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Particulars
of Christianity: 310
Pentecostalism, the Charismatic and Faith Movements
The Anointing and
Being Under Authority (Part 2)
Specific
Doctrines of the Charismatic Movement/Faith Movement
Kenotic Theology The Anointing and Being
Under Authority (Part 1) The Anointing and
Being Under Authority (Part 2) Sickness
and Healing (Part 1) Sickness and Healing
(Part 2) Prayer, Asking and Receiving (Part
1) Prayer, Asking and Receiving (Part 2)
Christians and Material Wealth (Part 1)
Christians and Material Wealth (Part 2)
Christians and Material Wealth (Part 3)
The "Rhema" and "Logos" Word (Part 1)
The "Rhema" and "Logos" Word (Part 2) Those
Who Speak in Tongues Necessarily Understand Themselves Section
1 | Section 2 | Section
3 | Section 4
| Section 5
Before
we conclude with this doctrine, we see that far from preventing us from criticizing,
the Old Testament actually requires us to examine the evidence when we hear reports
that a prophet is misleading God's people. Deuteronomy 13:1 If
there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign
or a wonder, 2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake
unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known,
and let us serve them; 3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet,
or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether
ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 Ye
shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and
obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. 5 And that
prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken
to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land
of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of
the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the
evil away from the midst of thee...12 If thou shalt hear say in one of thy
cities, which the LORD thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying, 13
Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have
withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods,
which ye have not known; 14 Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask
diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such
abomination is wrought among you; 15 Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants
of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that
is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword. In this
passage in Deuteronomy we see that if a prophet arises and teachers things that
contradict God's Word, he is not to be obeyed or followed even if he is performing
actual miraculous signs. This passage also instructs God's people search out the
report of false teaching and to compare the message of those who claim to be prophets
to the existing Word of God. If the message of the prophet does not line up with
God's Word, then it is absolutely required that God's people reject them and speak
out against them. In the Old Testament, they were even supposed to kill such a
prophet, which tells us that prophets who speak contrary to the Word of God are
not even physically protected by the warning, "Touch not mine anointed." But,
in the New Testament, of course, execution was replaced by excommunication (See
2 John 1:7-11 and John's instructions regarding false teachers.) Concerning
the system of anointing, proponents of this Faith Movement doctrine often point
to Psalms 133 for support their teaching that God works through a system of anointing
that flows down from Jesus Christ onto the leaders and pastor and then down onto
the lay people. Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant
it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious
ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard:
that went down to the skirts of his garments; 3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the
dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the
blessing, even life for evermore. This is a very short Psalm. It does
speak of Aaron being anointed as a priest and that event is compared to how pleasant
it is for brothers to dwell together in unity. But this Psalm says nothing about
anyone other than Aaron being anointed and in the Psalm the oil on Aaron runs
down onto his own beard and clothes. There is nothing in the context of this Psalm
that would indicate that Aaron's beard and clothes symbolize pastors and lay people.
You have to insert that preconceived idea into the text when the text says nothing
about it. Therefore, this passage doesn't support any teaching about a system
of anointing, that the anointing flows from Jesus to the leaders to God's people,
or that the anointing is necessary to succeed at God's plan for your life. In
short, this text does not support the Faith Movement doctrine concerning the anointing
at all. Now, we turn our attention to the issue of whether or not Christians
need to be "under a leader's authority." The first thing we need to establish
right away is that Christians are not in need of any intermediary between them
and God. 1 Corinthians 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as
I also am of Christ. 2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in
all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. 3 But I would
have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman
is the man; and the head of Christ is God. In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul
instructs the Corinthians to follow his example. But he also clearly tells them
that he is not their "head" nor is any other minister or leader of God's people.
Instead, Paul tells them "the head of every man is Christ." Therefore, from this
passage we can start to see that the purpose of leadership is to lead by example.
The purpose of leadership in the church is NOT that lay people have some intermediary
"head" between them and Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5 For there
is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
In 1 Timothy 2, Paul is even clearer. There is no intermediary between God
and a man except for Jesus Christ. Christians do not need to have another man
over them in order to have access to God. We have full access to God through Jesus
Christ directly and anyone who claims that we need to submit to them in order
to receive from God is making themselves another intermediary besides Jesus Christ.
1 John 2:24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have
heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall
remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. 25 And
this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. 26 These things
have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27 But the anointing
which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach
you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and
is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 28 And now,
little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence,
and not be ashamed before him at his coming. What is so significant
about this passage in 1 John 2 is that he specifically mentions the concept of
the "anointing." First we note that twice in verse 24 John tells his audience
to remain in what they have heard from the beginning. This tells us that John
is talking about the teaching of the Apostles. Those John is writing to needed
abide in the Apostles' teaching. Then in verse 26, John says he is writing
these things about remaining in the Apostles' teaching because of other teachers
that were trying to seduce his readers away from the Apostles' teaching. And notice
what appeals these other teachers were making. In verse 27, John tells his audience
that they themselves have an anointing and this anointing teaches them all things,
which results in the fact that they do not need for anyone else to teach them.
In fact, at the end of verse 27, John connects the fact that they do not need
anyone else to teach them back to his instruction for them to remain in the Apostles'
teaching. The conclusion is that according to John each member of his audience
has an anointing on themselves that prevents them from needing others to teach
them so long as they remain in what the Apostles' taught from the beginning.
And of course, the anointing John is talking about here is not some vague
or mysterious substance of force. It is the Holy Spirit. Compare verse 27 above
with what John says in chapter 16 of his Gospel. 1 John 2:27
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need
not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things,
and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in
him. John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come,
he will guide 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.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto
you. The anointing that John is talking about is the Holy Spirit,
which we all have equal access to. We don't need to submit ourselves to some leader
in order to have the Holy Spirit come onto our lives and we don't receive the
Holy Spirit by having the Holy Spirit flow off of some leader and onto us. It
is the Holy Spirit who enabled the Apostles to understand the scriptures as Jesus
explained them. It is the Holy Spirit who empowered the apostles to preach the Gospel according to Acts 1:4, 8. And it is the Holy Spirit who inspired the writing of the scriptures in order to keep us from error. And we will see that this pattern is always the case
in the New Testament where leaders are in view. Christians who have and remain
in the doctrine of the Apostles are not in need of others to teach them. In the
Church, the only purpose for leaders is to be examples and to teach sound doctrine.
1 Timothy 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband
of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt
to teach. 2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard
of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall
be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:24 And the servant
of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach,
patient. Titus 1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as
the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker,
not given to filthy lucre; 8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men,
sober, just, holy, temperate; 9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been
taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the
gainsayers. Teaching was the purpose of leadership. Not passing on
the anointing. When the New Testament spoke of submitting to leaders, it was talking
about submitting to their teaching. This was in order to prevent people from drifting
off into their own ideas and away from the teaching of the Apostles. This is evident
particularly from 2 Timothy 2:2 above where Paul tells us that the teaching which
must be taught is not just whatever the leader happens to believe and teach. Instead,
it must be the very same teaching that the Apostles passed on. Submitting to teachers
was for the purpose of maintaining Apostolic doctrine. Teachers who don't submit
to or teach the Apostles' doctrine have no right or basis to ask people to submit
to them. 1 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort,
who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also
a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed the flock of God which
is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly;
not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over
God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd
shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. 5 Likewise,
ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to
another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth
grace to the humble. Here in 1 Peter 5, Peter tells the elders to "feed
the flock," which is a metaphorical New Testament reference to teaching the Word
of God, which is the bread of life. Peter also specifically tells them that their
leadership is not a matter of the authority to command, but a matter of being
examples, just as Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 11:1. Peter also specifically states
that leadership in the Church is not to be a means of making money. This is the
meaning of the phrase "not for filthy lucre." And additionally, Peter also tells
them that their leadership is a matter of having a ready mind, which again refers
to their ability to teach and defend sound doctrine. It is clear that
submission to elders is for the purpose of preserving sound doctrine. Not for
the purpose of receiving from God by being under someone else's authority or receiving
the anointing. In fact, Peter not only states that the young should submit to
the elder but that all should subject themselves humbly to the others. This demonstrates
that while we ought to submit to the teaching of those who teach sound doctrine
from the Apostles, this rule is not so strictly one-sided that they should not
listen to and submit to the rest of us when necessary, particularly for the sake
of being open-minded and teachable where doctrine is concerned. For, no man is
infallible and even teachers make mistakes, make oversights, and can lack information
in some areas. And Paul has these same ideas in mind when he writes
the following in Hebrews 13. Hebrews 13:7 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. 8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday,
and to day, and for ever. 9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines.
For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats,
which have not profited them that have been occupied therein...17 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. Often verse 17 is viewed in isolation
from the rest of chapter 13. But verse 7-9 are about the same topic, which is
the topic of the leaders who rule in the churches. Notice that in verse 7 we find
that Paul is not just talking about anyone who claims to be a leader. Instead,
he is specifically talking about leaders who "have spoken the Word of God to them."
This doesn't just mean these leaders read passages out of the Bible. It is a reference
back to the very same notion that we've already seen. It is a reference back to
the notion of teaching the doctrine handed down by the Apostles. And
verses 8 and 9 confirm this. From verses 8 and 9 we know that Paul is talking
about leaders who have passed on the teaching of the Apostles because he states
2 things. First, he states that Jesus Christ is forever the same. This implies
that Jesus Christ's teachings will remain the same as well. And second, he states
that his audience should not be carried away with diverse and strange doctrines.
This also reinforces that when Paul saying in verse 17, "Obey them that have the
rule over you, and submit yourselves," he is talking about submitting to leaders
for the purpose of preserving sound doctrine. And because this is the case, this
passage cannot be used as support the idea that we should submit ourselves to
anyone who teaches things that deviate from the sound doctrine of the Apostles.
And of course, absolutely none of these passages about submission to
leaders say anything about a need to "be under authority" in order to receive
from God or about receiving the anointing that is flowing from Jesus down onto
that leader. But more importantly, we know from other New Testament
passages that Christian men were allowed to question and probe the teaching of
their leaders. 1 Corinthians 10:15 I speak as to wise men; judge
ye what I say. 1 Timothy 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence
with all subjection. 12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp
authority over the man, but to be in silence. 1 Corinthians
14:29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge...34
Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them
to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the
law. 35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home:
for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. 36 What? came the word
of God out from you? or came it unto you only? 37 If any man think himself
to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write
unto you are the commandments of the Lord. From these passages above,
not only does Paul tell his audience to judge what he is saying as an apostle
(1 Corinthians 10:15), but he also tells them that they should judge the words
of the prophets (1 Corinthians 14:29). But even more importantly, in 1 Timothy
2 and 1 Corinthians 14, Paul specifically states that women are not to speak up
in church but they must ask questions at home. The clear implication is that these
rules applied only to women and by contrast men were allowed to speak in church
and to ask questions of the speaker. Men were not required to learn in silence
and "with all subjection" as women were. So, far from "touching God's anointed"
if we question or contest a leader's teaching, we're actually doing exactly what
was permitted in the New Testament. We should not believe everything we hear just
because someone claims to be a teacher or leader, especially now that we are so
far removed from the time when the Apostles taught and so there are so many diverse
doctrines in the modern Church. In conclusion, not only is there no
Biblical support for the Faith Movement's doctrine about the anointing, but this
doctrine actually contradicts clear Biblical teaching. However, it should be stated
that we also feel that this concept that pastors are anointed flows directly out
of the doctrine that pastors have a calling. For more information on that issue,
please visit our articles on about "Ministers, Pastors, and the Calling" in the
Church Ethic section of our In Depth Studies. |  |
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