10/22/11
Greetings, This week we are going to take a look at the role of church government in establishing unity. Once proper church government is in place and unity has been established, the Spirit of God will operate in ways that boggle the imagination. This is modeled for us in the book of Acts.
Before we jump in, I need to establish an important fact. Everything in the Bible has significance. This not only extends to the stories and wisdom it relays, but into every color and number that it employs. For some people, it is too difficult to accept that one book could be so perfectly accurate. Yet when the evidence is considered, the fact that the Bible uses the same meanings for numbers from beginning to end cannot be denied, even by the greatest skeptic. The importance of their meaning as established by Scripture is carried even into realms such as dream interpretation.
Having said this I am going to give a few examples of what I mean. The number one means unity and the beginning of something. God is three and yet one. When people act as one they are operating in unity. God is also the beginning and the end. The book of Genesis, being book number one of the Bible, discusses the beginning of creation. The number three stands for whatever is solid, real, substantial or complete. We live in a three-dimensional world with length, width, and height. As Christians, we believe in the triune God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. The list goes on.
For a thorough discussion of the importance of number in Scripture I recommend a book by E.W. Bullinger called Number in Scripture: Its Supernatural Design and Spiritual Significance (Kregel Publications, 1967). With this said, I want to focus in on the numbers of importance for this letter. These are the numbers eleven and twelve.
The number twelve is the number of perfect government. This is established by the fact that Jesus appointed twelve apostles. There are twelve tribes of Israel. There are also twelve gates to New Jerusalem according to the book of Revelation. Eleven, being one short of twelve becomes representative of imperfect government, disorder, disorganization, and imperfection. When Jacob lost Joseph (leaving him with 11 sons), he was miserable and mourned His loss. While Jacob was the Father of Israel, his brother Esau became the father of the Edomites. It is recorded that God said, “Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated.” There were twelve tribes of Israel but according to Genesis 36:40-43 there were eleven Dukes of Edom. In addition, consider that Zedekiah reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years before Nebuchadnezzar conquered him and ended Israeli control of Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 36:11, Jeremiah 39:2).
What does this have to do with our topic? We are going to pick up our discussion at the ascension of Jesus. At that time only eleven apostles were alive because the twelfth—Judas—had committed suicide after betraying Jesus (Acts 1:16-19). This represented imperfect government, something that God would not allow his church to be built upon. When Jesus ascended to heaven, eleven apostles watched, and then returned to Jerusalem to wait in the upper room for the promise of the Holy Spirit. This was in obedience to what Jesus told them.
“And being assembled together with them, He [Jesus] commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4-5 NKJV)
When they got there they were in one accord in prayer and supplication, yet the promise of the Spirit did not come.
“And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: [1] Peter, [2] James, [3] John, and [4] Andrew; [5] Philip and [6] Thomas; [7] Bartholomew and [8] Matthew; [9] James the son of Alphaeus and [10] Simon the Zealot; and [11] Judas the son of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.” (Acts 1:13-14 NKJV)
They were in one accord. They had unity, but it was based on imperfect government. At one point Peter had a revelation and stood up to speak. He realized that Psalms 109:8 prophesied exactly what would have to happen. Judas had betrayed Jesus and another man would have to take his office. Peter said:
“For it is written in the Book of Psalms: ‘Let his dwelling place be desolate, And let no one live in it’; and, ‘Let another take his office.’” (Acts 1:20)
When everyone else realized that he was right they selected two men, prayed and cast lots. The lot fell on Matthias and he became the twelfth apostle, taking the office of Judas. After his selection, they went back to prayer and supplication. Perfect government and unity was in place. Only at this time did the promise of the Spirit manifest on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit showed up with signs, wonders, and did things that were certainly beyond the disciples imaginations. He showed up as tongues of fire and baptized everyone in the upper room.
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.” (Acts 2:1-3)
As we work towards unity and all of the possibility that it will open up for us, we must keep in mind that it must be established along with proper government. We are part of a kingdom. A kingdom is a government. This is why Ephesians 4:11 lists the offices of God’s government over his church. All must be in place and fully functional for unity to have its intended impact.
“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13)
Discussion
1. Are numbers in the Bible significant?
2. What is the significance of the number 12?
3. What is the significance of the number 11?
4. What is the significance of the number 1?
5. What happens when you take the difference of 11 and 12? [12-11=___]
