Peter SmytheA Different Kind of Word Preacher

The real Christian ministers the real Spirit of God, the substance of His being. There should never be the necessity for misunderstanding along these lines in the minds of any. (John Lake, Ministry of the Spirit)

The twenty-first century meaning of “ministry” appears to be quite a different animal from the ministry of Paul’s day. Today, one associates “minister” as being an authoritarian figure in the Body of Christ, somewhere below the angels, but undoubtedly above the sheepish laity. Along with the title comes all the accouterments of American corporatism: mission statements, ministry “vision”, financial projects and projections, product sales, various corporate departments, market “penetration”, marketing studies, copywriters, ghostwriters, and even an entourage or two. Camel hair and a place in the wilderness have been exchanged for custom-fitted Saville Row suits and a room at the Waldorf. It is the minister as brand (a noun), not function.

The oil running this ministry machine is mandatory tithing, sowing into “good ground,” first-fruits offerings, Day of Atonement offerings, and even financial “anointings,” all of which are predicated, one way or another, on the the minister’s privileged status (often self-proclaimed status) in the Body.

In the Old Testament, we see the germ of God’s thinking of the minister’s privileged status in the Body.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us. (1 Samuel 8.4-6a, NASB)

Prior to this time, the Lord had governed Israel through a disparate group of judges. The judges did not positionally rule over Israel, but rather acted as intermediaries of the Word of the Lord to Israel. But, as is shown in this passage, Israel decided that it did not want a theocracy, but instead wanted to operate like its neighboring heathen nations.

And Samuel prayed to the Lord. The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day - in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods - so they are doing to you also. Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them. (1 Samuel 8.6b-9, NASB)

Here we see the Lord advising Samuel that He will allow a king over them because “they have rejected me from being king over them,” but Samuel is to warn them of the consequences of this action.

So Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to the people who had asked of him a king. He said, This will be the procedure of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots. He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and given them to his servants. He will also take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants. He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day. (1 Samuel 8.10-18, NASB)

Notice that while this king would be appointed by God, this positional appointment would exact a heavy price on the whole of Israel. The king, by virtue of his positional authority over Israel, would employ sons and daughters to do his work for him, tend to his personal needs, take the best of everything, and even impose a tithe (wow, huh?). Despite this warning, Israel held firm in wanting to keep up with the Joneses:

Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the Lord’s hearing. The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice and appoint them a king.” (1 Samuel 8.19-22, NASB)

The rest of the Old Testament bears witness to the truthfulness of Samuel’s prophecy (word of wisdom).

With ministry as it is practiced today with its positional ministerial “offices” and pseudo-celebrity, how can we say that it is any different from what we see in Israel’s kingship?

Bring your tithes into the storehouse, which is this house.

Send in your prayers and we will pray over it on the altar and God will hear us.

Send in your best gift so that we can do what God has called us to do.

Bring in your firstfruits offering into this ministry, which is the very best you can give.

This ministry is “good ground” (carries the implication that others are not so good).

You can’t mature spiritually without joining us in the church’s vision.

God has called you to this church (with its requisite tithing and volunteering).

You cannot spiritually mature unless you have a spiritual covering (authority) over you.

As we head into this series of “spiritual coverings,” we’ll see that God really hasn’t changed and that the New Testament ministry gifts are more akin to Samuel than Solomon.