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Commentary on "A New Order"

COLLEEN TINKER

 

Day 7: Friday, October 2, 2009

 

The week’s lessons close with a quotation from Testimonies to Ministers, p. 28:

“Angels work harmoniously. Perfect order characterizes all their movements. The more closely we imitate the harmony and order of the angelic host, the more successful will be the efforts of these heavenly agents in our behalf. If we see no necessity for harmonious action, and are disorderly, undisciplined, and disorganized in our course of action, angels, who are thoroughly organized and move in perfect order, cannot work for us successfully. They turn away in grief, for they are not authorized to bless confusion, distraction, and disorganization. All who desire the cooperation of the heavenly messengers must work in unison with them. Those who have the unction from on high will in all their efforts encourage order, discipline, and union of action, and then the angels of God can cooperate with them.”

 

Problems

Nowhere does the Bible suggest that the church model itself after the angels in heaven. The church is composed of people who have placed their faith in Jesus and are born of the Spirit. Their task as believers is to offer themselves as living sacrifices to God (Rom. 12:1) and to learn to put to death the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit (Rom. 8:13). Our disobedience does not inhibit the work of angels. Angels do not respond to us but continually do the work of the Father. (see Hebrews 1:13-14). Moreover, angels are not commissioned to bless our work. They do the will of God, and they are sent to serve God’s people.

We as believers do not prevent the angels from doing God’s will or cause them to weep. These notions are mere speculations without foundation in Scripture.

God’s holiness is sovereign, eternal, and omnipotent. When we place our faith in the Lord Jesus, He sanctifies us and fills us with His own Spirit. He sets us apart for His holy service. We become members of Christ’s body (Ephesians 5 and the adopted children of God (Romans 8:13-16).

Israel’s organization by tribe, clan, and family around the tabernacle is not a model for the church. Our organization is done by the Holy Spirit Himself as He places us in the positions in His body which He ordains. The authority and protocol necessary to operate local bodies of believers are spelled out in detail in the pastoral epistles, 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus.

 

Summary

  1. Our behavior does not affect the obedience and efficiency of the angels.
  2. We are never instructed biblically to imitate the angels.
  3. The organization of Israel by genetic heritage around the tabernacle is not the model for the church.
  4. The church is organized as a body connected to its Head, the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5).
  5. The protocol for operating a local church body is clearly spelled out in the pastoral epistles, 1 & 2 timothy and Titus.

 

 

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