The Greatest Church Fight Ever

The Greatest Church Fight Ever Don't get me wrong. Pastors and churches need accountability. I am not against denominations, church boards, elders, bishops, or other forms of leadership. In fact, the Bible teaches that church leaders should be spiritually qualified and held accountable (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; James 3:1). But we also need enough humility to admit that every human system is imperfect. Leaders can be wrong. Councils can be wrong. Denominations can be wrong. Any church system that forgets who is really in charge needs to change. It appears that, over time, parts of the medieval church lost sight of that truth. Jesus Is the Only Way Jesus stated it clearly: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6, NIV). Peter repeated this truth at the beginning of the church: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12, NIV). Scripture is clear. You are saved through faith in Jesus Christ. You are not saved by the whim of one person, or, for that matter, a group of people. Salvation is not handed out by a pastor, pope, patriarch, priest, church board, or denomination. Salvation belongs to Jesus. Paul wrote: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith...not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV). That does not mean the church is unimportant. The church is the body of Christ, and Christians need one another (1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Hebrews 10:24-25). But the church does not replace Christ. It belongs to Christ. Christ Is the Head of the Church Furthermore, any authority a person has to lead the church depends on that person remaining submissive to Christ. Jesus did not hand the church over to human leaders and walk away. Christ is still the Head of the church (Colossians 1:18). Paul explained: "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching...Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ" (Ephesians 4:14-15, NIV). He continues by saying that the whole body grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work (Ephesians 4:16). Notice what Paul does not say. He does not say that one pastor is the head. He does not say that one bishop is the head. He does not say that one headquarters, council, or denomination is the head. Christ is the Head. Church leaders are necessary, but they are under-shepherds serving under the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:1-4). Their authority is real, but it is not absolute. They are commanded to care for God's people, not to control them: "Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care...not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock" (1 Peter 5:2-3, NIV). A faithful leader points people toward Jesus. An unhealthy leader makes people dependent on himself.