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Principles of Ecclesial Life


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3. Apply spiritual commonsense.

 

“Look ye out from among you” – If those administering the delicate welfare matter were chosen by the community as a whole, the ecclesia would more likely cooperate with the decisions of those selected. If the apostles, who were all Hebrew Jews, had appointed the committee, many of the brethren might have resented the situation. Remember, human nature does not disappear when we are baptized.

 

Seven Grecian Jews selected – Every one of those chosen by the ecclesial community has a Greek name indicating they were Grecian Jews. This is most remarkable and indicates that, given the opportunity, the brethren and sisters were sensitive to the problem and anxious to have it rectified in the spirit of Christ. No doubt, if the apostles had made such a selection themselves, many of the Hebrew brethren would have considered they were overreacting and would have complained the appointees would practice reverse discrimi­nation. But given the opportunity to make the selection themselves, the nominees were accepted and the ecclesia prospered.

 

‘Whom they set before the apostles” – An ecclesia can sometimes act unwisely and it only makes common sense for the elders to review ecclesial selections.

 

The entire process showed wise judgment. The potential reaction of human nature was anticipated and a safeguard was provided against rash decisions.

 

Spiritual commonsense today

 

In our own situation, spiritual commonsense needs to be exercised in ecclesial matters.

 

Some examples:

 

  • To make someone recording brother who has recently moved to the ecclesia is not sound judgment; he does not know the strengths and weaknesses of members well enough to react properly for their eternal good.
  • For strong brethren to divide over a weak brother’s odd ideas or sinful action does not make sense. Often in such cases the one causing the trouble drifts from the Truth leaving the others still divided where for years they had worked together in harmony.
  • To make quick decisions on items newly introduced at a business meeting often results in bad decisions. Let matters be thought through so that their possible affects can be considered.
  • Making rules to solve a passing problem is not sound judgment. Rely on biblical principles and precedents rather than on “quick‑fixes” which are often neither scriptural nor appropriate.

 

Ask of God

 

Commonsense is a modem synonym for wisdom. If we lack wisdom, let us ask it of God “that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (Jam. 1:5).

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4. Establish right ecclesial structure

 

“The number of the disciples multiplied” – Ecclesias do not stand still. The Jerusalem ecclesia had grown so large that the apostles could no longer cope with their responsibilities; help was needed.

 

With our own ecclesias, having no arranging board may work fine when there are only 11 brethren and sisters. However, if the ecclesia grows to 50, deciding every matter by impromptu business meetings becomes unwieldy and con­tributes to problems. Ecclesial structure needs to be adjusted as ecclesias grow.

 

Match jobs and people

 

It was not appropriate that the apostles should spend time on administrative matters. By virtue of their personal expe­riences with Christ, they were uniquely qualified for gospel proclamation and exposition of die word.

 

Every person is not equally suited to every ecclesial task. In fact, considerable trouble is sometimes caused when a brother or sister is given a responsibility for which they are unsuited.

 

  • A brother may be an excellent speaker but may be un­suited to handle the complaints frequently presented to a recording brother.
  • A sister may be an excellent Sunday school teacher but unable to work well with others on a catering commit­tee.
  • A brother may work well with young people but be suffi­ciently disorganized so that he is unable to keep up ecclesial records as finance brother.

 

Some ecclesias are too small to allow much choice. But, where selection is possible, those who serve should do so in areas where they are best suited by virtue of ability, back­ground and personality.

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5. Keep spiritual priorities uppermost

 

“It is not reason ...” – There was nothing wrong with serving ‑tables, but the most important aspect of ecclesial life is the eternal salvation of its members. The apostles were able to contribute in the area of preaching, exposition and spiritual counsel better than anyone else in the Jerusalem ecclesia. They felt obliged, therefore, to devote their efforts to those areas.

 

Sometimes we cannot do everything we are able and willing. to do in ecclesial life. A choice has to be made of which activities to pursue and which ones to drop. If that situation arises, let us keep spiritual priorities uppermost and concentrate on those areas where we best contribute to the eternal wellbeing of others.

 

“men full of the spirit and wisdom” – While the committee was to perform an administrative function, the most important consideration was that they do so in harmony with the will of God. The primary consideration in selecting brethren for the task was not to be their background in social work, or catering service or their organizational abilities. These factors may have been noted, but they were not to be the most important consideration.

 

Qualifications of elders

 

The same ranking of priorities is evident in the qualifica­tions for ecclesial elders set forth in 1 Tim. 3:2‑12. In that list, there is no mention of organizational ability, appearance, economic status, personal charisma or success in business. As noted earlier, considerations of secular background may sometimes be useful but they are always to be secondary to spiritual qualifications.

 

The objective of ecclesial life is not a smooth‑running organization, but the long‑term development of human beings suitable for receiving immortality.

 

Some examples:

 

  • A finance brother may be excellent with the books but wholly lacking in compassion for those who get in financial trouble through their own ineptitude. Compassion is more important than fiscal impeccabil­ity.
  • A recording brother maybe early to meetings and efficient in notifying people of duties but be quickly provoked by brethren who are tardy because of family prob­lems. Sympathy is more important than efficiency.
  • A Sunday school teacher may provide excellent lessons with beautiful graphics but be intolerant of dull chil­dren who perform poorly on homework and tests. Patience is more important than performance.

StylesPrinciples.pdf
 

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