Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
Hierarchy is also mentioned in Matthew 23:9 and
Matthew 20:25 "But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them."
So the fellowship of the apostles, no, the words of Christ Himself, tells me that hierarchy is not normal.
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Yes, the New Testament talks about hierarchy that can be negative. You then conclude that it is not normal. But that is not supported by Matthew who also says "since they sit in Moses seat do all they say". Moses seat was set up by God. Since he was unable to care for the millions of people he set up a hierarchy. Try reading the Bible.
Peter also speaks of hierarchy:
5 Elders who [are] among you, I exhort, who [am] a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of the Christ, and of the glory about to be revealed a partaker,
2 feed the flock of God that [is] among you, overseeing not constrainedly, but willingly, neither for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind,
3 neither as exercising lordship over the heritages, but patterns becoming of the flock,
4 and at the manifestation of the chief Shepherd, ye shall receive the unfading crown of glory.
Elders are a form of hierarchy in a family.
Overseeing is contrasted with "lording it over". The proper function is to oversee, the distorted function is to "lord it over". A proper motive is out of a ready mind of one who is serving the Lord, an improper motive is for filthy lucre. An improper approach is to lord it over, a proper approach is to be a pattern to the flock.
But whether it is proper or improper, it is still organization and hierarchy.