Who Reigns Over You?

Written 2003

Joshua 24:15 says: “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…” and later in the verse, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  The question of who you will serve and submit to is of utmost importance, as everyone must live by the rules of the king they choose…many Christians, however, are submitting to men without realizing it.  In this study we will look at what it means to let Christ reign over you and how Christians are to live by this standard.

1. Role of Secular Rule.

• Romans 13:1-7 shows that all people are to “be subject to the governing authorities” and that “the authorities that exist are appointed by God.”  
• “Rom. 13:6 specifically relates to secular authority as especially since it talks about taxes and other practices.  This can also be clearly seen in verse 4 that the minister of God bears the sword, bringing wrath on those who practice evil.  Spiritual and godly authority does not carry a sword or a gun or a rifle to back up his authority.  I do not mean that we should not submit to the secular authority, which is ultimately given by God.  I do mean that we in the church conduct ourselves as Christians, not lording over each other, but proving to examples of love and humility and self-sacrifice.  Like Jesus.” (Earl Washington, “A Biblical Examination…”)
• 1 Peter 2:11-17 petitions Christians to submit to “every ordinance of man” and to “the king as supreme, or to governors” for the Lord’s sake.  Peter says the purpose for this: “by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men – as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.”  He wants us to obey the law of the land for the purpose of winning non-believers to Christ, that they may look at us and see that we “do not use our freedom as a cover-up for evil” (NIV).
• Ecclesiastes 8:2-6 affirms what Paul and Peter say, as it says “Keep the king’s commandment for the sake of your oath to God.”
• We see that there is a hierarchy of secular authority, and as long as we live in this world we should obey it (inasmuch as it does not conflict with the commands of God).

2.  Should the Body of God (believers) operate like the hierarchy of the World?

• Mark 10:42-45 gives a clear answer from Jesus: “You [apostles] know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  YET IT SHALL NOT BE SO AMONG YOU…”  2 things are clear: 

1) Gentiles rule by hierarchy of men (lording and exercising authority).

2) This is not the way the Kingdom of God is ruled.

• Why not?…1 Samuel 8:4-22 (specifically v. 7) shows God’s reply to the Israelites wanting a king to reign over them.  V. 7 says: “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.”  We see that God lets them have a king, but we also see that when men have men reigning over them, they are rejecting God’s reign over them.  1 Sam. 8:11-18 records Samuel warning the Israelites how bad things will be when there is human authority in the place of God’s authority.  Yet they did not listen.  
• What was their reason for still insisting on a king?…The answer is found in VV. 19-20: “Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, ‘No, but we will have 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.’”  Israel wants human authority so that they can be like the rest of the world.  This is no surprise to God, as He predicted it 500 years before it happened!  Deuteronomy (written by Moses about 500 years before Samuel’s time) 17:14 says: “WHEN [not IF] you come to the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, ‘I WILL SET A KING OVER ME LIKE ALL THE NATIONS THAT ARE AROUND ME,”.  

Even more, God says: “you shall surely set a king over you whom THE LORD YOUR GOD CHOOSES…” (v.15).  He still allows them to have a king, and even will choose who it will be.  This brings us to our next point…

3.  If God didn’t want a manmade hierarchy, why would he allow it to happen?

• 1 Sam. 8:22 and Deut. 17:15 tell us God allows a king.  
• 1 Sam. 9:15; 10:24; 16:12, and 1 Chronicles 28:4 show that God chose the kings.
• 1 Sam. 12:13 says: “…the Lord has set a king over you.”
• 1 Sam. 10:1; 16:13; 2 Sam. 22:51, and 2 Chronicles 6:42 tell us the king was anointed.
• 1 Sam. 10:6-10; 11:6; 16:13; 2 Chronicles 1:1; 17:3 and 5 show that God poured his Spirit onto the kings.
• As we’ve seen earlier, God wanted to reign over them directly instead of having a man reign over them, yet he still allowed, chose, set, anointed, and gave His Spirit to different kings.  A striking parallel must be noted between Israel’s kingship and what we see in the churches today.  There are many Godly men and women whom God has allowed, chosen, set, anointed, and given His Spirit to, yet people are choosing these men and women to reign over them instead of God directly.  God allows this to happen.  He let Israel rule through a king in hopes of them recognizing who the True King is (Jesus).  It was even predicted and fulfilled that Jesus came from the Jewish Royal lineage (the Seed of David)!  Yet when He came, “they cried out, ‘Away with Him, away with Him!  Crucify Him!’  

Pilate said to them, ‘Shall I crucify your King?’  

The chief priests answered, ‘WE HAVE NO KING BUT CAESAR!’” (John 19:15,16).  Many people today are under the same delusion – obeying the doctrines of men (even though the men may be Godly) without realizing they stand alone on the judgment seat of Christ, and it’s Him they answer to.   

• In no uncertain terms, Jesus shows that the Jews of the time did submit to the commands of men, and this led to rejecting God’s commands: “…’”This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”  For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men…All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition…making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down…’” (Mark 7:6-13).  God will allow this to happen until His coming again, so that the hearts of men may be revealed: “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among THOSE WHO PERISH, BECAUSE THEY DID NOT RECEIVE THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH, THAT THEY MIGHT BE SAVED.  AND FOR THIS REASON GOD WILL SEND THEM STRONG DELUSION, THAT THEY SHOULD BELIEVE THE LIE, THAT THEY ALL MAY BE CONDEMNED WHO DID NOT BELIEVE THE TRUTH BUT HAD PLEASURE IN UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).
• Just as the scriptures say the Israelites rejected God when they established a hierarchy of men (1 Sam. 8:7; 10:17-19; 12:19), and they did this so that they may be like the rest of the world (1 Sam. 8:20), so today’s churches adopt the ways of the world by establishing hierarchies of men, and end up rejecting God.  Jesus’ warning is forgotten: “If you were of the world, the world would love its own.  Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:19).  This is the test for believers: Are we operating the way the world works, or are we operating the way the WORD works?  

4.  How should Christians be governed? 

• Instead of submitting to men, following Jesus demands submission to him.
• Jesus Christ is THE KING (Matt. 27:37; John 18:37; Hebrews 5:6).
• Jesus Christ is THE HEAD (1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 1:22; 4:15; 5:23; Colossians 1:18; 2:10)
• Jesus Christ is THE ROCK/FOUNDATION (2 Sam. 22:47; Luke 20:17-18 compared with Dan. 2:44; Acts 4:10-11; 1 Cor. 3:11; 10:4; Eph. 2:20; 1 Peter 2:4-8).
• Romans 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 10:17; 12:12-27; Eph. 4:4, and Col. 1:18 clearly show that the believers all form ONE BODY.  This body’s Head is Jesus.  Since the body is ONE, there is no hierarchy within the body, but just as our own bodies obey only what the head tells it to do so must we obey only what Jesus says.  The reason for this seems very clear…a hand, a foot, an arm, etc. only know how hands, feet, arms, etc. function, and could not give sound advice for the other parts of the body to function (as they only know how they themselves function).  The only part that knows exactly how each part should function is the head, which tells all the other parts how to function.  In fact, it is only when parts of the body block the nerve endings from receiving signals from the brain that the body does not function properly (comparable to parts of the body of Christ lording over other parts of the body of Christ, so that the messages of the Head do not get through).  Besides this, the hands, feet, arms, etc. are not doing what they should be doing (being a hand, foot, arm, etc.) if they are trying to lord over other parts of the body.      
• From the above verses we see that the only hierarchy in the Kingdom of God establishes JESUS AS LORD, INSTEAD OF MEN AS LORDS.  We are to submit to the one Eternal King, whose kingdom is made without hands (see Dan. 2:34, 44-45; 7:13-14), and not submit to men. 

5.  How does the Kingdom of God work?

• Earlier, we saw that in the first part of Mark 10:42-45 Jesus tells His believers to not rule like the Gentiles, but reading on will show how He does want the Kingdom of God to function: “’…whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first 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.’” (vv. 43-45).  Christians rule each other by serving, not lording over.
• 1 Cor. 12:22-24 says: “No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.  And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need.  But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it,”.  It is the flip-flop of the world.  The least is greatest, unpresentable parts have greater modesty, and every part is necessary to function properly.  Using the body analogy, we see that similarly the least presentable and smaller parts of our bodies are our reproductive organs, yet these are the very parts that breed life (the greatest gift of all).  
• Matthew 23:11-12 records Jesus saying: “But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.  And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”  And James 4:10 says: “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”  Again, opposite of how the world works.
• “You also may notice Ephesians 4:11-16 where the apostles, prophets, teachers were given to build up the saints for the work of the ministry.  When the saints individually are built up in Jesus Christ they no longer will be tossed here and there by every wind of doctrine, because all will be able to speak the truth in love and grow up in all aspect into the Head Christ.  In our fellowship, when we have the proper working of each individual part, enhanced by the godly authority, then the body can be built up in love.”  (Washington, BE).  Notice also in Eph. 2:19-22 that Jesus is the foundation (on the very bottom serving everybody), and then the apostles and prophets are above him in forming the household of God.  Again opposite of world: Those who are on the bottom and serve the most are the greatest. 
• 1 Cor. 3:4-7 says: “For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not carnal?  Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.  So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.”  Letting humans dictate who you are and what you believe is carnal (Paul even says this about those exalting him).  Believers are ONE body with ONE head.
• We also saw earlier in Mark 7:6-13 that Jesus does not think very highly of those who “laying aside the commandment of God, hold the tradition of men”.
• It is very obvious that the Kingdom of God runs antithetical to the kingdoms of men:

WORLD	CHRISTIANITY
Hierarchical.  Men on top.	Kingship.  “Christ is head of the church” (Eph. 5:23).
Servants/slaves have least value.	“whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.” (Mark 10:43-44)
The exalted are at the top.  The humbled at the bottom.	“And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matt. 23:12)
Only strong survive.	“those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.” (1 Cor. 12:22)
Bestows honor on most honorable.	“those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor” (1 Cor. 12:23)
The unpresentable are unattractive.	“our unpresentable parts have greater modesty [or external beauty]” (1 Cor. 12:23)
Shaped like pyramid.	Shaped like temple.  (Eph. 2:21)
Ruled by Satan (John 14:30).	Ruled by Jesus.  “Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king.” (John 18:37)

6.  Is obeying men really that bad…it seems to work for the secular world?

• Isaiah 2:22: “Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils; For why should he be esteemed?”
• Colossians 2:8: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”
• Mark 7:6-7 records Jesus: “’Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: “This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”’ 
• Romans 6:16: “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”  You belong to whom you obey…why wouldn’t you choose Jesus?
• If these verses aren’t enough, look at the descriptions of Antichrist: “…And another [KING/KINGDOM] shall rise…different from the first ones…HE SHALL SPEAK POMPOUS WORDS against the Most High…shall intend to change times and law…” (Daniel 7:24-25), and he “opposes and EXALTS HIMSELF above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” (2 Thes. 2:4).  The Antichrist is a king (or kingdom) who exalts himself above all that is called God.  This is almost predictable as we know he gets his power from Satan (Rev. 13:2) and Satan himself said: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God…” (Isaiah 14:3).  
• In light of all this, it cannot be stressed enough that the Body of Christ does not adopt the World’s way of ruling – with hierarchies of men – for, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God…But He gives more grace.  Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.’” (James 4:4,6)  

7.  Role of leaders within the Body of Christ.

God’s goals for leaders: 2 Cor. 10:15-18: “not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we shall be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you, so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another.  But HE WHO BOASTS, LET HIM BOAST IN THE LORD.  For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.”  All of 2 Cor. 10:8-18 is Paul talking about the authority for building up and not for tearing down. 

“He also talks about the authority given within the sphere of the gospel, not extending himself beyond the measure of the gospel of Christ…

“Later in chapter 11, Paul goes on to discuss how we can be beguiled away from the simplicity that we have in Christ Jesus.  This is also the word that I sense, that we should not stray from the work of the cross and the simplicity of the gospel and the devotion of Christ.

“This moment I see a great revelation that God has given tremendous authority and power to do what He has asked us to do; that is to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.  We must not stray away from the gospel that Jesus is the Lord and Savior; we are not the ‘Lords’ and ‘Saviors’ of the world, but Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior of the world.  Just to check the context of my statement, see the rest of the chapter pertains to Paul’s true apostleship where he recognizes in his weakness that Christ is made evident, and in verse 20 of chapter 11 that the false apostles enslave, devour, take advantage, and exalt themselves.  This is not the gospel.  The Lordship of Jesus Christ is established when we direct people to Jesus Christ and not to ourselves.”

(Washington, BE)

• Discipleship.  Matt. 28:19-20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” 
  
  “I believe that Jesus preached discipleship and He calls us, as in the scripture above, to make disciples of all nations.  For years Christians have had various educational facilities and seminaries to teach them knowledge about the Bible.  However, the discipleship principle allows for reproduction not only of knowledge, but of character and practical experiences, passed one person to another.  A person could say that God’s people need more than education; they need a way of life.  In the New Testament Jesus Himself made disciples by His example – doing and then teaching the practical Christian life.  In time, not only knowledge, but Jesus’ own character was imparted to the apostles.” (Washington, BE)  
• Authority.  1 Thes. 2:6-9: “Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.  But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.  So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.  For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.” 
  
  “From this I see that a spiritual authority is the one who does the service to the body – not the body to the authority.” (Washington, BE)

“2 Corinthians 10:1-8, and especially the last verse: ‘For even if I should boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I shall not be put to shame,…’  I see here that God’s people do not need to be intimidated by the authority or brought into fear by the authority.  We already know that Satan rules his kingdom by terror and fear.  I do not mean that we should not submit to those who serve us, which would be rebellion.  Submission is an attitude by which we regard with respect, and with honor those whom God has sent to us, to build us up and not to tear us down.  Our ultimate obedience is to Jesus Christ and to His Word and we all must answer to God for our obedience to Him.  We must always remain teachable, submissive to God’s servants, but we must always keep our eyes open to our faith in Jesus and the scriptures.  Neither must we be intimidated by our peers or by any pressure from the outside.  This can be clearly seen in Galatians 2:6-10, where Paul showed that God is no respecter of titles, but of those who obey God’s Word.” (Washington, BE).

• Leadership. 

“See Hebrews 13:7-17.  Verse 17 talks about the command for us to obey our leader.  ‘Obey your leaders and submit to them; 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.’

Now we have to remember we must find out who our leaders are before we can submit to them because it says obey ‘your’ leaders, and this is done by reading the whole context and paragraph of the scriptures.  See verse 7 of Hebrews 13, which is ‘Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the outcome of their way of life, imitate their faith.’  So, we should obey our leaders and submit to them, imitating their faith, only if they (1) walk in front of us and lead us, (2) speak the word of God to us, and (3) live a life of faith.  You could say also (4) those who watch over your souls (from v. 17)…

Also we see how ministerial authority is given to the ministry of the saints in 1 Cor. 16:15-16: 

Now I urge you, brethren (you know the household of Stephanas, that they were the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints), that you also be in subjection to such men and to everyone who helps in the work and labors.

Here again we see that we should submit to those who serve, work, and labor especially in the ministry of the saints.  And only in that context.  That means that in the context of love, ministers can exercise authority given them by the Lord.”

(Washington, BE)

Eldership. 

“Just to make some brief definitions, we see that the word in the New Testament for ‘shepherd’ is the same application as the word for ‘elder’ or ‘pastor’ or ‘bishop’.  All of these different words refer to the same man.  The terms are used to define that man; like ‘elder’ refers to his maturity; ‘bishop’ or ‘overseer’ relating more to his function; ‘shepherd’ more toward his ministry; and ‘pastor’ the same as ‘shepherd’.”  

(Washington, BE). 

1 Peter 5:1-5: “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; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.  Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders.  Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.’” 

“As in the scripture above and also in John 21, Peter is associated with the shepherding of the flock.  In John 21 Jesus expresses that He wants Peter to feed the flock and to tend the lambs – that is to minister to them and feed them God’s word.  In 1 Peter 5 we see that Peter as a co-elder or fellow-elder exhorts them to shepherd the flock, not under compulsion, but according to the will of God, not for gain, and not lording over those allotted charge, but proving to be examples.  Also there is an exhortation to the younger men to be subject to their elders, but all of them (v. 5), the elders and the younger men, should clothe themselves with humility towards one another…

“In the passage…1 Peter 5:1, I see that the authority structure that Peter condones is a co-elder, or a fellow-elder arrangement where the elders are co-equal and they check one another, submitting to one another in the areas of the flock.  There are ones who have more insight in certain areas, but they all are recognized in the functioning of the Church.  They check and balance each other to protect the church, and to protect each other.”

(Washington, BE).

• Teachable Leaders.  1 Tim. 5:19-21: “Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses.  Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.  I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.”  This passage, along with the scriptures mentioned in Matthew 18 about going to the brother personally, and 2 Cor. 13:1-14, show that we are to correct leaders. 

“If your leaders are not teachable and correctable there is some question of whether God has released them as your leader.  Also in 1 Tim. 5:1 it says, ‘Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity.’  We should speak the truth in love and leave the judgment, correction and conviction to the Holy Spirit.  Jesus Christ Himself knows how to tend those who he sent.”

(Washington, BE).

• We see that God does use leaders within the Body, but the leaders are to serve others and not be exalted, and all must still obey Jesus alone.  They also must be tested with Word.

8.  What about covenanting and commitment to men within the Body of Christ (like membership in a church, or accountability groups)?  (From Earl Washington’s “A Biblical Examination…”)

What is the definition of covenant?… 

1. cov-e-nant/ n ME, fr. OF, fr. Prp. Of convenir to agree, fr. L convenire 1:       a usu. Formal, solemn, and binding agreement: COMPACT 2a:  a written agreement or promise usu. Under seal between two or more parties esp. for the performance of some action b: the common law action to recover damages for breach of such a contract-cove-e-nan-tal / adj.
2. cov-e-nant/ vt: to promise by a covenant: PLEDGE vi: to enter into a covenant: CONTRACT

“I’d like to stress that there is a clear separation of the New Covenant taught by Jesus, and the forming of any other covenant between men, or made by God with men…

“The words ‘testament’ and ‘covenant’ mean the same thing.  We believe in the literal Scriptures as being the inspired and inerrant Word of God: the Old Testament, the Law, and the Prophets described as a mere shadow or tutor to point us to the Lord Jesus Christ; the Gospel as the focal point of the redemption of mankind invested upon the cross of Jesus Christ; and finally the resultant testimony of what Christ has done.  All revelation and all understanding of the New Testament and the New Covenant revolves around the work of Jesus Christ.  The key to understanding all the Scriptures has to be through the work of the cross.

“The Old Testament exhibits various practices, sacrifices, and commandments – a system of laws to which man is unable to measure up, revealing that He needs a Savior.  In the Old Testament there was a clear separation between the business contracts and the solemn vows or covenants made by God with man.  The justification of people in the Old Testament was solely on the basis of their faith in the promise of the Messiah; i.e. the Word of God…

“The word for ‘covenant’ or ‘testament’ as defined in the Greek is a last will and testament or the last will after someone dies.  In modern terms that would mean if I were to write a will and give all my possessions over to my wife, and later die, then she would receive all of the benefits written down in my Will.  But she would not be able to inherit my possessions until I was dead.  This is in line with Hebrews 9:16-18:

‘For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it.  For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.  Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood.’

“The atoning work not only reconciled us to God, but it reconciled man to man.  The work that He did on the cross reconciles us to any other person who acknowledges the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  The moment we acknowledge our salvation by repentance, faith, and obedience to God’s Word, practically outworked by water baptism, then we are reconciled not only to God but to our fellow believers.  And this reconciliation is complete, finished, done, settled on the cross.  We know that the outworking of our faith in Jesus Christ is expressed in our unconditional, impartial and nonexclusive love toward Jesus Christ and the demonstration of our faith in practical love.  And that the outworking of our faith is not done by word or promises, but in deed and in truth.  For clarity and a background for the rest of this study, we must see that the word for ‘testament’ or ‘covenant’ is different from the word for ‘love’, which is ‘agape’.  Covenant means promise or agreement, and agape means unconditional, demonstrated, impartial, nonexclusive, self-sacrificing love.  With this definition, I can introduce the concept of community.

“Acts 2:44-47 describes the experience of the early Church community.  After they believed the message of the Gospel and they received the Holy Spirit, and Peter taught them through the Word to be separated from this perverse generation, they continued to devote themselves to the apostles’ teachings (the Scriptures), to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer-automatically…

“Also notice in v. 44 that all those who believed were together, that through their belief in Jesus Christ they were together, and coincidentally they had all things in common, because they all belonged to Jesus Christ.  Because of the work of Jesus Christ (because of the covenant made on the cross), they had all things in common, automatically, as a natural by-product of an obedient relationship to God’s Word.  Because of their salvation experience they automatically devoted themselves – they did not covenant or commit themselves – but because of the love they had from Jesus they devoted themselves of their own free will to the Christian experience.  Please notice the spontaneity of these occurrences…”

(Washington, BE).

Earl Washington shares his experience of fellowshipping with saints out of a common covenant with Christ instead of a covenant to each other to meet:

“It was just as though God had brought us together for some kind of purpose, some kind of expression of His love.  Coming to a meeting was a joy, and coming to fellowship was a desire in each person’s life.  We saw Jesus and we knew His unending love; we were excited to be with people who pointed us to the Lord…And because I gather to Jesus and you gather to Jesus, we have fellowship.  If one of us doesn’t gather to Jesus we have no fellowship.  And any human manufactured way of producing the New Testament experience other than acknowledging Jesus Christ of our free will can lead to bondage.”

(Washington, BE).

James 4:13-17 shows the faultiness of making promises to one another: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’  But now you boast in your arrogance.  All such boasting is evil.  Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”  

“We can’t make promises to one another, because we don’t know what’s going to happen to us tomorrow.  God is in control…So God wants us to demonstrate His will and not say ‘Tomorrow I’ll do this and that’ but to simply do what He has asked us to do.”

(Washington, BE)

“Holding fast to Jesus Christ must continually be emphasized because of the temptation to rely on the security of man to be saved…

“My suggestion is that we throw away all the differing emphasis and simply point to the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ Himself, and yield to the Holy Spirit.  The Head of the Body of Christ has the proper perspective and not the body itself.  In emphasizing the Head, and in holding fast thereto, we get away from the perversions I mentioned…

“Our loyalty and faithfulness is to the Lord.  Faithfulness means simply ‘full of faith’.  Being faithful to a brother is sometimes rebuking him.  Or correcting him.  Or letting him know where we’re really at.  Showing ourselves to each other as we really are is being faithful to one another, because we really love each other only if we keep in the light.  But there is a general attitude that we should ‘play along’ with everything we hear, for the sake of ‘faithfulness’, which is not really faithfulness toward God at all.”

(Washington, BE)

Men make covenants with other men to keep each other from falling away, to hold on to their faith in the Lord, to keep each other in check, and countless other Godly reasons, but they neglect to notice 1 John 5:7-9: “And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth.  For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.  If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for the witness of God is this, that He has borne witness concerning His Son.”  People need to check the witness of the water of the Scriptures to check their feelings and subjective experience to see whether covenants with one another are scriptural.

Washington relays an experience he had in talking to a few brothers about the idea of making covenant agreements between believers:

“…I asked questions like ’Did the original Covenant that Jesus made through His shed blood on the cross reconcile believers to each other?’  The question was generally answered ‘yes’.  ‘So the original atonement or the original New Covenant was valid?’  Answer was ‘yes’.  At that time I understood personal covenants between believers in the fellowship were being made for specific eternal purposes.  I went on to ask ‘If the first covenant was valid, the one we made with Jesus when we got saved, why do we need another one?’  The answer was ‘We’re not making another covenant, but we’re just making an acknowledgement of the first covenant we made with Jesus.’  And I asked again, ‘If we are just acknowledging the first covenant, why do we need a ‘special’ acknowledgement besides water baptism and communion which everyone can receive who is born again?’  This question was not answered to my satisfaction…But if God led us into making covenants, surely this practice would have been clearly explained in the New Testament.  For courtesy sake I am still waiting to hear the answers to some of these questions.”

(Washington, BE)v

There is only one word used in the Old Testament for “covenant”:

beriyth, ber-eeth’: from 1262 (in the sense of cutting [like 1254]); a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh):-confederacy, [con-]feder-[ate], covenant, league.

Strong’s

“In the Old Testament there was the cutting of the covenant and now we have a new and better covenant through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

“The word for ‘covenant’ was used for three situations in the Old Testament: 1) For covenants made between two or more individuals, 2) covenants made between Yahweh and individuals, and 3) the covenant made between Yahweh and Israel.  Covenants made between individuals include: Abraham and the Amorites (Gen. 14:13), Abraham and the Abimelech (Gen. 23:17), Laban and Jacob (31 and 34), Jonathan and David (1 Sam. 18:3), and Solomon Hiram (1 Kings 5:12).  In primitive times covenants were sealed by changes of drops of each other’s blood.  For a detailed account you may see E.W. Kenyon’s book, The Blood Covenant.  There were covenants made between God and individuals: God and Noah, with the rainbow for a token; God and Abraham, with circumcision for a token; and there was a covenant made between God and Israel.  The essence of this latter covenant was that God would be the Lord of Israel and they would be His people.

“Now we have a new and better covenant so I looked up the word for ‘covenant’ as used in the New Testament.  It is used twenty-five times: twenty-three of the times it refers to the New Covenant; there were only two instances in the whole New Testament of covenants made between men.  Both times the word was used to describe the covenant made by Judas to betray Jesus with the Roman cohort!…”

(Washington, BE)

Matt. 5:33-37 records Jesus saying: “’Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.”  But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No.”  For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” 

The word ‘oath’ is used here by Jesus telling people not to do it.  It is used when Peter cursed and made an oath that he didn’t’ know Jesus.  And also when Herod made a solemn oath to behead John the Baptist. 

“So the word for oath, or solemn promise, vow, or solemn agreement was used 1) to explain the promise of the New Covenant, 2) when Jesus warns to make no solemn oath, and 3) in instances of betrayal.

“We are connected and reconciled to each other at the cross-there is only one connecting point.

…remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. (Ephesians 2:12-16)

“…I have found that in matters of faith and in religion there are only two covenants: the New Covenant and the Old Covenant.  The Covenant of the Law, and the Covenant of Grace, appropriated by faith.  And anything not done in faith is sin [Rom. 14:23]…

“Also we see that if we make another covenant, we invalidate the one that Jesus made on the cross.  And we fall back under the Law [see Col. 2:12-14]…

“The only scriptural covenant or testament that I can make today is my last and final will.  After I am dead, the recipients get the benefits of it.  We should not make any promises or agreements unless we are willing to die.  Now.  And not sometime in the future [see Hebrews 9:16-18]…’Well’, some people would say, ‘that just means that God wants us to lay down our lives daily and die for one another.’  God wants us to lay down our lives for one another.  But He does not want us to promise to lay down our lives for one another.  Peter tried to do that for Jesus Himself, the Son of God…it failed.  That is why Jesus said to let your yes be yes and your nay, nay.  He just wants us to answer “yes” or “no”.  John 13:37-38 explains why:

Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now?  I will lay down my life for You.”  Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life from Me?  Truly, truly, I say to you, a cock shall not crow, until you deny Me three times.”

(Washington, BE).

• Objection: Jonathan made a covenant with David.  We can’t apply this scripture to our situation: “In the first place, it was under the Old Covenant.  Secondly David as a type represents the Lordship of Jesus.  Any strict comparison between David and us could possibly be error.” (Washington, BE)
• Objection:  Marriage is a covenant.  “It had been mentioned that marriage is a covenant.  But nowhere in the Scriptures is marriage called a covenant.  Marriage is not a covenant.  Marriage is a union ordained by God.  Made between husband and wife.  Jesus is the Husband of the Bride, His Church.  But marriage and covenant are two separate words.  God has ordained marriage, and marriage is in the Bible.  Jesus taught on marriage:

‘But from the beginning of creation, God MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE.  FOR THIS CAUSE A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH; consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh.  What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.’ (Mark 10:6-9)

Becoming one flesh involves and includes sexual union.  He did not teach that believers should be married to one another, except as He has ordained between man and wife.

“…strictly speaking, if we make a covenant with any other person than Jesus Christ who has given us the New Covenant, then we are truly ‘spiritual adulterers.’  If we as a people are married, we are married to Jesus Christ.  And we who are espoused to Him cannot come together in any other way other than through the work of the cross – which was good enough.” (Washington, BE).

• Objection: Joining together by covenant relationships connects in a great network throughout the Body of Christ.  “Ephesians 4:16 clearly states: ‘…from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.’  So we can see that we are held together not by individual covenants or agreements that we make one with another, but we are held together by that which we supply in love towards each other.  Not the promises of love we supply, or the promises we make towards one another.” (Washington, BE).
• Objection: Jesus said that we should lay down our lives for one another.  “Jesus said to have agape towards one another.  He said to demonstrate our love one for another.  Lay down our lives for one another.  Not to make promises or agreements, or to commit ourselves to future works.  But simply to do it.  Also a person might ask ‘What about the Scripture where Jesus says, “Every man who says he loves God and hates his brother is a liar.”’?  That’s true.  But no promises are needed to love, and no promises are mentioned in that Scripture.  We have one Great Promise – the New Covenant.  Now I see why Jesus said for us not to make any oaths or agreements with one another.  He just wanted us to love – our neighbors and our enemies.  Impartially.  Agape is freely given.  It is not the kind of love that says, ‘If you love me, then I will love you,’ involving commitment.  But Christ’s love is unconditional.” (Washington, BE).
• Objection: If making covenants is bad, why does it talk about covenant-breakers as bad people who will arise in the latter days?  “I looked up the word translated ‘covenant-breakers’ and it does not contain the word ‘covenant’, nor does it mean men who disavow religious obligations to each other.  It is primarily concerned with business – ‘treacherous’, ‘swindler’, ‘con-man’, ‘wheeler-dealer’ are the meanings given.  No covenant made with God is intended in the meaning, nor the Covenant established on the cross.  A covenant-breaker is a conman.” (Washington, BE).
• Conclusion for covenants between men.  1 John 3:18-20 says: “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.  And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.  For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.”

We are told to love in deed and in truth, NOT IN WORD OR IN TONGUE.  Stop making commitments, covenants, oaths, etc. with men, but instead focus on your covenant with Jesus that came from his shed blood.  If God wants you to be at a certain church, or wants you to fellowship with certain believers, or calls you to correct a brother or sister, do it.  Not because you are committing with men, but because you’ve committed to following and obeying God.  “…you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’” (James 4:15).

Conclusion.  We are to bow our knee to only God, Jesus (who is the Bible in the flesh), and the Holy Spirit, all of which are One.  This Bible study is meant to give Christians a Scriptural basis for how to live in this Kingdom of God.  In addition, this is purposefully the first Bible study of the year, so that people do not (unconsciously) make me (or other teachers) their king, but that they may listen to my words inasmuch as they agree with Scripture, and that they may correct me where I am in error.  All of us, as believers, have one mission: to preach the gospel in truth and in love, both of which are inextricably intertwined.