Lesson 1801

(Lesson 1801)(09-22-16) Luke 22:24-30

"And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. 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. 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. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

In today's quote, Jesus made it very clear that no one disciple of Christ shall be appointed in authority over another. We are all equal in the sight of God.

This lesson exposes the fallacy put forth by Roman Catholicism et al, that one man, (The pope), or any man or group, can be set apart as the ultimate spiritual authority over Christ's church. Jesus insisted that the higher one might be regarded in the church, the more of a servant to the church that one should be.

Although scripture does provide for certain designated jobs in the church, teachers, preachers, elders, deacons etc, (Study the books of Timothy), no individual child of God was ever granted spiritual authority over another. All spiritual authority over the children of God belongs to the entire body of the church as a collective.~