Where did the term 'Bishop' come from? What is God's Order? Part 2:

[Dr. Arroyo Sanders, Prophet]

9. Correction and Admonition

There is also a negative side to the ministry of the prophet. This can be seen in the calling of Jeremiah:

 

See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow to build and to plant.

Four of the six expressions used by God to describe Jeremiah's ministry are negative. God often has to up root and tear down, destroy and overthrow, before he can begin to plant and build. Prophets co-operate with God in breaking down all that is not built on the true foundation. They do this by announcing his judgement. At the same time they watch over all that God is building to see that it is built according to his Word. This is an awesome task but God cannot complete his restoration work until the prophetic ministry is restored.

 

Two thirds of his work was therefore in the direction of destruction. It is not pleasant or easy work (F.B Meyer - Jeremiah p.109).

It was Jeremiah’s lot to prophesy at a time when all things in Judah were running down in a final and mournful catastrophe, when political excitement was at its height and the most fatal counsels prevailed. It was his stand in the way, over which his nation was pushing headlong to destruction: to make an heroic effort to arrest it and to turn it back; and to fail and be compelled to step to one side and see his own people, whom he loved with the tenderness of a woman plunge over the precipice into the wide weltering ruin (Dr Moorehead).

Paul described a prophetic ministry that cut to the hearts of the people.

 

But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!" (1 Cor 14:24,25).

 

When Jeremiah was first summoned to the work of prophet, it was summarised under six distinct divisions. He was set over nations and to overthrow; to build and to plant (1:10).

No Compromise; that’s a prophets heart when he sees the thing that needs to be opposed, and hears God’s word he is merciless (Art Katz - The Heart of a Prophet).

The leader is rarely a prophet who sounds the initial warning: he is an early listener who obeys the prophet. The prophet's job is lonely. He is usually a one-man verbal demolition team. He must attack the root of the evil, which goes very deep and affects everything. He does not criticise this or that evil; he criticises the system that produced a forest of bad trees and bad fruit. He is not a tree-trimmer; he is in the tree-uprooting business (Gary North - Prophets, Leaders, Followers, Losers).

Elijah prayed a terrible prayer. But there is something far more dreadful than physical calamities and suffering, namely moral delinquency and spiritual apostasy. This is very rarely perceived. Desperate diseases call for drastic measures (A W Pink).

Elijah was a confrontation prophet. God used him to confront the evils of his time.

 

One element of Christian compassion is outrage. If we see what is wrong as God sees it, we feel about it as God feels it. Moses was outraged when he looked on the burdens of his people. His nation was immature but his outrage was natural. In the time of the prophets, as Israel’s national decadence brought in its wake violent social injustice and inhumanity the outrage of prophets is searing. Amos was furious when he saw the poor sold for the price of shoes (Os Guiness).

The prophetic voice of Israel was primarily a word of judgement upon the people of God. So the prophetic voice of the church must be a word which warns of impending judgement upon the church. Warning to the world is secondary (Ez 3:5,21; Ez 33:7) (Os Guiness).

Amos was a prophet who understood the condition of his nation, and knew the issues in Israel with which God took exception. It is not the worldly society, but God’s people with whom God is primarily concerned and with whom he will first enter into judgement.

Like most prophets, Amos was not welcomed in his own society. When a genuine prophet arrives on the scene, he tends to make people uncomfortable. The people of Amos’ day were affluent and religiously devout- as well as being military secure and governmentally sound. The last thing they wanted was a prophet to meddle their well-ordered lives (Bob Munford).

10. Warning of Danger

When Paul was going up to Jerusalem the prophet Agabus warned him of danger that he would face there (Acts 21:10,11). God often prepares his people in this way. The prophet is a watchman, who warns God’s people of coming trouble.

Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground where no snare has been set? Does a trap spring up from the earth when there is nothing to catch? When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble? When disaster comes to a city, has not the Lord caused it? Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets (Amos 3:5-7).

It is the duty of God’s servants to warn men of their danger, to point out that their rebellion against God leads to certain destruction, and to call them to flee from the wrath to come. It is their duty to rebuke wickedness wherever it is found. Those who expose hypocrites, resist tyrants and oppose the wicked, are over wielded by them as troublemakers. Those who by their sins provoke God’s wrath are the real troublesters, and not those who warn them of the dangers to which their wickedness exposes them (A W Pink).

This is the first task of the Elijah prophets of this age, to prepare men of fire. We are not prepared by looking to escape (John and Paula Sanford - The Elijah Task).

Elijah is the prophet of fire. He warns of the fire to come. He calls down fire by intercessory prayer. Elijah today will be the prophet of the Lord who warns of the onset of tribulation. Not only are they to warn generally, but specifically as the Lord gives utterance concerning families, churches, individuals, cars, planes, earthquakes, and tornadoes (John and Paula Sanford - The Elijah Task p.28).

Teaching establishes us, but warnings protect us! If we are only taught, and the warnings are neglected, we can lose what was established through the ministry of teaching (John Bevere - Thus Saith the Lord p.11).

The postmillennialist, in sharp contrast, denies that covenant-keepers will be the primary targets of God’s negative sanctions throughout history. He argues that the message of the Bible is covenantal: faithfulness brings God’s blessings, while rebellion brings God’s curses (Deut.28). This is the message of the Old Testament prophets. They brought covenant lawsuits against Israel and Judah, judicially calling all covenant-breakers back to covenantal faithfulness, and threatening them with direct, culture-wide, negative sanctions if they refused (Gary North Millennialism and Social Theory p.211).

When a people reach a certain level of moral depravity, punishment ceases to be particular and becomes national. The civil order has lost it’s ability to act for God and God then acts against that order (RJ Rushdoony).

The prophet must identify the fundamental evil of his generation. He must also identify, long in advance, the most likely specific evils that will consume the society and bring God's wrath (Gary North - Prophets, Leaders, Followers, Losers).

The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: "Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your fathers to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets." But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who did not trust in the Lord their God. They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their fathers and the warnings he had given them. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, "Do not do as they do," and they did the things the Lord had forbidden them to do (2 Kings 17:13-15). 

11. Interpreting the Signs of the Times

Jesus criticised the Jews because they could understand the weather, but they could not interpret the signs of the times.

He said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time? (Luke 12:54-56).

Prophets must be able to understand the signs of the times and interpret them to the world.

The seer is one who has understanding of the times. This person has the ability to perceive and discern the spiritual significance of a situation and can give the Lord’s perspective on a given situation. This person’s strengths are giftings of illumination and discernment, though they may or may not communicate what they see in any one set or particular manner. This kind of prophet is extremely valuable as a watchman and intercessor in the midst of the Church. (Jim Wies - Different Kinds of Prophets)

Within the long, circuitous, often delayed progress in understanding, there were sudden explosions of saving activity….. It is to the prophets that God revealed the coming and meaning of such times; indeed from one point of view, the prophet may be described as the person who, more than anyone else, knows what time it is (Robert - Banks - the Tyranny of Time p.180).

If a prophet has no personal history with God, no spiritual depth to draw from, no deep root in firm soil established over many seasons of Christian experience, how can the prophet presume to speak from a position of revelation into what God is telling the Church today? Furthermore, if a prophet cannot accurately interpret and read the signs of the present times; if a prophet cannot correctly judge and precisely discern his own generation; if a prophet cannot relate to what God is saying and doing in terms of present truth, how can the prophet presume to speak of future events? (Chip Brogden - Prophetic Dissonance).

The prophet knows what time it is, knows what kind of time it is. He holds prophetic understanding of the mentality and mood of this present time. He identifies and knows the trends of a society by looking at its roots. He is able to analyse trends and upcoming events by judging foundations. His words are a force against the mentality of the day.

Lars Widerberg - Aspects of the Prophetic Office – The Forthteller).

The seer is made able to read the spiritual climate. He is made able to identify the prevalent motivational force. His role is to see through masks and veils of pretension, to expose man’s folly and evil, for the sake of seeing the poor and needy through. The watchman is set over men’s hearts to discern motivation, and to pray for and to call forth correction. The seer is set over men’s hearts to call them to heavenly living. The prophet is a seer. The basic nature of his commission is observation and watchfulness. He is prone to contemplation and skilled in the art of deduction. (Lars Widerberg - The Seer).

12. The Meaning of History.

Prophets have a role in explaining the meaning of history. When a culture loses an understanding of its history, it loses its sense of direction. Clifford Hill has explained this really well.

The church has been unable to give an effective lead in secular society due to the loss of a sense of mission and direction. Without a clear sense of its own purpose, identity and destiny the church has been powerless to influence an increasingly secular society. A major cause of the church’s loss of direction has been due to the lack of a clear concept of the meaning of history. Mankind is crying out for an understanding of history. This is of fundamental importance for grappling with the underlying issues concerning the meaning and purpose of life itself. The church will never be able to satisfy the deepest longings of mankind and give a lead to secular nations or point the way to creative policies promoting health, happiness and the well-being of mankind until Christians recover an understanding of history (Clifford Hill - Shaking the Nations p.21).

God’s actions in human history had to be interpreted and this was one of the major roles of the prophets (Clifford Hill - Shaking the Nations p.23).

The Bible reveals a God who has plans for the whole world, which cannot be thwarted. Once God has announced his purposes nothing can stand against him or prevent him from fulfilling his word. This understanding of God as the Lord of history is something that has very largely been lost by the western church. It has resulted in a powerlessness to declare the word of God with prophetic power and conviction in the second half of the twentieth century when all the nations have been shaken. When God stretches out his hand and says that the time has come for a nation or a people, they can no longer stand (Clifford Hill - Shaking the Nations p.26).

God’s plan for history is revealed through his prophets.

In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets (Eph 3:4,5).

13. Testing of Prophecy

Prophets are called to speak God’s word. Another important part of their ministry, which we need to see developed, is testing prophecy.

Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said (1 Cor 14:29).

Part of the prophetic role is to sit and listen to prophecies and "weigh carefully" the words that are spoken. This is something that two or three should do together. If a prophecy does not get a consensus of support it should be discarded.

Testing prophecies is a very important aspect of the prophetic ministry. We are now hearing more and more prophetic words being spoken to the church, but the quality is still very mixed. Christians do not know which words they should take seriously. Many warnings of disasters have not been fulfilled. This unclear sounding of the trumpet is producing confusion in the church. The solution is for prophets to get more involved in testing of prophecies and sorting out the wheat from the chaff. Churches that are moving in prophecy should set up processes for this to happen. 

14. Watchman

Some prophets are watchmen or men of vision who stand on the walls of the city of God to see what God is doing. They look into the distance to see what is coming. They often see a long way ahead. Several scriptures describe the role of the watchman.

The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim, yet snares await him on all his paths, and hostility in the house of his God (Hos 9:8).

Ezekiel was called to be a watchman.

The word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, speak to your countrymen and say to them: 'When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head. Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.' "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself. "Son of man, say to the house of Israel, 'This is what you are saying: "Our offences and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?" ' Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?' (Ezek 33:1-11).

The prophet was called a watchman because he basically functioned in the spiritual realm just as the literal watchmen did in the natural realm. The natural watchmen were stationed at specific posts on the walls of the city that gave them the visibility to watch for the king or other members of the nobility to announce their coming. They were also to look for enemies from without, or disorder arising within the city, or camp of Israel.

The watchman should not be in the city eating and drinking with the townsfolk. He should be out on the watchtower looking into the night (Ron McKenzie).

The watchman, like the eagle must be free to fly as he or she wills (in God) and to flow prophetically in all the prophetic function and not be restricted by man. Without the freedom to fly like an eagle the watchman will become a controlled, chained prisoner of the Church, unable to report even abuse, error and sin seen within the church itself (Steve Snow - Eagle Watchman Resources).

The true church could not have become the "institution" it has, if the watchmen had not been rendered impotent (John Martin)

Elijah’s servant needed to have his eyes opened to see the full reality of his situation. This is something we all need.

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked. "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "O Lord, open his eyes so he may see." Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (2 Kings 6:15-17).

15. Challenging the Nation

The primary responsibility of the prophet is to speak to the people of God. He brings both direction and correction to the Church. But a prophet may also be called to speak to his nation. Many of the prophets of the Old Testament found themselves confronting kings, and taking an important role in national affairs. Some also addressed their words to foreign nations. Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel each prophesied to the surrounding nations (Is 13-12, Jer 46-51, Ezek 25-32).

The church will always be the prophet’s main concern, but this wider prophetic role urgently needs restoring.

The prophets of Israel did not live in isolation -they were acutely aware of international politics and the rise and fall of nations. Some of them pronounced messages against the nations of their times. All of them were concerned about the world situation, and it was part of their calling to issue prophecies against the other nations of the world (Milton Smith).

Having matured in their prophetic gifting through years of faithful obedience to God, prophets will begin to operate on new levels of prophetic authority. Worldwide, prophets will speak before civil governments, delivering powerful prophetic speeches to nations, literally shaking their existing political foundations (Dennis Cramer - Prophetic Political Power).

The march of nations, the rise and fall of earthly powers, and the rule and reign of kings and sovereigns all comes under the overview of God’s heart for the earth. He sees the end from the beginning (Graham Cooke - Developing Your Prophetic Gifting p.135).

 

16. Initiating God’s Action

 God does nothing without warning his people first. Part of the prophetic role is to release God’s activity by providing these warnings (Amos 3:7). Isaiah spoke of God stretching out his hand according to his plan.

The Lord Almighty has sworn, "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand... This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back? (Is 14:24-27).

The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God (Is 52:10).

Prophetic hearts, not prophetic charts, will change the course of history and bring God's prophesied will into actual effect (Philip Greenslade - The Sharp Cutting Edge). 

17.  Explaining What Must Be Done

Many prophets are warning of future disastrous events, but very few are explaining what God is doing and how he will work through these events to bring change. Seeing from within the dark cloud of events seem to prevents them from seeing what Jesus is seeing. 

A related problem is that many Christians to enjoy warnings of judgement on the world, more than they want strategies that would require them to take action to bring in the victory of God.

God does not cause troubles and calamities; they are rooted in human evil or folly with a bit of demonic mischief thrown in. During a judgement, God takes this human mess and works it for good to achieve his purposes. One role of the prophet is to warn of troubles before they come, so God’s people can prepare. Their more important task is to explain what God is doing through the event, so his people can participate in his purposes. Prophets can only accomplish the latter task, if they are standing outside the dark cloud of human events and seeing with the eyes of Jesus.

When a prophet receives a warning of a calamitous event, their task has just begun. The next step is to find out what God plans to achieve through the event, and his strategy for the people who want to participate in his purposes during that event. We need more of eyes of Jesus and less of the dark cloud.

According to Romans12:6, Christians with the gift of prophesying should prophesy in proportion to their faith. Prophesying judgment to a nation in decline does not take much faith. Prophesying the strategy by which God will use the judgement to change the nation and bring a great victory takes much more faith. That is a challenge for modern prophets.

18. Theology

Prophets should be experts on God. Part of their role is to pass on theological and biblical insights to the church. A prophet should also be a theologian.

Jeremiah was of all the prophets of the Old Testament, the supreme prophet of the human heart... Jeremiah would have nothing from his hearers and readers but their hearts. Let other prophets negotiate and send ambassadors as they pleased. Jeremiah, in season and out of season, for a long lifetime laid siege to the heart of his hearers (David M Howard - Words of Fire: River of Tears p.54).

Seers are men of revelation. Seers are men of enlightenment. Seers are men of intellectual maturity (Lars Widerberg - The Seer).

19. Healing the Sick

Some prophets are used in healing the sick. Elijah was a prophet who moved effectively in the gift of healing. Elisha followed in his mentor’s footsteps.

When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord. Then he got on the bed and lay upon the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out upon him, the boy's body grew warm. Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes (2 Kings 4:32-35).

As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!" When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel." So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed." (2 Kings 5:7-10).

20. Appointing and Anointing Leaders

In Old Testament times, God often used a prophet to appoint and anoint a king. Samuel anointed Saul and then David as King. A prophet anointed Solomon as his successor.

So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites went down and put Solomon on King David's mule and escorted him to Gihon. Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, "Long live King Solomon!" (1 Kings 1:38-39).

Elijah was told to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel (1 Kings 19:16).

The prophet Elisha summoned a man from the company of the prophets and said to him, "Tuck your cloak into your belt, take this flask of oil with you and go to Ramoth Gilead. When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go to him, get him away from his companions and take him into an inner room. Then take the flask and pour the oil on his head and declare, 'This is what the Lord says: I anoint you king over Israel.' Then open the door and run; don't delay!" So the young man, the prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead. When he arrived, he found the army officers sitting together. "I have a message for you, commander," he said. "For which of us?" asked Jehu. "For you, commander," he replied. Jehu got up and went into the house. Then the prophet poured the oil on Jehu's head and declared, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'I anoint you king over the Lord 's people Israel.' " ……..Then he opened the door and ran (2 Kings 9:1-10).

In a godly nation prophets may have a role in the appointment of political leaders. Prophets also have a role in anointing other prophets for ministry

Anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him (1 Kings 19:16, 19).

21. Advising Kings and Political Rulers

Prophets have a powerful role in providing advice to kings and rulers. When God wanted to give guidance to a ruler, he often gave it through a prophet. David had the prophets Nathan and Gad in his palace. They advised him about a whole range of matters.

After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent." Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you." That night the word of the Lord came to Nathan…… Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation (2 Sam 7:1-4,17).

But the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah." So David left and went to the forest of Hereth (1 Sam 22:5).

David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing." Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad the prophet, David's seer: "Go and tell David, 'This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.' " So Gad went to David and said to him, "Shall there come upon you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me." David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men." (2 Sam 24:10-14).

A prophet advised Ahab as he went into battle.

Meanwhile a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, "This is what the Lord says: 'Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the Lord.' " "But who will do this?" asked Ahab. The prophet replied, "This is what the Lord says: 'The young officers of the provincial commanders will do it.' " "And who will start the battle?" he asked. The prophet answered, "You will"….. The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans. Afterward, the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, "Strengthen your position and see what must be done, because next spring the king of Aram will attack you again……. The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, "This is what the Lord says, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord. The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day (1 Kings 20:13-29).

Elisha provided guidance to the army of Israel that frustrated it’s enemies.

The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there." So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places. This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, "Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?" "None of us, my lord the king," said one of his officers, "but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom" (2 Kings 6:9-12).

22. Historian

Some prophets are historians. Their interest in the future rolls over into an interest in history. Many of the historic books of the Old Testament were written by prophets who recorded the works of God.

The other events of Uzziah's reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz (2 Chron 26:22).

The other events of Abijah's reign, what he did and what he said, are written in the annotations of the prophet Iddo (2 Chron 13:22).

As for the events of King David's reign, from beginning to end, they are written in the records of Samuel the seer, the records of Nathan the prophet and the records of Gad the seer, together with the details of his reign and power, and the circumstances that surrounded him and Israel and the kingdoms of all the other lands (1 Chron 29:29,30).

23.  Guiding Angels

Angels are ministering spirits sent to serve God's children (Heb 1:14). They are sent by God. They serve God's people.

 

The LORD has established His throne in heaven,

And His kingdom rules over all.

Bless the LORD, you His angels,

Who excel in strength,

who do His word,

Heeding the voice of His word.

Bless the LORD, all you His hosts,

You ministers of His,

who do His pleasure. (Psalm 103:19-21).

Angels are created for obedience. They do not have the frienship with God that is opened up to us through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Angels often do not know as much about what is on the Father's heart as we do. They often "excel in strength", far more than they excel in wisdom and decision making.

Angels move between heaven and earth. When they are in heaven, they know what God is doing, because his Kingdom is established there. When they are on earth, they are dependent on other messengers from heaven to keep them up-to-date with what God is doing.

Angels are sent to earth tp serve us, but as events change develop, they often do not know what to do next. They sometimes have to wait for our prophetic declarations before they know what to do. When they hear the Holy Spirit's word through us, they do it. They recognise his voice and obey it. They listen to a prophetic word and work to accomplish it. That is one reason why God does nothing without first revealing his plan to his servants the prophets (Amos 3:7).

Speaking in the language of angels is good (1 Cor 13:1), because it helps the angesl to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying.

 

Levels of Activity

Prophets can minister at different levels.

1. People

Some prophets specialise in speaking to individual people. Personal prophecy provides:

• guidance
• correction

2. Church

Other prophets speak primarily to their church. As they develop in this ministry, they may also speak into other churches. Prophets provide a church with:

• guidance
• vision
• warnings
• purity

Loren Cunningham said that pastors are like wet cement. They are very accepting and draw everything together. He said that prophets are like reinforcing steel. They give the concrete strength by keeping it pure. A strong building needs both cement and steel.

3. The Nations

Some people will be called to be a prophet to their nation. They may also develop to speak to other nations. A prophet to a nation provides:

• advice to rulers
• interpretation of God’s law
• warning of judgement

It is for this reason that the prophets so often appear in the presence of rulers. It would sometimes seem as though they were primarily sent to kings. For through the king, they might best influence the welfare of the nation. Hence also their closeness to the priest. It would be a grave mistake, however to assume that, because of the great interest of the prophets in the monarchy, they were themselves primarily politicians. Their political activity is always subservient to a religious end. They did serve as the counsellors, but they did so in order that the theocratic kingdom might prosper (Edward J Young - My servants the Prophets p. 82).

Daniel would be an example of a prophet of government. His prophecies spoke of monumental changes in world order. There are just such prophets today. Some of these prophets are actually in governmental positions. I have found that God places His gifts in people from all walks of life. Prophets seem to be sent to various institutions of society, such as legal, educational and governmental offices. Governmental prophets may not give as many personal prophecies. They also understand trends and are watchmen on the wall for their nations (Cindy Jacobs - The Voice of God p.223).

The prophetic institution as such may be regarded as the guardian of this theocracy. The prophets were to build upon the foundation of the Mosaic Law, and to expound that law unto the nation. They would thus be the preservers and defenders of the principles upon which the theocracy had been founded by God (Edward J Young - My servants the Prophets).

• Evangelist/teacher

The Greek word euaggelizo means “to preach, to proclaim the good tidings, to tell the good news.” 

 

He said, “I have preached to you the gospel” (2 Corinthians 11:7). Philip evangelized. He “preached unto him Jesus” (Acts 8:35). Evangelism in the Bible, then, was a ministry of the spoken word. Evangelism means “to make known the message of the gospel.”

 

Evangelism is not the mere testimony of a good, consistent life. The quiet, pervasive influence of the Christian life is necessary — but it is not evangelism. Being friendly, helpful, and neighborly may be a necessary preparation for evangelism, but it is no substitute for evangelism. Christianity cannot be radiated; truths about God and his Son have to be communicated. Good deeds do not convey the actual content of the gospel; the good news must be expressed in words. Evangelism, then, is the specific, articulate presentation of the message that Christ’s death upon the cross propitiates (turns away) God’s wrath which abides upon man in his unregenerate state (Romans 3:25; John 3:36).

 

Evangelism is the presenting of Jesus Christ, so that men will accept Him as their Savior from the guilt and power of sin, and declare Him Lord as they seek to follow Him in their daily lives.

• Pastor/teacher (also known as Elder/presbyters/Bishop)

The word "pastor" means "herdsman, or shepherd", and it is most often used in conjunction with the office of elder. An evangelist may also serve as an elder, but being an evangelist does not necessarily make one a pastor. The elders are the ones who "oversee" and "shephed" the flock of God (I Peter 5:1-5).

 

Acting as the spiritual leaders of the local church, the primary work of the elders is to oversee and guide the congregation.

 

Referenced in the Bible as "elders", "bishops", "pastors" and "presbyters", they carry the heavy responsibility of "watching out for your souls, as those who must give account" (Hebrews 13:17). Since the Bible lays such a heavy responsibility on their shoulders, it should be important to us to examine the Bible teaching regarding the office of elder.

 

What is required for someone to be an elder?

Two passages in the New Testament provide a list of qualifications for elders (I Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). But, can we modify these qualifications? What if someone is really good and meets all of the qualifications except one or two? Please notice how the apostle Paul begins the list of qualifications: "A bishop must be blameless, ..." (I Timothy 3:2). Since a bishop, or elder (the names are used interchangeably in the Bible), "must be" these things, then we do not have the liberty to modify the list in any way. To do otherwise would be in direct rebellion of God's will - "a bishop must be...". The qualifications from these two passages are summarized in the following list:

 

• blameless
• husband of one wife
• temperate, self-controlled
• sober-minded
• just
• holy
• of good behavior
• hospitable
• able to teach
• knowledgeable and holding fast to sound doctrine that he may be able to both exhort and convict those in contradiction with Bible
• not given to wine
• not violent
• not quick-tempered
• not greedy for money
• not self-willed
• hospitable
• lover of what is good
• gentle
• not quarrelsome
• not covetous
• having faithful children not accused of of dissipation or insubordination
• rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence
• not a novice
• have a good testimony of those outside the church

From these qualifications it is evident that an elder will be a mature Christian, exemplary in all areas of the Christian's life. Although circumstances may pressure us into overlooking some of these qualifications, we should remember that these requirements arise from God's wisdom, authority, and command - not man's.

 

Work of an Elder

This list of qualifications provides a good indicator of what the work of an elder will be, but we should look at other Bible scriptures to find out exactly what is the work and role of an elder.

 

The apostle Peter, who was also an elder, admonished elders in their work to:

 

"The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:

 

"Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." I Peter 5:1-3

 

From this passage we learn that elders are to serve as "overseers" for the "flock" among them. Therefore, elders are in an office with some authority to oversee the "flock", or local congregation, of which they are "among" and a member. Also, elders are limited to overseeing the flock "among them". They cannot oversee the affairs of other congregations, and correspondingly, neither can outside organizations intrude and oversee the affairs of the local congregation. This passage reserves that authority for the elders.

 

So, what is the extent of this authority to oversee? Can elders determine matters of faith for their members?

 

To answer this question, please recall that it was the apostles to whom Jesus gave the power to determine matters of faith through inspiration of the Holy Spirit (John13:20; Matthew16:19; 18:18) . Therefore, elders cannot override the commands of the apostles who spoke in Christ's stead - by virtue of the lack of the authority of their office and the fact that elders today are also uninspired. This is probably the meaning of the statement from I Peter when he commanded them not to be "as lords over those entrusted to you". Elders cannot make decisions of faith for their members without "lording over them" (Acts 5:29). But, in all other matters we find that members of the church are to observe the following:

 

"Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you." Hebrews 13:17

 

In this passage we see the primary emphasis of their oversight. Are they to be concerned with building maintenance, budgets, etc.? The answer is "somewhat", but only where it affects their responsibility to "watch out for your souls". It is the spiritual health of a church with which an elder is most concerned. This is further evidenced by the qualifications which state that elders must be capable to "both exhort and convict those who contradict" (Titus 1:9-11; Acts 20:27-29). Therefore, part of watching out for souls is protecting the congregation from false doctrine as well as providing teaching that is profitable to their spiritual growth. However, please notice that elders do not counter false teachers through intimidation or sheer fierceness, but they stop false teachers by teaching "sound doctrine" so that even the false teacher is "convicted" of his error and "exhorted" to follow truth (Titus 1:9-11).

 

 Elder, Bishop, Pastor, or Presbyter?

Finally, questions often arise about the many names that the Bible uses to reference elders, which include "elder", "bishop", "pastor", and "presbyter".

 

Many denominations and churches practice having an "overseeing preacher" who shepherds the flock and is called a "pastor". Other denominations select someone to rule over the elders within a district and call him a "bishop". Some may continue building an elaborate hierarchy, creating offices that are not even found in the Bible at all, such as cardinal, pope, etc. However, the confusion can be resolved by returning to the Bible as a standard and implementing offices that are found only in the Bible and charging them with their proper Biblical mission and work. Given this goal, let us consider, "

 

What does the standard say?"

 When we compile all of the verses that use these references, we learn that the Bible actually uses all of these words interchangeably - they refer to one and the same office! Please note the following examples of this synonymous use:

• Bishop = Elder

"For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you - if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. For a bishop must be blameless ..."  Titus 1:5-7 

• Elder = Overseer (Bishop) = Shepherd

"From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. And when they had come to him, he said to them: ... 'Therefore take heed to yourselves and to 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.' " Acts 20:17, 28

 

 The word for overseer is actually the same word that is translated "bishop" in other places. Please also see I Peter 5:1-5 for similar usage.

 

 So, why all of the different names?

Well, each name actually indicated something about either the character of the elder or his responsibilities. The word "elder" indicating his relative age and the maturity that should have come with it. "Overseers" denotes the responsibility to "oversee" and watch out for the congregation, and it comes from the Greek word episkopos which is also translated "bishop" in many places (I Timothy 3:2).

 

What about "pastor" and "presbyter"?

To answer this question we have to look back to our list of all the spiritual offices found in Ephesians4:11:   apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers . We have already discussed the offices of apostle and evangelist. Prophets are those who were not apostles but taught the gospel through inspiration, revealing the mind of God. Teachers also taught the gospel, but without the benefit of direct inspiration. This leaves only one office to assign between our two remaining offices of elder and deacon. We may eliminate "deacon" from this assignment, because the context of Ephesians 4:11 details the spiritual offices that were bestowed upon the church to promote its spiritual growth. Since the office of deacon is more of a physically centered office (Acts 6:1-4), it is understandably not included in the list found in. Although it is not considered a spiritual office or role, it is still considered as an office (Philippians 1:2; I Timothy 3:8-13).

 

 Therefore, "pastors" (used only this one time here in the entire Bible) should be considered synonymous with the office of elder. This is reinforced by looking at the original word for pastor, which was poimen. This word meant "a shepherd" and was identical to the words for "shepherd" in other passages for elders that commanded them to "shepherd, or tend the flock of God" (except the other passages are the verb form of the same word - Acts 20:28; I Peter 5:1-5 ). The Greek word for "presbytery", found only once in I Timothy 4:14, meant "a body of elders". Therefore, one member of this body of elders could be called a "presbyter", although this label is never found in the New Testament.

 

 Consequently, the words "bishop", "elder", "pastor", and "presbyter" all refer to the same office.

 

Conclusion

The office of elder is one of the most important but least appreciated offices. It is essential that we appoint qualified elders in each of local churches. Paul described a church without elders as having "things that are lacking" (Titus 1:5). This can be easily appreciated when we consider the need for faithful and sound spiritual leadership in every congregation. Moreover, we have learned that the office of elder is primarily a spiritual office that is responsible to "watch out for your souls" and to "shepherd, or pastor, the flock".

 

 Because of the interchangeable nature of the references and by the process of elimination, we have also found that:

 

 Elder = Bishop = Pastor (Shepherd) = Presbyter = Overseer

 

 Each of these varying references were used because they denoted a certain aspect of the elder's character or work that was in central to the context.

 

 Therefore, let us be diligent to assign this Bible office with qualified men, dismiss unqualified men from scriptural offices, and remove unscriptural offices from our churches; lest, we be found "adding to" or "taking away" from the will of the Lord.