Hierarchy

The word hierarchy is "a system or organization in which people or groups are ranked one above the other according to status or authority."

Is there a "hierarchy" in the Church established by Christ?

The answer may not be as simple as one thinks. When we say hierarchy we think of people ruling one over the other but that is not what the word actually means.

It does contain the word archy from the Greek word archon^[1] or the verb archo ^[2]which does mean ruler or rule over and is commonly used to reference rulers over people and translated as prince, chief, magistrate, commander, or leader.

We find forms of the word in the Bible like archisunagogos^[3] meaning the ruler of the synagogue. He is not really ruling over people but over a place. Put the people who enter the place must remain orderly while in that place according to what the archisunagogos dictates but all they have to do is leave the place and they are free to do as they wish.

The Greek word synagogue ^[4] does not just mean a place like a building but can mean an assembly. Early Israel gathered in congregations of ten families often choosing Levites as their ministers. These were free assemblies because there was no means by which to bind the people together and keep the Law of Moses.

At other times in history membership in a synagogue or congregation became the result of a contract with Kings like Herod the Great who offered a socialist system of welfare like that of Nimrod which made the word of God to none effect.

The chief ruler of the synagogue could kick you out ot the welfare system run through the synagogues like we see John 9:22^[5]

But some of these heads of synagogues repented ^[6] These men followed the ways of Christs and led their synagogues back to the righteous ways of Christ. They were still part of a welfare system in Pure Religion but they now depended upon Faith, Hope and Charity rather than force to provided for their needs. This righteous system of Corban set the people free in many ways but they now needed a Daily ministration dependent upon the Perfect law of liberty.

Men like Crispus began following the ways of Christ:

Acts 18:8 "And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized."

Crispus, Joses who became Barnabas, became part of a hierarchy that served the people with their Freewill offerings. They did not rule over the people but over the offering. If they did a poor job people picked a minister who did a better job.

These were not national elections but local in the living network of self organizing Tens.

There was the politarches ^[7] which means the ruler of the city like a mayor or governor.

Or there is the word architriklinos < 755 ~ἀρχιτρίκλινος~ architriklinos \@ar-khee-tree’-klee-nos\@ from 746 and a compound of 5140 and 2827 (a dinner-bed, because composed of three couches); ; n m AV-governor of the feast 2, ruler of the feast 1; 3 1) the superintendent of the dining room, a table master. It differs from toast-master, who was one of the guests selected by lot to prescribe to the rest the mode of drinking. The table master was to place in order the tables and the couches, arrange the courses, taste the food and wine beforehand, and so forth.</Ref> which although it sounds ominous literally means the ruler of three couches. His job was to arrange things at a feast or big dinner so everything went well.

While the Church in general is an organization it consists of participants, the laity or people and the ministers who conform to Christ for His purposes are members of the Church. They are to be Benefactors of the people but are not to exercise authority one over the other. There is an absence of hierarchy in the sense of ruling over people.

Clearly there is a hierarchy in the Church which we see with Jesus comment in Matthew 23:11 "But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant."^[8]

He goes on in Matthew 23:12 to say "And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted."^[9]

So in what sense are the Ministers of the Church a hierarchy?

Hierarchy is a late Middle English word via the Old French and medieval Latin from Greek hierarkhia, from hierarkhēs ‘sacred ruler’. The earliest sense was ‘system of orders of angels and heavenly beings’; the other senses date from the 17th century.

But the Greek word

Jesus uses it when He appoints the kingdom to the apostles.^[10]

The apostles were rulers and princes but not over the people like the governments of the gentiles. They ruled over that which was freely given to them. If they did not do well with what was given to them for the purposes of Christ the people could choose to give no more. Any government where the rulers can force the contributions of the people is not following the ways of Christ, nor are the people free or at liberty.

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Footnotes

↑ 758 ~ἄρχων~ archon \@ar’-khone\@ present participle of 757; n m AV-ruler 22, prince 11, chief 2, magistrate 1, chief ruler 1; 37 1) a ruler, commander, chief, leader
↑ 757 ~ἄρχω~ archo \@ar’-kho\@ a primary word; v AV-rule over 1, reign over 1; 2 1) to be chief, to lead, to rule
↑ 752 ~ἀρχισυνάγωγος~ archisunagogos \@ar-khee-soon-ag’-o-gos\@ from 746 and 4864; n m AV-ruler of the synagogue 7, chief ruler of the synagogue 2; 9 1) ruler of the synagogue. It was his duty to select the readers or teachers in the synagogue, to examine the discourses of the public speakers, and to see that all things were done with decency and in accordance with ancestral usage.
↑ 4864 ~συναγωγή~ sunagoge \@soon-ag-o-gay’\@ from (the reduplicated form of) 4863; n f AV-synagogue 55, congregation 1, assembly 1; 57
1) a bringing together, gathering (as of fruits), a contracting

2) in the NT, an assembling together of men, an assembly of men

3) a synagogue
3a) an assembly of Jews formally gathered together to offer prayers and listen to the reading and expositions of the scriptures; assemblies of that sort were held every sabbath and feast day, afterwards also on the second and fifth days of every week; name transferred to an assembly of Christians formally gathered together for religious purposes

3b) the buildings where those solemn Jewish assemblies are held. Synagogues seem to date their origin from the Babylonian exile. In the times of Jesus and the apostles every town, not only in Palestine, but also among the Gentiles if it contained a considerable number of Jewish inhabitants, had at least one synagogue, the larger towns several or even many. These were also used for trials and inflicting punishment.
↑ : John 9:22 These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
↑ : John 12:42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:
↑ 4173 ~πολιτάρχης~ politarches \@pol-it-ar’-khace\@ from 4172 and 757; ; n m AV-ruler of the city 2; 2 1) a ruler of a city or citizens
↑ Luke 22:26 But ye [shall] not [be] so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
↑ Luke 22:27 For whether [is] greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? [is] not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. 28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. 29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
↑ : Matthew 20:25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
Mark 10:42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.

Luke 22:25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.

About the author

Brother Gregory
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