There's Only "One Class" Of Citizen In The Lord's Church

Years ago, a well-known comedian made the following statement in determining one's financial position: "When you go to work, if your name is on the outside of the building, you're rich. If your name is on your desk, you're middle-class. If your name is on your shirt, you're poor" (source). We live in a class-conscious society, because we concern ourselves with the material trappings that display our status: the homes in which we live; the vehicles we drive; the clothes and accessories we wear. Even the way we refer to ourselves are at times calculated to elevate us in the eyes of others. Why else would the garbage collector need to be known as a "sanitation engineer," or the person who bags our groceries called a "courtesy clerk," or the janitor at the public school, a "custodian"?

Because we are accustomed to class distinctions in everyday life, some have come to expect them in the church. Denominational bodies fosters this notion. Certain individuals are designated "clergy" and assigned special titles such as, "reverend", "father", "monsignor", or "pope." The clergy are special (so "religious" men say) — they know what God's word says, and insofar as the lay person need to know any of it, they'll interpret it for you. After all, an unordained, untitled person such as yourself can't be expected to comprehend the "deep" mysteries of faith (tongue-in-cheek). The New Testament, however, clearly reveals the fallacy of the "clergy" concept. Among the people of God, "there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all" (Colossians 3:11; Galatians 3:28). No distinctions of class exist in the body of Christ. All Christians belong to the same holy, royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:5,9; Revelation 1:6). The church has no head except Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18).

Many sincere religious people incorrectly believe the Bible uses "pastor" to designate a single individual overseeing a congregation (usually the local preacher) and "bishop" to indicate one who oversees multiple churches. In the New Testament, the terms pastor (literally, shepherd), bishop, elder and overseer are used interchangeably as descriptive nouns (not formal titles) for the same office: the plurality of men appointed to the oversight of a single local congregation (Acts 14:23; Acts 20:17-38; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-5). In no instance in the New Testament do we find record of any one individual having oversight either of a single church or of several. The Scriptures make a clear distinction between elders or pastors and men whose primary work is preaching and teaching. These latter men are variously called "evangelists" (Ephesians 4:11), "ministers" (1 Timothy 4:6), or "preachers" (Romans 10:14). Again, these terms are not "official" titles, but simply words that describe the work being done. And nowhere does the Bible assign the evangelist or preacher the task of governing or shepherding the local church (see Biblical Definitions article).

People enjoy having fancy titles. They like the feeling of "class" such titles afford. But the church of God isn't an exercise in class warfare between its members (1 Corinthians 1:10-13) — it is God's instrument of spiritual warfare against His adversary in the world (Ephesians 3:10; Ephesians 6:10-18). In Christ, there is no upper class, middle class, or lower class citizens. There's only "one class" of citizen in the Lord's church — those obedient souls whom the Lord has added (Acts 2:47).

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets