Jl:XE
J. 1929
me
WATCH TOWER
according to God's law? '{'hcy could not know except by faith and by the fruits of those who are actually engagcd in the work of the Lord. Jesus said: "Wherefore by their fruits yc shall know them. Kot ewry one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heavr11; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. "-Matt. 7: 20, 21. 28 If, therefore, we find one who is devoted to the Lord and is bending' his efforts to do what the Lod has assigned him to do, and is faithful and true to the Lord and not compromising with the enemy, and who has the Lord's manifest blessings llpon his efforts. then his fruits are being manifested and such is proof that he is pleasing' to the Lord and going in tho right way. (John 15: 8) If one is being llsed of tho Lord in harmony with his Word, that is tho e'idenco that his course of action is pleasing to the Lord. Being imperfect, sl1ch will make mistakes, but earh one who has faith in the Lord will leave it to the Lord to do the chastening and the corrertion and to rectiJy the mistakes. (Heb. 12: 6; Hom. 8: 33) This same rll1e, heeause it is the Lord's rule, must apply to all who are in the "Soriety". If tho "Society" is purslling the wrong COllrse or policy, then all of God's people must depend upon the Lord to correct that poliry and rhange it into the right one. It is not the prerogativ,~ of any individual to set himself up as the judge to take action and oppose the work of the Lord. "'Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to hi'3 own master he standeth or fallet h. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. "-Rom. 14: 4. 29 If Romans the thir1ernth rhapter applies to thr churrh, does that mrun that the eldrrs and deacons have authority to do judging and to determine the course or poliry of the churrh? Ko, certainly not. The elders are the advisers or counselors in the ecclesia and have no jurisdiction to art except within the scope of the authority conferred upon them by the Scriptures. The dracons arc servants in the rhurch and possess no authority other than that conferred b~' thc Scripturrs. The Scriptures do not confer authority upon elders or deacons to judge or detrrmine the course of action of the ecclesia. If there is disorder in the chureh the ecclesia, composed of those who are God's children, may take certain action. '1'he Lord himself laid down the code of proecdure.-}Iatt. 18:1;)·18. 30 The chureh as a bod~- has jurisdie1ion to hrar and detrrmine mattrrs r(·lating to those who are mem· brrs of the body; but no individual has bcen clothed 'rith such power or authority, aside from th(' tweh'o apostles, who were clothed wi1h special authority from 1he Lord. If Romans thirteen has any application to th·~ powrrs in the world, with murh stronger reasoning must it apply to the church, berause it is addressrd to those who are in God's family. Consider now the apostle ; iWltructions verse by verse.
lG7 THE TEXT
"Let every soul be subject unto tho hig'her powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordaincd of God." (Yerse 1) At once the question arises, To ,vhat shall God's people be subjcet? It is written: "And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subjrct unto him that put all things under him, that God ma~- be all in all." (1 Cor. 15: 28) This scripture really answers the question. This proves that the higher powers are Christ Jesus and Jehovah and that thc suprrme powe}" is Jehovah God. The apostle uses the husband and wife to picture Christ and the church, and by his argument he shows that the church is subj('et to Christ: "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. '1'herefore as tlw rhmch is subjert unto Christ, so let the wives be to 11wi1' own husbands in ever~T thing'." (Eph. G: 23, 24) The inspired testimony of James supports this conelllsian: "Subm it youl'selw's therefore to God. Resist tho de"il, and he 'I'ill fice from you. Draw nigh to Cod, and h(' will draw nigh to you. Cleanse YOllr hands, YU sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double III inded." (.Jas. 4: 7, 8) 'rhrse scriptures show beyond a doubt that tlU' anointed can be pleasing to God only by all undivided and eomplete devotion to him. '1'he apostle rould not mean that the "higher powrrs" are th(~ (.;entile powers. It is not possible that these are high('r than and have control over God's arrangement of his own people. J2 The apostle says: "The powers that be are ot'dained of [arrangrd under, Diu[floU] God." Can this be properly applied to the Gentile po,'ers on earth and not applied to the church? '1'he words of the apost Ie are in answer to that question: "But now hath God set the members ever~T one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And God hath set some in the ehureh; first, apostles; secondarily, prophets; thirdly, teachers; after that, miracles; then gifts of healing'S, helps, gowrnments, diversities of tongues." (1 Cor. 12: 18, 28) Those who have insisted that the apostle rt'ft'rred exclusiwly to the Gentile powers ,,,hen he said, "The powers that be arc ordained of God," cite in support thereof the words of Peter, to wit: "Sub· mit yourselves to ewry ordinance of man [human erea1ion, Greek] for the Lord's sake; whether it bo to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil. dorrs, and for the praise of them that do well." A cat'eful cxamination of this text shows that it docs not apply to the powers cxercised by the Gcntile governments. 33 The phrase" ordinance of man" in the above text means" human creation' '. How then could it be said that any ordinance of the church is of human crea· tion '? When the man Christ Jesus appointed the apostles and sent them forth as leaders and governors 31
