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Scripture Reading: Gen. 20:7; Exo. 3:16; 7:1; Eph. 2:20; 3:5; 1 Sam. 8:4-9, 19-20; Matt. 10:2; Mark 6:7; Luke 10:1; Acts 13:2
Prayer: Lord, we worship You for Your mercy and Your sovereignty. We ask You to visit us. Your presence is all that we need. Lord, we consecrate ourselves to You. We pray that You would speak to us, touch our heart, and unveil to us everything on Your heart. Lord, we need the covering of Your prevailing blood. We hide ourselves in You. In these days of warfare we are not fighting for anything of ourselves but for Your kingdom. Therefore, we ask You to cover our shortcomings and weakness. We look unto You for Your living word.
We will first consider God’s administration. Our God is a God of purpose. He desires to accomplish something. In order for God’s purpose to be carried out, there is the need of His administration, His government. In spite of the apparent differences between the Old Testament and the New Testament, the divine concept concerning God’s administration is the same throughout the Bible. Christians generally say that God’s administration in the Old Testament was first with the priests, then with the kings, and finally with the prophets. However, just as in the New Testament, God’s administration in the Old Testament involved apostles, prophets, and elders. On the human side these three groups are the main constituents of God’s administration.
The word apostle is an anglicized Greek word referring to one who is sent with a commission and implies that the sending one has authority. Thus, apostles in the Bible are those sent by God, who is the One with authority. Although the word apostle does not appear in the Old Testament, there was such a person. Moses was sent by God to deal with Pharaoh. Exodus 7:1a says, “Jehovah said to Moses, See, I have made you God to Pharaoh.” This shows that Moses was sent as an authority to Pharaoh.
In Genesis 20:7 God spoke to Abimelech concerning Abraham’s wife, saying, “Return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet; and he will pray for you, and you will live.” This is the first time that the word prophet is used in the Bible. Thus, according to the Bible, the first prophet was Abraham. Most people think of a prophet as one who predicts, or foretells, future events. However, this is not the main meaning of the word prophet in the Bible. In Exodus 3 and 4 God called Moses and sent him to deal with Pharaoh and to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. However, Moses somewhat shrank back, saying that he was not a good speaker, which compelled God to use Aaron to speak for Moses (4:10, 16). In Exodus 7:1b Jehovah said to Moses, “Aaron your brother will be your prophet.” Aaron was Moses’ spokesman. Thus, the main meaning of the word prophet in the Bible is not one who predicts but a spokesman. A prophet is God’s spokesman, one who speaks for God. However, Aaron was a prophet not for God but for Moses.
With Moses and Aaron we can see the difference between an apostle and a prophet. According to Hebrews 3:1-2, Moses was a type of Christ as the Apostle sent by God. Therefore, Moses was the first apostle; he was one sent by God. As the apostle’s spokesman, Aaron was a prophet. Actually, Moses and Aaron should be considered as one. Aaron was not separate from Moses; he was actually a part of Moses. We know this because Moses and Aaron were always together when they went to see Pharaoh and when they spoke to the children of Israel. The oneness of the apostles and prophets continues in the New Testament. Ephesians 2:20 says that the church is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.” Ephesians 3:5 says that God’s New Testament economy “has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in spirit.” Thus, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, the divine concept is that the apostle and the prophet are one. Nevertheless, the apostle and prophet represent two different functions. The apostles stand mainly for God’s authority, or administration, and the prophets stand mainly for God’s speaking. Apostles also speak, but the term apostle primarily refers to the administrative aspect, and prophet refers to the speaking aspect.
The term elder literally means an “older person.” In most families the father is the oldest person; therefore, the father is the elder of a family. According to the Bible, the community of God’s people is formed of many families, and among these many families there are older ones called elders who take the lead. In Exodus 3:16 God said to Moses, “Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me.” Thus, the concept of having elders among God’s people is not unique to the New Testament. Actually, the New Testament follows the Old Testament in this regard. The elders existed even before Moses was called and sent as the first apostle. From Exodus onward, we see that God deals with His people through the elders. In preparation for the passover, God went first through Moses to the elders of the children of Israel (12:21). Thus, the elders are crucial because they are the leading ones among God’s people, and they represent God’s people. Those who are directly involved in God’s administration are of only three categories — apostles, prophets, and elders.
We need to change our concept concerning human kingship. First Samuel 8:4-9 says,
All the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. And they said to him, You are now old, and your sons do not follow in your ways. Appoint now for us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the matter displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to judge us. Then Samuel prayed to Jehovah. And Jehovah said to Samuel, Listen to the voice of the people according to all that they have said to you; for it is not you whom they have rejected, but they have rejected Me from being King over them. Like all the deeds that they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt to this very day by forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they do also to you. Now therefore listen to their voice, but you shall solemnly warn them and declare to them the practice of the king who will reign over them.
Verses 19 and 20 say, “But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, No; but there will be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” The thought to have a king to “judge us and go out before us and fight our battles” has existed among God’s people for many centuries.
God does not want to have a human king among His people, because once a king comes in, the headship of God is usurped. God wants to have only the apostles, prophets, and elders as His sent ones, His spokesmen, and the leading ones among His people, for these do not usurp His headship. However, according to their fallen nature, God’s people desired to have a king like the nations. Even today we like to have a king because it is convenient. If there is a king, we do not need to do anything since the king does everything for us. In one sense, no one likes to have a king, because we do not like to be ruled by anyone. However, in another sense, we all like to have a king to do things for us. A leading brother from another country recently asked me whether he should stay in the United States for a training or return to his locality to take care of an upcoming conference there. By asking me this, he was making me his king. He wanted me to make the decision so that he would not be bothered and could rest. I refuse to be such a king. I prayed for the brother and told him, “You must go to the Lord and pray until you are clear about what to do.”
It is people’s laziness, or indolence, that causes them to be willing to have a king. The elders of the children of Israel did not want to be bothered with their responsibilities of judging and fighting. They saw that the nations had kings who did everything for them. In past turmoils many saints in the local churches were deceived mainly because they were lazy. Many did not exercise their spirit, which is the gift of God, but preferred to rest and rely on someone else. This kind of idleness gives an ambitious person the opportunity to become a king who promises to do everything and make all the decisions. We may accept such a one because we prefer to rest and leave the responsibility to someone else. This is the principle of having a human king.
When elders ask me to come to their locality or send someone to help them, I often decline their request. Such elders are like mothers who ask others to come to their home to help them cook. Each mother must cook for her own family. If she does not prepare the food well, her family can still eat it, and she will learn from her mistakes so that her cooking will improve. We must drop our concept of needing someone to come and help us. If the leading ones in a local church always ask for help from others, that local church will not be strong. The churches do not need a king; the elders are good enough. God has no intention to have a human king among His people.
The basic category of persons in God’s administration is the elders. We can see this concept in the Bible. The elders of the children of Israel already existed before Moses was raised up as the first apostle. We should not rely entirely on the apostles and prophets. The apostles are sent by God to accomplish something, and the prophets speak for God. However, those who administrate directly among God’s people are the elders. Thus, the elders are the basic factor of God’s administration among His people.
The elders of Israel became lazy and idle, preferring the convenience of the kingship according to the custom of the nations (vv. 19-20). Christian denominations today follow this principle. For the sake of convenience, the members of a denomination donate money to hire a pastor as a king to do everything for them. This offends God’s headship. The elders in the local churches may be capable and strong, but they must be careful not to become kings. The eldership does not offend God’s headship, but if anyone becomes a king, this offends God’s headship. The thought of a human king is altogether offensive to God. In 1 Samuel 8 the elders’ request for a king greatly displeased God, who told Samuel, “It is not you whom they have rejected, but they have rejected Me from being King over them” (v. 7). This indicates that although the apostles, prophets, and elders are part of God’s administration, the kingship should be kept for God Himself. The apostles, prophets, and elders do not interfere with, offend, or usurp the kingship of God. However, when God’s people bring in a king, this is a direct offense against God’s kingship. The apostles, prophets, and elders must be careful to keep the kingship for God.
The principle of keeping the kingship and headship uniquely for God is consistent throughout the Bible. This is the reason the Lord told His disciples, “Do not be called Rabbi, for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers” (Matt. 23:8). Christ alone is our Teacher, Master, Leader, and King. Peter exhorts the elders, “Shepherd the flock of God among you, overseeing not under compulsion but willingly, according to God;...nor as lording it over your allotments but by becoming patterns of the flock” (1 Pet. 5:2-3). The elders should shepherd and oversee the flock, but they should not be lords. To be a lord interferes with God’s kingship. We must see that in God’s economy for His administration, He desires to keep the kingship uniquely for Himself.
If we prefer to be idle and have someone else do everything for us for the sake of convenience, this will open the door for a king to come in, just as Saul came in as a king among the children of Israel. The elders especially should not be idle or take the way of convenience. They need to be diligent and willing to bear the burdens. In order to receive God’s blessing, we must not open the door for a king to come in, nor should we desire to be a king. The Bible clearly reveals that God does not want to have a human king in His administration, because He does not want anyone to replace Him by usurping His headship and kingship. The headship and kingship must be left to God alone. God sends His apostles and establishes His prophets and the elders among His people, but He has no desire for there to be a king.
According to the Bible, there should always be a plurality of apostles, prophets, and elders. After calling His disciples, the Lord appointed twelve apostles (Matt. 10:2). Whenever the Lord sent out His disciples, He sent them two by two (Mark 6:7; Luke 10:1). The Lord never sent out an apostle alone. In Acts 13:2 Paul and Barnabas were sent out together as apostles. There is always a plurality in the apostleship. The same is true of the prophets and elders. There should always be several elders in a local church. The plurality in the apostleship, the prophethood, and the eldership is crucial because it helps prevent anyone from becoming a king among the churches.
There was no permanent leadership among the early apostles. Peter took the lead in Acts 2:14, but in 15:13 James rose up to take the lead. This record shows that Peter was not the permanent, unique, official, or organizational leader. Instead, he was only a momentary leader; later, James became another momentary leader. If there is one apostle, prophet, or elder above the others, that one is a king, which is an insult to Christ’s headship and kingship.
The Lord has shown us that God does not want to have a human king in His administration. There was a king in the Old Testament, but that was against God’s desire. Thus, there is no king among God’s people in the New Testament age. It was the degradation among the children of Israel in the Old Testament that caused a king to come in. The desire of the children of Israel for a king was according to the custom of the nations, which is abominable in the eyes of God. We must be impressed that we should not have a king. We welcome the apostles, prophets, and elders, but we have only one king, who is our God, Savior, and Lord.
We must see this principle and stand against anyone becoming a king among the local churches. The basic factor in God’s administration today is the elders. The apostles and prophets do many things, but the basic constitution of God’s administration is the elders. It is the elders who directly administrate. Because God desires to keep the headship and kingship absolutely and uniquely for Himself, He needs a group of elders in each locality who participate in His administration without offending His headship.
In the Old Testament the first apostle was Moses. Following Moses, many were raised up to speak for God. These were prophets, God’s spokesmen. Eventually, the Lord Jesus came as the Apostle and the Prophet (Heb. 3:1; Deut. 18:15, 18). Christ is the Apostle who is sent with God’s authority and the Prophet who speaks for God. Christ initially appointed and sent out twelve of His own apostles. After Pentecost He sent many more, including Paul. Among these apostles some were also prophets. These early apostles appointed elders in the local churches they established (Acts 14:23). Since that time God’s administration among His people has been primarily with the elders.
There should be no king among God’s people in the churches today. The elders in every local church should be diligent in directly seeking the Lord for everything. For every need they should pray, fellowship, and wait on the Lord to receive direction, guidance, and leading directly from Him.
On the one hand, the elders should never think that because they are capable, they do not need help from the other churches or anyone outside their locality. Such pride is wrong. On the other hand, neither should they be open to everyone without discernment and ask for help from the other churches and servants of the Lord every time a need arises, in order to avoid bearing any burdens. This is also wrong. We need to be humble and open to others, yet we also must be diligent and not always rely on others’ help. Therefore, whenever a need arises, we should first pray in order to seek the Lord directly. After we pray, the Lord may send someone to give us some extraordinary help or open the fellowship so that we receive help from other churches, but ordinarily we must take care of our own local affairs.
No matter how weak certain persons may be, when they are married and have a family, they find a way to take care of their family. Similarly, all the elders must learn to take care of their own localities. They should not always look to others for help but must be diligent and faithful and must open directly to the Lord in prayer. Nothing is better than our direct contact with the Lord. If the elders pray, seek the Lord, and wait on Him, the help will often come directly from the Lord.
We need to change our attitude, because our idleness, laziness, and habit of relying on others open the door for a king to come in, not only among a group of churches but also locally. The elders in a locality should not allow one elder to become a king. Every elder must exercise discernment and pray to seek the Lord’s leading while respecting the Lord’s leading in the other elders. The elders must be diligent, active, and faithful to the Lord, not expecting someone else to do everything for them for the sake of convenience. To dominate is wrong, and to be lazy is also wrong. If all the elders are exercised in taking the lead, there will be no opening for anyone to become a king. To have a king is contrary to God’s administration. Among His people today, God desires to have a plurality of elders. This will allow God’s economy to be carried out yet avoid offending God’s headship.
