The Priesthood of the Believer
“Do you hear the secret counsel of God, and limit wisdom to yourself?” Job 15:8 NASB
Limit – What do I know? That God is good, man is born to turmoil and I am a sinner in need of deliverance. The cosmos is His creation, I am blessed to be alive and righteousness will fill the earth. What do I know? Knowledge is a function of community, I don’t exist without others and God loves Israel. Not much, but very important. All the rest is still in process. But most believers don’t think in terms of process. They think in terms of certainty. That’s where Eliphaz confronts us. Would I limit God’s wisdom to my understanding? The Hebrew verb here is gara (to clip, diminish, restrain, keep back, withdraw). It’s a word of personal confrontation for most Christians because of our inheritance from Luther.
One of the consequences of Luther’s doctrine of the priesthood of all believers is the destruction of communal authority. In an effort to remove the papal hierarchy, Luther threw away any intermediary between God and His children. Gone are the priests, Catholic or Hebrew. Now God comes to each of us individually, whispering the secrets of the Scriptures through the warming glow of the Spirit. There is no longer any need for the rabbi or the preacher. Just open the Bible, clear your mind and let God guide you into the truth (isn’t that what Yeshua says the Spirit will do?). Luther invented the perfect excuse for meditating minds and linguistic lapses. In fact, I really don’t even need the Word. Just let the Spirit within me direct my paths.
Such thinking leads to David Koresh, Jim Jones and the hundreds of other cult leaders. Psychological certainty (the idea that I have a direct channel to God) has created innumerable mystics, all of whom disagree about what God said to the other person. They drift into personal solipsism and become gods of their own exegesis. But don’t raise an objection. That only proves you haven’t heard. Change the channel instead.
Luther might have been right about each believer’s access to the Father, but that never replaced the community of counsel or the discipline of direction. Only arrogance could suppose that we know it all or that the Spirit speaks only to us. Nothing in the Hebrew prophetic tradition suggests that God is my personal savior. Rather, I am grafted into a community of His redeemed people. God saves Israel. I choose to belong to them.
Whenever people begin their Scriptural exegesis with “God revealed this to me,” I am inclined to think of Jesus Just Left Chicago (ZZ Top) and walk out the door.
By the way, if you happen to be in an “assembly” (I won’t call it “church”) where someone (leader or otherwise) is immune to critical assessment, dialogue or objection, then you probably should listen to ZZ Top while the “expert” drones. At least the music will be good.
Topical Index: limit, priesthood of the believer, Job 15:8
“Only arrogance could suppose that we know it all or that the Spirit speaks only to us. ”
Interesting that Protestants of the Calvinist persuasion at the time of the Reformation solved the problem of individuality with their Confessional statements, all created in community. Thus the existence of the Belgic and Westminster Confessions, and the Heidelberg and Westminster Catechisms. Not forgetting, of course, the 16thC Book of Common Prayer and the later Baptist Confession of Faith. The documents may not be a perfect representation of Biblical teaching in everything they say, and often it is remarkable the things that are omitted because the framers could not agree on an issue. But they go a long way to eliminate the idea that “everyone can simply believe what is right in his own eyes.”
If only I knew of that ZZ Top track all those years back.
Thankfully I commune now with those who seek not position power money fame or oh look at me attitudes.
But with a family who seeks to know Him and His Truths regards His ancient paths. Torah for the grafted in.
Shabbat Shalom Simon Gathering Stones Family
Ps how do aasemblies claim they are accountable to each other when each only sees the back of those in front, the preacher dies he really see all.
Yet see synagogues in Israel you sit facing centre which allows for proper community heart as we see all each others faces, our pains joys and struggles are etched upon our open faces.
Let us not hide in assemblies where sinners lurk and hurting people get lost.
I may have lived too long in this world to just optimistically believe that human beings will, or can, of their own ‘free will’ either craft, or want to agree to, or perhaps even be attracted to, an order of reality where the identity; even the survival of the collective community rises to the top without some sort of overwhelming compelling force from without.
Historically, it seems, our only good examples of where we really got community right was when there was persecution of some sort. (Would someone kindly point out an exception to me?)
Even today, I think the only way to be able to see a true community in action is to look at countries where Christians are being persecuted for what they believe. To get a true understanding of what this looks like, check out the Voice of the Martyrs, who seem to have figured out HOW to act like a community without getting hung up on any sectarian differences. But look through the eyes of the
Christians themselves at what being a Christian in a place like the Sudan or North Korea is like, and there is where I think our real problem with community can be seen. Draw your own conclusions. Draw them with your gut as well as your head. Put yourself in their shoes.
Sadly, not only do I suspect that we are only capable of doing community correctly when our backs are up against each other, I am pretty much convinced that there is only one way to draw that kind of direct fire, and that is when we can figure out what the particular sins of the world around us are, and not only quit participating in them, but stand up against them and LIVE what should be there instead.
I am convinced that, to the extent our lives are not exhibiting the peculiar truth for this time that is directly opposing the sin of this world, is the extent that we are not drawing the fire of that world. Persecution has always been the litmus test of the peculiar people of God that lets them know when they have it right. And it has always been that persecution that has shown them; and through them, the world; one more time, what a Body must be.
Someone disagreed with me on the fact that Job was a righteous man. After reading Job 1:2 and all the other proof texts, I got this comment: ” But God is so much bigger than Scripture” – how do I react to that? John 1?
I have no idea why this response would be given to a question about the righteousness of Job. And even if it is true (which I am sure it is) we have no additional information about this God other than what He revealed in Scripture. So, we can assert He is “bigger” but what does that mean? Do we have a vocabulary “bigger” than Scripture to speak about Him? No, we don’t. So either we believe what He tells us in His own words OR we decide to be mystics and stop speaking.
@Laurita,
There are many functioning and active communities today who serve the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. I have witnessed such places and have observed, that not only is it a place where one fellowships with others, but they sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals for their families and children. These “assembles/congregations” are out there, but it’s not common that one finds themselves just stopping in for a Shabbat service. These communities protect and guard those in it to preserve their heritage, faith and culture.
As in any organization where one wants to participate, I believe it is crucial that we think deeply into what is important to you and your family and search to see if the congregation has the values and leadership that I am willing to join myself with, as well as, put my trust in them that they will have my best interest at all times. (Not the other way around) It would be wise to have a list of questions that reflect your interests. Examples: Who are you accountable to and who are those persons accountable to? Who is the leadership? How is the congregation structured financially? How do you handle disagreements? How much authority extends into ones home? That is a partial listing for me, and someone elses list could be totally different depending on what is of utmost importance.
While most communities/congregations may not live in a communal setting, they mutually care for one another, gather together, pray for one another, etc..
The Oxford dictionary defines it as such:
“One broad definition which incorporates all the different forms of community is “as a group or network of persons who are connected (objectively) to each other by relatively durable social relations that extend beyond immediate genealogical ties, and who mutually define that relationship (subjectively) as important to their social identity and social practice”
I believe it has always been by design that we function as a community. You said:
“Historically, it seems, our only good examples of where we really got community right was when there was persecution of some sort. (Would someone kindly point out an exception to me?)”
Our examples of communities are in the Scriptures. Too many to post, but we could start with Abraham.
Good points Lori. Other examples might be all the communities to which Shaul (Paul) addressed his letters, and John to the seven ekklesia in Revelation. Not saying they were perfect — obviously there was major room for growth in all of them. But perhaps that is exactly the point: we will never find community in which we have complete agreement. Part of learning to live in community is learning to live in harmony, and harmony is not a synonym for agreement. Sometimes we will all sing the same line in unison but most times we will see slightly different perspectives. The key is whether those perspectives still harmonize with Scripture. If they do, our community relationships will still be part of the symphony, even though we are not in unison all the time. That’s OK. A symphony without harmony would be pretty boring — and not something I would pay to hear. 🙂