 9. Summer 2012—Domineering and arrogant—In an all-MEDCOM meeting discussing his displeasure over the way the team had been marketing R12, Mark said, “You think you’re the Resurgence. But, you’re not the brand. I’m the brand!” 10. Early Fall 2012—Domineering: During a creative meeting with the Executive Elders Mark explained the brand of Mars Hill. He said that the brand of Mars Hill is a man standing in the pulpit with a large heavy bible in his hand. He also said that many things will change at Mars Hill, but one thing will never change: “it's me in the pulpit holding a bible.” 11. Jan 2013—Domineering and bullying: coercing a Lead Pastor to terminate an employee unfairly. 12. Jan 2013 - Mark, during an EE/Creative meeting, gave feedback to a brand new staff member, paraphrased, “All of this [what you’ve presented to me about the future of Resurgence] is fine, but I need to be driving this thing. I can’t have anyone else driving this thing or else it will go sideways.” 13. Feb 2013 - Domineering - In a personal meeting between a MEDCOM staffer and Mark, he told the staffer that he now has to give notice to Mark if he "even starts thinking about looking for another job." He said that he can't have [the staffer] fishing his resume around unless he knows first. 14. Feb 2013—Slandered an ex-staff member who had been fired by his supervisor. 15. Feb 2013—Told all of MEDCOM that most of the pastors who left MH to plant a church nearby have been seeing very little growth as a result of leaving MH. “They just don’t see the baptisms we see.” 16. Feb 2013—In the same meeting, Mark slandered four recently-departed Central staffers by saying, “They were all working two jobs at once. They’d come in every day to work at Mars Hill and build their new business while they were here.” 17. March 2013—Bullying and shaming comment to an elder at an elders meeting, where the elder asked whether Mark has considered sharing the pulpit more, and Mark’s response likened sharing the pulpit to sharing his wife (“no one else sleeps with Grace”). 18. March 2013—Domineering: manipulating a former Lead Pastor to move out of the Puget Sound area and threatening him if he didn't. 19. March 2013—Violence: Threatened to tear down a former elder’s church plant, saying “I’ll tear his church down brick by brick.” 20. May 2013—At a Lead Pastor residency meeting, Pastor Mark spoke strongly likening the churches to his daughters and Lead pastors to sons-in-law. If you are a good son-in-law, you will be taken care of, but if not, there would be dangerous consequences. He spoke as if each church, and thus all of Mars Hill, is his and that if any Lead Pastor left for any reason they would be betraying the church. 21. April 2013—At a Lead Pastor’s dinner meeting during Spring Training, Mark told the pastors that the churches are his daughters and the pastors are sons-in-law. Thus, leaving Mars Hill is effectively divorcing the church and giving his daughter back in worse shape, making a bigger mess for him to clean up. One of those LPs had been discussing plans to resign, but had not yet announced a decision. Mark addressed that LP before his peers in the meeting, saying, “[LP], you’re giving my daughter back.” 22. July 2013—Mark commanded MEDCOM staff to redirect marketing for R13 with the branding and messaging of his book, “Call to Resurgence.” At least one staff member fought back on the principle of conflict of interest—Mars Hill, being a non-profit org, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to push a book that Mark makes personal profit from.) 23. December 2013—Gossipped about a current elder from the pulpit. Without using his name, he described how this elder was apparently not being generous enough, and that he was the only one out of the full council of elders. 24. March 2014—In a Full Council of Elders videoconference about purchasing a building, Mark reportedly said: "In all honesty I feel like most of you men use me instead of love me". 25. May 2014—Mark told elders that he was not aware of the ResultSource agreement but had chosen to admit knowledge of it for the sake of the team in his letter to the church, and that others had made the decision to work with ResultSource. He claimed that another elder and Mark’s publishers made the decision to work with ResultSource without his knowledge. He insinuated that he had learned about the ResultSource agreement only after the story broke on World magazine. In fact, Mark agreed to work with ResultSource on the Best Seller Campaign for Real Marriage as early as July 2011. Supporting Material Sam Storms on Domineering In his April 2011 lectures at Re:Train, Sam Storms provided a list of examples to illustrate what “domineering” might look like. The following are selected examples from his talk that I believe are an especially good description of way Pastor Mark has led over many years. (The full list of Storms’ points are available on Dave Kraft’s web site here: http://davekraft.squarespace.com/posts/2011/5/2/not-domineering.html ● A man can “domineer” or “lord it over” his flock by intimidating them into doing what he wants done by holding over their heads the prospect of loss of stature and position in the church. ● A pastor domineers whenever he uses the sheer force of his personality to overwhelm others and coerce their submission. ● A pastor domineers whenever he exploits the natural tendency people have to elevate their spiritual leaders above the average Christian. That is to say, many Christians mistakenly think that a pastor is closer to God and more in tune with the divine will. The pastor often takes advantage of this false belief to expand his power and influence. ● He domineers by building into people a greater loyalty to himself than to God. Or he makes it appear that not to support him is to work at cross-purposes with God. ● He domineers by short-circuiting due process, by shutting down dialogue and discussion prematurely, by not giving all concerned an opportunity to voice their opinion. ● He domineers by establishing an inviolable barrier between himself and the sheep. He either surrounds himself with staff who insulate him from contact with the people or withdraws from the daily affairs of the church in such a way that he is unavailable and unreachable. Related to the above is the practice of some in creating a governmental structure in which the senior pastor is accountable to no one, or if he is accountable it is only to a small group of very close friends… [Note: Our point here is not to question the motives of those friends or fellow elders, but to state that the creation of this governmental structure is an expression of Pastor Mark’s domineering.] ● He domineers by viewing the people as simply a means to the achieving of his own personal ends. ● Ministry is reduced to exploitation. The people exist to “serve his vision” rather than he and all the people together existing to serve the vision of the entire church. ● He domineers by making people feel unsafe and insecure should they desire to voice an objection to his proposals and policies. Ed Stetzer Blogs We believe that Ed Stetzer’s blog series on The Resurgence, “Considering (and Surviving) Unhealthy Christian Organizations” clearly describes the environment at Mars Hill Church. We believe this is due to Pastor Mark’s behavior and attitudes as demonstrated in the way he leads. (These blogs are available here): 1. http://theresurgence.com/2012/09/19/considering-and-surviving-unhealthy-christian- organizations-part-1 2. http://theresurgence.com/2012/10/04/considering-and-surviving-unhealthy-christian- organizations-part-2 3. http://theresurgence.com/2012/10/18/considering-and-surviving-unhealthy-christian- organizations-part-3 Here are some main points from Ed’s blogs on The Resurgence that We think should make you sit up and take notice: 1. People often know of the glaring character problems of the leader, but no one can speak truth to power. 2. Many times, the leader gets a pass for the fruit of his/her leadership because of some overwhelming characteristic: preaching ability, intelligence, ability to woo others, or more. 3. People rationalize that the good they are experiencing is worth the abuse they are receiving. 4. The organization has to be willing to listen to its constructive critics. 5. The organization has to admit that sometimes unhealthy cultures come from unhealthy leaders. We would encourage those considering an investigation to read these three posts by Ed Stetzer in their entirety. Mike Wilkerson’s Research Survey on Workplace Bullying The following are some especially noteworthy points from the research. (Refer to the research brief for full source citations.) Examples of bullying: ● Unwarranted or invalid criticism ● Blame without factual justification ● Being treated differently than the rest of your work group ● Being sworn at ● Exclusion or social isolation ● Being shouted at or being humiliated ● Excessive monitoring or micro-managing ● Being given work [with] unrealistic deadlines (Washington State Department of Labor & Industries) Additionally: ● Power differentials. We were constantly reminded of our place. Mark’s statement of himself as highly elevated over the elders, requiring the need for outside accountability with folks at his level. ● We have heard multiple reports of Post Traumatic Stress-like symptoms among former staff members. ● Addressing grievances involving bullying rarely resolves well. Some key excerpts: While bullying may be associated with dramatic physical threats, the research shows that, in fact, “bullying is initially characterized as consisting of highly covert and indirect behaviors” (Keashly and Nowell). “The core problem of bullying at work is that it undermines the target’s sense of being a valuable and competent person living in a safe and caring environment. Distressed and dissatisfied with themselves, victims may focus on and magnify potential threats from their surroundings” (Matthiesen and Einarsen). “[B]ullying often takes the form of subtle and indirect behaviour such as withholding information and slander. Hence, third parties may be unable or unwilling to perceive and label something as bullying until it has reached the stage of direct aggression” (Nielsen, Notelaers, Einarsen). “Using perpetrators to assess bullying may also be somewhat problematic. One problem is that some perpetrators do not perceive themselves as such because they may not understand or wish to admit that their behaviour can be considered bullying” (Nielsen, Notelaers, Einarsen). Victims tend to find reasons to blame themselves as an ironic way to retain a sense of self-worth and rationality as they try to make sense of the violence. In our more theological parlance, this would be similar to saying that the experience of being bullied makes one susceptible to believing lies about himself. “Where national customs and practice allow victims to file a complaint or a grievance, then any subsequent investigation and/or hearing will tend to be time-consuming and a drain on organisational resources because of the commitment of all those involved. Without proper policies and procedures in place, cases can remain unresolved for years, with organisational indecision and paralysis contributing to partiality and increasing animosity and internal conflict. However, even in cases where procedures are strictly adhered to and where cases are brought to a conclusion within a reasonable timeframe, the process tends to be destructive for all those concerned” (Hoel, et. al.). If our grievance procedures do not make provisions for mitigating the risks perceived by complainants, we develop a blind spot as a result of “false negatives”. In this case, “no news” is not “good news”; it’s “bad news”. It would mean that our problem is so bad that those who should be speaking up perceive so much risk involved in speaking that they choose not to do so. “Among potential organisational outcomes of bullying, turnover has been of particular interest to researchers, with a number of studies reporting a positive relationship between bullying and intention to leave and turnover respectively” (Hoel, et. al.). When employees get the sense that bullies “get away with it”, a “climate of fear” may be the result. It may be that management knowing about the bullying and failing to correct worsens the situation. We would encourage those considering an investigation to read the rest of this research brief. Dr. Diane Langberg’s Lecture In a lecture from Diane Langberg, she addresses some personality traits in church leaders and cultures that are related to the elder disqualifying charges of violence, arrogance, and domineering. We have found that Langberg captures some of our experiences with Mark and Mars Hill with her descriptions of these traits: ● “...the enduring attitudes: ‘I am bigger. I am better. I am far more superior to you or anyone else. I have no understanding or interest in grasping my impact on you, except insofar as how you affect me, feed my ego, or support the beliefs I have in myself.’” ● “He believes these things—[affirmation, approval, success, power, adoration]—are rightfully his and owed to him. If they are denied, rage or utter disregard will follow.” ● “In [others] he finds limits he cannot face in himself, and he will stop at nothing to make sure [each one] continually tries to correct those flaws. In actuality, [the other] may be exceedingly intelligent, but has so fully developed feelings of ineptitude that he is incapable of believing in his own possibilities.” (Quoted from The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green, by Joshua Braff). ● “the shame and humiliation that must be repaired by others, no matter the cost.” ● “One can be easily fooled with emotional language laced with spiritual words, but if you listen carefully...you can hear that there is no empathy, no understanding of impact, the attempt to still maintain control and regain what is lost to the [self] image in the exposure...when people want to orchestrate their own repentance, that's rather the height of arrogance.” While our focus in this document is on charges against one individual, we believe that an unhealthy system has formed around him. In her lecture, Langberg also addresses traits of such systems, especially churches, including their tendencies to protect the individual at the center of the system, and for individuals within the system to feel threatened when they perceive the one at the center to be threatened. This systemic impact on many people heightens our sense of urgency and informs our beliefs that merely private, personal reconciliation will be inadequate to bring true healing to the church. Dr. Langberg's lecture is available here, in five parts: 1. http://globaltraumarecovery.org/narcissism-and-the-system-it-breeds-part-15/ 2. http://globaltraumarecovery.org/narcissism-and-the-system-it-breeds-part-25/ 3. http://globaltraumarecovery.org/narcissism-and-the-system-it-breeds-part-35/ 4. http://globaltraumarecovery.org/narcissism-and-the-system-it-breeds-part-45/ 5. http://globaltraumarecovery.org/narcissism-and-the-system-it-breeds-part-55/ Please note that while the term “narcissism” is used in her lecture, we acknowledge that we are not qualified to diagnose and we do not intend to do so by citing this material. However, we do find Langberg’s descriptions to be relevant and helpful in understanding our experiences. We would encourage those considering an investigation to review this video series to see if it might resonate with your own experiences at Mars Hill. Letters Submitted by Former Mars Hill Staff We have reviewed several of the letters submitted to the board in the Summer of 2013 by former Mars Hill staff members at the invitation of the BoAA. We believe that these letters, along with further interviews with their authors, will show ample evidence to substantiate these charges. Issues 1. Have the public communications to the church about elders who have recently left reflected the relevant truth of the matter, or have they covered up significant concerns and/or details? If the latter, has this been sinfully deceptive? 2. Does the legal document that staff members have been asked to sign upon exit amount to a “gag order” that perpetuates a cover up? 3. Is Pastor Mark guilty of slander because of the way he’s spoken about John Piper, Tim Keller, John MacArthur and other Christian leaders in elder meetings? 4. When Mark has been confronted with personal sin by those he’s deeply hurt, has he expressed genuine repentance and sorrow, and sought their forgiveness? Has he offered genuine confessions that indicate understanding of his sin, acceptance of personal responsibility, empathy for the hurt he’s caused, and a means of restitution? Consider the following material: ● http://theresurgence.com/2014/05/14/the-practice-of-repentance ● http://theresurgence.com/2010/07/05/7-counterfeits-of-repentance ● http://theresurgence.com/2011/06/23/rediscovering-restitution ● http://www.peacemaker.net/site/c.aqKFLTOBIpH/b.958153/k.7417/Seven_As_of _Confession.htm 5. With the exceptionally high amount of turnover in recent years at Mars Hill Church (especially among lead pastors and elders), should this be of concern that something is not right at the heart of who we are and the way we carry out ministry? 6. Is Pastor Mark a lover of money or greedy for selfish gain (1 Tim 3:3, Titus 1:7)? In recent months allegations have become public that Pastor Mark has plagiarized. Additionally, he allowed the ResultSource campaign, which involved hundreds of thousands of dollars of church funds and deceptive marketing practices. While he has acknowledged and corrected the plagiarism, and called the ResultSource campaign “unwise,” he has yet to publicly apologize for either. Rather, he appears to have merely offered to the internal Mars Hill audience his regret at being caught. 7. Has Pastor Mark’s public teaching, including sermons and writing, demonstrated a heart condition of his own chauvinism? Regardless of his intent, has his public teaching had the impact on people—both men and women—that chauvinism would have? 8. Is Pastor Mark guilty of plagiarism? If so, what is an appropriate consequence for him? 9. Is Pastor Mark well thought of by outsiders? Consider the myriad of media outlets that report on Pastor Mark. Can you say that the predominance of reporting on Pastor Mark and Mars Hill (which he is for all intents and purposes, a figurehead) are portrayed in a positive light? If not, is that an area of concern and how serious should those concerns be taken in light of 1 Timothy 3:7? 10. Is Pastor Mark guilty of sexual harassment in the form of sexual immorality in speech (Eph. 5:3)? We are aware of a number of credible reports of inappropriate sexually- oriented comments that Pastor Mark has made to and about other men’s wives, particularly in casual social settings. 11. Does Pastor Mark habitually fail to rightly handle the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15)? In recent sermons especially, Pastor Mark has taught in ways that do not seem consistent with Scripture’s intent, possibly even using Scripture as a pretext for more selfish objectives. One example was last Fall, during the Ten Commandments series, when he taught that keeping the Sabbath is the only commandment that no longer applies to Christians today. Over the years, we have seen Mark advocate an organization based on meritocracy and it is clear that he is driven by results and perceived success. The sermon on Sabbath seemed to permit the worship of success as an idol, rather than leading us to find rest in Jesus. Other examples include recent sermons from Acts and James where he spent very little time actually addressing the content of God’s word and instead used Scripture and his platform to lash out against perceived “wolves”, which seemed to have reference to former elders of the church and Mark’s conflicts with them. Our bottom line desire in all of this is that the Holy Spirit would convict Pastor Mark Driscoll of his sin and enable him to genuinely repent, giving way to healing and restoration for himself and for Mars Hill Church.
  These 9 (at the time of the letter's writing) current Mars Hill Church pastors seem to directly contradict item number 10, too. In paragraph six, the pastors state "We are convicted that as we are all elders, pastors, shepherds, we equally share the responsibility for the care of the people God has entrusted to us", yet the Lord Jesus said "they will become on flock with One Pastor" (John 10:16).		LETTER: Nine Current Mars Hill Church pastors formally submit to the Mars Hill Church Full Council of Elders a request to change the Mars Hill Church governance and for church pastor Mark Driscoll to submit to a restoration plan: August 22, 2014 (Warren Throckmorton article post date of August 28, 2014). Concerns and Critical Information for the Elders of Mars Hill Church Grace and Peace “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” - 2 Thessalonians 2:2 Fellow elders, We love you, this church, and the people that Jesus has entrusted to our care. Pastor Mark, we love you and have been immensely blessed under your preaching, and for that we are grateful. Pastor Dave, we love you and we are thankful for the love you show to us and all those in your care, and also for your calm and clear-headed leadership in tough situations. Pastor Sutton, we love you and are thankful that you care deeply for Mars Hill Church. Additionally, we are thankful to the men of the BOAA for the time and energy they have given to love our church and our leaders well. We are convicted that as we are all elders, pastors, shepherds, we equally share the responsibility for the care of the people God has entrusted to us. And it is because of this conviction and a love for the church that we are compelled to speak up. We are seriously concerned about the state of our church, especially the state our leadership at the highest levels and our continued lack of transparency in general. While the current bylaws greatly restrict our authority, we believe we must act like elders none-the-less. There is information in this letter that we believe to be important to the future of Mars Hill Church and our response to it may impact whether or not it will even have a future at all. Come Into The Light In John 3:21 we read this: “...whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” Brothers, have we been a church that is characterized by coming towards and loving the light? Do we welcome the light, trusting God’s grace and mercy when our weaknesses and failures are exposed? The media has been inundated, especially in the last two years and increasingly in the past six months, with controversies surrounding Mars Hill and Pastor Mark. While some of these accusations may be groundless or exaggerated, we believe that in many cases we have invited these controversies upon ourselves by not seeking the truth and not seeking to be in the light. Where there is nothing to hide, there is no fear of being exposed. But, rather than seeking clarity, we have cloaked ourselves in non-disclosure agreements. We have become masters of spin in how we communicate the transition of a high volume of people off staff. We have taken refuge behind official statements that might not technically be lies on the surface, but in truth are deeply misleading. At the retreat this week, Pastor Dave spoke about our church’s credibility problem. Brothers, this credibility problem is directly linked to the fact that we have not loved the light. This is not the fault of one person, or even a just a small group of people. We all share in responsibility for this in one way or another, and we must all repent of it together, together calling for our church to step into the light. Exposing The Darkness It is out of a longing to come to the light that we began to look more deeply into certain issues when the answers that we were being given — answers that were being given to our people — continued to not add up. We sought clarity, which has been lacking. We do not believe that looking for answers, asking questions, and trying to discern the truth is a divisive or sinful thing. Rather, this is the responsibility we have as elders as we are called to lead our people and the church from a position of truth and love. To ask us not to do so would only be to further exasperate the "culture of fear" that we so desperately want to move away from. We would like to share with you the following two examples, as they were both misrepresented this past week at our elder retreat before the Full Council of Elders. We are not inferring intent or motives, but rather we are attempting to call attention to discrepancies and to resolve them. BOAA/EE Statements Claim That We Had No Way to Interview Witnesses from Dave Kraft’s Formal Charges We have been repeatedly told that we could not hear from the witnesses mentioned in the document. This did not add up, since the document clearly states that there were seven individuals who were willing to testify when called upon, and Dave Kraft stated clearly that he hoped that they would be called upon. Through conversations separately with Dave Kraft and Michael Van Skaik, I (Dustin) finally got clarity on this on Tuesday morning at the elder retreat. The issue was not that the BOAA “could not”interview the witnesses, but rather that Michael Van Skaik “would not” open an investigation without Dave Kraft giving him the names first. This seems to be a completely unreasonable and unnecessary demand when the charges themselves reveal that the witnesses felt bullied and were afraid of the consequences of releasing their names outside of the protection of a formal investigation being opened. Mike Wilkerson, who helped prepare the charges for Dave, confirms that he recommended to Dave that the names of the witnesses be disclosed only after they were protected by a formal investigation process. Mike made this recommendation in part due to his perception of the danger and fear involved for the witnesses, and also because he had knowledge that a prior complaint had not been handled according to the complainant's expectation of confidentiality, resulting in further harm to the complainant. Furthermore, this charge was not coming from an unknown critic, but rather Dave Kraft who is a respected former elder and Christian leader. Because of his reputation we should have been willing to give greater credence to his charges and want to hear them out. Regardless of whether this was a wise or helpful decision by the BOAA, it is clearly misleading to state emphatically over and over that there was no way to talk to these people and hear their testimony, when clearly there was. This is no minor issue as we have been consistently misled about the key reason the Kraft charges were handled the way they were. How can Van Skaik claim that "the formal charges that were filed were...taken seriously and were not dismissed by the board lightly,” when he would not even open the case to hear from the actual witnesses? Sending out letters to former employees in an effort to find these people or others who experienced similar situations seems to be a failed effort from the start, for the same reason that the 7 would not release their names unless as witnesses in an official investigation. Because of this refusal, it is misleading to claim that the charges were taken seriously when the witnesses were never even interviewed. Michael Van Skaik confirmed this week that no formal investigation was ever opened in response to Dave Kraft’s charges filed last year. Public Statements Claim That There Was No Contact Between Mark/BOAA and A29 Board Prior To A29 Removing MH From Network We have been repeatedly told that no one from the A29 board talked to Mark or to our board prior to removing Mark from the network. This is only true if by “talk” you mean “told us beforehand that they were kicking us out,” and if you dismiss contact between individual board members with Mark and with each other. The impression created by these statements was one where it seemed that the A29 board had made their decision having had no communication with people close to Mark or with Mark himself, with no actual insight into the situation, and with no care for Mark or Mars Hill. The truth is that multiple members of both boards had been in direct contact with each other, and with Mark, exhorting and rebuking him over the course of months and years, and to say or imply otherwise is deeply misleading. Paul Tripp has confirmed that he specifically was in contact multiple times, while on the BOAA, with Matt Chandler, Steve Timmis, and Eric Mason about the state of Pastor Mark’s repentance. To be fair, when specifically pressed on the issue at the elder retreat, Van Skaik did admit that he was sure that some members of the two boards had been in contact with each other individually, and clarified that they had not met together as full boards. But this does not change the fact that we have not corrected our public statements and rhetoric, nor does it change the fact that Van Skaik would not have admitted this without being pressed into by Pastor Miles during our first session at the retreat. As a whole, MH’s communication surrounding this event is very misleading. An On-Going Pattern Beyond these two examples, there is no dearth of examples in the last two years of very questionable transparency and truth-telling, including the Mars Hill Global Fund, Result- Source, Strange Fire, ghost-writing/plagiarism, explanations for staff transition, the resignations of BOAA members, etc. Even this Thursday we put out a statement claiming that Wilkerson’s formal charges were being “reviewed by the board and the elders.” This is misleading as it gives people the impression that the elders as a whole are able to take part in reviewing and adjudicating the case. There are many problems in our church, but the lack of transparency is itself a huge problem and keeps us from dealing with all the problems that it covers over. Christians have a biblical responsibility to speak plainly and clearly. "Mars Hill Needs To Deal With It’s Sin Or It Will Die" (Dr. Paul Tripp) This talk of transparency leads us to share some staggering information that was shared with a number of MH elders by Dr. Paul Tripp. Before going further, we want to make clear the following three things: 1. Paul did not seek us out, but rather was sought out by us. 2. At every point in our communication with Paul, he was emphatic in expressing his deep love for Pastor Mark and for Mars Hill Church. 3. At no time did Paul divulge any information from his private interactions with Pastor Mark, and made clear that he would not do so in the future. We are very grateful for Paul sticking out his neck to help serve Jesus’ church and to care for his brother Mark. Let’s stop for a moment and anticipate what might be an objection here, namely that this is just the opinion of one man. Why should we listen to Paul Tripp at all? • He is known internationally as a pastor to pastors. • He has worked in a similar capacity as he did at Mars Hill with literally thousands of pastors and ministries. • He has taught Re:Train. • He has preached in our Best Sermon Ever series. • He has taught parenting seminars at Mars Hill. • We obviously trust him to the point that we elected him to our BOAA and we recommend and give away his book on what it means to truly means to be a pastor (Dangerous Calling). • His book (Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands) is foundational to our biblical counseling ministry. • He had a level of access and involvement with the events of the last few months that exceeds that of anyone reading this email. • He has absolutely nothing to gain personally by speaking to us on these matters, but is fully aware of this action potentially causing him much personal hardship. • Above all continues to deeply love Pastor Mark and wants good for our church, evidenced by his willingness to continue to help. All nine elders who were on the phone call were floored by the depth and clarity of the understanding that Paul had of the culture of Mars Hill and its leadership from his short time on the board. Below are some samples from our conversation: ----- When asked about speculations that he might have resigned to protect the reputation of his ministry, Paul said this: “I am not worried at all at burning my integrity for the real deal, but I won’t burn it for something that’s not the real deal. I don’t think even now that there is the recognition of the depth of what Mars Hill Church and Mark is actually dealing with. This is without a doubt, the most abusive, coercive ministry culture I’ve ever been involved with.” He continued on to communicate that Mars Hill’s leadership culture was not shaped by the same grace that it says it believes. ----- Paul informed us that at one point that during the time when he was setting up the reconciliation process, the EE, without asking the BOAA, met with their lawyers and added a slew of legal constraints to the process. Paul was emphatic in telling the EE that this was unacceptable, but they did not listen, and consequently hindered the process. Paul was disturbed that anything would be seen as more important in this process than being made right with man and with God. “If your response to reconciliation is ‘I want to cover my butt legally, then you’re not interested in reconciliation.’” ----- Contrary to what we have been told, Paul not only expressed his opinion that the BOAA structure was flawed, he attempted to present a 9 point plan on how to help it and was shut down before he finished point 2. He also said that “One of the problems with the BOAA is that they are getting their information from the people they are supposed to be holding accountable.” ----- Paul characterized Pastor Mark’s half hour video message as “defiant.” It was specifically defiant in light of Mark saying he’s going to be at MH in 30 years when Paul had clearly told him that he needed to step down. He clarified that this stepping down was “not forever. But given the depth of the heart issues that Mark needs to deal with, he’ll never deal with as long as he’s in the saddle. It just won’t happen.” ----- Paul also said, “I am a man who is living in grief at this whole thing…because Mark is an enormously gifted man. But he is broken inside. He doesn’t see the world the way he should see it, and because of that, his message gets a twist to it. There is something amiss inside that comes out in a destructive way.” ---- Paul affirmed that he believes that Pastor Mark truly loves Jesus and the church and that if Mars Hill does what is right, the brightest days for Mark and MH are in the future. ----- “You can’t have a church culture where you essentially have a very tight circle and everyone else is your enemy.” ----- “Sutton is fundamentally unhelpful for Mark. Sutton plays to all of Mark’s weaknesses and none of Mark’s strengths.” He pleaded with them saying that what Mark needs in an Executive Pastor is a “55 year-old seasoned godly man who watches over Mark’s soul as he administrates the church, and who can pull Mark into a room and say ‘you can’t do that in a meeting’ and you need to call another meeting and ask for forgiveness from the people you just spoke to. He doesn’t need a man who is his trigger man.” He made it clear that Sutton lacks the emotional and spiritual maturity to be where he is at in leadership. ----- From behind the scenes on the BOAA Paul observed that “A statement that comes from somebody, through Sutton, to you guys, just changes dramatically.” He followed this by saying that he did not think Sutton intended to be consistently untruthful, but that regardless he does end up spinning things constantly out of fear. ----- Paul acknowledged some level of Mark acknowledging wrong and making some progress. But, he also feels that if Mark clearly saw the depths of his sin and the damage it had caused, he wouldn’t even be able to preach because he would be so overcome with life-changing grief. “What happens with leaders often in these situations is that they give you one paragraph of acknowledgement of wrong, and 6 paragraphs of how they are a victim. If I’m counselling an adulterous man, and he sits in front of me and all he talks about is his wife, I know that man is far from confession and repentance. Because once he sees his sin it is devastating and you cry out for God... You think about your future, you don’t think about how to manage it. Until you get to that level of brokenness, what you do is manage a crisis, instead of dealing with the deep personal sin at the bottom of the crisis.” ----- I (Dustin) had a follow up call with Paul later to confirm that he was comfortable with us sharing all of this with the other elders in writing. Additionally, I confirmed that he would be willing to help us in the future. He confirmed that we could share the above with you, that he would be happy to fly out and meet with the Full Council of Elders if we asked, and would be willing to help in any kind of consulting role that we might deem helpful. ----- The elders on the initial call with Dr. Tripp ended the conversation by asking him what advice he had for the elders of Mars Hill. He responded, “Do you remember the event where Mark gave all the guys a couple stones? Find those and use them. This is what God ordained elders to do. You are going to risk your future - and I’m serious about this - by standing together and saying ‘It’s done. It’s over. We go no further. We’re done with skirting issues. We’re done mourning the loss of yet another leader. We are done with all the public humiliations and accusations. We are going to deal with our stuff and Mark, that begins with you. We will not continue. We will not plan further ministries. We will not cooperate with further ministries. We’re done. We’re gonna deal with these issues. And based on our authority as elders of Christ’s church, we are directing you to step down. We will fully support you and will do everything we can to restore you. We’re not divorcing you. We’re not kicking you out of the ministry. Our whole purpose is restoration. It’s the only way that change is going to happen, and no one is going to make that happen but the elders of Mars Hill Church.” In Conclusion As we bring this letter to a close, we want to again reiterate that we are sending this as an act of love, not of defiance. Love is not compliance, but rather speaking the truth and seeking to walk in the light together. Brothers, we know that we do not stand alone in our concerns for our church. We stand as your brothers, risking our future for the sake of the bride of Christ. It is time for us as elders to “stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong,” (1 Cor 16:13) while still letting all that we do be done in love. It is time to take responsibility for our church, regardless of how much our current bylaws prevent us from exercising that authority. It grieves us that the only voice that has never been heard in all of this is the voice of the current elders. Lead Pastors - you can lead the way and your men will follow. Volunteer Pastors - you carry more weight than you know. Staff Pastors - Jesus is good and sovereign and he will take care of you. It’s been implied that Pastor Mark may be stepping down this week. If he does, then we can joyfully affirm his decision. If he does not, it will continue to be our belief that is what would be best for Pastor Mark and the church. But either way we must make the following clear: • We, the elders of Mars Hill Church, love Pastor Mark and truly desire his full restoration to preaching Pastor of this church. • Whether he were planning to step down or not, we direct that he steps down from ministry, submitting himself under the authority of the elders of the church, who will oversee the details of his restoration plan. • He must step down not only from the pulpit, but from all aspects of ministry and leadership. • He will continue to receive his salary so long as he continues to cooperate with the restoration plan set before him by the elders of Mars Hill Church. • Dr. Tripp has agreed to serve us in a consulting role to oversee the restoration plan for Pastor Mark. We direct the BOAA to retain Dr. Tripp in this capacity, and in doing so also to agree that Pastor Mark only be restored when Dr. Tripp and all members of the BOAA and the Board of Elders believe that process to be complete. • Lastly, we direct that this information (Pastor Mark stepping down in submission to the authority of the elders) be lovingly but candidly presented to the people of Mars Hill Church, as we know that this will be helpful in rebuilding their trust in their leaders and hope for their church. We will close this letter with a sermon excerpt from Pastor Mark, exhorting the members of Mars Hill to follow their Jesus and their elders. Part 3 of 1st Corinthians 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 Pastor Mark Driscoll January 22, 2006: ...That’s what Paul’s saying. “I don’t remember atoning for the sins of the world. I don’t remember living a sinless life and dying as a substitute in your place and rising to forgive your sins. Was I crucified for you? No!” And his third question: “Were you baptized in the name of Paul?” Is your ultimate allegiance to me, or Jesus? This is so important. I want you guys to respect me, the pastors and the leaders in this church. I don’t want you to have too low a view of leadership, too high a view of leadership – the extremes that we see in the church in Corinth. At the same time, your primary and ultimate allegiance is not to me, and it is not to the pastors in this church. I will say this publicly: I am one of the pastors. They can out-vote me and fire me. They have total freedom to do so. And if at any time in the history of this church the elders discipline me, do not be loyal to me. Be loyal to them; be loyal to Jesus. And if at any point – God forbid – I should say or do something that would disqualify me from being your pastor – and I have no intentions of, and I do live a life above reproach. And I’m not a sinless man, but I do love Jesus and I do love my family and I do love you. And if by – I just shudder to say this, but if I should ever say or do anything that the elders would need to fire me, do not be loyal to me. Be loyal to Jesus; be loyal to your elders. Be loyal to the pastors in your church. Trust them. Follow them. And if you forget, this’ll be archived. Pull it down and listen to it again, and say, “Mark, you told us to ignore you and follow the leaders in the church and Jesus.” Do that – because at the end of the day, you’re not baptized in my name. You’re not ultimately loyal to me. You are not ultimately devoted to me. My job is to point you to Jesus. He was crucified for your sins. He forgives your sins. He is your God and Savior. He’s the one when you are buried in baptism and raised in newness of life that you are celebrating and honoring – that the focus and heart and the devotion and commitment and the passion in the church must be for Jesus; no one else; no one else. ----- With the love of Christ, Pastor Dustin Kensrue - Director of Worship / Worship Pastor at Mars Hill Bellevue Pastor Drew Hensley - Lead Pastor at Mars Hill U-District Pastor Mark Dunford - Pastor at Mars Hill Portland Pastor Ryan Kearns - Director of Community Groups / Pastor at Mars Hill Bellevue Pastor Ryan Welsh - Pastor of Theology and Discipleship Pastor Adam Ramsey - Director of Student Ministry / Pastor at Mars Hill Bellevue Pastor Cliff Ellis - Director of Biblical Living / Pastor at Mars Hill West Seattle Pastor Gary Shavey - Pastor of Biblical Living at Mars Hill Bellevue Pastor James Rose - Pastor at Mars Hill Ballard
  Rebranding?		Mars Hill Church campuses were spun off into independent local churches with new names.

  The date of Mars Hill Church dissolution was June 30, 2016. On August 7, 2016, the new Trinity Church launched under the executive senior pastorship of Mark Driscoll.

  Mark Driscoll does what he does with the help from other men called church leaders.

  The intense power struggle for authority and money outlined above has kinship to the Papal Schism which occurred when John Wycliffe was around (Western Schism [opens to Wikipedia]).

  The HUGE POINT of this entire exercise of examining the 8 year ordeal of the sin at Mars Hill Church and the 8 month ordeal of the oppressive sin at The Village Church, both megachurces, is to point out that man is incapable of being in authority in the Assembly of God. Lord Jesus, our God, Who knows what is in man (John 2:25), knew exactly what He was doing when withheld authority to Himself (Matthew 23:8-10).

  According to various sources, including the Charlotte Observer, Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC US uses an NDA. The massive Elevation Church lead pastor Steven Furtick is the founder of the church; moreover, Chunks Corbett, Elevation Church Chief Financial Officer, is one of the founding families beinf leader of Finance, Technology, Legal, TV, and Events Teams. As of this writing in early 2018, Elevation Church remains in operation. The point of this mention of Elevation Church's NDA is to make the point that Mars HIll Church's NDA was not an aberration.

• 20 years, 700 victims: Southern Baptist sexual abuse spreads as leaders resist reforms

  • Primary Articles:
    • Abuse of Faith | 20 years, 700 victims: Southern Baptist sexual abuse spreads as leaders resist reforms (Part 1) [opens to HoustonChronicle.com]
           by Robert Downen, Lise Olsen, and John Tedesco published Feb. 10, 2019
    • Offend, then repeat | Southern Baptist churches hired dozens of leaders previously accused of sex offenses (Part 2) [opens to HoustonChronicle.com]
           by John Tedesco, Robert Downen, and Lise Olsen published Feb. 12, 2019
    • Preying on teens | More than 100 Southern Baptist youth pastors convicted or charged in sex crimes (Part 3) [opens to HoustonChronicle.com]
           by Lise Olsen, Robert Downen, and John Tedesco published Feb. 13, 2019
  • Auxillary Articles:
    • (DATABASE OF THE SBC LEADERS CONVICTED OF SEXUAL ABUSE) ABUSE OF FAITH: A CHRONICLE INVESTIGATION | Search our database of Southern Baptist church pastors, leaders, employees and volunteers who pleaded guilty or were convicted of sex crimes. by Lise Olsen, Robert Downen, John Tedesco, Jordan Rubio, Matt Dempsey, Joyce Lee and Rachael Gleason.
    • Abuse of Faith: Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News investigation reveals decades of sexual abuse from Southern Baptist church leaders, volunteers
    • Houston man's lawsuit alleges retired judge sexually assaulted him [opens to HoustonChronicle.com]
           by Meagan Flynn published Dec. 27, 2017

  Beneficial Notes:

  1. The Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News on 10 February 2019 broke an investigative report into widespread sexually immoral activities (adultery, fornication, homosexuality, and rape) within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) as well as working to conceal the evil of sexual immoral actions.
  2. Beginning in 2018, the reporters searched news archives, websites, and sex offender databses to compile a database of sexual abuse and misconduct allegations.
  3. The reporters identified the perpetrators of evil as pastors, ministers, youth pastors, Sunday school teachers, deacons, and church volunteers.
  4. The reporters confined their research to the ten years preceding the first call by victims for a SBC sex offender registry in 2008 and the ten years after that call.
  5. The reporters examined hundreds of accounts utilizing federal and state court databases, prison records, official documents, and sex offender registries; moreover, the reporters found 380 credibly accused figures within Southern Baptist-affiliated churches, organizations, and campuses even narrowing their claim further according to those court cases the reporters assert about, to quote, "220 offenders have been convicted or took plea deals, and dozens of cases are pending. They were pastors. Ministers. Youth pastors. Sunday school teachers. Deacons. Church volunteers".
  6. The investigative report mentions "more than 700 victims, many of them shunned by their churches, left to themselves to rebuild their lives. Some were urged to forgive their abusers or to get abortions".
  7. The reporters claim that in "the decade since Vasquez's appeal for help, more than 250 people who worked or volunteered in Southern Baptist churches have been charged with sex crimes".
  8. The journalists reported that "100 are still held in prisons stretching from Sacramento County, Calif., to Hillsborough County, Fla., state and federal records show. Scores of others cut deals and served no time. More than 100 are registered sex offenders. Some still work in Southern Baptist churches today".
  9. Olsen, Downen, Tedesco, Rubio, Dempsey, Lee, and Gleason published a database of former leaders in Southern Baptist churches who have been convicted of sex crimes.

  The evil within SBC is not just a SBC scandal, it is not just a SBC church leadership cover-up, it is SIN. The evil is men that sin, even those men holding unauthorized positions of authority for those evil men hold on to power reserved by Christ unto Christ (Matthew 23:8-10, Matthew 20:25-28, John 10:16)! While on Earth, those evil men have/had access to the Bible - the Word of God reveals the Way (John 14:6) for they are in churches which tend to have Bibles at every pew. The Word of God reveals the Way of God, the Way of Life, the Way of Righteousness, the Way of kindness, the Way of gentleness, the Way of Love, the humble Way, the Narrow Way (Matthew 7:13-14 and John 10:7).

  To discern the events:		To summarize the events as found in the above articles:
  Southern Baptist Convention leaders refuse to institute a dynamic organization-wide alert/warning protection mechanism for Southern Baptist members against predatory men that are no better than beasts. The Southern Baptist Church Leaders (false prophets) left their Church Members to ravenous wolves (Matthew 7:15-27). Married non-pastor Dickie Amyx, a proven adulterer according to his own testimony, claims he never threatened Debbie. Not only Dickie, but Dickie's SBC church employer, an employer that was not Dickie's employer at the time that Dickie molested the child Debbie, claimed that Dickie never threatened Debbie! A little leaven leavens the whole loaf - Dickie's leaven is his adultery AND Dickie's illegitimate authority!		Debbie Vasquez - Trauma and Tribulation at the Hands of Local Church Pastors In 2008, Debbie Vasquez and others asked leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention, after travelling to Indianapolis, and its 47,000 churches to track sexual predators and take action against congregations that harbored or concealed abusers. The newspapers report indicated that the Southern Baptist leaders rejected nearly every proposed reform. Debbie was in her 40's at the time that she went to Indianapolis to address SBC leaders. Debbie claims that when she was 14 years old, she was first molested by her pastor in Sanger, a tiny prairie town an hour north of Dallas. It was the first of many assaults that Vasquez said destroyed her teenage years and, at 18, left her pregnant by the Southern Baptist pastor, a married man more than a dozen years older. Debbie said that her church leaders forced her to stand in front of the congregation and ask for forgiveness without identifying her child's father. According to Debbie, while church members were supportive, the church members were never told the Debbie's child was also their pastor's. Debbie recalls that church leadership shunned her, requested she obtain an abortion to wit she declined; subsequently, the church leadership threatened her and her child, and she moved abroad soon after. In 2006, Debbie sued her former pastor and his church. In a deposition, the pastor, Dale "Dickie" Amyx, admitted to having sex with Debbie when she was a teenager, though he maintained that it was consensual. Dale/Dickie Amyx acknowledged paternity of Debbie's child, but he was never charged with any crime. Dickie Amyx denies that he threatened or physically assaulted Vasquez. He and his employer at the time of the lawsuit -- an SBC church Vasquez never attended -- argued that Vasquez exaggerated her story in an attempt to get publicity for her fight for reforms, court records show. Debbie presented the newspapers with an apology letter authored by Dale Amyx. Debbie's lawsuit was dismissed. As late as 2016, Dickie was listed as the church's pastor, state Baptist records show. The report indicates that Dickie could not be reached for comment. In 2007, August "Augie" Boto, interim president of the SBC's Executive Committee, wrote to Debbie "There is no question that some Southern Baptist ministers have done criminal things, including sexual abuse of children". That is the same Augie that helped draft the rejection of reform proposals in 2008.
  SBC Leadership, where was the love? And, where was the support for the oppressed? "whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of [its] stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!" Jesus Christ ~33AD (Matthew 18:6-7)		Heather Schneider - Trauma and Tragedy in the Local Church In 1994, Heather Schneider was molested in a choir room at Houston's Second Baptist Church at the age of 14 according to criminal and civil court records. Church leaders waited months to fire the attacker, John Neal Forse, according to statements made by Forse's attorney at the time and Heather's responses to questions in a related civil lawsuit. John Forse plead no contest to two counts of indecency with a child by contact, and he received deferred adjudication and 10 years' probation. Church leaders also denied responsibility to Heather's lawsuit. Gwen Casados, Heather's mother, said that Heather slit her wrists the day after that attack, and Heather survived. Gwen provided details that Heather died 14 years later from a drug overdose that Gwen blames on the trauma. Gwen indicates a pageant director at Houston's Second Baptist Church ruined her daughter's life. Gwen was raised a Baptist. Gwen indicated that Ed Young, pastor of Houston's Second Baptist Church since 1978 and former SBC President, called Gwen initially offering to do whatever he could to help her daughter, Heather. Gwen told Ed Young that she contacted the police already, and Gwen said Ed Young hung up, and they "never heard from him again," she said in an interview. Gwen now lives without her daughter, Heather.
  SBC Leadership, where is the love? And, where is the active support for the oppressed? SBC President J.D. Greear indicates removal of evil, but the newspapers document SBC harboring evil.		Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee Wicked Inaction In 2008, the SBC Executive Committee wrote it "would certainly be justified" to end affiliations with churches that "intentionally employed a known sexual offender or knowingly placed one in a position of leadership over children or other vulnerable participants in its ministries." Current in 2019 SBC President J.D. Greear presented an email to the Chronicle indicating any church that: "proves a pattern of sinful neglect -- regarding abuse or any other matter -- should absolutely be removed from fellowship from the broader denomination" "The Bible calls for pastors to be people of integrity, known for their self-control and kindness" "A convicted sex offender would certainly not meet those qualifications. Churches that ignore that are out of line with both Scripture and Baptist principles of cooperation.". The newspapers discovered a minimum of 10 SBC churches that incorporated accused as sexually immoral pastors, ministers, and volunteers since 1998. In some cases, they were registered sex offenders.
  SBC Leadership Fails to Identify Wolf in Sheep's Clothing To SBC Membership, Another Example. A Voice Silenced Against the Wolf. 4 different girls were not treated with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, discipline/self-control by Leslie Mason who is a local church pastor in the SBC - BEFORE and DURING and AFTER he sexually immorally molested the girls! Evil SBC leaders exhibit fruit of evil, licentiousness, wickedness, and unrighteousness - fruit of their father the devil (John 8:42-45).		SBC Leadership Devastating Failure - Another Example In 2003, Leslie Mason was convicted on two counts of criminal sexual assault. Leslie Mason returned to the pulpit in Illinois a few years after the conviction. Michael Leathers, editor of the state's Baptist newspaper, publicized the charges against Leslie Mason, a rising star in local Southern Baptist circles. Angry readers sent letters to the state's Baptist newspaper, upset by Leathers' writing about Leslie Mason. Glenn Akins, the interim executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association, wrote: "To have singled Les out in such a sensationalistic manner ignores many others who have done the same thing," "You could have asked nearly any staff member and gotten the names of several other prominent churches where the same sort of sexual misconduct has occurred recently in our state." Glenn Akins, now the assistant executive director of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, declined an interview request. Illinois state Baptist convention leaders told Michael Leathers that he might be fired and lose his severance pay, according to Michael. Michael Leathers resigned as editor of the state's Baptist newspaper. Meanwhile, Leslie Mason admitted he had relationships with four different girls to investigators, records show. Leslie Mason made a plea deal in which investigators dropped all but two of his charges received a seven-year prison sentence. As an ex-convict, Leslie Mason returned to the pulpit of a different SBC church just a few miles from his previous pulpit. Michael Leathers commented: "That just appalled me," "They had to have known they put a convicted sex offender behind the pulpit. ... If a church calls a woman to pastor their church, there are a lot of Southern Baptist organizations that, sadly, would disassociate with them immediately. Why wouldn't they do the same for convicted sex offenders?" Since that time, Leslie Mason has preached at multiple SBC churches in central Illinois. In an interview, Leslie Mason said that those churches "absolutely know about my past," the churches and other institutions need "to be better at handling" sexual abuse that "nobody is above reproach in all things" that church leaders -- particularly those who work with children -- "desperately need accountability."
  SBC Leadership Fails to Identify Wolf in Sheep's Clothing To SBC Membership, Yet More Examples The list of 8 sexually immoral SBC church leaders was produced about a decade before the newspapers published their articles - a long interim timeframe! do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor [the] covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)		SBC Leadership Devastating Failure - Yet More Examples Michael Lee Jones planted Cathedral of Faith Southern Baptist Convention Church in Houston. Prior to planting Cathedral of Faith, Michael Lee Jones was convicted in 1998 of sexual assault of a teenage female congregant at a different, nearby SBC church. Michael Lee Jones is the principal officer of a Houston nonprofit that works with student organizations, federal records show. Its name: Touching the Future Today Inc. In 2007, Michael Lee Jones' name was one of eight sex offenders listed by the Baptist General Convention of Texas who worked in SBC churches in Texas, and the newspapers credit the list of 8 to "pressure from activists". In December 2018, Cathedral of Faith's 20th anniversary celebration at a downtown Houston hotel touted sermons from 3 pastors: Michael Lee Jones another pastor Dr. Joe Ratliff In 2003, Dr. Joe Ratliff, the longtime pastor of Houston's Brentwood Baptist Church, was sued for sexual misconduct by a man whom Dr. Joe Ratliff was counseling. According to Harris County court records and interviews, the lawsuit was settled and dismissed by agreement of the parties. The settlement is subject to a confidentiality agreement. Two other suits were filed against Dr. Joe Ratliff: one suit involved a person who went in for counseling another involved his handling of allegations against another church official according to Harris County records. The disposition of those two cases against Dr. Joe Ratliff was not available.
  False Prophets Foretold by Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:4-5), Even SBC Leadership at the Top Misleads and Are Destroyers The SBC local church pastors claim to be Christ's anointed. "For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'There [He is],' do not believe [him]. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance. So if they say to you, 'Behold, He is in the wilderness,' do not go out, [or], 'Behold, He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe [them]." Jesus Christ ~33AD (Matthew 24:21-26) Where is the inner room? Hint: look for the room at the local church that has a pulpit.		SBC Leadership Participating in the Devastating Destruction In 2006, Steve Gaines, SBC President in 2016 and pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova Tennessee, admitted to wait of six months to fire a pastor who confessed to molestations. Paige Patterson, SBC President in 1998 and Fort Worth seminary President: In 1990's, Paige Patterson allegedly ignored claims of multiple attacks upon women by his protege Darrell Gilyard In 2007, Paige Patterson protested group for clergy abuse victims as "evil doers" who are "as reprehensible as sex criminals" In 2018, Paige Patterson was removed from Fort Worth seminary President office for the way he handled multiple rape claims Jerry Vines, SBC President in 1988 and pastor of First Baptist Jacksonville Florida: In 1990's, alleged to have ignored and shamed teen who claimed assualt by Darrell Gilyard In 2014, the publisher of Vines autobiography indicates that Vines failed to "accurately describe" the Darrell Gilyard situation Paige Patterson and Jerry Vines both dealt with Darrell Gilyard, and Darrell Gilyard: In 1980's, church members brought dozens of allegations from three churches Darrell Gilyard pastored In 2009, Darrell Gilyard was convicted of molesting two girls at Florida church Edwin Young (Ed Young, see Heather Schneider tragic account above), SBC President in 1992 and pastor of Second Baptist Church in Houston Texas, where the church: In 1994, hired John Neal Forse (account above) In 2010, quietly fired youth pastor Chad Foster for reasons it says were unrelated to sexual abuse, but Chad Foster hired by another church later, then in 2013, Chad Foster was convicted of five felonies for abusing teens, then in 2015, Second Baptist and another church settled two lawsuits filed by Chad Foster's victims Paul Pressler (Herman Paul Pressler, III), SBC Vice President in 2002 and a justice on Texas' 14th Court of Appeals 1978-1992 and youth group leader at church and prominent SBC figure Houston Texas: In 1978-1979, left non-SBC church amid youth group member groping accusation In 2004, settled assault case for $450,000.00 with Gareld Duane Rollins Jr. according to 2017 court filing against Paul Pressler by Gareld Duane Rollins Jr. Frank Page, SBC President in 2006 and SBC Executive Committee President/CEO 2010-2018 Taylors South Carolina: terms group for clergy abuse victims "nothing more than lawyer groups looking to raise their caseload" In 2018, resigned from SBC Executive Committee for "morally inappropriate relationship in the recent past"

• Spirit of Fear: Hundreds of Sex Abuse Allegations Found at Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches
            (not related to Southern Baptist Convention mentioned above)

  • Primary Articles:
    • Hundreds of sex abuse allegations found in fundamental Baptist churches across U.S. (Part One) [opens to Star-Telegram.com]
           by Sarah Smith published Dec. 9, 2018
    • These "men of God" sexually abused children. Then they found refuge at other churches (Part Two) [opens to Star-Telegram.com]
           by Sarah Smith published Dec. 9, 2018
    • "It's ruined me." Former independent fundamental Baptists describe life in the church (Part Three) [opens to Star-Telegram.com]
           by Sarah Smith published Dec. 9, 2018
    • "My earliest memory of being molested was when I was 4 years old. It was Sunday school" (Part Four) [opens to Star-Telegram.com]
           by Fort Worth Star-Telegram published December 09, 2018 05:30 AM, updated January 03, 2019 09:54 PM
    • How the Star-Telegram investigated sex abuse in fundamental Baptist churches [opens to Star-Telegram.com]
           by Star-Telegram published December 09, 2018 05:30 AM, Updated December 11, 2018 08:03 PM

  Beneficial Notes:

  1. The Star-Telegram included:

     Spirit of Fear
     For decades, women and children have faced sexual abuse while worshiping at independent fundamental Baptist churches around the country. The network of churches and schools has often covered up the crimes and helped relocate the offenders.

  2. The Star-Telegram Team:

     Investigative reporter: Sarah Smith
     Editors: Steve Coffman, Mike Fannin and Tom Johanningmeier
     Visual production: Todd Feeback, Neil Nakahodo, Chris Oschner, Shelly Yang and Julia Wall
     Social media editors: Jordan Ray and Sandy Guerra-Cline
     Digital presentation: Leah Becerra
     Researchers: Kaley Johnson, Katie Bernard, Jenna Farhat, Cortlynn Stark and Sorayah Zahir

  3. The Independent Fundamental Baptist churches are not related to Southern Baptist Convention churches mentioned above, according to the sources.
  4. The "Primary Articles" for the "Spirit of Fear: Hundreds of Sex Abuse Allegations Found at Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches" subsection contain much information, but you should have a vomit bag ready if you read the articles. It's nauseating, dizzying, angering, etc.

  The evil within Independent Fundamental Baptist church (IFB) is not just a IFB corruption apart from the SBC corruption, it is not just a IFB church leadership cover-up, it is SIN. The evil is men that sin, even those men scratching and clawing at unauthorized positions of authority for those evil men clasp to power reserved by Christ unto Christ (Matthew 23:8-10, Matthew 20:25-28, John 10:16)! Do not be deceived, those evil men are destroyers, and access to the Bible is in their churches - the Word of God reveals the Way (John 14:6).

• Roman Catholic Church Expansive Sexual Abuse Cases

  • Primary Articles:
    • Catholic Church sexual abuse cases [opens to Wikipedia.org]
    • Church allowed abuse by priest for years | Aware of Geoghan record, archdiocese still shuttled him from parish to parish | (Part 1 of 2) [opens to BostonGlobe.com]
           by Michael Rezendes published Jan. 6, 2002
    • Geoghan preferred preying on poorer children | Children to therapist, priest cited sexual revolution (Part 2 of 2) [opens to BostonGlobe.com]
           by Sacha Pfeiffer published Jan. 7, 2002
    • After Years Of Abuse By Priests, #NunsToo Are Speaking Out [opens to NPR.com {National Public Radio}]
           by Morning Edition published March 18, 2019 7:22 AM ET
    • Sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia [opens to Wikipedia.org]

  Beneficial Notes:

  1. The Boston Globe articles were prepared by the Globe Spotlight Team: reporters Matt Carroll, Sacha Pfeiffer, and Michael Rezendes; and editor Walter V. Robinson.
  2. The Boston Globe 2002 Spotlight Report: Clergy sex abuse crisis
     Timeline of Spotlight report investigations
     1/6/2002: Church allowed abuse by priest for years (Part 1 of 2)
     1/6/2002: A revered guest; a family left in shreds
     1/7/2002: Geoghan preferred preying on poorer children (Part 2 of 2)
     1/31/2002: Scores of priests involved in sex abuse cases
     2/24/2002: Church cloaked in culture of silence
     2/24/2002: Hundreds now claim priest abuse
     3/14/2002: Ex-Mass. bishop accused of ignoring abuse in NYC
     5/12/2002: Scandal erodes traditional deference to church
     8/20/2002: Ariz. abuse case names bishop, 2 priests
     12/1/2002: Archdiocese weighs bankruptcy filing
     12/1/2002: Battle over files intensifies
     12/4/2002: More clergy abuse, secrecy cases
     12/14/2002: Pope accepts Cardinal Law's resignation in Rome
     
  3. From Wikipedia (2019 AD reference included):
     Theodore Edgar McCarrick (born 1930), ordered in 2018 by Pope Francis to a life of prayer and penance until a canonical trial could be held. After a church investigation and trial, he was found guilty of sexual crimes against adults and minors and abuse of power, and was dismissed from the clergy in February 2019. McCarrick is the most senior church official in modern times to be laicized - commonly referred to as defrocking - and is believed to be the first cardinal ever laicized for sexual misconduct.
  4. The "Primary Articles" for the "Roman Catholic Church Expansive Sexual Abuse Cases" subsection contain much information, but you should have a vomit bag ready if you read the articles. It's putrid.

  The evil within the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) is not just a RCC scandal, it is not just a RC church leadership cover-up, it is SIN and it is evil. That clergy clawing at unauthorized positions of authority - power reserved by Christ unto Christ (Matthew 23:8-10, Matthew 20:25-28, John 10:16)!

Notice, the magnitude and the pervasive nature of the evil - broken trust - abuse of authority - dereliction - theft of power position - the wicked men are not isolated to a single denomination of churches. The evil is deeply disturbing. The evil that men do is abhorrent to the Living God!

Dividing People From God

The Psalmist wrote "Those who hate the Lord would pretend obedience to Him, And their time of punishment would be forever" (Psalm 81:15). There is much diversion from suffering, from carrying the cross, among the churches as illustrated by the below. The Christ, the Son of the Living God said "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me" (Luke 9:23)

• The "church" divides the family!

  "Children's Church" takes children away from their parents, who should hear EVERYTHING that is being taught to their children, out of the preaching in the church service. They color, they play, they get a short story, and many of them spend more time focused during their public school classroom sessions which demonstrates that they could remain with their family (and they should see their father participating and maturing in the faith).

  The "director/leader" of a "local church" AWANA (link to AWANA.org) arranged a Truth & Training (T&T) dodge ball/pizza/movie night, here in this area, and the movie that he chose was Astro Boy (link to TheMovieSpoiler.com). The AWANA "director" wanted extra "leaders" on hand because they expected so very many children to be "dropped off" for the Friday night. From the Movie Spoiler, this is very, very succinct: Astro Boy contains violence, a disobedient son, the son being killed, and the son being replaced by a robot. God had Moses write some very strong words for a disobedient son (Deuteronomy 21:18-21), and this is because no evil is to be found in God's people, that purity and holiness are critical to God and His Ecclesia; meanwhile, in other "children's" movies are put in front of church children where the disobedient son or daughter prevails in the end of the movie as being more wise than the parents.

  Secular Entertainment

  • Movies
    • Walt Disney Co. (owner of Star Wars franchise)
    • Lucasfilm Ltd (bought by Disney)
    • Warner Bros. (brought Marvel Comic Book characters to the screen)
    • etc
  • Games
    • Rockstar Games (Grand Theft Auto franchise)
    • Electronic Arts (SimCity)
    • Chillingo (Angry Birds)
    • Blizzard Entertainment (World of Warcraft)
    • etc
  • Books (some become movies)
    • The Chronicles of Narnia
    • Lord of the Rings
    • etc

  The secular entertainment industry promotes self-reliance as opposed to turning to God. Children, and adults, are taught by unbelievers to desire a range of sinful behavior that includes independence, morality without the Author, immoral and lustful wishes; on the other hand, we children of God are dependent on God, and the grace bestowed upon us by the Lord Jesus Christ! To set anyone in front of these for entertainment is to feed deadly poison, sometimes small dosages and sometimes large...

  Even supposed entertainment targeting profeesing Christians, such as The Chronicles of Narnia, are dangerous at best, considering this quote from Slate 'Narnia is a land with roots in "deep magic," and its population of smart-aleck fauns and dwarves—not to mention Bacchus and a group of ecstatic maidens—would surely have horrified many traditional Christians' (The Lion King C.S. Lewis' Narnia isn't simply a Christian allegory [opens to Slate.com]). In the movie, there is a graphic, climactic battle containing explicit violence. Here is one person's description "the battle scene is truly remarkable; again the animation of the wide assortment of creatures, both human and non, is fascinating. The battle scene is very well rendered, and seems of epic proportion, with each side taking losses" (Spoiler for The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe [opens to TheMovieSpoiler.com]).There are many wicca fans of Narnia (The Dancing Lawn - Official Forums of Narnia Fans > The Stone Table > The Socratic Club > Wicca/Paganism). I read of a wiccan person that said Narnia reinforced their pagan belief (https://witchofhowlingcreek.wordpress.com/2011/08/09/paganism-in-the-chronicles-of-narnia/)!

  Even worse is professing Christians that claim the force in Star Wars, a very violent series, represents the Holy Spirit as a pretense or justification for watching the movies. Our Lord Jesus declared there is one unforgivable sin, blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:29). At the Areopagus in Athens, the Apostle Paul (Acts 17:16-34) referenced an altar inscribed with "to an unknown god" that Paul passed on his way through the city; furthermore, Paul mentioned their poets that he may not have even read, but rather that someone Paul talked with may have mentioned their poetry (see vs. 18). There is no indication that Paul was partaking in their culture, rather the evidence points to Paul making an observation because Paul did not identify the poets (see vs. 28). Some people call this the Mars Hill preaching by Paul. I do not believe that Paul took pleasure in the Athenian entertainments! In fact, we have the letter from Paul to Timothy, which contains "...nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith" (1 Timothy 1:4); moreover, narrowing in on that English word "myths", for which the Greek word and definition are Strong's Greek: 3454. μῦθος (muthos) -- a speech, story, i.e. a fable even more specifically, from the same wepage, HELPS Word-studies indicates 3454 mýthos - a myth; a false account, yet posing to be the truth; a fabrication (fable) which subverts (replaces) what is actually true. By this, it is clearly evident that entertainments such as Lord of the Rings, the Chronicles of Narnia, Star Wars, Astro Boy, and other fantasy secular entertainment fall into this destructive category.

  God is the Grand Creator! Does the person that plays SimCity attempt to create something better than God? SimCity may seem innocuous, but the devil is a lion prowling around, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).

  Time devoted to the satisfying of the flesh with the world's entertainment contradicts being still to know God as well as to be known intimately by God. Watching and playing useless, temporal games and movies leads to condemnation. Worship of and prayer to the God Most High is to be eternally minded!

  So, these "fun" movies promote dishonoring parents which DIRECTLY contradicts the Holy Scripture (Exodus 20:12). The LORD hates the soul that loves violence (Psalm 11:5), yet the director of T&T fed violence to those poor children. That night was intended to be an outreach, and it was supposed to be ministry; however, if the unsaved entered the "playtime", then it presented all the appearance of the world, maybe with some prayer to someone with, oh, what was His Name??? Imagine how a poor visitor could be deceived into thinking that adding Jesus to their world is the answer. Jesus is the world Creator, and God is a consuming fire! Those poor, deceived, and confused children in the T&T club now think that proclaiming Jesus to the unsaved means showing an ungodly movie to bring the lost people to Christ. This is worse than all horror films combined, and this describes only one of their movie nights. The Lord Jesus Christ works miracles, and we still pray for the people who were wrongly fed that night, and the other dodge ball/pizza/movie nights that were held like it. Here is the bread that Jesus taught (Matthew 5:3-12):

  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

  "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

  "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

  "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

  "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

  "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

  "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

  "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

  "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

  That word "Blessed" that Jesus used includes properous and joyous! Look at that "poor in spirit" a sense of humble not pride in conquest, "those who mourn" a sense of grieving, lamenting i.e. over sin - i.e. over the lost souls, "the gentle" even meek which is not weakness but rather refers to exercising God's strength under His control (4239. praus/gentle), "those who hunger and thirst for righteousness" desire earnestly and dehydrated for the Righteousness One Who is the Living Water, "the merciful" full of pity and compassionate - God promises to return mercy - this is starkly opposed by the T&T director announcing that head shots OK for dodgeball to children between the ages of 8 and 13 making for attrocious behavior, "the pure in heart" without admixture - what is separated (purged), hence "clean" (pure) because unmixed (without undesirable elements) - spiritually clean because purged (purified by God), i.e. free from the contaminating (soiling) influences of sin (2513. katharos/pure) this down to the very core of one's being, "the peacemakers" "make peace" - properly, a peacemaker, bravely declares God's terms which makes someone whole - used only in Matthew 5:9 (1518. eirénopoios/peacemakers) - and the T&T director failed to do such week after week not only in violence but also in the teaching of drawing on the inner strengh of the mortal man rather than appealing to God for strength - begging God for the Spirit of the Living God to dwell greatly in His temple - the T&T director taught how to be warmakers against man and God, "those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness" the word "persecuted" is properly to aggressively chase, like a hunter pursuing a catch (prize) - can be used positively ("earnestly pursue") and negatively ("zealously persecute, hunt down") - in each case, it means to pursue with all haste ("chasing" after), earnestly desiring to overtake (apprehend) (1377. diókó/pursue) which begs the question of whether Jesus is telling us that blessed are those pursued by God (which would be the positive sense of the Greek word used for the English word persecuted - this meaning is completely concealed by using the word persecuted instead of pursued), "you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me" Jesus used the same Greek word for persecute here (v.11) as He did immediately previous (v.10) - was He using a contradistinction (the stark contrast between God's loving pursuit versus to highlight man's destructive persecution of God's children) or was He repeating the persecution point (for greater emphasis and impact) or was the Master Orator doing both.

  In a demonstration about persecuted Christians, the previously mentioned AWANA director had a life size dummy (a manequin he made) in a praying position kneeling on a chair in the corner of the room. Near the conclusion of the council time to 25 boys, ages 8-13 years old, about persecution, the director grabbed the dummy and smacked it down to the floor. At this, all except about 4 boys, jumped to their feet, many thrusting their fists in the air, and yelling various violent words including "give him a right hook" and "stomp on his head". Then the AWANA director drew the boys in deeper by his invitation, "come on guys, help me persecute him!" The ensuing horror as those boys clamored to the front of the room to mob around the dummy, punching it mercilessly, driving their fists into it's body, dog piling on it, was a horrific embrace of violence against a representation of a persecuted Christian. The T&T boy's secretary stepped into the room as the mayhem was underway to ask an unrelated question as the dummy rammed into the wall behind her with a floor shaking thud (it was thrown across the room). The poor woman nearly jumped out of her skin. What did most of those boys leave with in their hearts? A prayer for the tortured for the sake of Christ, or a lot of hooting and hollering about the proper method to beat someone? In Sunday Schools, of which most if not all, of the boys in the council time had likely heard of Noah and the flood, they were probably told that those people were bad. Let's get specific here, in the Law it is recorded that God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth" (Genesis 6:13). Clearly, God abhors violence to such a degree that He destroyed the earth once already, and, make no mistake, He is going to destroy it again. What fruit was displayed at that T&T club that night? Meditate on these words of Jesus: "whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." (Matthew 18:6). When this episode was brought to the "local church" commander of AWANA's attention, he said that the AWANA T&T boy's director actions attract the boys into the club ("brings them in" were his precise words); nonetheless, the commander said he would talk to him. Assimilating the culture is answering a fool according to his folly, hear the Proverb "Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Or you will also be like him. Answer a fool as his folly [deserves], That he not be wise in his own eyes" (Proverbs 26:4-5).

  As recorded by the Apostle Peter, "he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it." (1 Peter 3:10-11 [see also Psalm 34:12-13]). That word "eschew" is the Greek word ekklinó (BibleHub, Strong's 1578) which is literally "OUT-BEND" or incline away from or make a line out away from.

  Leader failures are clearly evident in the church.

  An AWANA leader at a nearby "local church" received a felony conviction for violating Penal Code section 311.11(a) (possess matter depicting a person under 18 years engaging in or simulating sexual conduct, 311.1(a) separately mentioned send/sell/distribute obscene matter depicting a minor), and he is required to register as a sex offender pursuant to Penal Code section 290. He was also on the worship team at the "local church". Shockingly, no letter was distributed to the parents of children with whom the man had been involved with in class and game at AWANA by any leadership level of AWANA nor the "local church". Rather silently, he disappeared, yet his family remained. Much after the fact, when this was revealed to me, the cover up hurt tremendously because of the failures of "church leadership" to all the people involved with that AWANA club! The leaders with the lists of email and phone numbers SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONTACTING PARENTS TO NOTIFY THEM, after all, the leaders know his involvement as director and leader in various levels of AWANA. The leaders knew about the deluxe camera with telephoto lens that he used to shoot pictures of the children during various times at AWANA. No fear of insurance claims, litigation, nor anything should have prevented the dissemination of this information to the parents. Where is the love?

  Youth group seeking fun in snow trips (a "local church" did this and the leader reported raucous and unmentionable behavior) and missions to other countries where the children enter businesses to thank the proprietor for serving the community (a youth group leader at a nearby "local church" did this, not proclaiming the Lord Jesus Christ, this was told to me by the "local church pastor's" wife). Grouping youth with a "leader" that is barely older than the members is NOT Scriptural, not to mention unwise. If the "leader" had attained maturity, then the "leader" would know that taking the child on such folly is NOT Scriptural. According to a Christian research group, the Barna Group research indicates that most young Christians are as sexually active as their non-Christian peers, even though they are more conservative in their attitudes about sexuality - from www.Barna.org. A secular study: a livescience article titled "Teen Birth Rates Higher in Highly Religious States" presents information about a data analysis/survey produced by Joseph Strayhorn of Drexel University College of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh - from www.livescience.com. Placing a group of young boys and girls in confined quarters or traveling any distance with other young people ("leaders") for loving pleasure/entertainment, loving self, or friendship with the world (James 4:4) instead of being still to commune with God in love (2 Timothy 3:2, Psalm 46:10) opposes the very Word of God (Proverbs 13:20). The Word of God tells us that parents are the ones that God gave the children to raise in the fear and admonition of the Lord (Colossians 3:20-21, Deuteronomy 6:4-7, Proverbs 22:6, Deuteronomy 16:9-14; Joshua 8:34-35; Ezra 10:1; 2 Chronicles 20:13; Nehemiah 12:43; Joel 2:15-16).

  Modesty, Women, Men, and Boys:

  Jesus declared, "I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). Notice that Jesus said "adultery with her" indicating that the woman is an active participant in the adultery. He did not say "to" her, but rather "with" her. A woman who parades herself in front of boys or men is guilty of sin, specifically adultery; furthermore, a mother who dresses her daughter inappropriately compounds the mother's guilt, even if the mother only silently permits the daughter to dress immodestly. Make no mistake, the father of the family carries a greater weight of guilt, yet if the Spirit of the Living God indwells that daddy then he will speak of modesty! The daddy will speak of how the Bride of Christ is modest, and so, as it is with the Bride of Christ, so it is with female Children of God that are here on earth.

  At a "local church's" Kid's Club, the female teacher/leaders were immodestly dressed in spaghetti strap shirts and tight jeans with some wearing inappropriate shorts. This in front of boys of various ages, and men walking through the halls. Our Lord Jesus talked about loving one another, humility, purity, and fruit of the Spirit (John 13:35, Matthew 5:8, Luke 11:34-35, Matthew 5:30, Matthew 7:15-20). Who does the immodestly dressed woman love? Is she humble or in a "look at me" condition? Is she espousing purity for herself or for the boys and men around her? What fruit is she demonstrating? This is in church where parents turn their children over to be "taught"!

• The "church" divides the marriage.

  Marriage

  Jesus declared that divorce for Christians is allowed only for adultery (Matthew 19:9). Also, if an unbelieving spouse leaves, then the believing spouse is freed (1 Corinthians 7:15). Neither case permits remarriage, according to the Word of God. Let us not forget that marriage is a picture of Christ and His Bride (Ephesians 5:22-32).

  Wedding Ceremony: There are blessed wedding cermonies! God said "FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH" (Matthew 19:5). The Word of God is clear that marriage is a picture of Christ and His Bride (Ephesians 5:22-32). It is further written that which God joins together, let no man separate (Mark 10:9). What does God's Word say about the "church pastor" that officiates the wedding ceremony over a divorced "church member"? Theoretical question, no! I know a "church pastor" held a wedding ceremony for one of his "church members" that is divorced. That "church pastor" attempted to put asunder. That "church pastor" is an accomplice in on-going adultery. That "church pastor" knew that "church member" was gainfully employed. What would happen to the financial contributions of that "church member" if the "church pastor" declared the truth about the situation? Was the ceremony performed for sordid gain? This reminds me of William Tyndale's conversation with the Roman Catholic Church clergyman, when the priest challenged William about the pope's authority asserting that if the pope's law and God's Law are at variance then it is better to do without God's Law, to wit William replied "I defy the pope and all his laws". I recall Lord Jesus saying "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:19). What has unlawful authority wrought in everything surrounding that marriage which that "local church pastor" performed? The whole affair is evil, as I know all the parties involved, with the exception of the new bride.

  Women's Ministries: weekend retreats, leave the children with the husband because he's been gone all week working anyway, so the woman can get some "relaxation" away from the children. What is the retreat from? Is the Christian wife preparing things in order for her Christian husband to evangelize? Is the bride, the picture of Jesus' Bride, preparing the way for her bridegroom? Where is she?

  Men's Ministries: weekend retreats, such as the widely attended swinging up high from tree to tree (no joke, team building at the Mount Hermon in California [a large, wooded area shared among many "local churches"]) and other thrilling, death defying "manly" feats. Where are the children? Where is his wife, whom he is to love, just as Christ loves His Bride? Where are HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN WHEN HE STANDS IN THE TREE CANOPY READY TO LEAP ACROSS TO ANOTHER TREE DEPENDING ON HIS FELLOW MAN TO CATCH HIM AS HE LANDS ON THE SMALL PLATFORM??? Is this work that results in a paycheck for their food?

  I-Spy Challenge

  A wall in a nearby local church men's restroom with 3 posters marketing local church functions, first challenge can you find Jesus' Name on any of the posters? Second challenge, can you find the mention of worship of the Almighty, Living God in any of the posters? (click on image to enlarge)

  

  The center "A SUREFIRE REMEMDY FOR LIFE WEEKEND SABBATH" poster above is in the picture below. Please take special note of the "STUFF TO DO" on the poster (you can click on the image below to enlarge it for easier reading).

  

  How about the "Men, Meat, and Movie" meeting at a different, nearby "local church" where the lure of ribs and a Paul Newman movie titled Cool Hand Luke (link to FilmSite.org for spoiler) masquerade as Christian "fellowship" or maybe "outreach" for "church members" to bring a friend that normally would not enter the "church building". The "church leadership" seems to have thought the movie would attract men, both church-going and not. The following movie description is taken from the movie spoiler. The movie was about a convicted vandal sentenced to a southern chain gang, who some people correlate to a Christ-figure. The movie contains an erotic scene meant to stir lustful thoughts in men (and those images just don't disappear after the movie ends). The movie contains a brutally bloody, violent fight to the drop boxing scene between prisoners, Luke (Paul Newman) and Dragline where Luke is nearly pulverized. During a poker game, Luke stone-facedly bluffs his oppenent thus "proves himself a hero and endears himself to the inmates" and the spoiler also indicates "[a]fter winning the pot, Luke is anointed with his prison name", and he has a conversation about living "above board" with his dying mother. Luke's mother loves the rebellious Luke more that her respectable son. A fifty hard boiled egg eating contest, that could kill a man, is said to be comic, and the spoiler states "Luke's ingesting of the eggs parallels Christ's taking upon himself the sins of the world and bringing about a rebirth". Luke denies God's existence with the line "I'm just standin' in the rain talkin' to myself" during a sudden thunderstorm while out with the chain gang. Luke's first, short escape attempt endear the inmates, and they idolize him. Luke gets a severe beating by the authorities for his second, longer escape; although the spoiler does not indicate that it was shown. The inmates turn on Luke, abandoning him after they perceive him as weakly giving in to the authorities by agreeing to no longer "escape". Afterward, in yet another escape, he goes to an abandoned country church, and prays "Anybody here? Hey, Ol' Man, You home tonight? Can You spare a minute? It's about time we had a little talk. I know I'm a pretty evil fella. Killed people in the war and I got drunk and chewed up municipal property and the like. I know I got no call to ask for much, but even so, You've gotta admit, You ain't dealt me no cards in a long time. It's beginnin' to look like You got things fixed so I can't never win out. Inside, outside, all of 'em rules and regulations and bosses. You made me like I am. Now just where am I supposed to fit in? Ol' Man, I gotta tell Ya. I started out pretty strong and fast. But it's beginnin' to get to me. When does it end? What do Ya got in mind for me? What do I do now? All right. All right. (He kneels on his knees and cups his hands in prayer) On my knees, askin'. (pause) Yeah, that's what I thought. I guess I'm pretty tough to deal with, huh? A hard case. I guess I gotta find my own way". When the authorities arrive to apprehend Luke, he says "That's your answer ol' Man? I guess you're a hard case too". From the movie spoiler "they are cornered and Dragline [like Judas the Betrayer], in exchange for a promise of clemency, reveals where Luke has been hiding - in the church". When Luke looks out the window, he is shot in the throat. More spoiler: "Luke dies in the back seat of the boss' car - his face wears the familiar grin - a sign of the victory of his spirit over death. The tires of the vehicle smash and grind the sunglasses into the mud. In the distance as the car drives away, a stoplight turns from green to red - his spirit leaves his body". In the final scene, the convicts idolize Luke. To claim this movie has a Christ-like character in Luke is outrageous and blaspheming God! As with the inmate characters in the movie, men of the world admire Luke's stoicism, yet other men would detest Luke and the men he represents. Does the movie foster love for the lost? Men of the "local church" left their wives at home, or wherever the wives might have been, to watch a worldly movie that feeds the flesh violence and lust for another woman, a harlot (what else can we call a woman actress that performs seductively on the screen knowing that married and unmarried men will watch, on the other hand, what are men called that go to watch such performances [prayer, all the people involved need intercessory prayer made to God on their behalf - those still alive since the movie was made in 1967]).

  Leaders pursuing division between God and people.

  My blessed brother Peter penned under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit "You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so your prayers will not be hindered" (3:7).

• "Church leadership" abuses include:

  • attempting to control people by lording it over others due to "title" (Matthew 20:25-26). There are people in "church leadership" claiming to be God's anointed pastor/elder/bishop/deacon/apostle or God's duly appointed "pastor in the office" in order to control others, have power over other people, to obtain mammon/tithes. Where is the humble image of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who had no where to lay his head, in this? Where is the hard working emulation of the Apostle Paul, who worked day and night, and beyond that work, he exhorted the assembly, and proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost? Paul did not depend on the funding from the assembly of God that he served (Acts 20:33-35; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12, 2 Corinthians 11:8), where is the love Matthew 6:24?
  • using divorce as a tool when either a church member's husband or wife disputes with the "church leadership" doctrine (Matthew 19:6) (an article in the Loudoun Times - opens to loudountimes.com about one such church). People in "church leadership" claim to wield God's authority to the extent that the wife must submit to the pastor even more than her husband (1 Corinthians 11:3 [see also the English/Greek interlinear on this one of 1 Cor 11:3 because it is VERY revealing], taken with Ephesians 5:23).
  • Adultery and fornication is yet another perpetration of some in the clergy of the Church.

• The unbelievers get elected to "offices" in the "churches".

  I know of a "local church" where a man on the board of directors of the church said that Jesus' blood is a metaphor in direct denial of the true and present covering of the Blood of Christ Jesus (Matthew 26:28, Genesis 9:4, Hebrews 9:14, Exodus 12:13, 1 John 1:7, 1 Peter 2:24, Ephesians 1:7, Revelation 12:11, Acts 20:28, Revelation 7:14, 1 Peter 1:2).

• To the unbeliever, they see "church" as an opponent fighting for it's political ends.

  The unbeliever perceives the church as divided with contradictory denominations, such as Lutheran, Catholic, Evangelical, Mormon, Baptist, Pentecostal, Episcopal, Presbyterian, etc. On occasion, these denominations vie for differing political ends (even within a single denomination, sometimes). Secularists act surprised when outwardly opposing denominations agree on a common objective, sometimes making headlines.

• There are many persuasions of "church" such as Lutheran, Catholic, Evangelical, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormon, Baptist, Pentecostal, Episcopal, Mennonite, Presbyterian, etc.

  Which "church" did the Lord Jesus say to call "church"? Arguments about doctrine aside, they are all churches (1 Corinthians 1:12-13, 1 Corinthians 3:2-17). To the unbeliever, they all are the Church.

• Local Church???

  In Fremont, CA, U.S.A. there are more than 80 "local churches"! Which one is the "local church"? Some people travel great distances (more than an hour) from their homes to get to their "local church" "home church"; although, these travelers have "local churches" nearby to their homes in this very large metropolitan area of the San Francisco Bay Area that includes Silicon Valley! Is that local?

Abominations In The Churches

Multiple local churches in this locale have offered yoga classes recently. The advertisement of one yoga class pronounced that congregants could join their "local church pastor" at the yoga class.

Based on the Word of God, practitioners of yoga attempt to "join" or "union" with demons, and only wicked and evil people engage such activity. All forms of Eastern Religous practices, including yoga and meditation, oppose the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:22). Anyone that is the temple of the Holy Spirit rejects such practice.

Yoga defined (from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/yoga):

1. also Yoga An ascetic Hindu discipline involving controlled breathing, prescribed body positions, and meditation, with the goal of attaining a state of deep spiritual insight and tranquility.
2. A system of stretching and positional exercises derived from this discipline to promote good health, fitness, and control of the mind.

Word History: The word yoga comes from Sanskrit yogah, "yoking, joining together" and by extension "harnessing of one's mental faculties to a purpose" and thus "yoga." The Sanskrit word descends from the Indo-European root *yeug-, "to join, yoke." In the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family, *yeug- developed into yuk-, represented in Old English by geoc, the ancestor of Modern English yoke. The root *yeug- is continued by words in most of the branches of the Indo-European language family, which indicates that the speakers of Proto-Indo-European used draft animals to pull their plows and draw their wagons.

The churches are unequally yoked (2 Corinthians 6:14), to say the least.

Let's take a look at a few more actual use case examples for the "church building", which the church clergy and laity mistake for the house of God. It is disturbing how people use what they call the Lord's house, these edifices that they claim are dedicated to the glory of God.

• Christian Homeschool Debate/Forensics League tournaments are often held in church buildings, adjunct or otherwise, yet the participants are forbidden to refer to the Bible in debate (but not so with public speaking portions of the league). The debate leagues meet in church buildings under the authority of the "local church pastor", which begs the question, why? Could it be that the church clergy are fearful of losing the financial contributions of a major demographic of their monetary supporters to an alternate "local church" if the "church pastor" denies usage of the church facility? Or, does the "church pastor" agree with the topics? Is the "church pastor" tacitly approving of the time consumption of the debates? One such Parliamentary Debate Tournament was promoted with topics of popular culture, current events, and philosophy. Debate league durations can differ, for example, sometimes tournaments meet 3 consecutive days, even running more that 12 hours per day, sometimes the debate leagues meet all day Saturday, such as a Parliamentary Debate Tournament where this was the complete published list of topics debated:
  • Defense wins championships.
  • These houses are never ever getting back together.
  • This House should not judge a book by its cover.
  • Not all who wander are lost.
  • The customer is always right.
  • This House would choose None of the Above.
  • China can control North Korea.
  • A federal European Union is in Europe's best interest.
  • At least one new permanent member should be added to the United Nations Security Council.
  • The mobile phone is the opiate of the masses.
  • This House believes the real estate market is overheating.
  • Studying history is more useful than studying geography.
  • Daylight savings time should be abolished.
  • Foreign language education should be started in elementary school.
  • Artificial intelligence poses a threat to humanity.
  • Congressional term limits would do more harm than good.
  • The United States federal government should remove the "Maximum Taxable Earnings" limit of the Social Security system.
  • The United States Constitution should be amended to establish term limits for Supreme Court justices.
  Does this sound like looking toward the return of our Lord Jesus Christ? Does this sound like the doctrine of Lord Jesus Christ concerning The United States government, the Roman government, any government? The answer can be found in the WHAT DOES JESUS SAY ABOUT WORLDLY GOVERNMENTAL INVOLVEMENT? sidebar above. Which of the debate topics have eternal consequences? Recollect the eternal consequences and patriotic fervor of the church in the account detailed earlier in this essay in the History of the Church Section: The tale of the Caesareum church in Alexandria, Egypt; seriously, compare the church activity over the course of nearly 2,000 years - see the melding/meddling of church and state - see the struggle for worldly power - see that the world's governments are not the Kingdom that King Jesus proclaimed (John 18:36)! Consider "This House should not judge a book by its cover" debate topic has a single correct answer. Jesus said "you will know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:16) meaning that we will know wolves in sheep's clothing by their fruits, but the debating children are not allowed to quote Scripture in the debate. If the father's work all week, and if the debaters and their parents are at the church building all day Saturday for debate, then at the church for Sunday morning's sermon maybe back for an evening sermon, then where is the time to seek out the lost as Christ commanded to His disciples? Each and every one of us believers, young and old, are the Lord Jesus' own flock, and we feel the intensity of His imminent return, so we hunger and thirst for righteousness, even being persecuted for His Name's sake.

  My son discussed the sovereignty of God versus the free will of man with one of the debate league students at the marketplace. Their discourse was based on the Word of God. The debate student failed to defend his position of free will, and he said it was the hardest debate he ever engaged. The debate student had already been in the league for about one year. The debate class is intented to help children "defend the faith", yet they are trained to defend the faith without mentioning the Scripture. In fact, according to the debate student that once when the debate student, with whom my son conversed, mentioned a Bible verse in debate league, he was sharply reprimanded; therefore, the children are trained to debate without absolute truth, in other words, relative morality.

• Consider that church pastors and members implement carnal methods/means to attempt to attract the world; in other words, the church tries to look like the world, like a honeypot to a bee, that a dead person might join the church membership. The churchgoers and pastors "think" they are targeting salvation of the lost, yet so very many churchmen, as Jesus indicated, "neglect the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness" (Matthew 23:23). It is NO ACCIDENT that Jesus stated a specific order, (1) law, (2) justice, (3) mercy, and (4) faithfulness. Let's take a look at God's points here:

  LAW	Without the law, I would not have known sin (Romans 7:7). God used the law, including the ten commandments, to reveal my despicable, deplorable, desparate, dead condition (Ephesians 2:1). By the law, I came to know what adultery is (Exodus 20:14), by the words of Jesus, I knew that even the thought of adultery in my heart was crime against the Eternal God Almighty (Matthew 5:28, 2 Samuel 12:13, Psalm 51:4). The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17) give a picture of righteousness unattainable to people (Romans 8:3), even the first three commandments told me of God's holy nature, and that God's purity demands justice (Romans 12:19).
  JUSTICE	God is just (Deuteronomy 32:4). God's judgement is true. "The Just Balance Scale Weights Measuring Right And Wrong" sidebar is below. The guilty will not go unpunished (Nahum 1:3); in other words, the criminal must be punished. There are two states of being, either (1) innocent or (2) guilty. Any amount of guilt make a person unholy (1 John 3:9), an object of wrath from God. Lord Jesus said any amount of sin destroys. Every person is guilty of sin, for there is no one righteous, no not one. Every one has sinned, just as Adam sinned (1 Corinthians 15:22). Except, there is One Who knew no sin in Whom is mercy (2 Corinthians 5:21).
  MERCY	Jesus commands, repent (Mark 1:15 [think differently from now on]). Jesus is the propitiation to the one that believes. To propitiate is (1) to conciliate, (2) to overcome, (3) to appease the wrath of God; in other words, propitiation makes peace with God. By God's mercy, God satisfied God's justice by establishing that substitutionary sacrifice conciliates His people to Himself; moreover, God's Son, Jesus Christ, bore the full weight of punishment as the full and complete substitutionary sacrifice (Romans 3:25), there is no more sacrificial deeds necessary to propitiate. That horrific treatment, that suffering, that death, that Jesus endured that day on the cross, that is the only Way for a person to be reconciled away from the consequence of sin, and the consequence of sin is the wrath of God (John 3:36). Jesus paid for me by His loving work, and I am His (1 Corinthians 15:10).
  FAITHFULNESS	Jesus makes us believers to conform to Him (Romans 8:29) in the Holy Spirit that indwells us (1 Corinthians 6:19). He draws us closer to Himself (John 12:32), and He refines us (Daniel 12:10). He will never break His promise. He does not faint. He does not grow weary of His wonderful plan for us in Christ Jesus the Lord (Isaiah 40:28). Our Lord Jesus is faithful to the end (2 Peter 3:9, 2 Timothy 2:13, Hebrews 13:5).

  A fearful number of churches have brought in the culture to try to make the church palatable to the slaves of sin, and the slaves of sin love that culture that is known to them, so the dead in sin embrace the church culture. Too many churches neglect one or more of Jesus' points, even neglecting the intensity of sin. There are churches that neglect to teach the law; on the other hand, there are churches that teach a person must do some "work", which might include opening their heart to Jesus (contrary to Scripture). Some churches teach to keep the commandments. Some churches teach responsibility and duty (works, covered shortly below in this essay).

• Church members practice and perform worldly theatrical productions within their church walls.

Church Missions

It is needful to discuss missions, keeping it short, so here are some actual "local church" missions:

• A nearby "local church" held a Vacation Bible School (VBS, an example of an actual VBS promoter Group - link to their site) in Mexico, with women and youth going down to run the VBS for children.
• Another "local church" is planning a VBS for later this year in Kenya, and they are currently seeking volunteers.
• A few years back, a "local church" had a mission to India to which they sent their pastor (not his wife) and several women (at least one of them was married, yet not her husband going) to minister to women and children.
• A young woman gave a presentation about her mission to Afghanistan at a "local church" in this area. According to her lecture, she worked as a teacher at a school run by a missions group for people in the area over there. They lived in a compound. She was forbidden to speak of Jesus by their missions board. She said she complied. As an aside, she taught some of the girls ballet. She showed a picture of Muslim girls in immodest ballet clothes, which brings offense to the ministry 2 Corinthians 6:3), right in that Islamic State's backyard. The Muslim parents knew her to be at the mission school. She was identified as a Christian to them. She was over there for a couple of years or so.

Paul the Apostle was in jail for the sake of Christ when Paul was traveling around Asia. He was severely beaten, and ill treated in the jail. Paul proclaimed the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to the jailer, Paul and Silas explained the Word of the Lord to the jailer's whole house, and everyone in the house was immersed in the name of Jesus. The man of the house, the jailer, was the first of his house to hear the Gospel (Acts 16:22-34).

Those "local churches" are spending great sums of money and expending much time in travel; however, they could go to Hayward, CA or Oakland, CA where the Gospel is desperately needed. Oh, but wait, there is danger there in Oakland (Crime in Oakland, California [opens to Wikipedia]) even though it is only about a 30 minute drive from here, and, closer, Hayward can be hostile terrain, too. It may seem romantic to fly halfway around the world to some exotic location, but a person can hop on the freeway to be at an Oakland destination to evangelize within 30 minutes. What about men evangelizing to men, that some in those households might be saved? Over the years, we interacted with many "local churches". We are aware of 6 local "local churches" (8 "local churches" if counting the non-local "local churches") that engaged in some form of outreach activity to men, women, and children locally, yet there are 80 "local churches" locally. In all the years at one marketplace (the marketplaces are explained below, in God's Plan), we've witnessed 2 "local churches" visit separately on 3 occasions. One "local church" handed out a postcard about their "local church". The second "local church" came to give out free water on their first visit, then about a year later to tell the Gospel as well as distribute free food and fluid. At another marketplace, no "local churches" over the years with the sad exception that we see the Jehovah's Witnesses nearly weekly attempting to recruit to their society. Oh Magnificent and Majestic God, please increase laborers in Your harvest (Matthew 9:37-38)!

It sure is easy to tell children to sit down, to tell children to bow their head to pray, to tell children to play some games, to tell children some of the account of Joseph the son of Jacob, to ask if there are any children who want to accept Jesus, to tell children to eat a snack, to tell children to do a craft/decorative project. This is no joke because I was present at a "local church" that did this in a VBS where they told some of the account about Joseph. They did not mention Jesus until a teenaged boy finished explaining some of the account about Joseph then asked to see hands of who wanted to accept Jesus. The "local church leadership" allowed the VBS to continue going when they were told about the situation.

God's sanctifying work is the hallmark of members of the Body of Christ, being made holy by our loving Father in the communion of the Son of God (Hebrews 2:11); on the other hand, the world is profane with members that love the ways of destruction and death (James 4:4).

Jesus did NOT say that He would build a church and He did not do such a thing (Matthew 16:18)! The ecclesia of Christ is NOT a church! All churches are the works and creations of men. Jesus did not set up a religious institution nor a 501(c)3 business organization of any kind.

A Church Pastor's Email

A "local church pastor" wrote an email to me advocating, even asserting Scriptural basis, for "local church membership" and that people submit to him because of his office. It is worth examining his arguments.

The email from the "local church pastor" reads:

That pastor outlined Fruit of the Spirit, with some changes necessary to reflect God's Sovereignty. In the context he outlined, it is vain works for the unsaved, and potentially legalism comes to mind for the saved. He attributed to responsibility that which should be instead exalted to the glory of God, that is, through the manifest and visible Fruit of the Spirit. Think of the fruit on a branch in a tree. Does the branch produce fruit if the branch is broken off of the tree? No. Who owns the branch and fruit? The tree. This is the purpose to God calling it Fruit of the Spirit, because the Fruit is His and His alone.

Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are members of His Ecclesia upon baptism in the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-8).

That pastor nearly equates church to ministry, and that the church needs the finances of the church members. The "church member" tithes go to the "local church" bank account for the "local church pastor" salary as well as for the church building rent or mortgage (there is NO Scriptural basis for the church building [more on this below, including the Construct A Building Request Made to Jesus sidebar]).

It bears repeating, the "local church pastor" indicated that he needs to be paid by the "local church" by way of tithes and offerings which is sordid gain (1 Peter 5:2) that the Apostle Paul did not draw for himself the funding from the assembly of God that he served Acts 20:33-35; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12, 2 Corinthians 11:8. Also, Judas Iscariot was given 30 pieces of silver for the Word (Matthew 26:15), and Judas' end was horrid (Matthew 27:5 and Acts 1:16-19)!

Several relevant points emerge from Paul's letter to the Philippians (4:15-16).

     https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+4%3A14-17&version=NASB1995%3BYLT

Nevertheless, you have done well to share [with me] in my affliction. You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent [a gift] more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. NASB

but ye did well, having communicated with my tribulation; and ye have known, even ye Philippians, that in the beginning of the good news when I went forth from Macedonia, no assembly did communicate with me in regard to giving and receiving except ye only; because also in Thessalonica, both once and again to my need ye sent; not that I seek after the gift, but I seek after the fruit that is overflowing to your account; YLT

Why two columns? A convention reminder.

• Paul indicates sharing/communicating of "giving and receiving" in such a way that the passage does not eliminate the possiblility that Paul may have given to the Philippians, yet he explicitly states he did receive from the Philippians.
• Paul phrased the passage in such a way that we can not conclusively extrapolate that he requested financial support of "his ministry" from the Philippians.
• Paul left no collection plate instructions.
• Paul left no indication that the Philippians supplied an amount to cover all of Paul's expenses, for Paul was a tent maker.
• It is crucial to note that the support for Paul was provided by an assembly other than the assembly where he was serving; in other words, it appears that Paul received financial support from Philippi for the ministry in Thessalonica such that even Thessalonica did not provide for Paul's work in Thessalonica.

Has the Spirit of God ever made your heart cry for someone in need? Someone that would be out on the street without shelter if that person did not get some money right away? Did you give the money in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, out loud? Did the person glorify God upon receipt of the money? This is ministry, my friend. This is walking by faith. Have you ever heard of Open Doors (opens to opendoors.org)? Where do you believe God wants His finances?

In Matthew 25:31-46, King Jesus provides the glorious and the terrifying explanation about those helping the poor and those not helping the poor. Incredibly important, Our Lord Jesus said "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me." Do you hear Him say "the least of them"? Lord Jesus said "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). We, believers on the Lord Jesus Christ, are poor in the world, but rich in Jesus' eternity, and we help one another while here on earth regardless of "church building" perimeter. Sometimes, it may mean living one paycheck to the next. Where the Holy Spirit leads, that is where the believer goes!

In Matthew 19:21, Christ Jesus said "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." Who was the man told to "give to"? The poor, not the "local church pastor" nor his "church building".

In 1 Timothy 5:8, the Apostle Paul explains that "if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." Providing for one's family is rather critical! We are ALL poor, and we inherit riches from the Lord Jesus. A picture is developing here. Let's continue.

In Isaiah 58:7, it is written "Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?"

In Ephesians 4:28, it is written "He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need." We are all thieves (Exodus 20:15, we have all tried to steal the glory of God by idolizing ourselves (Exodus 20:3 and Exodus 20:4). Not only that, Paul wrote to "share with one who has need." Does that sound like the poor?

Let's make no mistake, to teach people to be responsible is to teach theft of the Fruit of the Spirit of the Living God. It is stealing. This is a very serious matter as YHWH wrote with His Finger, after He delivered the Israelites from bondage in Egypt, "You shall not steal" (Exodus 20:15); furthermore, Our Lord Jesus said "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" Matthew 5:19). Teaching wrongfully is adding to Scripture which carries dire consequences (Revelation 22:18-19, Deuteronomy 4).

Let's look at Job 42:11-12 where his brothers and sisters not only consoled and comforted him, but gave him money and a ring of gold so that YHWH blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning.

The email from the "local church pastor" reads:

In a day when commitment is a rare commodity, it should come as no surprise that church membership is such a low priority to so many believers. Sadly, it is not uncommon for Christians to move from church to church, never submitting themselves to the care of elders and never committing themselves to a group of fellow believers.

To neglect-or to refuse-to join a church as a formal member, however, reflects a misunderstanding of the believer's responsibility to the body of Christ. And it also cuts one off from the many blessings and opportunities that flow from this commitment. It is essential for every Christian to understand what church membership is and why it matters.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10 and Proverbs 1:7), and Christ is the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). Do you see the imposition of fear in the writing of the "local church pastor"? I fear my God who can destroy both body and soul in hell (Matthew 10:28).

Please pay particular attention to the "local church pastor" implying pride in his "refuse-to join" statement in red. He asserts it is prideful not to submit to the authority of man in the "local church". Please recall, Jesus said the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, but not so with Jesus' people where the greatest becomes least (Matthew 20:25-28).

The Word of God will decide who is proud, the "local church pastor" or the child of God who gathers in homes for worship. The "local church pastors" have used the accusation of pride and rebellion to subdue and oppress people for centuries. Peter, my dear brother in the Lord, wrote "You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5) Pride is not the refusal to "place yourself under" some church official. Rather pride is the desire to rise above others. Look at (1) the clause "all of you" (2) followed by the exhortation to clothe in humility toward one another (3) followed by God opposes the proud. This pride of which Peter writes is to EVERYONE in the ecclesia, Jesus' Assembly. Peter is not subordinating a laity (within God's Ecclesia, "lay person" does not exist in the New Testament) that must submit to an office holder (within God's Ecclesia, "office" does not exist in the New Testament).

Have you ever met someone, even just walked past on the street, and the Spirit just lights up? Did you know that you were in the presence of a Spirit filled believer? Did the two of you exalt the Living God, spontaneously? These are serious questions, because walking by faith leads to these encounters. Have you been led by the Spirit to help someone? Has the Spirit sent someone to help you? More Godly questions here. These are blessings that the "local church pastor" seems to discount unless a person is a member of the "local church". He certainly discounts the gathering of the saints in a house or at the park as insufficient, and it is evident in a different email he wrote concerning, "The command to not neglect the gathering is a corporate gathering. So the first step in obedience is corporate worship. The [cell groups] are designed more to help us carry out the one-another commands in Scripture that are to be carried out through local church fellowship." His "cell groups" meet in homes and in rooms at the church building, and the people from all these different "cell groups" must gather in the Sanctuary room of the church once a week to listen to the "local church pastor" preach to them. Not only is there a hierarchy of people, but it appears there is a hierarchy of rooms, too. I asked him what he meant by corporate, to wit he replied "It's a term meaning.. When the local church gathers together to worship Christ." The word "corporate" has been used for things "church". While corporate is related to corporeal, that is, a body united, the primary definition of corporate is "business entity". Corporate is the United States I.R.S. 501(c)3 tax exempt status related to "church". Did God use the phrase "corporate worship" or "corporate prayer" to describe His Holy Nation's doings? Jesus said "where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." (Matthew 18:18) as well as "Pray, then, in this way" (Matthew 6:9). The local church pastor has made it into something different and uncomfortable. God uses crisp and clear language. The wise theologians love their long words and tangled prose to impress people. In whose eyes are the "local church leaders" and theologians wise?

Let's seque to a related theme, exemplified by a local church and it's pastor from a few thousand miles from here.

Church is a business, for profit, like Coca-Cola, Walmart (including Sam's Club), and Universal Studios. Coca-Cola has it's flagship product, the Coca-Cola soft drink. Walmart is a merchandiser that distributes the products of other manufacturers, such as Coca-Cola, or Walmart's own products, the Great Value brand, and Walmart provides services, such as tire installation. Universal Studios produces movies, distributes movies, promotes movies, and Universal Studios promotes actors, celebrity actors, even, at times, unknown actors that the stakeholders speculate have potential value.

They have customers, they have members (Sam's Club), they have boards of directors or elders or trustees, they have employees, they have equity holders (physical assets are owned by someone whether proprietors or shareholders). They are all businesses. They advertise, some straightforward campaigns, some sophisticated marketing campaigns.

Like Coca-Cola, church has it's flagship product that varies by church - sometimes it's the building, sometimes it's the pastor. Like Walmart, churches merchandises, yet in this case it's things like books and videos that purport to be Bible studies, some pastors produce their own Bible studies, and churches provide services with the attendant collection of money during the services. There are even stakeholders of churches that contribute money, cars, even houses to church, but there are even times when disputing churches have to buy buildings from opposing churches (for example, when a nearby Presbyterian Church broke from it central council, that central council of Presbyterian churches agreed with the membership of that local Presbyterian church for the central council to be the recipient of a special tithe/contribution, a very large sum, in exchange for that local Presbyterian church membership to obtain the title deed for the local Presbyterian church property and buildings - I am aware of this playing out at a few different "local churches"). Like Universal Studios, church has it's celebrities in pastors, and the church promotes those pastors that the board or eldership speculate have potential value.

If you say, "oh, but wait, they are godly men", then I say to you, take a look at another example in this picture, that man's image on the bus is a pastor on that very prominent position on that local church bus. As folks board the bus, whose image is present right there at the door? That sure is a nice and shiny bus, expensive, too. The side of a bus is a prime spot to .... advertise. And hear the resounding words of the Eternal God, Lord Jesus Christ as recorded by John the Apostle (10:16), "they will become one flock with one pastor".

Jesus said sell everything then give it all away to the poor (Matthew 19:21, Luke 18:22, Mark 10:21). Jesus said "poor" repeatedly, yet Jesus did not say "church". A Godly endeavor can certainly receive funding from Holy Spirit moved saints for the Bible is replete with examples of people moved to give; on the other hand; church turned away from God by taking - the keyword is "taking" - including women's homes. God made it clear that men fail (Psalm 146:3), we do, we are all helpless, lost, and dead meat without the Mighty Redeemer of our Salvation, Jesus Christ, yet it is my prayer that the failure fail, and in preparation for that day of Lord Jesus' return, may the Almighty God bless men to declare the truth, that Jesus Christ is Lord and the One Pastor alone, no other!

We that are in Christ are a peculiar people, and we do not look like the world!

The email from the "local church pastor" reads:

The Definition of Church Membership

When an individual is saved, he becomes a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). Because he is united to Christ and the other members of the body in this way, he is therefore qualified to become member of a local expression of that body.

To become a member of a church is to formally commit oneself to an identifiable, local body of believers who have joined together for specific, divinely ordained purposes. These purposes include receiving instruction from God's Word (1 Tim. 4:13; 2 Tim. 4:2), serving and edifying one another through the proper use of spiritual gifts (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-31; 1 Pet. 4:10-11), participating in the ordinances (Luke 22:19; Acts 2:38-42), and proclaiming the gospel to those who are lost (Matt. 28:18- 20). In addition, when one becomes a member of a church, he submits himself to the care and the authority of the biblically qualified elders that God has placed in that assembly.

The yellow section is in error. The believer is a member of the Body of Christ at the moment saving Grace came upon the believer, and the local, global, and eternal expression of the Body of Christ includes that saved believer. No further action is required by the newly saved believer to become a member of anything, rather God has done His miraculous work at the very moment God converted the believer (John 3:3-5, Ezekiel 36:26)!

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" are the words of the Eternal Lord Jesus Christ! He said "All authority"! This is recorded in Matthew 28:18 at the ascension of Jesus Christ to the right hand of the Father in heaven, and the "local church pastor" makes reference to it in the green section. Let's rewind to before Jesus said "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth", to when Jesus sent out the twelve as recorded in Luke 9:1, when Jesus gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. Full stop (on that point). Again, Jesus gave authority when he sent out the seventy as recorded in Luke 10:19, Jesus said upon the disciples return, "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you." Jesus' instruction and commands to the seventy as He was sending them out included for them to "heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you'" (Luke 10:9). Full stop (on that point).

In sequential order, we have Jesus giving the disciples authority over all demons, to cure diseases, to tread on serpents and scorpions, over all the power of the enemy, and declare the Kingdom of God. After that, Jesus declares that all authority has been given to Him.

In no sense does Jesus declare that one disciple has authority over another disciple.

In the green section, the "local church pastor" just described a member of the Body of Christ moved by the Will of God, and the believer gathers according to the Will of God. The "local church pastor" explains in no uncertain terms that the "local church membership" is required for the responsible believer to participate in divinely ordained purposes, and that without joining in "local church membership" the believer cannot participate in divinely ordained purposes because according to him the believer is really not a believer in the first place. The "local church pastor" did not mention these words of King Jesus, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).

The wicked claim in the red section identifies his lust for power and authority THAT BELONGS TO GOD ALONE!

Take note of "biblically qualified elders that God has placed" in the red section, there is the "local church pastor" claim to being God's duly ordained authority thus demanding submission by people to a mere man. Woe to you, pharisee! Repent and believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Precise and detailed information about this is further below in the Authority in the Ecclesia Defined - By the Word of God section's Integrity of Greek to English Translation of Hebrews 13:17 heading, but please be careful about jumping ahead since there is still much very important ground to cover.

God ordains ALL Spirit filled men to address rebellion and sin appropriately. For example, the Apostle Paul exposed the wrong of Peter "in the presence of all" (Galatians 11:14), again, Paul instructs Timothy (after taking witnesses to the offender) to rebuke "in the presence of all" (1 Timothy 5:20). What would happen if a "church member" stands during a sermon to point out a Scriptural conflict with something the "local church pastor" claims?

Moving on to the very next full section of the email from the "local church pastor":

The Basis for Church Membership

Although Scripture does not contain an explicit command to formally join a local church, the biblical foundation for church membership permeates the New Testament. This biblical basis can be seen most clearly in (1) the example of the early church, (2) the existence of church government, (3) the exercise of church discipline, and (4) the exhortation to mutual edification.

Praise Jesus, the "local church pastor" wrote that "Scripture does not contain an explicit command to formally join a local church"! Yet, he wrote an entire email on the subject attempting to justify "local church" by conforming Scripture to man instead of man to Scripture!

The "local church pastor" explains each of his 4 points in the email...

Continuing with the very next section of the email from the "local church pastor":

The Example of the Early Church

In the early church, coming to Christ was coming to the church. The idea of experiencing salvation without belonging to a local church is foreign to the New Testament. When individuals repented and believed in Christ, they were baptized and added to the church (Acts 2:41, 47; 5:14; 16:5). More than simply living out a private commitment to Christ, this meant joining together formally with other believers in a local assembly and devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer (Acts 2:42).

The epistles of the New Testament were written to churches. In the case of the few written to individuals-such as Philemon, Timothy and Titus-these individuals were leaders in churches. The New Testament epistles themselves demonstrate that the Lord assumed that believers would be committed to a local assembly. There is also evidence in the New Testament that just as there was a list of widows eligible for financial support (1 Tim. 5:9), there may also have been a list of members that grew as people were saved (cf. Acts 2:41, 47; 5:14; 16:5). In fact, when a believer moved to another city, his church often wrote a letter of commendation to his new church (Acts 18:27; Rom. 16:1; Col. 4:10; cf. 2 Cor. 3:1-2).

The idea of experiencing salvation
without belonging to a local church
is foreign to the New Testament.

In the book of Acts, much of the terminology fits only with the concept of formal church membership. Phrases such as "the whole congregation" (6:5), "the church in Jerusalem" (8:1), "the disciples" in Jerusalem (9:26), "in every church" (14:23), "the whole church" (15:17), and "the elders of the church" in Ephesus (20:17), all suggest recognizable church membership with well-defined boundaries (also see 1 Cor. 5:4; 14:23; and Heb. 10:25).

Wait a minute, did not the "local church pastor" just write that "Scripture does not contain an explicit command to formally join a local church"?

Twice the "local church pastor" asserts there is no salvation without belonging to a "local church" in the sections in yellow and red. Specifically, he is saying salvation without belonging to a local church is not in Scripture in the red, so the statement can read the New Testament requires belonging to a local church for the experiencing of salvation. No matter how it is stated, it is false; in other words, it is a lie that perpetuates bondage to a "local church pastor" as opposed to the Mighty One of Israel that sets men, women, and children free!

The "local church pastor" quoted Scripture. It must be examined in Godly Light, that is by the Word of God.

• The first set is Acts 2:41, 47; 5:14; 16:5.

  Every one of these refers to God drawing people into His Body, His Ecclesia. Note in 5:14 "the more were believers added to the Lord" that they were added to the Lord! Also, note in 16:5 that the assemblies were strengthened in the faith, so these assemblies are gatherings of believers in multiple places yet one Assembly of God, after all, these assemblies were receiving the Apostles dogma (the Greek word, the English word is decrees) which is in accord with the Word of God. Look at 1 Corinthians 5:4 (this is even quoted by the "local church pastor" in this section) where the Apostle Paul wrote that he would be with them in spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus. See here, friend, there is no segregation in the Assembly of God, that Paul being in a different place, physically, was with the believers in Corinth in spirit in the power of God. One Lord Jesus, one Bride of Jesus.

• The next is Acts 2:42.

  It seems rather selective to leave out Acts 2:46 that states "house to house" not church to church. They were breaking bread. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, doing what? The Lord was adding to their number day by day (Acts 2:47). Therefore, in Acts 2:42 the excitement of the Act of God adding to His Ecclesia's number is expressed!

• Roster, List, Catalog

  In the Other Essential Definitions section, we find the definition of catalog which is derived from katalogos. The word of interest in the Greek manuscripts is katalegesthO. Notice the "lege" in katalegesthO; furthermore, notice it is not "logo" as in logos. We know that the Greek word lego is "speak". The translation of lego to English in the KJV occurs like this: say (1,184x), speak (61x), call (48x), tell (33x), misc (17x). And respecting the Greek root kata, it is translated to English in the KJV as: according to (107x), after (61x), against (58x), in (36x), by (27x), daily (with G2250) (15x), as (11x), misc (165x). Now, when kata is interlaced with lego, we find "according to speaking" of sorts as well as LET-BE-beING-DOWN-said which has a "what has been handed down by speech" meaning that seems to come through.
  In the first set he asserts Acts 2:41, 47; 5:14; 16:5, again, for the possibility that a "membership roster" or a "membership catalog" was kept.

  In a time of severe persecution, of which the Apostle Paul was acutely aware because he was formerly chief among the persecutors of God's Ecclesia (Acts 8:1), would they have been keeping a list? Why don't these purported rosters show up in Scripture or in other historical writings? The "local church pastor" mentions 1 Timothy 5:9 as a list of widows, but they were added to that number. The word for "list" in Greek is katalegesthO, and it occurs once in the New Testament. It has this order of precedence in it's meanings (in the Greek/English interlinear the word's English meaning is LET-BE-beING-DOWN-said):

  1. to lay down, to lie down
  2. to narrate at length, recount, set forth
  3. to set down in a list or register, to enroll
  1. of soldiers
  2. of those widows who held a prominent place in the church and exercised a certain superintendence over the rest of the women, and had charge of the widows and orphans supported at the public expense

  Why would anyone take the tertiary's secondary meaning (III.B.)? Why are all the other definitions so short, yet the widows is so very long? Did the Greek people suddenly have a word with a very long definition among a multitude of words with short definitions?

  The primary definition could be to establish, not necessarily written down.

  The secondary definition is to narrate and recount. In a time of severe persecution, would you commit the names of women to memory or write them down for those who oppose the Gospel of Jesus Christ to grab the list to round up the women?

• The next set is Acts 18:27; Rom. 16:1; Col. 4:10; cf. 2 Cor. 3:1-2.

  In a time of severe persecution, not forgetting Paul's involvement as Saul the persecutor, they sent letters identifying one another and praising God's acts in the lives of His Children. They could go from assembly to assembly because they were of the Assembly of God.

• The set from the final paragraph is Acts 6:5; 8:1; 9:26; 14:23; 15:17; 20:17; 1 Corinthians 5:4; 14:23; Hebrews 10:25.

  Formal local church membership is not indicated in these passages, and claiming such is adding to the Bible (Revelation 22:18-19, Deuteronomy 4).

  In Acts 9:26, Saul (also known as Paul) tried to join with the disciples (no mention of joining a church there); furthermore, the NASB uses the word associate instead of join.

  In Acts 15:17, there is no mention of "the whole church", but there is in the KJV Acts 15:22. In Acts 15:22 the assembly, not church, is clearly the Assembly of God as assembled in Jerusalem and in Antioch, and the Father in heaven moved them to action for their edification and encouragement. God did NOT divide His people, because Jesus is God and Jesus said the greatest would become least.

  Not a single one of these convey formal church membership as exists today, unless someone has ulterior motives. The Holy Scripture does not say it nor convey it.

  A distinguishing point with Hebrews 10:25 lies with Hebrews 3:13 where it is written "exhort one another daily". In Hebrews 10:25 we read "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching". Both these passages addressing the exhorting of one another. Going to church is a Sunday thing, maybe a Wednesday thing in addition (I've seen the highly diminished attendance on Wednesday evenings compared to Sunday mornings). How do believers exhort one another daily when meeting once a week on Sunday? Some a second day on Wednesday? Assembling together daily is essential for the Christian. This occurs house to house (Acts 2:46).

In the section he talks about personal. The relationship with Jesus Christ is personal (Matthew 16:15-17), and He joins His Child to His Family (Luke 8:21), so in the section, if the word formal were struck, then it would be Scriptural and accurate! Jesus joins the babe to Himself.

In the section, the letters were written to the assemblies in certain places, and these are the Assembly of God, this fact resonates in that the epistles are relevant today in the assembly in Fremont, CA. The letters are to be shared among the Body of Christ.

In the section, it mixes with Church Government, so that is addressed in detail below.

In the section, the "local church pastor" attempts to put words in the Lord Jesus' mouth, and the Lord Jesus is the master communicator, and I would certainly NOT want to challenge Him, much less try to put words in His mouth (Deuteronomy 13).

In the section and the section, we examined, a few paragraphs back, that it was a time of severe persecution, of which the Apostle Paul was acutely aware. These people had the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), so they had clarity of thought. Memorizing who is who without writing a list would not have been a problem.

Not breaking continuity, the email from the "local church pastor" reads:

The Existence of Church Government

The consistent pattern throughout the New Testament is that a plurality of elders is to oversee each local body of believers. The specific duties given to these elders presuppose a clearly defined group of church members who are under their care.

Among other things, these godly men are responsible to shepherd God's people (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:2), to labor diligently among them (1 Thess. 5:12), to have charge over them (1 Thess. 5:12; 1 Tim. 5:17), and to keep watch over their souls (Heb. 13:17). Scripture teaches that the elders will give an account to God for the individuals allotted to their charge (Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 5:3). [Kermos], I am not responsible for believers outside of my local church that I serve. I love them and care for them by urging them to join a local church so that they have an under-shepherd, a pastor to care for them.

Those responsibilities require that there be a distinguishable, mutually understood membership in the local church. Elders can shepherd the people and give an account to God for their spiritual well-being only if they know who they are; they can provide oversight only if they know those for whom they are responsible; and they can fulfill their duty to shepherd the flock only if they know who is part of the flock and who is not.

The elders of a church are not responsible for the spiritual well-being of every individual who visits the church or who attends sporadically. Rather, they are primarily responsible to shepherd those who have submitted themselves to the care and the authority of the elders, and this is done through church membership.

Conversely, Scripture teaches that believers are to submit to their elders. Hebrews 13:17 says, "Obey your leaders, and submit to them." The question for each believer is, "Who are your leaders?" The one who has refused to join a local church and entrust himself to the care and the authority of the elders has no leaders. For that person, obedience to Hebrews 13:17 is impossible. To put it simply, this verse implies that every believer knows to whom he must submit, which, in turn, assumes clearly defined church membership.

The next section of One Spirit and One Heart in God titled "Authority in the Ecclesia Defined - By the Word of God" addresses much of the "local church pastor's" statements and assertions about the "The Existence of Church Government" including a crucially important textual analysis of Hebrews 13:17 (the English translation does not state the Greek properly, to put it mildly), but a few points need to be dealt with here.

Jesus Christ said not to be called leaders because One is the ecclesia's Leader, and that is Christ (Matthew 23:10). This is the same God that said our family is brothers and sisters with one Head, and that is Christ the God (Matthew 20:25-28). The "local church pastor" wants to be a head height above the rest (1 Samuel 9:2), and he wants to be called leader. Why would Jesus say not to be called leader? Could it be that He Who knows all things (John 21:17) knows something about His creatures and pride, arrogance, and dominance?

The "local church pastor's" statement of "I am not responsible for believers outside of my local church" is very telling. He uses the word "my" in the possessive. Make no mistake, the "local church pastor" thinks he owns the church, he thinks he owns his office (the actual structure with a desk and chair in it - do you doubt this, see the Wed Dec 23 14:36:48 PST 2015 Comment at the bottom of this essay), his people (each and every single one of his "local church members" because "local church" means the people to him - by his own admission), his building (because "local church" means the building to him, too). The deception of a person's responsibility has already been addressed; nonetheless, the implication of the "local church pastor" assuming the responsibility for "local church" people means that there is some degree of ownership. I sincerely fear for the "local church pastor's" soul because there is a picture in the Old Testament about a man that arranged to kill a queen and her family. In the account, at the revelation of the plot to kill his wife, the earthly king was furious that someone would presume in his heart to harm the king's queen (Esther 7:5). Do not forget that Jesus is the King of kings! King Jesus said "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Matthew 6:24), and, again, "He who is not with Me is against Me" (Matthew 12:30), yet again, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened" (Matthew 13:33), and the Apostle Paul wrote "Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?" (1 Corinthians 5:6), so good leaven consumes all for good, and contrarily, bad leaven consumes all for bad. A person is either for Jesus or against Jesus, there is NO inbetween. Lord Jesus is my Master, alone, no other; on the contrary, the "local church" people have a master in the "local church pastor" (leaven). My Lord Jesus is my Great Defender and Strong Deliverer in all things! To the "local church" congregants, I write, repent, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, fear no more of the things "church", and accompany us on the solid foundation that is the Lord Jesus Christ alone!

Oversee does not equate to rule over; moreover, overlord would equal rule over, and "cruel overseer" would equal rule over oppressively. According to God for His Son's body, the one who oversees is NOT in authority over his brothers and sisters, as expressed above in both HELPS Word-studies (in the Other Essential Definitions section) as well as the picture in Esther 2:11 where Mordecai had NO authority "in the court of the house of the women" (mentioned verbatim in the Other Essential Definitions section under "DEFINITION: Elder"), yet Mordecai oversaw Esther's welfare. A careful examination of the New Testament reveals that the overseer is humble and kind when in Christ Jesus. Oversee is much more to be the older, mature Christian (1 Corinthians 3:2, Hebrews 5:14, Hebrews 6:1). Please recall the meaning of elder and older. The deeds of the elder who oversees include these:

• When a wolf is spotted, the elder sounds an alarm among the flock of God's people, and faces the wolf if called by God (Matthew 7:15, Matthew 10:16)
• Shepherding according to the Spirit of God (1 Peter 5:2)
• Encouraging God's people in the Word of God (1 Timothy 4:13)
• Proclaiming the Gospel (Romans 10:14)
• Living a life that reflects the image of the Lord Jesus Christ, and a life worth simulating because it is really Christ that lives in the elder (1 Peter 2:21, 1 Corinthians 11:1)
• The Fruit of the Spirit will be manifestly evident (Galatians 5:22-23)

The elder who oversees does not demand dominance, seek honor, nor obtain sordid gain. Sordid gain includes receiving funds from people paying for services rendered (does "local church service" tithes come to mind). Yes, food and shelter for those bearing the Word of God is found in Holy Scripture, and it is on a very personal basis, as described by Jesus our Savior Himself "As you enter the house, give it your greeting" (Matthew 10:5-15) and again "Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages" (Luke 10:1-12). Recall that Peter rebuked Simon the magician for his desire for honor (Acts 8:14-24)! Jesus had no place to lay his head (Matthew 8:20). Paul worked day and night to pay his own way, not drawing on the assembly for his needs (Acts 20:33-35; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12). Just imagine if all the resources dedicated to the treasury for the "church leaderships" salaries and buying and maintaining church buildings, and don't forget the time spent maintaining church buildings, were redirected in Spirit led endeavors to (1) fathers working less: to pray, to worship, to read the Bible, and to fellowship with family at least daily, (2) funding missions, (3) going on missions, (4) on Bibles for those who have no Bibles, and (5) more. The "local church pastor" can get a job, and support himself and his family as is so vividly described and outrightly prescribed in the New Testament (2 Thessalonians 3:10, 1 Timothy 5:8).

There is a Greek verb word that meets the definition of "to rule", and that word is archó, Strong's 757. Let us consider the use of archó in God's Word:

     http://biblehub.com/mark/10-42.htm

Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. NASB

but Jesus having called them near, saith to them, 'Ye have known that they who are considered to rule the nations do exercise lordship over them, and their great ones do exercise authority upon them; YLT

Why two columns? A convention reminder.

The words "as rulers" and "to rule" are both archein in the above passage. This passage also contains the Greek word katakurieuousin, Strong's 2634b, which is translated "lord it over" and "do exercise lordship over". Yet another Greek word bearing dominance by definition that occurs in this passage is katexousiazousin, Strong's 2715, which is translated "exercise authority over" and "do exercise authority upon".

     http://biblehub.com/romans/15-12.htm

Again Isaiah says, "THERE SHALL COME THE ROOT OF JESSE, AND HE WHO ARISES TO RULE OVER THE GENTILES, IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES HOPE." NASB

and again, Isaiah saith, 'There shall be the root of Jesse, and he who is rising to rule nations -- upon him shall nations hope;' YLT

Why two columns? A convention reminder.

Here we see "TO RULE" and "to rule" are the Greek word archein. The powerful and precious Word tells us that it is all about our treasured Lord Jesus Christ!

Now that we considered archó, let's consider a related Greek noun word, arché, Strong's 746, which means properly, from the beginning (temporal sense), i.e. "the initial (starting) point"; (figuratively) what comes first and therefore is chief (foremost), i.e. has the priority because ahead of the rest ("preeminent") (HELPS Word-studies).

     http://biblehub.com/luke/12-11.htm

"When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; NASB

'And when they bring you before the synagogues, and the rulers, and the authorities, be not anxious how or what ye may reply, or what ye may say, YLT

Why two columns? A convention reminder.

Archas is the Greek word for "the rulers" in the above passage; furthermore, we also find exousias, Strong's 1849, which is "the authorities".

Clearly, God has the vocabulary to declare the reign, or the rule, but it is NOT applied within the Assembly of God between brothers and sisters apart from Pastor Jesus alone!

Is there an office of bishop in Scripture? It is claimed by the "local church pastors" that the qualifications for the office of pastor... Stop, the what for what of what??? The phrase "office of" can be found in the KJV, NASB, and ESV in 1 Timothy 3:1. The term "qualifications for the office of bishop" can be found in the NASB's headings that the translators put into the Bible. The NASB's headings are NOT part of the Scripture (neither are chapter nor verse segmentation for that matter), the headings claim to be intended to group verses for ease for the reader of the Bible, so the heading that reads "qualifications for the office of bishop" is something that man inserted into 1 Timothy 3 long after Paul, the Holy Spirit inspired writer of 1 Timothy, died - actually the headings were added to the NASB almost 2,000 years after Paul died. No, the word "office" does not appear in Scripture. That which is described about elders and servants in 1 Timothy 3 and about elders in Titus 1:5-9 are evidence of Godly life, yes it is Fruit of the Spirit. There should be no question about this, after all, in 1 Timothy 3:15 (the interlinear included above in the Ecclesia Defined - By the Word of God section), immediately following Paul's inspired by the Holy Spirit description of Godly fruit of elders, Paul clearly and decisively explains how "YOU-MAY-BE-PERCEIVING how it-IS-BINDING IN HOME OF-God TO-BE-UP-TURNING (behavING)", Praise God, discerning eyes, given by God Almighty, can look at the elders and recognize elders based on Godly fruit. If anyone stands or insinuates themselves between God's ordained worship and the family or individuals, then that person's treacherous fruit is easily identified by the Word of God, in Titus 1:10-11, 13 is just one such location.

Man created corporate organizational charts to help negotiate the complexity of man's creation.

For Profit Corporation Organizational Chart example	Not For Profit Church Organizational Chart

There it is, a side by side view of a corporate org chart and an actual church organizational chart (with the people's names redacted). Do you see who is at the top of the hierarchy? Do you still doubt where the clergy sees themselves? Where the clergy sees the members/laymen? Here are four more org charts, three are from actual churches (the single org chart that mentions God is from a book that includes a section explaining church governance):

In the very colorful chart, the "church pastor" ("executive pastor"?) is dead center with a "buffer" between him and everything else except his inner circle. The bottom two charts do not mention God. One has the congregation at the top of the chart, and the other has the pastor at the top of the chart. Are these just abstractions, or are they concrete representations?

When the pharisees and scribes asked Jesus why His disciples do not do like everyone else that the pharisees and scribes were accustomed to associating, Jesus gave a powerful and telling response that applies TODAY:

     https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+7%3A6-8&version=NASB1995;YLT

"Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:    'This people honors Me with their lips,    But their heart is far away from Me.    But in vain do they worship Me,    Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.' Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men." NASB

'Well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you, hypocrites, as it hath been written, This people with the lips doth honor Me, and their heart is far from Me; and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings, commands of men; for, having put away the command of God, ye hold the tradition of men, baptisms of pots and cups; and many other such like things ye do.' YLT

Why two columns? A convention reminder.

But, Jesus was not done, He had more to say about the traditions of men, and it is clear that "church" is a tradition of men:

     http://biblehub.com/mark/7-9.htm

"You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition." NASB

'Well do ye put away the command of God that your tradition ye may keep; YLT

Why two columns? A convention reminder.

Remember, babes drink in the pure milk that is the Word (Hebrews 5:12-13), and the mature people are on solid food that is the Word and deed by the Will of God (Hebrews 5:14; Hebrews 6:1; Luke 6:46).

Consistently moving along the email from the "local church pastor" reads:

The Exercise of Church Discipline

In Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus outlines the way the church is to seek the restoration of a believer who has fallen into sin-a four-step process commonly known as church discipline. First, when a brother sins, he is to be confronted privately by a single individual (v. 15). If he refuses to repent, that individual is to take one or two other believers along to confront him again (v. 16). If the sinning brother refuses to listen to the two or three, they are then to tell it to the church (v. 17). If there is still no repentance, the final step is to put the person out of the assembly (v. 17; cf. 1 Cor. 5:1-13).

The exercise of church discipline according to Matthew 18 and other passages (1 Cor. 5:1-13; 1 Tim. 5:20; Titus 3:10-11) presupposes that the elders of a church know who their members are. For example, the elders of [Mega Church] have neither the responsibility nor the authority to discipline a member of the church down the street. Sadly, the widespread lack of understanding of church membership has made it necessary for our elders to discipline not only formal members but also those who regularly fellowship at [Mega Church]. However, the Bible's teaching on church discipline assumes church membership.

The person being disciplined is not ostracized, rather they are denied the assembly; furthermore, the Gospel of Grace is proclaimed to them, just like the gentile or the tax-collector!

In the yellow, the "local church pastor" assumes that it is the elders alone that exercise discipline. There is more to that passage in Matthew 18 in verses 18-35. Immediately Jesus explains that whatever the believer binds on earth is bound in heaven, then He explains that whatever is asked in Jesus' name the Father will grant. Then He continues with "where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." First, even two gathered is an assembly. Second, beware, when assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, do not call what is evil good nor good evil because the King of kings is present. Third, immediately after Jesus commands forgiveness for trespasses, not 7 times but 7 times 70. Going back to whatever is bound, could this be binding unforgiveness upon the one planning discipline, that is the disciplinor? Look at Matthew 18:35. Could this be a warning about the "ban" or "shun"? Think of it, Jesus said take "two or three with you", and what if the "two or three" say that there really is no problem here, then it is evident that the false accuser has sinned. Jesus can say one set of words, yet He can mean multiple things. Forgiveness is a wonderful thing, and Grace is a beautiful thing.

Back to his interpretion that it is the elder's authority and responsibility to exercise discipline down on the people in the pews. The heading in the NASB at Matthew 18:15 is Discipline and Prayer with the word "church" instead of assembly. Thus, the stage for the delusion of deception (recall from Jeremiah) is set. See how the accumulation of words that are NOT in Scripture being put in Scripture distorts. The discerning eye is granted by Christ Himself (Hebrews 5:14), because He opens the eyes of the blind (Matthew 9:30). Neither 1 Timothy 5:20 nor Titus 3:10-11 make any indication of "church discipline", yet there is some indication of the alarm of a wolf approaching.

Notice, in the words of Jesus as recorded by Matthew (18:15-17), He, God incarnate, does NOT say bring it to the "local church pastor" NOR does King Jesus of the Kindom of God say take it to the "elders". My God said "brothers" and "assembly".

Church Discipline or Bride's Purity: in reality, it is about purity within the Bride of Christ. Of course, if we children of God see a brother or siser sinning, we want that sibling to know the power and deep joy of Jesus, so we tell that sibling, in the Name of Jesus Christ be purified by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross shedding His Precious Blood for the sin of the world! We children of God pray for that sinning sibling as it is our hope that our sibling commune in full joy in the Spirit! The bridal purity is about the love of Christ. And this love overflows among the brothers and sisters. In this way, the Bride of Jesus Christ be pure for the Bridegroom!

Church Government, in the context that the "local church pastor" presents, does not exist. In opposition to that "Church Government" is the Kingdom of God that is composed of King Jesus and His subjects. Period.

The "local church pastor" mentions "responsibility" again. In the context of "church", I suppose that he and his friends can make up whatever rules and "in their own strength" concepts as God allows (2 Thessalonians 2:11). Oh God, my God, I beg of you, please, please forgive them and grant them sight unto repentance and salvation in Christ Jesus, that their joy may be full and your Glories proclaimed! My heart is heavy, and merely typing is scaring me, Oh Father!

The email from the "local church pastor" reads:

The Exhortation to Mutual Edification

The New Testament teaches that the church is the body of Christ, and that God has called every member to a life devoted to the growth of the body. In other words, Scripture exhorts all believers to edify the other members by practicing the "one-anothers" of the New Testament (e.g., Heb. 10:24-25) and exercising their spiritual gifts (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-7; 1 Pet. 4:10-11). Mutual edification can only take place in the context of the corporate body of Christ. Exhortations to this kind of ministry presuppose that believers have committed themselves to other believers in a specific local assembly. Church membership is simply the formal way to make that commitment.

Who commits who to who (red section)? The Apostle Paul wrote "For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends" (2 Corinthians 10:18). God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, commits the believer to His Holy Nation, a people preserved unto Himself for His Glory!

So much of this has already been proven unscriptural, such as "church" and "corporate", but there are two important points to be made:

1. the "local church pastor" used the word assembly in "local assembly", suddenly, near the end of his email he makes this change, yet he is still assigning possession.
2. the "local church pastor" wrote 'practicing the "one-anothers"'. There is a fundamental problem in that phrase, and it is this, why did the "local church pastor" not write that it is about living a life of loving one another? Why do I not see love in his writing?

In Ephesians 4:11, is the single occurrence of the English word pastors (poimenas in Greek) mentioned in the New Testament, "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers". Many, many people will say that the time of the apostles is no more, that the time of the prophets are no more, yet pastor is clinged onto as an office. Why is this the case? Poimen, the Greek root, is defined as shepherd. When examined in context, Ephesians 4:11 appears to be of titles for people that are gifts for the perfecting of the saints, but interestingly the sentence is past tense. The past tense nature of Ephesians 4:11 is affirming of the words spoken by our Lord Jesus reserving the titles of Pastor and Teacher to Himself (Please see this sidebar: The Standard of Truth: Our Lord Jesus Said "I AM the Truth" and this Table Examining the Words for Teacher in Scripture).

Here is a link to each and every occurrence of the Greek word "poimen" in the New Testament, all 18 of the occurrences (available at this link, 32 with related roots of poim).

This leads to another key point, the verb form, "shepherding", contains the base of poima in Greek. Elders most certainly shepherd (verb), and this is repeated again and again in the Word of God, that the flock of God will joyfully follow in the steps of the elder who is following in the steps of Christ Jesus. The elder is humble, the elder is watching for wolves, the elder would die for God's sheep because he is not a hired hand. A hired hand seeks sordid gain, that is, being paid for the office of pastor in the local church, recall the Scripture that states the one who does not work will not eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). In Christ, the act of shepherding legitimately represents feeding the flock, watching for wolves, and being an example.

All occurrences of the noun Greek word poimenas, in the New Testament, were translated to shepherds with the single exception of Ephesians 4:11 where the unique, single occuring English word pastor was utilized. This anomalous and arbitrary translation of poimenas to pastor results in man creating an entire hierarchy of authority with an office, yet no indication of hierarchy of authority nor "office of" exists in Ephesians 4:11. In Christ, elders carry out the act of shepherding, yet the current connotation of pastor is superlative to the Christian denotation of elder, in that pastor carries a deep seated sense of authority. Around the year 590, pope Gregory I wrote Liber Regulae Pastoralis or Regula Pastoralis (The Book of the Pastoral Rule, commonly known in English as Pastoral Care, a translation of the alternative Latin title Cura Pastoralis), a treatise on the responsibilities of the clergy (Pastoral Care (opens to WikiPedia). The heritage of the Roman Catholic Church is clear in these descriptions of the Latin treatise:

• "It is regarded, indeed, in the first place as an office of government"
• "the exercise of discipline comes prominently in"
• "[T]he chief pastor is viewed also as an intercessor between his flock and God"

As exerted from Philip Schaff, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ser. 2, vol XII (Christian Classics Ethereal Library): The Book of Pastoral Rule: preface. Please recall Our Lord Jesus Hates the Deeds of the Nicolaitans sidebar.

Elders live and move in God, in deed (INDEED). Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus, changed the format of the enumeration in Ephesians 4:11 when he got to "shepherds and teachers" (pastors and teachers). Let's see the word for word translation for the Greek/English interlinear, "AND SAME GIVES THE INDEED [apostles] THE YET BEFORE-AVERers THE YET WELL-MESSENGERS THE YET SHEPHERDS AND TEACHers". This "SHEPHERDS AND TEACHers" rings back to:

• Jesus' response in the wilderness to the devil, when Jesus said "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'" (Matthew 4:4)
• Jesus telling Peter to "feed My sheep" 3 times as recorded in John 21:15-17

In the Greek/English Interlinear, we find a couple of the Greek words used for "feed" to translate to "be grazing" or "graze", so we can see this as "be grazing My sheep". Now, couple that with living on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. In Ephesians 4:13, we find God moving each believer from infant to maturity as a full grown man, feeding on the Word of God. God moves every believer toward maturity, to be perfect like our Father in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48). Do you hear the Master, Jesus, telling us to feed on the Word of God? Did you hear the Word, Jesus, say unless you eat His flesh and drink His blood, you have no life in you (John 6:53)? The act of shepherding is a gift of God to the perfection of the saints, and to the elder, it is fruit of salvation in the Living Lord Jesus Christ.

God laid out an enumeration of gifts, apostles (ONES-SENT), prophets (BEFORE-AVERers), evangelists (WELL-MESSENGERS), and shepherds and teachers (SHEPHERDS AND TEACHers) in Ephesians 4:11. We find another passage that contains "And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues" (1 Corinthians 12:28 according to Thayer the "administrations" word ["governments" in KJV] should be rendered "wise counsels" [kybernēsis - administrations - G2941 (opens to BlueLetterBible.org)] and the word church should be the word assembly or congregation). Notice the absence of evangelists and shepherds from the 12:28 passage. Also worth noting, in 1 Corinthians 14:1, Paul wrote "Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy." Notice "prophesy" in 14:1 is related to "prophets" in 12:28 and in Ephesians 4:11. Paul clearly states that you may especially desire to prophesy, yet prophets is second in both the 1 Corinthians 12:28 and the Ephesians 4:11 lists. Is it significant? God clearly, crucially states that these are not ordered lists; in other words, the desire for the gift of being an apostle (occurring first in both lists) is not raised above desiring that gift of being a prophet. Desiring to be an elder is a good work (1 Timothy 3:1), yet prophecy is regarded for stronger desire. Clearly, these are not rank, rather, these gifts of God are movement in maturity in the knowledge of Christ established by God as a work of the Holy Spirit.

The elder in the Assembly of God says "the Lord Jesus is worthy of all praise", and, humbly, "I am of no account".

When Ephesians chapter 4 is read in context to 4:11, we see earlier in chapter 4, "humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love", "preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace", "one body", "one Spirit", "one hope", "one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all", and "He gave gifts to men". In this chapter, we see so very much. One Spirit And One Heart In God, see here that God is "over all", "through all", and "in all", see here His fruit will be evident in the believer because the Father is in the believer! See more, Christ is the giver of gifts, and it is a continual feeding to His children. Look at all the references to "one" not multiple "local churches". See the reference to the Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. This is significant because of the condemning fruits of factions (divisiveness, "local pastor pastor" desires to grow "his congregation", many denominations/churches in dispute), idolatry (the "local church pastor" views himself pridefully, how he calls it "his congregation"), envying (I heard a "local pastor pastor" say that he looks at other larger churches lustfully), outlined in the passage before (Galatians 5:18-21).

     http://biblehub.com/john/10-11.htm

"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." NASB

'I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd his life layeth down for the sheep; YLT

Why two columns? A convention reminder.

Jesus Christ declared Himself the Good Shepherd (poimen is the Greek word). Since Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd, what does that make everyone else? That word Shepherd was not translated Pastor, was it? That definite article "the" does not leave any squiggle room for another person. Let's imagine for the moment that the word Shepherd was translated Pastor, then no other pastor is good. Scary.

     http://biblehub.com/john/10-14.htm

"I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me," NASB

'I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and am known by mine, YLT

Why two columns? A convention reminder.

Jesus Christ repeated Himself, because we must listen to Him. The word shepherd in English is poimen in Greek.

     http://biblehub.com/john/10-16.htm

"I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd." NASB

"and other sheep I have that are not of this fold, these also it behoveth me to bring, and my voice they will hear, and there shall become one flock -- one shepherd." YLT

Why two columns? A convention reminder.

Master Jesus used that Greek word poimen again, each of these three times referring to Himself, but this time the adjective is "one" instead of "good". Master Jesus said "One Shepherd". He was definitive by saying "One Shepherd". Does this leave any room to squiggle for a mere man as the second poimen? Or, a third poimen? Again, let's imagine for the moment that the word Shepherd was translated Pastor, then any other pastor is an imposter. Yikes!

In the New Testament, Master Jesus never called another person shepherd/poimen. This fact is exposed clearly in the table of every occurrence of the Greek word "poimen" in the New Testament. When Master Jesus told Peter to "graze my sheep", He did not call Peter a shepherd (John 21:15-17). There is the act of shepherding, but not a shepherd except for Jesus, the Great Shepherd, the Chief Elder, the Firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18).

Certainly no pastor is indicated, as we see from the Ephesians 4:11 mistranslated word that is shepherd in all other instances of the English translations. As we examine the four books that people call the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; these records of Jesus are devoid of Master Jesus referencing the noun "shepherd" as a mere man.

     http://biblehub.com/matthew/23-34.htm

"Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city," NASB

'Because of this, lo, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes, and of them ye will kill and crucify, and of them ye will scourge in your synagogues, and will pursue from city to city; YLT

Why two columns? A convention reminder.

     http://biblehub.com/luke/11-49.htm

"For this reason also the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute; NASB

because of this also the wisdom of God said: I will send to them prophets, and apostles, and some of them they shall kill and persecute, YLT

Why two columns? A convention reminder.

Master Jesus said here that God sent "prophets and wise men and scribes" and "prophets, and apostles", yet this is not the list from Ephesians 4:11. There are commonalities between Jesus' lists and Paul's lists, yet Paul's lists contains shepherds/pastors and teachers. In the immediately above passages, Master Jesus was addressing the multitude and His disciples (Matthew 23:1) as well as pharisees, so it is entirely plausable that Jesus pointed at the disciples saying "behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes" then immediately swung His finger to point at the pharisees saying "some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city".

     http://biblehub.com/matthew/23-8.htm

"But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. NASB

'And ye -- ye may not be called Rabbi, for one is your director -- the Christ, and all ye are brethren; YLT

Why two columns? A convention reminder.

Master Jesus said not to be called rabbi (rabbi means teacher as defined in John 1:38 - this opens to the Table Examining the Words for Teacher in Scripture) because Master Jesus is our One Teacher, and we are all brothers! The Apostle Paul mentioned "pastors and teachers" in Ephesians 4:11, yet Jesus said "ye may not be called Rabbi". A point not worth making, yet should be made for the sake of argument, is that the Greek word for "teachers" in Ephesians 4:11 is didaskalous (G1320) while the Greek word for "Teacher" in Matthew 23:8 is kathEgEtEs (G2519); however, both of the Greek words contain "a teacher" and "a master" as components of the definitions; therefore, the Greek words seem to be synonyms. Most importantly, the context of both passages clearly refers to a teacher.

What of the Apostle Paul's writing, using the word shepherd in Ephesians 4:11? What about the word teachers in Ephesians 4:11? I must walk in the Way with the Master Jesus' words, as I abide the words of the Lord Jesus.

That which the Apostle Paul wrote appears to be identifiers of people that were given as gifts from God recorded in Ephesians 4:11, but I can not reconcile Paul's words here back to Jesus' words as a present tense nor future tense. Also, these appear to be fruits of the Holy Spirit manifested in a mere man. These are to the glory of God in the temple of God, but I can not reconcile Paul's words as present tense nor future tense in Ephesians 4:11 back to Jesus' words respecting pastors and teachers.

Jesus is God manifest in the flesh. Either God is correct or Paul is correct. Lord Jesus, being fully God, said one poimen, yet Paul wrote of poimen in the plural. The popular interpretation of Ephesians 4:11 of under-sheperds or local pastors leads to the terminal eviseration of the words of Jesus which the Apostle John recorded of King Jesus, God incarnate, saying "they will become one flock with one shepherd" (John 10:16). Both can not be true simultaneously. If we use the terminology of pastor consistently, then either a person has a Pastor that is Jesus or a person has a pastor that is a man. Many people claim that Jesus delegated or specified a man to occupy a pastoral office, but that fails when the Word of God speaks, saying "One Pastor", and the word office is not in the Greek manuscripts. Let us not forget that the synoptic gospels (the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke written by 50 A.D.) as well as Paul's letters (completed by 64 A.D.) were written prior to the writings of John written after 80 A.D.), according to tradition, so Jesus spoke of sending apostles, prophets, scribes, and wise men before Paul's conversion (on the road to Damascus); moreover, John wrote after Paul's death. Further examination of the mathematical implication of the doctrine of "office of pastor" dictates that if one claims that a man is a pastor or shepherd AND that Jesus is a pastor or shepherd, then you have two pastors, a clear violation of Lord Jesus' words, and I would have to say that such a claim rivals idolatry (Exodus 20:4). And, to consider another one of Paul's writings, do not be decieved, idolaters will not inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

Look carefully at the verb tense of Ephesians 4:11, "And He gave some", it is past tense, not "has been giving" nor "will give", but rather "gave". Consider that timeline where I mentioned Paul's death, in the previous paragraph. Now, when a pastor, teacher, or doctor states there are no more apostles, no more prophets, but there are evangelists, are pastors, are teachers, it leads one to wonder why that pastor/teacher/doctor selectively discounts two of the five gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4:11, particularly when my Lord Jesus Himself gave lists that include apostles and prophets yet not plural of shepherds/pastors in those lists. Rather, Lord Jesus said beware of those that come in My Name (Luke 21:8), and, again, He said watch fruits for there are ravenous wolves disguised as sheep (Matthew 7:15-20). Lord Jesus reserved the title of shepherd/pastor to Himself alone, as clearly recorded in John 10:16.

This issue of shepherd is so very relevant to each and every eternal life destination. There is One Shepherd, and His Name is Jesus, my God and my Savior. I am a follower of my Lord Jesus Christ. Period.

Lord Jesus emphatically stated "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven" as recored in Matthew 23:9. Does the "local church pastor" call an Anglican priest "father" or how about the Roman Catholic pope? Three consecutive verses in the book recorded by Matthew.

• One verse, Matthew 23:8 about not being called teacher because there is none other than One Teacher and we are all brothers, the "local church pastor" arbitrarily dismisses,
• the next verse, Matthew 23:9 about referring to no one as father because there is none other than one Father in Heaven, the "local church pastor" honors (unless he departed from the teachings of the seminary he attended),
• the next verse, Matthew 23:10 about not being called leader because we have One Leader that is Christ, the "local church pastor" deceptively discharges as meaningless.

So, in the view of the "local church pastor" there are teachers and leaders in the context of authority, yet not fathers. Interesting that he dismisses Anglican and Roman Catholic and Orthodox church titles, yet he clings to "pastor". More poignant, however, is that the "local church pastor" dismisses the words of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ! The Living Lord Jesus declared "Whoever then shall break one of the least of these commandments and shall teach others the same, he will be called least in the kingdom of the heavens" (Matthew 5:19). Then, He continued with "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20). My Master called the Pharisees hypocrites, and for clergy to demand authority is among many things, hypocritical, whether in a congregationalist type governed church or a centralized governed church. His message is precise, never a doubt in the Spirit, that His Glory is defined in the very Word of God!

Lord Jesus conveyed intensity by repeating about spiritual leadership three times as recorded in the passage Matthew 23:8-10. The Jews emphasized crucial points by repeating the concept, and here King Jesus repeated Himself not just twice, but three times!

Where is the "local church pastor" in all of this? Look in his "local church building" in the "pastoral office" taking pains to avoid offending the sources of his ill-gotten gains... Because you won't find the "local church pastor" in Scripture, in fact, in most cases, you will find something quite different in Scripture and God's Ecclesia, after all, Jesus said "He who is not with Me is against Me" (Matthew 12:30).

I include my reply to the local church pastor from earlier this year for completeness sake. I strongly wanted to meet with the local church pastor face to face, and I invited him to my home for both of our families to break bread together, twice in earlier email exchanges. He did not reply to the email I present in this paragraph, and we have not conversed since. It was this exchange that God used to drive me to examine "church" more deeply as well as to type this essay, so while I used the word "church" in the email as a synonym for ecclesia, I now emphatically state that church is NOT a synonym of ecclesia. While God's Ecclesia may be at a church, the Church is not the Ecclesia.

The abuse within positions of power in leadership can include any of the following (as evidenced by the above):

• furthering the leader's personal:
  • ambitions
  • interests
  • agenda
• leaders practicing tactics of:
  • deceit (adding or subtracting from Holy Scripture)
  • for example, attempting to add the "office of pastor" to the Word of God.
  • another example, attempting to subtract the unadulterated adoration of my Lord Jesus Christ by insinuating pastoral authority.
  • manipulation
    • for example, a local church pastor misapplying the condemnation of gossip in Scripture in an attempt to silence Godly warning.
    • another example, a local church pastor applying favor to certain local church members in order to divide and conquer.
  • exploitation (personal dominion and prestige)
    • for example, church leadership attempting to exercise illegitimate authority over that which is NOT theirs (trying to steal).
    • another example, church leadership as the center of attention, so people turn to the "church leaders" for answers as opposed to
      • God's call to cry out to Jesus,
      • hearing our instructor, the Holy Spirit,
      • depending on the Word of God.
• leaders seek these (using illegitimate methods):
  • personal desires
  • financial gain

Whether intentional or inadvertent, all human inventions that corrupt the purity of worshiping the True and Living YHWH God is an idol. The act of adding to and subtracting from God's revealed Word in the Holy Bible to accommodate man's rituals breaches the Second Commandment! God commands and approves His ordained form of worship, yet anything else is sacrilege and blasphemy. False worship and well intentioned idolatry bring the Wrath of God and death. Think about it for a moment. All men are guilty before the Just Judge. None, not one, is righteous, except Jesus! And there it is, the man, Jesus, knew no sin, but became sin for our sake carrying the crime of the world on the cross, and when He said "it is finished" the veil of the temple was torn, and every believer in the blameless One worships in Spirit and Truth. The God, Jesus, resurrected to sit at the right hand of the Father, and we worship the One true God, alone! Every moment, worshiping the Father in Christ Jesus by the Spirit, praying always (Luke 18:1-8, Matthew 26:41). Communing with the very Creator of the heavens and earth.

This paragraph is a special note for the "local church pastor". Repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. I write this out of love for you and the people that you lead. God's Word is the vital treasure that is good unto salvation. As of this writing, you attempt to elevate yourself to the position that belongs to God alone (Exodus 20:3 as well as Exodus 20:4). You tell your "church members" to do this or that. Sin no more, stop teaching wrongfully. I am deeply and genuinely mourning for your soul and the souls of those that hear your teaching week after week. Our Deliverer Lord Jesus said "Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (Matthew 16:6), and the Apostle Paul wrote "a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough" (Galatians 5:9). Clearly, God explains that wrong doctrine spoils entirely, that is, a little falsehood makes entirely false. For something to be true, it must be completely true. May the Holy Spirit grant you Godly sorrow bringing repentance that leads to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10), and the worldly grief with it's heavy weight of church and burden of authority pass away (1 John 2:17). May you walk in the steps of our Lord Jesus Christ that lead to the loving Father in heaven!

"When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance,
When He separated the sons of man,
He set the boundaries of the peoples
According to the number of the sons of Israel."
(Deuteronomy 32:8)

"See now that I, I am He,
And there is no god besides Me;
It is I who put to death and give life.
I have wounded and it is I who heal,
And there is no one who can deliver from My hand."
(Deuteronomy 32:39)

Because of the absence of "local", "church", and "roster of members" in the Holy Writ, church is heresy (2 Peter 2:1, 1 John 4:1-6, 1 Timothy 1:3-6, 2 Timothy 1:13-14, and Jude 1 [heresy is holding to doctrine and action that contradicts the Word of God]).

There are no denominations of "church" and no "church government" hierarchy among God's Ecclesia in the Holy Writ; therefore, all of the divisive and factious trappings of "church" crumble as non-sequitor, as the tradition of men (Mark 7:8, 1 Corinthians 11, and John 17:22-23)! "Local church" by it's very nature is divisive. Something evil lurks in the halls of the "local church".

"Church" is the core of the fault. Unholy fruit springs from "church". The following "fruits" hang on branches off of the vine of "church":

• Authority (illegitimate for men within the Body of Christ because Jesus said such),
• stand alone buildings (dismissed by God at the time of the transfiguration of Jesus),
• obligations (committment, responsibility, a moral code as opposed to Holy Spirit led), and
• formalism (arranging chairs/pews in rows with an orator on stage/at a pulpit for weekly sermons, the structure is a counterfeit orderliness in the Assembly of God)

Look to Jesus, the Author of salvation, when He said "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.' Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men." and "You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. For Moses said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER'; and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH'; but you say, 'If a man says to [his] father or [his] mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given [to God]),' you no longer permit him to do anything for [his] father or [his] mother; [thus] invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that." (Mark 7:6-13). Lord Jesus called Himself some rather exclusive titles, including, (1) the "One Pastor", (2) "the Teacher", (3) One Teacher, (4) "The Good Shepherd", and (5) The One Leader; additionally, He said "if you abide my word then you are my disciples indeed". Referring to anyone as "father" or "pastor" or "teacher" or "shepherd" or any other sense of spiritual leader name is a tradition of men that speaks denial of the word of God by embracing the tradition of men that has been handed down by churchmen and churchwomen. Love YHWH your God! Be as children. Abide the Word! Love the Good Pastor, hear Him, do as He says, be His alone! The sidebar "The Standard of Truth: Our Lord Jesus Said "I AM the Truth" contains the Scripture references for much of this (this links back to the sidebar).

The rudiments of "church" include: sordid gain, patronizing people's lusts, authority, stand alone buildings, obligations, formalism, power plays, lust for money, and more. There is HOPE, come out from among them and be separate (Isaiah 52:11, 2 Corinthians 6:17) because persisting in even one of the mentioned rudiments of "church" is sin, and we know that those who practice sin have their part in the lake of fire (Ezekiel 18:4, 1 John 3:4-10, Revelation 20:15, Revelation 21:8). Jesus said to the religious leaders who loved money, "that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God" (Luke 16:15). A "local church pastor" that clings to the unholy fruit of "church" is deceived, and that pastor teaches in opposition to the very words of our Lord Jesus Christ (Please see this sidebar: The Standard of Truth: Our Lord Jesus Said "I AM the Truth"). "Church" is highly esteemed. "Church" is an idol, let's get even more specific, the "local church pastor" is an idol in the form of a man elevated on a pulpit as well as the "church building" treasured in the heart's of so very many! My Lord said, "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin" (John 15:22). And when the ungodly are ripped from their graves at the sound of the trumpet with the loud voices in heaven, the sheer terror of denying the Living God, Our Lord Jesus Christ will be upon them as the Wrath of God is poured out (Revelation 11:15-18). Church is a massive burden, yet in God's Ecclesia is rest! My Friend Jesus said, "come to Me all you laboring and burdened ones, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). One Man. One God. One purchase. One redemption. One salvation. One Holy communion. If you are caught up in "church", then repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ! Our Lord Jesus Christ is salvation, alone! I urge you to, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship (Romans 12:1).

Authority in the Ecclesia Defined - By the Word of God

Jesus Christ Is the Authority

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" are the words of the Eternal Lord Jesus Christ! He said "All authority"! This is recorded in Matthew 28:18 at the ascension of Jesus Christ to the right hand of the Father in heaven. Let's review Jesus' command that He issued prior to stating "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth", back when Jesus sent out the twelve, as recorded in Luke 9:1, when Jesus gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. Full stop (on that point). Not long after sending out the twelve, Jesus gave authority when he sent out the seventy as recorded in Luke 10:19, Jesus said upon the disciples return, "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you." Jesus' instruction and commands to the seventy as He was sending them out included for them to "heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you'" (Luke 10:9). Full stop (on that point).

In sequential order, we have Jesus giving the disciples authority over all demons, to cure diseases, to tread on serpents and scorpions, over all the power of the enemy, and proclaim the gospel. After that, Jesus declares that all authority has been given to Him.

In no sense does Jesus declare that one disciple has authority over another disciple.

Jesus Christ Is the Foundation

Jesus said "the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth" as recorded in John 4:23, and a mere two verses earlier, King Jesus explains to us that true worship is independent of location (John 4:21).

Again, be comforted, God no longer commands attendance at a building to be in the presence of God because our Friend Jesus said of His Ecclesia that "the Kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21). Every moment, every God-given breath of the believer is God's and in God's presence, so we pray without ceasing (Luke 18:1-8, Matthew 26:41, 1 Thessalonians 5:17).

The Apostle Paul wrote "For as the body is one, and has many members, and all members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ" as recorded in 1 Corinthians 12:12, and again, brother Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write "...gave him to be head over all things to the assembly, which is his body..." as recorded in Ephesians 1:22-23, yet again Paul the evangelist explained "He is the head of the body, the assembly" in the epistle to the Colossians (verse 1:18).

When Jesus said, "Upon this rock I will build my assembly," as recorded by Matthew (16:18) the translators used a word that identifies a building rather than the people. Truly, He said that upon the great truth/rock, Himself being the Truth, confessed by Peter, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus would build His assembly, His gathering of redeemed people. The ecclesia (ek, "out of or from," and kaleo, "a calling or to call") is His called out people, not dependent on location, not even time! The ecclesia is Christ's congregation in all times and all places.

Jesus, fully God, did not seek to rise above men according to Paul as well. "But he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men." (Philippians 2:7-10) A man of no reputation, lowly, meek, humble. His example is perfect, it is about love!

Let's take what Christ Himself said as recorded by Matthew: "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Chapter 20:25-28)

Integrity of Greek to English Translation of Hebrews 13:17

     Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit to their authority

     or

     you people be persuaded by the ones leading, and you people yield

Now, we need to examine the hard Scripture, certain cornerstone writings about hierarchy, there is an English translated passage that mentions obeying the rulers (clearly referring to the clergy, pastors or bishops or other "church leadership") and submitting to them, so please let us consider the letter to the dispersed tribes, the Book of Hebrews:

• Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. (Hebrews 13:7)
• Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. (Hebrews 13:17)
• Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you. (Hebrews 13:24)

(the actual Greek/English interlinear is included below for these verses)

For emphasis, the Jews repeat a concept, and Our Lord Jesus employed this mechanism. According to the content of the Greek Interlinear, we find this repetition occurring here in verses 7 and 17, but it seems to be obscured in the KJV translation (and my preferred NASB).

Shortly before these passages in Hebrews, we have the inspired Word of God defining faith as well as providing examples such as "By faith Noah" and "By faith Abraham", in Hebrews 11. This is relevant to Hebrews 13.

A very powerful passage of Scripture is this: For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: (1 Peter 2:21). This following in His steps is relevant to Hebrews 13.

Here is Paul explaining those we should imitate: Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (Philippians 3:17)

In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul wrote "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God" (5:21, submitting is hupotassomenoi [note hupotasso] which is explained shortly). Notice, that in the fear of God every one is to submit to every one within the Assembly of God.

Returning to Hebrews 13:17, when we examine the Greek Interlinear, we find the word translated to "obey" is "peithesthe" (Blue Letter Bible, Strong's G3982; BibleHub, Strong's 3982) which is "be persuaded". Peithesthe is not obey; on the other hand, the Greek word "hupakouó" (Blue Letter Bible, Strong's G5219; BibleHub, Strong's 5219) is the English word "obey" of which hupakouó (obey) does not appear in this passage!

In Hebrews 13:18, the very next verse, we see peitho again! "Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things" (Hebrews 13:18). That "we are sure" is peithometha as in "we are persuaded". Belief and faith and persuasion and conviction (convinced) and "are sure" are all intimately related. We find "persuade", that is "peitho", in both verses 17 and 18 because of faith and belief!

Table Examining the Lexicon of πείθω (peitho, persuade): this provides a purview of how this word was used - particularly of interest for Hebrews 13:17. The one time in the lexicon that contains the exact same word as Hebrews 13:17, peithesthe is not obey; on the contrary, peithesthe in the lexicon is "BELIEVE".

In Hebrews 13:7, 13:17, and 13:24, the word "hégeomai" (hEdoumen...) is a verb which in English we would roughly call it a transitive verb in the plural thus meaning "ones-LEADING" in all 3 verses. It appears to be the ones going before, somewhat like some people marking the steps, remember 1 Peter 2:21. The phrase "rule over" does not occur in the Greek, so it can be discarded.

Again, in Hebrews 13:17, the word "submit" is translated from "hupeikete" (Blue Letter Bible, Strong's G5226; BibleHub, Strong's 5226) which according to Strongs 5226 includes "to yield, to submit", yet we find BE-YE-UNDER-SIMULATING for "hupeikete" in the Greek Interlinear; therefore, deeper inspection of "hupeikete" is required. The Greek word "hupeikete" occurs one time in the New Testament which is here in Hebrews 13:17, so examiniation of usage extrabiblically near the time of the writing of the book of Hebrews is helpful.

Hupeikete is composed of two roots, hupo and eikó:

• hupo: by, under, about (ὑπό Blue Letter Bible, Strong's G5259; BibleHub, Strong's 5259).
• eikó: yield, submit (εἴκω Blue Letter Bible, Strong's G1502; BibleHub, Strong's 1502).
• eikó: I am like, resemble (εἴκω Blue Letter Bible, Strong's G1503; BibleHub, Strong's 1503).
• eikón: an image, likeness, bust (εἰκών, όνος, ἡ Blue Letter Bible, Strong's G1504; BibleHub, Strong's 1504).

Yes, according to the lexicon and Strong's, there are two words in Greek spelled exactly the same, "eiko", with one meaning "yield" and the other meaning "resemble/imitate". There exists a third word that is nearly the same, "eikon" which means image/likeness/statue; furthermore, eikon should bring reminisence of "icon" for computers - an "icon" represents an entry point for a full computer application program - something smaller pointing at something bigger.

Table Examining the Lexicon of ὑπείκω (hupeiko, yield); this provides a purview of how the hupeikete word was used - and all the extrabiblical instances included in the lexicon used appearing along with hupeikete as in Hebrews 13:17 are "yield".

The term "yield" as extracted from the lexicon, as well as the interlinear's "under simulating", for "hupeikete" is profound when the entire passage is read in context, or even the entire epistle. Notice "hupeikete" is NOT "hupotassó"; moreover, "hupotassó" represents a militaristic ranking as it translates "to place or rank under, to subject, mid. to obey" (Blue Letter Bible, Strong's G5293; BibleHub, Strong's 5293, and since hupo was covered, here is "tassó" meaning "['place in position, post'] was commonly used in ancient military language for 'designating' ('appointing, commissioning') a specific status, i.e. arranging (placing) in a deliberate, fixed order" Blue Letter Bible, Strong's G5021; BibleHub, Strong's 5021). Hupotassó appears in Ephesians 5:21, thus making all the people in the Assembly of God the same rank. Hupotassó does NOT appear in Hebrews 13:17, yet the authority hierarchy definition of hupotassó is wrongly applied to the word hupeikete thus giving the false and deadly illusion that a spiritual leader is being defined. Remember Lord Jesus' words about any person being called a spiritual leader, "Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ" (Matthew 23:10).

A synonym for hupeikete is anachoréite (ἀναχωρεῖτε). This Greek word meaning "yield" could have been used, but why did God have the author use hupeikete? Could it be that God wanted people to see "eiko" in order to see not only the denotation of "yield" but also to be aware of the alternate word of "simulate"? The proximity of the two identical words of "eiko" with the third word of "eikon" are telling; furthermore, there are no "coincidences" with God. After all, imitating the Righteous One, Jesus Christ, is central!

Hupeikete may even be along the lines of yield unto imitation according to the will of God for the purposes of Hebrews 13:17 - consider Hebrews 13:7 with the intervening passage, the Christ said "I gave you an example that you also should do as I did" (John 13:15). Behold, the Lord, the Messiah said "example"! Here is more of the passage to see the SERVANT example as opposed to the AUTHORITY claimed by clergy, the Lord Jesus said "Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for [so] I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor [is] one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them" John 13:12-17).

Notice the word "authority" is NOT a word in Hebrews 13:17, no, it does NOT say "submit to their authority" NOR "submit to them" NOR "submit yourselves". Hebrews 13:17 straightforward states "You people be persuaded by the ones leading, and you people yield, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you." The command "and [all of you] yield" means something special. Does the command "yield" apply to a mere man or the Word? Especially consider that the Word, Lord Jesus, said "you are all brothers" (Matthew 23:8) and "One is your Leader, that is, Christ" (Matthew 23:10). Hebrews 13:17 is NOT about men's authority over other men in God's Holy Nation.

Notice also that Hebrews 13:17 reads "as they that must give account" which does NOT say "they will give an account"! Take special note of that "as" in the sentence. This clearly refers to the elder that cares DEEPLY for God's people! This is not an authority.

Is God telling us about authority hierarchy? Is God telling us that we need to join a local church? Is our Redeemer telling us that when we see Godly people, that we are really seeing Christ in them, and thus looking through them at Christ the Lord? Is God telling us about His children turned to Him in the unity of love glorifying Him for all the world to see? The answer to the last two questions are a resounding YES. He established His Ecclesia such that the deep love will bring glory to God and He will use love to bring comfort to His Children (John 13:35). Not only that, but the world will be without excuse on the Day of Judgment (Romans 1:20). Hence His Ecclesia are His hands. His feet... The laborers in the harvest (Luke 10:2).

Jesus said something that is downright revealing when he explained to those He ordained to be the ones-leading, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you turn and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3-4)

Let's piece together some of the words and concepts we find from the various verses of Hebrews 13 mentioned above! Based on the Greek text, as opposed to the oppressive authority hierarchy English translation, we see something wonderful and beautiful, this summary seems to convey the message of the verses:

Believe the ones that follow in the steps of the Lord Jesus whether martyred, sleeping, or living, and yield to one another even imitating the steps of the mature follower of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior for the ones walking ahead are vigilant over your souls, not being selfish, as the Word of God releases from their hearts, will give the Word of God with joy, this they do without groaning unprofitably for you in speaking the Word of God.

The author of Hebrews WOULD NOT ISSUE A COMMAND THAT CONTRADICTS THE WORDS OF JESUS! The majority of English translations of Hebrews 13:17 contradict the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 20:25-28; however, a Spirit-filled examination reveals the Truth. Accordingly, the Greek manuscript of Hebrews 13:17 agree with the words that our Lord Jesus spoke of authority in the Assembly of God in Matthew 20:25-28, and here are His words:

"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and [their] great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:25-28)

And, here are Hebrews 13:7,17,24 in the interlinear (with KJV on the right - these are sourced from http://www.Scripture4All.org/):

• 
• 
• 

Jesus spoke this: "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." (Matthew 18:3-6) Think of how children trained up in the Lord LOVE the praise of their father and mother, loving to help because they know to do all as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:17)! King Jesus talks about authority among siblings as well, that is, the absence of authority between siblings. King Jesus reserves authority for His Majesty!

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24) declared the Lord Jesus.

"Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves" (Matthew 7:15) warned the Lord Jesus.

Recall from the Other Essential Definitions section, that the false Greek goddess Circe "with a touch of her wand she changed ... some into wolves". The Church (Circe) with men (wolves) claiming authoritative hierarchical structure are in an institution that has etymological basis for a lineage from Circe in Greek!

Drink in the passage in which the Lord Jesus Christ mentions "false prophets" who "are ravenous wolves":

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn [bushes] nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven [will enter]. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and [yet] it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall. When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as [one] having authority, and not as their scribes.

Matthew 7:13-29

Let's examine a few more passages that have been misinterpreted by man, then made into evil traditions in which "charge" plays an ungodly role! The concept "charge over God's flock" and "rule" is truly absent in the Greek manuscripts. In the context of the English translation of "charge", the clear reality is "feed" as in taking lambs to eat (shepherding) and "walking in steps" as in stepping along after the ones leading ahead that are in the steps of Christ! As you read this, observe God's love for us as it is not dominance, but rather lovingly feeding with heed to the welfare of the assembly of God! The welfare of the assembly of God includes identifying wolves dressed in sheeps clothes!

•      http://biblehub.com/acts/20-28.htm

  Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. NASB

  Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit made you overseers, to feed the assembly of God that He acquired through His own blood, YLT

  
  

  Why two columns? A convention reminder.

•      http://biblehub.com/1_peter/5-2.htm

  shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; NASB

  feed the flock of God that [is] among you, overseeing not constrainedly, but willingly, neither for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, YLT

  
  

  Why two columns? A convention reminder.

•      http://biblehub.com/1_thessalonians/5-12.htm

  But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, NASB

  And we ask you, brethren, to know those labouring among you, and leading you in the Lord, and admonishing you, YLT

  1 Thessalonians 5:12 contains proistamenous (Blue Letter Bible, Strong's G4291; BibleHub, Strong's 4291, Tufts University Greek Word Study Tool) which is "have charge" in the NASB and "leading" in the YLT in 1 Thessalonians 5:12 for which the Greek word proistamenous truly contains the English meaning of "pre-standing" that is the person that God stands before leading the way. Obtained from HELPS Word-studies: 4291 proístēmi (from 4253 /pró, "before" and 2476 /hístēmi, "to stand") – properly, "pre-standing," referring to a pre-set (well-established) character which provides the needed model to direct others, i.e. to positively impact them by example. Paraggelló (Blue Letter Bible, Strong's G3853; BibleHub, Strong's 3853) is absent from this passage, and paraggelló is the Greek word which translates to the English word "charge"; therefore, this fact is definitely worthwhile to behold.

  
  

  Why two columns? A convention reminder.

•      http://biblehub.com/1_timothy/5-17.htm

  The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. NASB

  The well-leading elders of double honour let them be counted worthy, especially those labouring in word and teaching, YLT

  
  

  Why two columns? A convention reminder.

•      http://biblehub.com/1_peter/5-3.htm

  nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. NASB

  neither as exercising lordship over the heritages, but patterns becoming of the flock, YLT

  1 Peter 5:3 contains klērōn (Blue Letter Bible, Strong's G2819; BibleHub, Strong's 2819) which is "those allotted to your charge" in the NASB and "heritages" in the YLT in 1 Peter 5:3 for which the Greek word klērōn truly contains the English meaning of "lot" or "portion". The word "charge" does not occur explicitly nor implicitly in 1 Peter 5:3. The English phrase "those allotted to your charge" is an incorrect translation of Greek into English. Paraggelló (Blue Letter Bible, Strong's G3853; BibleHub, Strong's 3853) is absent from this passage, and paraggelló is the Greek word which translates to the English word "charge"; therefore, this fact is definitely worthwhile to behold.

  
  

  Why two columns? A convention reminder.

See there in 1 Peter 5:3, not exercising lordship over Jesus' heritage, rather be a pattern for His Flock, following Jesus Himself in the Holy Spirit. It is about Jesus, not man-made authority and charge here on earth!

"But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant" (Luke 22:26). The word leader is hēgoumenos (note the resemblence to Hebrews 13:17's ones-LEADING). That word in Hebrews 13:17 can NOT be an authority because of that which Lord Jesus states here in Luke 22:26!

"Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great" (Luke 9:48. Is a churchman that calls himself "pastor" least or great? The answer is self-evident! The Lord Jesus said "they will become one flock with One Shepherd" (John 10:16) - that word Shepherd is poimēn in the Greek which is translated to "pastors" in Ephesians 4:11 - it is audaciously arrogant, prideful, and presumptuous to assume the title of poimēn that the Lord Jesus Christ reserved to Himself - the churchman that takes the name of pastor claims to be great by virtue of God's reservation of the title "pastor" unto the Son of God. It is so very, very sad and scary that "local church pastors" set up a system of idolatry whether intentionally or ignorantly. Examine obedience, Christ Jesus repeatedly spoke of doing the will of the Father in heaven. Obedience to God's authority, not to men's authority within the assembly of God, is part of the core message of the New Testament; therefore, clergy is in open disobedience to God and rebellion to God. God had Samuel say something about that:

     https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+15%3A22-23&version=NASB1995%3BYLT

Has YHWH as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of YHWH? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry NASB

Hath Jehovah had delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as [in] hearkening to the voice of Jehovah? lo, hearkening than sacrifice is better; to give attention than fat of rams; for a sin of divination [is] rebellion, and iniquity and teraphim [is] stubbornness; because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, He also doth reject thee from [being] king. YLT

Why two columns? A convention reminder.

 

The words to abide for the believer as spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ are so very important in this matter, they bear repeating here!

 

     https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+23%3A8-10&version=NASB1995%3BYLT

But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. NASB

And ye -- ye may not be called Rabbi, for one is your director -- the Christ, and all ye are brethren; and ye may not call [any] your father on the earth, for one is your Father, who is in the heavens, nor may ye be called directors, for one is your director -- the Christ. YLT

Why two columns? A convention reminder.

 

And more words of the Lord Jesus Christ for the believer to abide!

 

     https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+20%3A25-28&version=NASB1995%3BYLT

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. NASB

Ye have known that the rulers of the nations do exercise lordship over them, and those great do exercise authority over them, but not so shall it be among you, but whoever may will among you to become great, let him be your ministrant; and whoever may will among you to be first, let him be your servant; even as the Son of Man did not come to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. YLT

Why two columns? A convention reminder.

Appoint: Duality of Meaning in English
     (Definition) Set Apart By God
     (Definition) Elders Identifying Elders

Jesus also spoke this: "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:25-28) Here we hear the Lord Jesus clearly proclaiming that the rulers in the world exert authority over their fellows, BUT NOT SO AMONG GOD'S HOLY NATION, HIS ECCLESIA.

There are English translations that talk of "appointing elders". In English, the word "appointing" carries the meaning of selecting or designating to fill an office or a position. One instance is Acts 14:23, where Paul and Barnabas had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Let us look at the Greek word that has been translated to appointing. it is cheirotonEsantes, and it's meaning in the Greek/English Interlinear is HAND-STRETCHing. Could it be that Paul and Barnabas were in the cities of Lystra and Iconium and Antioch, that they stretched out their hand to point out the mature men of God that exhibited the fruit consistent with Spirit led lives, thus it would be confirmed to the babes in the faith whom the elders are?

Another example related to "appointing elders" is "ordain elders" which occurs in English in Titus 1:5 where the Greek word for "ordain" is katastEsEs which narrowly translates to SHOULD-BE-DOWN-STANDING as indicated in the Greek/English Interlinear. Again, this word, katastEsEs, indicates to stand the elders in front of the assembly to confirm that which is already evident, that the elder is an elder.

Please listen, the elders are already elders by the will of God. The description of an elder in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1:5-9 are of fruits; in other words, the men are already elders. The ceremony for an elder is carried out by God Almighty, and it is of value in His court.

As we see from the example of Paul, the Apostle, addressing the elders of Ephesus in Acts 20:17 and Acts 20:28, it is evident that the word elder in English refers to both presbuterous and episkopous. I have read that presbuterous is of Hebrew origin while episkopous is Greek.

Let us consider "appointed" in "When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48). This word "appointed" is the Greek word tetagmenoi which means HAVING-been-SET; meanwhile, the "appointed" in "When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed" (Acts 14:23) is the Greek word cheirotonEsantes which means HAND-STRETCHing. In Acts 13:48, God sets apart. In Acts 14:23, the Apostles pointed out the elders, those same Apostles having prayed with fasting first to God Almighty, the men whom God had set apart as elders.

As we've already examined, what part does the word pastor have in Scripture? The word "pastor" carries a fabricated connotation just like "church". There is a definite distinguishing factor between shepherd (the true meaning of poimen a.k.a. pastor) and "office of pastor".

Undershepherd Doctrine

Jesus was surrounded by rabbis, yet not a one was appointed by Jesus as pastor or shepherd, save Himself (John 10:16). Think all those doctors, professors, leaders, yet not a one did He set apart as leader, except Himself (Matthew 23:10). Not a one of the scribes nor pharisees certified as a teacher, for the Christ is the One Teacher (Matthew 23:8). Not a one of the priests nor religious leaders were ordained as a spiritual "father" for there is only the Father in heaven (Matthew 23:9). Today, there is a great multitude of men declaring themselves and their colleagues as teachers, professors, pastors, and doctors, yet our Lord Jesus Christ did something in humility, and it is diametrially opposed to the traditions of men existing today!

Under-shepherd is absent from the Holy Scripture; therefore, under-shepherd is a fallacy (fallacy defined - opens to thefreedictionary.com). The Lord Jesus repeatedly expressed Jesus alone is shepherd as a recurring sentiment. He even supplemented with His command to "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves" (Matthew 7:15), and Jesus the King said further "if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'There [He is],' do not believe [him]. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance" (Matthew 24:23-25).

The Creator Jesus plainly stated "I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes" (Matthew 23:34) and "I will send to them prophets and apostles" (Luke 11:49) and to His disciples "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations" (Matthew 28:19). Focus carefully on the absence of poimen/pastors/shepherds in these lists of whom is sent as provided by the Son of the Living God! In stark, plain, and clear terms, I emphatically state that during His life on earth as revealed by the Word of God that the Lord Jesus never said that He would send pastors.

Our Lord Jesus made it clear that false prophets will come, even claiming to be the Christ (Luke 21:8, Mark 13:5, Mark 13:21-22, Matthew 24:4-5, Matthew 24:11, Matthew 24:23-26). The false prophets will say "look here" and "there". There are pastors that call the church building the Lord's house as well as their requirement to report to the building every Sunday, but look at what Lord Jesus said that false prophets would say "look here" and "there". Those men calling themselves pastors are doing that which the Christ prophesied they would do. Those false pastors give each other hearty approval, slaps on backs, and events such as "sherherding conferences" to make sons to be just like them (Luke 11:48, Romans 1:32). Those pastors are destroyers of peace with God among the churchmen for those pastors know the ordinance of God. Even so, knowing God's righteous judgment, there are pastors that claim to be God's duly ordained pastor in the office, they arrogantly claim to be Christ's representative pastor with consummate authority over the churchpeople here on earth, yet, and this is an indomitable "yet", Our Lord Jesus said "they will become one flock with One Poimen" (that Greek word poimen has been translated to English as pastor and/or shepherd) thus Pastor Jesus is the One True Pastor.

The Good Message: Proclaim and Dialog - or Ambiguous Preach

Let us consider the format for the gathering of the saints as opposed to the evangelizing of the lost. There is a very real distinguishing factor between the "dialog" of the gathering versus the "proclaiming" of the Gospel of Christ. God, infinitely wise, tells us to "go out", to reach out, to proclaim Jesus, to immerse the lost in the Name of Jesus! Thus, the lost are found, the found believer is added to the number in the Assembly of God. Now, the follower of the Way longs to gather for worship of the Living God, prayer with the brethren, and fellowship in love. This is the Holy Father's ordained plan.

The "local church pastor's" nearly universally constrain their "preaching" to the pulpit. They say "come in" and "bring them in" to the church; opposingly, God said and demonstrates that we saints go out.

There is a fundamental error in this reverse direction practiced by local church pastors. The error is not abiding in Jesus' words. This leads to further error. The message from the pulpit is confused. The "local church pastor's" message format is mixed into something we can barely call a "hybrid" - preaching.

An illustrative event happened some years ago at a church we attended. A fellow that attended the church invited a few of his coworkers to come to church. Those coworkers visited once. Why did they not fall on their faces worshipping God because the secrets their hearts were laid bare (1 Corinthians 14:25)? An unbeliever or an ungifted man is convicted by the prophesy by all. "All" who??? Those in the gathering prophesy. That "all" could certainly mean more that one person prophesying, but in that church those years ago, it was controlled down to the "worship team leader" alloting time instead of orderly with multiple people prophesying with active elders. When the "worship team leader" handed the reigns of the service to the "local church pastor", the "local church pastor" proceeded to preach the sermon that was outlined and included in the bulletin. There were a few visitors from India that day in a room of over 120 people. I suspect that "local church pastor" had a dilemma (if he knew about the visitors). I imagine the dilemma was whether to preach the Gospel to the unsaved or Biblical exhortation of those in church.

Boiling down to the key point, God is right. God tells us to "proclaim" and "herald" to the unsaved, and there is a certain "one way" communication element in this, in that, we are constantly moving the message toward Jesus and His work. God is ever so very right. God tells us saints to dialog when we gather, and there is a certain interactive communication element in this. Put the believers chairs of the gathering in a circle, and watch the power of El Elyon, the Most High God, at work! Watch as the Holy Spirit brings folks to raise holy hands and reverentially to knees in prayer!

Vote and Survey: Selecting A Church Leader, the Pastor

Pulpit Committees organize for the purpose of seeking a pastor/leader for church. Pastoral responsibilities, qualifications, and minimum education requirements are enumerated, and the head hunting begins. The searches can be global in scale, and too often, a stranger is brought into the church.

Church members get surveyed for their desired traits in a pastor. Some surveys go further to inquire of the church members for the "direction" that the church should be taken by the leadership team. The survey results may be added to the pastoral responsibilities.

Church members "vote" for their preferred pastor.

Does this sound led by the Holy Spirit? Does this sound Scriptural? In Acts chapter one, before Pentecost, we find prayer and the use of lots when Matthias entered the number with the eleven Apostles. In Acts chapter six, we find the Apostles say to the assembly to look among the assembly for seven men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom to serve tables occupied by widows. We find the assembly speaking out to a conclusion (chose [we can do nothing without Jesus Christ in us]) of Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas. The clergy and many theologians use words such as "The Appointment of Deacons" with the associated hierarchical structure of institutionalized church organizations, yet such language does not occur in the New Testament (please see the sidebar Servant Vs. Deacon for a textual examination). In the assemblies, we find elders, according to the Holy Spirit, pointing out elders, who are already elders according to the Holy Spirit, among the assemblies.

Stale Church: Because "Local Church Pastor's" Covet Authority

Week after week, month after month, year after year, decade after decade. Required attendance at the "local church" with guilt poured out by the "local church pastor" for absence. An epidemic of in-grown and stale churches permeate the land as "local church pastor's" cling to their authoritative office. Are the church-goers going out to spread the Gospel of our Dear Lord Jesus Christ? The laborers in the harvest are few, but the church-workers are many. How does the church grow? Babies, becoming those who grow up in the church. Oh, there are people switching from one "local church" to a new "church home", because they are seeking a church to meet "my needs" or more accurately "my wants"! "I need a solid children's program" say some. Others say "I want a young mother's group", or "I need a weekly men's breakfast." Yet others say "I want a singles ministry." See the "I" in these examples, they are self-serving (selfish, and Holy Scripture spends many a word on the matter) rather than seeking first the Kingdom of God (2 Timothy 4:3-4 [ear ticklers seeking in accordance with their own desires defining their own acceptable "doctrine" of a god conformed to them], Matthew 6:33 [seek first the Kingdom of God, of which Jesus' doctrine is inseparable, and the heavenly Father provides for needs]). I've heard less of "everybody is ignoring the senior citizens." Sometimes there is a "church-split" that results in recruiting efforts by the factions. Some claim "revivals" as a source of new church-attendees (by the way, the concept of "revival" is not in the New Testament, we find Life in the New Testament). It is impossible to find a truly God fearing church that is surrounded by the love of God and fully moved by God's Spirit. It is impossible because "church" is illegitimate.

Greatest And Least Includes Authority, Jesus' Words

•      https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+20%3A20-28&version=NASB1995;YLT

  Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left." But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to Him, "We are able." He said to them, "My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father." And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." NASB

  Then came near to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, bowing and asking something from him, and he said to her, `What wilt thou?' She saith to him, `Say, that they may sit -- these my two sons -- one on thy right hand, and one on the left, in thy reign.' And Jesus answering said, `Ye have not known what ye ask for yourselves; are ye able to drink of the cup that I am about to drink? and with the baptism that I am baptized with, to be baptized?' They say to him, `We are able.' And he saith to them, `Of my cup indeed ye shall drink, and with the baptism that I am baptized with ye shall be baptized; but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but -- to those for whom it hath been prepared by my father.' And the ten having heard, were much displeased with the two brothers, and Jesus having called them near, said, `Ye have known that the rulers of the nations do exercise lordship over them, and those great do exercise authority over them, but not so shall it be among you, but whoever may will among you to become great, let him be your ministrant; and whoever may will among you to be first, let him be your servant; even as the Son of Man did not come to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.' YLT

  
  

  Why two columns? A convention reminder.

•      https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+10%3A35-45&version=NASB1995;YLT

  James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You." And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?" They said to Him, "Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized? They said to Him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John. Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. NASB

  And there come near to him James and John, the sons of Zebedee, saying, `Teacher, we wish that whatever we may ask for ourselves, thou mayest do for us;' and he said to them, `What do ye wish me to do for you?' and they said to him, `Grant to us that, one on thy right hand and one on thy left, we may sit in thy glory;' and Jesus said to them, `Ye have not known what ye ask; are ye able to drink of the cup that I drink of, and with the baptism that I am baptized with -- to be baptized?' And they said to him, `We are able;' and Jesus said to them, `Of the cup indeed that I drink of, ye shall drink, and with the baptism that I am baptized with, ye shall be baptized; but to sit on my right and on my left, is not mine to give, but -- to those for whom it hath been prepared.' And the ten having heard, began to be much displeased at James and John, but Jesus having called them near, saith to them, `Ye have known that they who are considered to rule the nations do exercise lordship over them, and their great ones do exercise authority upon them; but not so shall it be among you; but whoever may will to become great among you, he shall be your minister, and whoever of you may will to become first, he shall be servant of all; for even the Son of Man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.' YLT

  
  

  Why two columns? A convention reminder.

•      https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+9%3A46-48&version=NASB1995;YLT

  An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, and said to them, "Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great." NASB

  And there entered a reasoning among them, this, Who may be greater of them? and Jesus having seen the reasoning of their heart, having taken hold of a child, set him beside himself, and said to them, `Whoever may receive this child in my name, doth receive me, and whoever may receive me, doth receive Him who sent me, for he who is least among you all -- he shall be great.' YLT

  
  

  Why two columns? A convention reminder.

Here are three distinct times where Jesus did not say "John, you're first and foremost with that aggressive attitude of yours, let's call you senior pastor - that's foreman for all you newcomers, Peter, we'll put you in the office of deaconate - for clarity that is the supervisor responsible for disciplinary investigations and punishment, and all you non-apostles are called lay workers until further notice. James, you are just not quite there yet, so let's revisit this promotion to executive management with a formal review in six months." Preposterous! Absurd, I write! It might be worthwhile to revisit those church organizational charts again to see what man has made it.

Hypocrisy and Authority

"Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:1-5). When a man states "I am an authority with charge over you", that man's standard of measure will be applied to him, for example, the "local church pastor". It is a hypocrite that is the "local church pastor" demanding submission to his office, and he is damned for practicing idolatry and attempting to steal God's exclusive authority. The "local church pastor" walks in a lawless state (notice in the sixth paragraph of the next statement of Jesus, that He says "inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness").

Jesus railed against hypocrites. He railed against blind guides. Hear the Word of the Lord (please, read this aloud):

"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.' You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.' You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it. And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?

"Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation" (Matthew 23:13-36).

May the Bright and Morning Star grant that church leaders hear the voice of our Lord Jesus and abide in His Word!

If you are an official church member, then BE SOBER AND ALERT (1 Peter 5:8) because church is a man-made factory. If you are holed up in a "church building" on Sundays and/or Wednesdays, then let us see the Word of God speaking:

     https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A14-16&version=NASB1995;YLT

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." NASB

Ye are the light of the world, a city set upon a mount is not able to be hid; nor do they light a lamp, and put it under the measure, but on the lamp-stand, and it shineth to all those in the house; so let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and may glorify your Father who [is] in the heavens. YLT

Why two columns? A convention reminder.

Examine the fruits of the "local church pastors". For if any pastor claims authority in God, then that man bears fruit of arrogance, pride, and hypocrisy. Yet, the elder of God's Assembly is submissive, humble, and overflowing in the love of God. Also, examine yourself, for the question is plainly presented, do you give authority to the "church pastor" or clergy? If yes, then you practice idolatry, so confess your crime against God to the High Priest, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and sin no more. Pray to the Heavenly Father, fervently, unceasingly, in the anointed Name of Jesus, Son of God, imploring to be an instrument of peace for Lord Jesus stated "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you" (John 15:16). That fruit that Jesus mentions, is doing the will of Him who sent Him, and His will includes proclaiming the Kingdom of God and worshipping God and serving God only! God may send you into the churches to spread the Good News, but God will not have you compromise by using a wrongful method, such as church membership. The "means to the end" will be in accordance with His Holy Word in the Holy Spirit! And never, never forget, we children of God worship in spirit and in truth. That's it, no constraint, no temple built by men's hands required. We worship God in the morning, afternoon, evening, night. We worship God while driving, working, eating. We worship God when gathered with our brothers and sisters in the Spirit of Truth as well as when it is one of us individually with the Holy Spirit. We worship God while we live and after our journey on this earth is done! We worship God forevermore.

     https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+5%3A1-5&version=NASB1995;YLT

Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. NASB

Elders who [are] among you, I exhort, who [am] a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of the Christ, and of the glory about to be revealed a partaker, feed the flock of God that [is] among you, overseeing not constrainedly, but willingly, neither for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, neither as exercising lordship over the heritages, but patterns becoming of the flock, and at the manifestation of the chief Shepherd, ye shall receive the unfading crown of glory. In like manner, ye younger, be subject to elders, and all to one another subjecting yourselves; with humble-mindedness clothe yourselves, because God the proud doth resist, but to the humble He doth give grace; YLT

Why two columns? A convention reminder.

Praise God! Here, right here, we see the description of a God ordained elder that feeds the flock of God. No sordid gain. Not exercising authority over God's heritage. Being patterns for the flock of God. Subjecting one to another in love!

As established earlier, archó, Strong's 757 is the Greek word that equates to the English verb "rule" (to rule), and the related Greek noun word, arché, Strong's 746 corresponds to "ruler". The term "Chief Shepherd" is derived from the Greek word archipoimén (Strong's 750) in 1 Peter 5:4 (above). Notice the "archi" in archipoimén - which "archi" clearly relates to "ruler" because archipoimén is a noun. To build an Undershepherd Doctrine by using "Chief Shepherd" or "Ruling Shepherd" is not only dangerous and blaspheming, it adds to Scripture. Please note, the word undershepherd is not in Scripture.

YHWH is my shepherd, I shall not want (Psalm 23:1).

"I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11).

Hold fast to that which is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21), and the Word of God is the Good News! The Good News is there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). Listen, there is one Master, and His name is Jesus. There is one Authority, and He is the Author and Perfecter of the faith. Jesus is the Authority, and He assigns to His elders to walk where He walked, and His steps never fade. Let's say it again, Jesus leads and His sheep follow. In His steps.

The ones-leading give until it appears there is no more to give, and God causes the fountain to spring forth even more in abundance, and the elder gives more because of the love of God!

The children of God joyfully follow the ones who walk in the image of the Leader, Jesus Christ. Even into the fire or to the lions, for what more can they do once they have killed the body (Luke 12:4). We, followers of the Way, know the joy to come, and proclaim it in our very lives, and deaths, to share in the sufferings of Christ if He so ordains, that some might be saved from the wrath of God! It is about love for the family, even the one who does not know that they are predestined to be of the family of God (Psalm 119:73, Isaiah 64:7, Matthew 20:23, Matthew 25:34, John 6:37, John 6:39, John 17:2, John 17:6, Romans 9:18-24, Ephesians 2:10, 1 Peter 1:2, Revelation 13:8).

God's Plan

Since you are reading this, it is God's plan.

Because of the passionate love among the Father and the Son in the Spirit, and that the Son loves His Bride, so very much love that Jesus bore the shame of the cross! By this everlasting love, His Chosen Bride joins in communion of the deep, deep, rich love of God!

Unity and harmony in the Body of Christ is absolute. A gathering of the Assembly of God meets in a place, yet it is joined by the Spirit of the Living God to every assembly in every place. The Body of Christ is precisely synonymous with the Assembly of God. A Holy Spirit baptized believer is a member of Christ's Body, and the believer gathers according to the Spirit. The believer is set free (2 Corinthians 3:17) of the bondage of worldly memberships (as it is written by the Apostle Peter that we are foreigners and sojourners in this land [1 Peter 2:11]); rather, the believer gathers as part of Christ's Body as led by the Holy Spirit (as it is written in Hebrews [10:25], not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near)! There is One God, One Jesus Christ, and one Body of Christ.

Do not think the issue of "church", "church membership", "local church pastor", "church discipline", etc is trivial. Some people say this does not matter. Know that the prayers of the sinner who turns from God's instruction are not heard (Proverbs 28:9, John 9:31).

"'HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND EARTH IS THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET; WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME?' says the Lord" (Acts 7:49)

"Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built!" (1 Kings 8:27)

"Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father" (John 4:21).

"I also say to you that you are Pebble, and upon this Rock I will build My assembly; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it" (Matthew 16-18). Pebble in this statment is translated Peter in many translations, but HELPS Word Studies indicates "4074 Pétros (a masculine noun) – properly, a stone (pebble), such as a small rock found along a pathway. 4074 /Pétros ("small stone") then stands in contrast to 4073 /pétra ("cliff, boulder," Abbott-Smith)." from 4074. Petros).

God Himself clearly indicates that WE cannot build a church building for Him, and Solomon, king of Israel, declares the solid truth about God!

Hear Lord Jesus "My house shall be called a house of prayer" (Isaiah 56:7, Jeremiah 7:11, Matthew 21:13, Mark 11:17)! Jesus declared this after overturning the tables of the money changers and releasing the animals, which were on sale for sacrifice, from the merchants in the Temple in Jerusalem (Matthew 21:12), but another occurrence of Jesus purging the Temple in Jerusalem MUST be heard (John 2:13-22) - specifically these words of Jesus and the meaning of the words of Jesus the Christ are poignant to the subject at hand:

18. The Jews then said to Him, "What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?"
19. Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
20. The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"
21. But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
22. So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.

So, Master Orator Jesus was speaking of the temple of His body (verse 21 above), but there were those that thought He was talking about the Temple in Jerusalem. Now, hear the God that creates His Assembly, Jesus the Lord: "My house shall be called a house of prayer" (Isaiah 56:7, Jeremiah 7:11, Matthew 21:13, Mark 11:17)! In this sentence spoken by the Son of God, Jesus speaks using the future tense (around 30 AD), and Prophet Jesus prophesied the destruction of the temple (prophesy around 30 AD and fulfillment around 70 AD [destruction of temple occured about forty years after Jesus' resurrection from the dead {Second Temple [opens to Wikipedia], The Destruction of the Second Holy Temple [opens to chabad.org]}]). The same Jesus that predicted the temple building radical stone displacement is the same Jesus that declared the "My house" sentence clearly speaking of His Own House, His Own People, the Assembly of God. Jesus did not say that His house would be church buildings permeating each city with shepherds, also known as local church pastors, giving weekly sermons to people silently lined up seated facing those shepherds - even looking up to those shepherds on a stage. King Jesus said "a house of prayer"! A family in a house!

With this being addressed, it is good to recall, again, the words of the Everlasting God Jesus Christ "I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with One Shepherd" (John 10:16). Here Yeshua Messiah identifies Himself as the "One Shepherd", "One Pastor", "Heis Poimen" (Heis is Greek transliteration for the English word One). There are no other shepherds appointed by Jesus nor other shepherds with delegated authority by Jesus. Jesus reserved the title, the glory, the authority, and the honor unto Himself as Shepherd! Praise be to God!

Remember what Jeremiah cried out to Jerusalem and Judea! "For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you," (29:11-14). That is an important passage, but let's jump to another important passage, the passage immediately prior to it: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, "Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, declares the Lord." For thus says the Lord, "When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place." (Jeremiah 29:8-10). If the words of a prophet, today as a proclaimer of the Good News, match the Word of God, then the words are good. No variation.

Jeremiah also spoke the words of God when he said:

     https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+27%3A5-7&version=NASB1995%3BYLT

"I have made the earth, the men and the beasts which are on the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I will give it to the one who is pleasing in My sight. Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and I have given him also the wild animals of the field to serve him. All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson until the time of his own land comes; then many nations and great kings will make him their servant. NASB

Thus do ye say unto your lords, I -- I have made the earth with man, and the cattle that [are] on the face of the earth, by My great power, and by My stretched-out arm, and I have given it to whom it hath been right in Mine eyes. `And now, I -- I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and also the beast of the field I have given to him to serve him; And served him have all the nations, and his son, and his son's son, till the coming in of the time of his land, also it; and done service for him have many nations and great kings. YLT

Why two columns? A convention reminder.

God termed Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon as "My servant". It is plainly evident that it was pleasing in God's sight to give Nebuchadnezzar the earth, men, and beasts. God punished Judah using Nebuchadnezzar, that is, God punished His Chosen People. Also, the timeline of Nebuchadnezzar's ruling lineage was preordained by God. God commanded the captives to "Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile" (Jeremiah 29:7). It is clear that God, in His sovereignty, may choose to use the heathen as his instrument, even those that are of Babylon. "Local church pastors", hear the Word of the Lord!

Danger in Tolerating the Works of the Nicolaitans:
The assemblies tolerating the works of nicolaitans fails to satisfy the One who has the sharp two-edged sword (Revelation 2:12). The Lord Jesus said much Life giving words, but let us focus on, 'So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says' as recorded in Revelation 2:15-17. The Nicolaitans are people that separate into clergy and laity/laymen (see also the Our Lord Jesus Hates the Deeds of the Nicolaitans sidebar above). The warning here is clear, and those that do not hear are destined for eternal destruction by the just God. To those people that have been lied to by the clergy, repent, turn to God by the strength of the Almighty, and abandon the wrongful doctrine of the clergy!

Is it cold and spiteful to say such things? Jesus did not mince words when saying "woe to you" to the pharisees and the scribes (Matthew 23). And, again, "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" the words of Lord Jesus (Luke 6:46). Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God (John 3:36, John 5:38). Whoever abides in the teaching of Lord Jesus has both the Father and the Son (John 17:6, John 17:23). If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works (2 John 1:9-11).

Jesus, the Word, commanded that people be consumed by Him, abide His words. At the cross in Love, He brings repentance (2 Timothy 2:25), and He imparts the very faith (Ephesians 2:8-10) moment to moment. We are made to bring pleasure to God as well as to glorify God (Philippians 2:13, Revelation 4:11).

The sad fact of the matter is that many church-goers have a deep seated sense of fear that their salvation is in jeopardy in the face of the local church membership doctrine of men with the ensuing accompanyment of control, power, authority, and money.

Hear the words of the psalmist "Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments" (Psalm 119:73). He declares the Glory of God, that the Grand Creator not only "made" but also "fashioned" which describes the ongoing life in God the Father. And, we see the psalmist crying out to God to "give me understanding". The Christian crys out to Jesus for all things, including understanding the Word of God.

     http://biblehub.com/3_john/1-9.htm

I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. NASB

I did write to the assembly, but he who is loving the first place among them -- Diotrephes -- doth not receive us; YLT

Why two columns? A convention reminder.

Praise God! See here, the Holy Spirit inspired Apostle John wrote that it is oppostion to the teaching of the apostles to love the first place! Not only that, but the lover of first place does not receive the truth.

God is masterful in His planning. He laid out a gathering where everyone called by the Holy Spirit participates. We are fallible people in that we know in part and we prophesy in part (1 Corinthian 13:9), yet God is whole and holy. When in the gathering, a person may stand to speak as led by the Spirit, but if someone sitting down is given a revelation, then the person standing must keep silent (1 Corinthians 14:30). Order is maintained. God is glorified. Do you know a pastor that would put up with such a thing in the "church building"?

The hand of God fashioned Paul as we see in (Acts 9). When Saul was on the road to Damascus, God turned him around. God told Saul to go into the city to await instructions, and God sent Ananias. God did not tell Saul to report to a church, and Saul was with the disciples of Christ. Once converted, immediately Saul went out to proclaim Jesus in the streets, and the followers of the Way were wary of him! There is NO mention of a church nor a church sending him, rather Saul went out according to the Will of God!

Another example of God NOT telling someone to go join a church is the Ethiopian eunuch that was reading the Isaiah scroll (Acts 8:26-40). Philip, the Apostle, explained the meaning to the eunuch, the eunuch asked to be baptized, and after the baptism, God whisked Philip away. And that's the end of mention of the Ethiopian eunuch in the New Testament, with him going on his way rejoicing!

Again, we find that Paul arrived in Ephesus, where he found some disciples that had not heard of the Holy Spirit. Paul proclaimed the Truth, that is Jesus, to them, and they were immersed in the name of the Lord Jesus. Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. This is recorded in Acts 19:1-10. Afterward, Paul proclaimed the Kingdom of God in the synagogue. Please note that there is NO mention of telling the disciples to join a church nor start a church. God drew these disciples, and God made them Christ's Body. We know they were together with Paul because it is noted a couple of times as in Acts 19:9 and Acts 19:30. There is no question, this is God's Ecclesia. God assembled them.

We are priests, every one of us believers, proclaiming the excellencies of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:9), our High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, not according to the order of Aaron, not the Levitical priesthood (Hebrews 7:11), the One spoken of belongs to another tribe, not Levi, but rather Judah, another Priest arose according to the likeness of Melchizedek, according to the power of an indestructible life, forever a Priest, bringing in a better hope through which we draw near to God (Hebrews 7:13-19). Jesus guarantees a better coventant (2 Corinthians 5:5). There were many priests to tend to the sacrifices for the people because those priests were limited by death, yet Jesus is the permanent Priest; therefore He alone is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He alone always lives to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:22-25). We priests have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of our King Jesus "since we have a great priest over the house of God" for He sprinkled our hearts clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope, the Lord Jesus is our hope, without wavering, for He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:19-23). We have an altar (the altar is NOT the pulpit) from which those who serve the tabernacle (a building) have no right to eat (the body and blood of King Jesus because those who serve the tabernacle are not serving King Jesus). Our King Jesus suffered outside the gate, let us go outside the city also, suffering also for we do not have a lasting city, state, nor nation here, rather we are seeking that which is to come. Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased (Hebrews 13:10-16). Jesus made the way for us believers, and we are all priests with One Eternal High Priest. No pastor, no Roman Catholic priest, no mere mortal person is an authority between us and God, no one, because we believers, by grace, have been claimed by the Author of eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9). Hear the Word of God, oh, hear Him!

There are zero instances of people being told to become members of a local church nor to plant a local church with membership, authoritative hierarchy, and edifice in the New Testament! There is freedom in this, rejoice like our brother the Ethiopian eunuch!

I join with Paul the Apostle in these words, "to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21), and again "Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death" (Philippians 1:20). By the power of the Holy Spirit, we go out to a couple of local marketplaces weekly to evangelize to Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Evolutionists, Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Roman Catholics, and others. God dramatically altered the local demographic here in Fremont within the last 20 years, thanks be to God because now, in a way, we can just walk out the front door to bear witness of Christ to the nations. When I was a young boy in this city in white suburbia, a Sikh in a blue turban came through the city, and it was earth shattering news to us; extrapolating to today's large city in this huge metropolitan area, the people from the area of Arabia, Middle East, India, China, and Latin America outnumber the people of largely European descent. By God's grace, we give the complete Bible free of charge in 10 languages, for God's glory. An example of God's mercy, we met people visiting from China, who have then taken Chinese Bibles back to China, sometimes for themselves, sometimes for others. Let's continue in this moment to visit the works of God (John 6:28). We talked with girl of about 16 years old. She expressed that she was not a believer, but she was on her way to meet with another girl to read the Bible at the library, but they had two different English versions. God directed us to speak at length with her of who the Christ is, the prophecies, the birth, the life, the crucifixion and death, the resurrection, the ascension. We even took some time to discuss the purposes of Israel. She took a couple of NASBs to read, one for her and one for her friend, so they could read aloud to each other easily. She said that she could not read the Bible at home where she and her mother shared a bedroom. She had been "kicked out of school". God made a way for her, and we heard her hunger for the Righteous One. We told her to cry out to Jesus, it might be in the depth of the night, but when the forces of darkness surround her to cry out "Lord Jesus help me!". On another occasion, we met a young seminarian of about 32 years old, and he had finished his thesis. He thought he was ready to go be a pastor. His proudly explained that his thesis declared that the only necessary parts of the Bible are Psalms, Proverbs, the 4 Gospels, Acts, and Revelation, and the balance could (or should) be discarded. We talked and requested him to read Revelation 22:18-19). We proclaimed the wonders revealed in the Holy Bible to him, and that it is the work of the Holy Spirit that men wrote the Bible, and that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to hear the Bible. We closed ranks to praise our Creator in prayer, and after the amen, he sat there, head hung low, slowly his head started shaking, as in a person shaking their head "no", and barely audible he said "I never surrendered to Jesus, I've never surrendered to Jesus". When he stood up, he was transformed. With the rich blue sky above and the sun reflecting off his face unlike when he arrived, he declared that he must return to change the thesis the include the entire Bible. I thought there were moments there that he was going to start dancing in the street for joy. As I dismantled the canopy (for the marketplace had closed, and the street would return to vehicular traffic shortly), I would step backward from a task, and he was right behind me, so close that his toes would get crushed under my heal. I'd say sorry, He'd say it was OK, then we'd repeat at the next corner of collapsing the canopy. Both these people, different days, were there for a couple of hours. We do not make friends with the world, rather our joy is the Word opening friend's eyes that the friends come to Our Father's wedding feast for His Son, friends that are the Bride of Christ!

When a person is baptized by the Holy Spirit, God Almighty joins that new Child of God to the ecclesia, and the new convert is born unto a family that never perishes, that requires no further joining on the part of the convert, that is, no "local church membership". This is consistent with Scripture; otherwise it begs the question "do you crucify Christ again?" and, again, what work have you wrought upon yourself by joining a church? There is no indication that Jesus assumed that we would be committed to a local church, rather He sends out because all authority is His (Matthew 28:18-20). In fact, apostle means "sent out", and from Strong's "especially a man sent out by Jesus Christ Himself to preach the Gospel". We that believe are committed to Christ by Christ.

The devil attempted to use the Word of God against the Lord Jesus in the wilderness after Jesus' baptism; however, Jesus spoke the Word with power, and the devil departed at King Jesus' command. The issue of "local church" and it's implications are profound. It matters whether one serves "local church" or serves God. Our lives are but like grains of sand. Who are any one of us here on earth to try to tell the Grand Creator of heaven and earth, the One who created the sand of the vast Mojave Desert, that God Almighty's high ways are not enough? No man. No man can create a single grain of sand from...nothing.

Shed all ungodly and unscriptural aspects that offend Him Who sits on the throne! Trust Him Who defends and delivers us into His Hands for eternity! When we believers step out of the boat onto the crashing waves (Matthew 14:22-33), the Lord Jesus is with us! In other words, when we walk out of the "church building" doors in faith, we stand on the Rock (Matthew 7:24-27)! Always praying (Luke 18:1-8, Matthew 26:41)! Read the Holy Scripture, daily. Sing praise to the Creator, daily. Gather in the house, daily. Love God and love His people. Proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ tirelessly, for this too is love. Be holy, as your Father in heaven is Holy!

Gathering

Love in the Body of Christ is essential. United in worship and adoration of the Living God! Each member of the body displaying gifts and abiding in the Holy Spirit. The gifts of God include helping, hospitality, evangelizing, exhorting, encouraging, shepherding, praising God, and more. We, the Body of Christ, gather to worship, and that God would exercise the wonderful gifts that He gives. We break bread in our homes, together and united, that is, we eat meals together, conversing, praying, worshipping, and fellowshipping. We gather in homes, markets, and wherever the Spirit leads. We gather at any hour of any day. We are a family that gathers, and our family has one Head, Our Lord Jesus Christ.

God's light penetrates the darkness; in other words, we are instruments of mercy that God uses to carry the declaration of the Kingdom of God to people in the culture, so that "cult" people transform into children of God. The children of God recline at table with us, at the spot ordained by our awesome God. We are separate from the world and culture, not touching the unclean thing (that means being a clean witness for Christ without political involvement nor cultural entertainments), and the world does not comprehend us; moreover, we break bread, fellowshipping about His marvels, gathering at a banquet assembling toward that banquet yet to come, which celebrates the consummation of the Son's eternal marriage to His Chosen Bride! We are headed toward a banquet in our Father's house! We know that which we have received from our priceless Redeemer, our great Deliverer, our strong Defender, our faithful Love, our Almighty God, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us revisit the first paragraph of this essay:
God the Father loves the Son of God (John 3:35), Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Son of God loves God the Father (John 14:31), and this communion is in the Holy Spirit of God (1 John 5:6-8)! Perfect Love in one God (John 17:21), Agape! The Father in Heaven's banquet is for His Son, and the purpose of this feast is to celebrate the marriage to His Chosen Bride, and she has the favor of the Father because of the Son (Matthew 22:1-14)! Let us examine His authoritative declaration of His Bride, His Holy Nation (1 Peter 2:9), His Body (1 Corinthians 12:12), the Assembly of God (1 Corinthians 1:2)!

Some people call this "unchurch" or "dechurched" while some try the label of "home church"; meanwhile, others call it "church free". We believers are the congregation of one heart and soul (Acts 4:32) indwelt by the Spirit of the Living God (2 Corinthians 5:7). I call this followers of the Way (John 10:4, John 14:6). I call this, His ecclesia, Life (John 14:6). I call it the Truth (John 14:6) for God is with us (Matthew 1:23).

While we are here on earth, respecting His ecclesia, it is about the Father's love for His Son, Who dearly loves His bride so very much that He came to serve and claim a rebellious and undeserving people. The Lord Jesus Christ's purchased people are His ecclesia.

PARDONS

God knows His plan for all time. I am just a sheep that fearfully wrote this as led by the Holy Spirit. If my flesh interfered with any of God's desire within this, I apologize to my Loving Father in the Name of Jesus Christ my Lord.

Lord Jesus, please grant sight to all those still yet living, mentioned in this essay, to those that do not know You. I beg You, my King, to bestow Godly sorrow that leads to repentance. I pray that You open their hearts to believe. I ask that You make them children of God, that You add laborers to the harvest. All of this, Lord Jesus, for Your glory! Amen!

I BELIEVE IN ONE GOD!
   GOD THE FATHER, THE WORD OF GOD JESUS CHRIST THE SON OF GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT

I believe in one eternal God, existing as three distinct and equal persons being Love (Genesis 1:26 [plurality], Isaiah 48:16 [all three mentioned], Romans 1:7 [Father], John 8:58 [Son, referring back to Exodus 3:14], John 15:26 [Spirit], 1 John 4:8 [Love]).

I believe God is Love, God is Light, and God is Good (1 John 4:8, 1 John 1:5, Luke 18:19)!

I believe the Son of God named Jesus is the only Way to God the Father in Heaven. I believe the Truth (John 14:6) is the continually immediate inspiration of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God as the one and only possible means of our love of God (John 13:34, 1 John 4:7). I believe salvation, sanctification, and the Life eternal are all God delivered into the holy ones (saints) covered by the atoning blood of the formerly crucified but now Living Son of the Living God, Jesus Christ, my Savior and my God! (John 14:9, John 14:26, John 15:26, John 17:21, John 17:26)

I love my God, my heavenly Father, Who loves me. I was formerly a slave to sin, dead in my trespasses against the Mighty and Just God, yet now I live for God opened my eyes to see that I was purchased, the ransom for my crimes against God paid by the very blood of His Son, my Lord Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us. God has given me the precious gift of His indwelling Holy Spirit. When the Father in heaven looks at me, I am safe and heard because I am covered by the blood of Jesus! I know God loves me because He disciplines me (Psalm 94:12, Proverbs 3:12, Hebrews 12:6, Revelation 3:19), and in the time of writing this essay was great testing to which my God exercised the Holy Spirit filled loving family that He generously gives me for which I am absolutely grateful and thankful to my Lord Jesus. There is no greater joy than knowing my God, and being known by Him! May I, unworthy as I am yet this Lord's House, be an instrument of peace.

To those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, remember, the promise of God the Father in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the Holy Spirit bringing communion with the Father in heaven. Eternal life is the joy of being with God, and in His lovingkindness He bestows it on His children! Do not grow weary, proclaim the Gospel in Love! Rejoice together in the unity of love, for the day draws very, very near.

Email comments: Kermos <Kermos@JesusDelivers.Faith>

---

Essay: http://www.JesusDelivers.Faith/ChristianWritings/OneSpiritAndOneHeartInGod/
Revised Date: Wed Mar 2 13:04:40 UTC 2022

---

Comments:

Kermos, Wed Dec 23 14:36:48 PST 2015: A couple of brothers and I went to meet with the "local church pastor" whose email is included above in order to discuss this matter. Early in the meeting, I told him about this essay, and that I wanted to talk with him as well as give a copy of the essay to him (which he said he would not read). He said he would not talk about the fact that local (topikos) nor church (kuriakon) do not occur in Scripture, and the pastor said he would escort us out of his office immediately. At the last moment as we prepared to leave, I told him about my plan to release this essay with his email included, and he said go ahead. We were at his office for only about a couple of minutes. The pastor said something that needs inclusion. When the pastor said that I need to be under the authority of a leader, I responded with the words of Jesus, do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Jesus Christ. The pastor told me I twisted that Scripure! My Lord Jesus Christ was God on earth when He spoke those very straightforward and plain words. My conscience is captive to the Word of God, and I say the Lord Jesus Christ enunciated exactly what he meant!

Kermos, Tue Jun 21 15:00:00 PST 2016: Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ brought a certain Christian into fellowship with us from a city thousands of miles away. He contacted us and read One Spirit and One Heart in God. It was truly a blessing from God. He told us of where he fellowships, at that city, where the Spirit of the Living God led the assembly to move into the same building as well as close houses, even the same house for some. May God the Father shine his countenance upon these holy ones greatly in the love and communion of the Lord Jesus!