The Church In The City - With One Voice!
The Spirit and Witness of the Covenanters: Presbytery
A Voice Speaks From Antiquity To A Contemporary Situation
By Ron Thaxton
Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all
speak the same thing, and [that] there be no divisions (dissension) among you, but
[that] you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
(1 Corinthians 1:10 NKJV) The message delivered by the leaders of God’s people needs to be one message, so no matter where the people of God turn, the message from God’s heart will come through no matter how different ones have expressed it.” Henry Blackaby, Experience God today, Vol. 3 No. 4, Sept/Oct. 2002
The Church in the City must be able to speak into that community with an integrated, harmonious voice (see 1 Cor. 1:10 above - “speak the same thing”). With this verse Paul begins a discourse that he will continue to pursue over the course of three chapters in his first missive to the Church at Corinth with the central issue being the struggle between worldly wisdom and the wisdom of God. Which will prevail–their predilections for their favorite teachers or the mind of Christ? The word mind in this verse is encountered next in 2 Corinthians 2:16b, “But we have the mind of Christ.” The context of this verse makes it imperative that we see the need for corporate integrity and continuity. Paul’s “we” is not about a collection of individuals, but a unity of mind and purpose. The church is to be God’s Holy Temple (His House) in the community in which it is located. Or, to put it another way, you are God’s house (1 Corinthians 3:9b - The Message).1 As the naos or sanctuary of God (Ephesians 2:22) in our city we represent the only viable alternative to the wisdom of the world that is already so pervasive within our communities.16 Don’t you realize that all of you together (corporately) are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in (among) you?17 God will bring ruin upon anyone who ruins this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you Christians are that temple.18 Stop fooling yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you will have to become a fool so you can become wise by God’s standards. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, “God catches those who think they are wise in their own cleverness” (1 Corinthians 3 - The New Living Translation).2
This passage is all about the integrity and responsibility of the community of faith and has nothing to do with individualism except where such brings defilement to God’s House. Dr. Gordon Fee emphatically writes, “ . . . this is one of the few texts in the NT where we are exposed both to an understanding of the nature of (the church) {God’s temple indwelt by his Spirit} and where the warning of v.17 makes it clear how important (the church) is to God himself.”3 Dr. Fee continues to stress, “One of the desperate needs of the church is to recapture this vision of what it is by grace, and therefore also what God intends it to be. Seldom does one sense that it (the church) is, or can be, experienced as a community that is so powerfully indwelt by the Spirit that it functions as a genuine alternative to the pagan world in which it is found. It is perhaps not too strong to suggest that the recapturing of this vision of its being, both in terms of its being powerfully indwelt by the Spirit and of its thereby serving as a genuine alternative (‘holy’ in the most holistic sense) to the world, is its single greatest need.”4
The distinct voice of God issuing forth from the inner sanctuary of His dwelling place confronts the wisdom of this present age with the manifold wisdom of the Ancient of Days. The People of God cannot be called into action or to accountability with an indistinct sound. The powers and principalities must be served notice that their heretofore dictatorial regime is coming to a swift end. This authoritative command will break strongholds and bring down every high and lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God. The revelation of the wisdom of God is not contingent on uniformity, but is wholly dependent upon unity within diversity. “So that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety (multifaceted, variegated) might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 3:10).5
To fragment (through spreading dissension; tearing the wineskin) the House of the Lord is to bring the imminent risk of condemnation upon one’s own head. Unrepentant violation of covenant opens the mouth of hell to swallow the offender. Proverbs tells us that there are six things God hates, seven that are detestable to Him and the seventh is “a man who stirs up dissension among brothers” (Proverbs 6:19b NIV). The source of division within the Corinthian church was their quarreling over who was following the teacher with the greatest wisdom. This amounts to nothing less than a desecration or defiling of the dwelling of God. “If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you (all) are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:17 NIV).
“But, since the ‘60s everyone has functioned individually. It’s almost like spiritual anarchy where everyone does what is right in his own eyes. If there was ever a time when there ought to have been a covenant kind of response right across the Christian community, it was in the wake of 9-11, but we lost it. Henry Blackaby
In covenant relationship there is congruity, integrity of voice - none is exalted above the other. Ephesians 5:21 “ . . . and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.” The people of God bound together in covenant with Him (House of the Lord) for their city, state, nation, etc. will be the voice of God (gate of heaven) toward that community. And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." (Genesis 28:17 NASB)
The Covenanters of 17th Century Scotland held to this principle at the peril of their lives – and some 18,000 joined the voice of the slain from beneath the altar of God for they would acknowledge neither prelate nor prince (outside their covenant) as the authoritative voice of God for their nation. The spirit of their National Covenant exalted Jesus Christ as the Head of His Church–He alone is the ultimate, benevolent Despot. The royal blue banner under which they struggled and died declares, “For Christ’s Crown and Covenant!”
“Oh, the sun shines fair on these welcoming hills
As they ring with the echoes of faith
Remembering the brave who gave all for His will
Running into God’s arms and these welcoming hills.”6
These stirring words are from the chorus of a song written in dedication to their lasting testimony of faith and their unyielding commitment to covenant with Christ, toward one another and for their nation. Their conviction was that their covenant remains binding on their natural and spiritual heirs. Indeed, they were actually carrying forth the legacy and light of their ancient Celtic Christian (Scotland’s original expression of Christianity) forbearers who recognized no boundaries between the sacred and secular–the Kingdom of God is pervasive.
My conviction is that the term “covenant” is used rather nonchalantly in our day, without a full realization of the sincerity of its obligations. The Covenanters commitment to this principle cost thousands of them their lives–indeed, it had already demanded that they lay down their lives for their friends (John 15:13). Do we dare step out into these baptismal waters (Mark 10:38-39)? If we sincerely desire to emulate Christ we must–there is no alternative.
One of the primary elements of Celtic Christianity was and is a value known as anmchara or “soul friendship.” Anmchara is a relationship of mutual blessing that is nonhierarchical and of a personal rather than professional nature although mentoring is sometimes involved. The relationships are "centered on God, the soul friend in whom all other friendships are united. True soul friends do not depend on each other alone, but root their relationship in God." Anmchara relentlessly draws our attention toward the covenant relationship between Jonathan and David.
In his book, It's Time To End Church Splits, Francis Frangipane writes:
Just as the devil's goal is to put himself or some thing between people to divide them, so Christ puts Himself among us in order to heal us and bring unity. Additionally, the Lord puts His Spirit and His cross between us, reminding us that our issues are not the issue: He is! Like Jonathan spoke in covenant with David, "May the Lord be between you and me . . . forever" (1 Sam 20:42 NKJV).
God places His Son between us, not issues.
These few words by Pastor Frangipane succinctly present the core obligations of covenant relationships. As a friend said recently, "Covenant relationships are not about 'warm- fuzzies.'" The covenantal relationship between the then two vying houses for the throne of Israel (yet they were one in their commitment to national survival through the destruction of her enemies) was unconditional (1 Samuel 20:4, 17) and eternal (1 Samuel 20:23, 42). The obligations of such a covenant should not be entered into lightly. For these obligations are weighty indeed, but the ensuing benefits are immeasurable. “Take my yoke (covenant) upon you and learn from me7, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Jeremiah 31:33-34). For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30 NIV)
“Too many of the spiritual voices had differing messages, so the people were confused.” Henry Blackaby “For if the trumpet makes an uncertain (indistinct) sound, who will prepare himself for battle?” (1 Corinthians 14:8 NKJV)
To be the authoritative voice of God in a community it is requisite upon the church itself to be a covenantal community–particularly where its leaders are concerned. The Covenanters called this presbytery (1 Timothy 4:14). The resultant blessing for the community itself will be incalculable.
The New Testament repeatedly asserts the effectiveness of agreement. "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 18:19 NASB). Although the Bible is replete with prayer promises, this passage cannot be construed as one of those. The context here is a judicial one– that is speaking into a situation with the authoritative will of God thus bringing resolution to a seemingly impassable situation (also 1 Corinthians 1:10 above). These individuals are the recognized leaders of that community of faith (presbytery). "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst" (Matthew 18:20). The Name indicates the congruity of the Godhead and its inherent inviolate immutability –the ultimate expression of covenant! The Name of the Godhead is Jesus (John 1:18; Col. 1:19, 2:9; Hebrews 1:3), that is why we can find harmony and not disparity among the various baptismal formulas found in the New Testament (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38).
This type of agreement is incumbent upon relationships that are much deeper than superficial, they must be covenantal–respect and appreciation are its core issues. Desperation can be an instrument in facilitating just such relationships. Christ’s prayer of John 17 calls us from convenience to commitment–we must move from a mere show of unity to the positive reality of covenant. Paul, in his exhortation to the Corinthian Church to transition from seeking the wisdom of men to seeking the wisdom of God reveals that neither he nor Apollos have an independent importance. The significance of their ministry to the Corinthians lies in their being yoked together under the hand of God and through such a relationship true wisdom is made manifest resulting in the growth of the Church along Godly paradigms. “So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:7 NASB). From
this vantage point our relationships with one another in the Body of Christ will not easily be subverted - the wineskin will stand the testing without being torn (schisma - division, dissension) asunder!
Psalm19: 4a “ . . . yet their voice (line) goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” The Psalmist here speaks of the general revelation of God through creation. He then moves to specific revelation by the Word of the Lord, which reaches its apex of revelation in the Living Word. Our Lord has committed to us - His Church - the furtherance of this ministry until the consummation of the ages. The voice or the line (a measure) of the Church is to provide a standard against which the wisdom of this present age is called into account. Our voice must be a distinct clear one if we are to fulfill our destiny–turning the world from the futility of pursuing its own wisdom toward the imperishable all-sufficient wisdom of God. Henry Blackaby’s prophetic exhortation reveals to us that we did not measure up to the opportunity that was set before us subsequent to September 11, 2001 for our voice was indistinct. No judgment was provided–no plumb line was dropped! As a result no standard of righteousness was set–the church was not called into accountability or to action. Instead, through misdirected attempts at “correctedness,” our Saviour has been relegated to a pluralistic pantheon of deities and society has been bombarded with what Joseph Stowell, president of Moody Bible Institute has called a new “religious paganism.” This is the wisdom of men devoid of the power of God– Jesus stripped of the royal vesture of the Name, which is above every name. Since we have held covenantal relationships in such light regard, through our behavior we have not provided a standard of righteousness that beckons to a society morally adrift - desperately seeking a safe haven in which to drop its anchor.
God, however, who exists in covenant community will not fail in His purposes! “...so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Ephesians 3:10-11 NRSV). As the church presses into covenantal relationships either by choice or out of desperation she will fulfill her destiny in the earth.
Appendix A: Celtic Connection
“Is it no wonder that the wife of Ed Silvoso is of Scottish descent?!” were the prophetic words of Arthur Burke as he pulled Ruth Silvoso from her seat beside her husband to stand before those assembled there. The setting was a CityReachers’ Summit sponsored by Harvest Evangelism. Ed Silvoso is the President of Harvest and is one of the leading practitioners of CityReaching in our day. The gathering had been monumental in several aspects, but I was not prepared for what was about to be released in me. “Who here is of Scottish heritage, is in a Presbyterian Church or has been in a Presbyterian Church? Please stand!” were Arthur Burke’s next words and for me that was two out of the three. He went on to say that we cannot expect to reach whole cities or nations without the legacy of John Knox who God used to transform the nation of Scotland in the 16th Century and who was instrumental in the establishment of the Presbyterian Church. He urged those still in their seats to stretch their hands toward those standing and pray for us. I cannot fully explain (maybe this treatise is part of the explanation) what came over me next. The as yet unfulfilled destiny of my Godly sleeping ancestors reached forward in the providence of Almighty God to awaken a dormancy in my own life. I have only begun to plumb the depths of the annals of that moment, but it has continued to play itself out in my life: by chapter, by paragraph, by sentence and by word!
Scotland’s rich promise of Celtic Christianity was not to continue without interruption for she was to descend into the dark dungeon of the “bondwomen’s” enslavement (Galatians 4:21-31 - the Galatians are Celts). God primarily used three men to deliver the national heart of Scotland from the land of slaves. John Knox is the most remembered, but his path was paved by the witness of two who went before him. Patrick Hamilton and George Wishart, were both sacrificed at the fiery stake of religious intolerance in a futile attempt to satisfy its insatiable blood lust. Knox, although likely unknowingly, had entered into the spirit of Anmchara with Wishart to the extent that he was eager to join his noble friend on the pyre, but the elder gentleman dissuaded him with the words, “One is sufficient for one sacrifice.” The Lord had much more to accomplish through the “thundering Scot” before his stout heart would cease its labor. During these tumultuous times Knox was taken prisoner by the French and held in the galley of a ship on his way to enslavement in France. As his native land was passing out of sight he was able to glance out of the hold and declare, “Give me Scotland or I die!” as the great city of Edinburgh faded in the distance. In essence he covenanted himself with God for the nation in league with those who had gone before him. After an absence of thirteen years with nineteen months spent as a galley slave, he returned to Scotland to lead the nation out of its dark night of dead religiosity into the bright light of purity of devotion to Christ–transformation! His successors were the Covenanters who drew up their National Covenant in 1638 asserting their right, under God, to national sovereignty. On the eve of his home going in November 1572, he asked that two passages of scripture be read. One of these was John 17, “the place where I cast my first anchor,” were some of the final words of this great Scottish patriarch and prophet. We who long for the fullness of the stature of Jesus Christ to be revealed in our midst do not have to wonder about the content of John 17. And then we have the largely untapped treasure trove of the Pre-Columbian presence of Celtic missionary monks in our area dating to 500-600AD. The witness to their evangelistic endeavors still gazes out expectantly over our land from under the clefting rocks in the form of chiseled Gospel messages inscribed in their ancient hand of Ogham. Their witness has endured longingly throughout perpetuity awaiting its fulfillment. One of these petroglyphs located in Wyoming County, West Virginia is in the form of a ship with a sail, which indicates these were a seafaring people and reads, “Christ was smitten and paid an abundant ransom for those who will allow his wind to drive their ship.” No modern day exegetical authority could better this commentary on Ephesians 5:18b, “...but be filled with the Spirit,...” which is analogous to being propelled along by the Divine Wind of the Holy Spirit as He billows the sails of our lives. This prophetic witness awaits just such a people who will emerge from this land to be authentically led by the Holy Spirit as their ancient ancestors were led.
Other cultures, ethnicities and denominations have their own distinctives and values to contribute to the whole, but for the purpose of this composition I am looking particularly at the redemptive gift of the Scots/Celts as their heritage has a significant influence in the Appalachian Region. We must see ourselves as standing on the shoulders of the witness of these who have gone before –for by faith they still speak.
I never knew you, but I know your heart
We’ve never spoken, but I hear your voice
I’ve never seen you, but I know you’re near
Foundations laid, the way is paved.
Now I walk in a brighter day.
Great saints of the faith, steadfast and true,
Holding out the light for all to see
Brothers and sisters of the one true God
Hearts united to serve their King.8
Appendix B: A Practical Reality
Now, we must ponder this issue: is what I have written so far the meanderings of vain idealism, or is there substantive reality to these principles? Evidence will triumph over argument every time! In our city we have a small group of pastors and intercessors that meet regularly to pray and seek God for His strategy for our community. We call them the GateKeepers. Early in 2002 we gathered to consider the possibility of a literature distribution campaign that would receive substantial support from a major evangelistic ministry. It was a quality program and we were about 95% sure we were going to initiate the process. As the GateKeepers prayed and sought His guidance we were inexorably redirected to focus our resources instead on calling our city to forty days of prayer and fasting in cooperation with the national initiative: Seek GOD for the City 2002! The goal was to have 1% of our total population praying together in agreement on a daily basis and that objective was realized. Our Lord released strategy and vision during that period of consecration that is continuing to build and to reap eternal benefits as these words are being written. Together, we received the “mind of Christ” for our city.
Did these men and women represent the highest profile ministries in our area? Not necessarily so, at least as some might define prominence. Yet they had covenanted together to cry out with one heart, mind and soul for the transformation of their community. It is this type of agreement that is a sweet fragrance of incense in the nostrils of God and which beckons His attention (John 4:23).
Following is an excerpt from an e- mail I received recently from Ron Archer of the International Reconciliation Coalition that is evidence that our Lord is speaking this truth back into His Church. “My spiritual equilibrium has been seriously affected as I watch in horror (subsequent to 9/11/01) the increasingly rapid secularization, depravity and disintegration of our society and culture and see how the little seeming effect the Church of Jesus Christ with all it's powerful personalities, prominent properties, pertinent programs and powerful events is having. Could it be that the Prince of Peace is absent? Is it possible that we've substituted these things for the powerful personal presence of Jesus Christ and deep covenant relationships within the Body of Christ - the WHOLE Body of Christ?”
This last sentence describes a process known as organic unity - loving trusting relationships anchored in the headship of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:15). This is a concept that I have learned from my friends in the African-American community and has served as a guiding precept for many years. I would submit to you that we cannot have the powerful presence of Jesus Christ without having deep covenantal relationships within the Body of Christ and the counterpart is just as true (Matthew 22:37-40).
Now, where do we go from here? Whatever laurels there may be, it is not time to rest on them. Surely there is something that has laid hold of us deep within our spirits and now we must lay hold of it (Philippians 3:12). Unfortunately the term covenant is at best misunderstood and at worst misused and abused. I believe that this is not the time to introduce the concept into the church at large until it has been fleshed out in practical realities. Our intention is to make our GateKeepers meeting the living laboratory for this experiment. As we gathered this week there was an immediate urgency to enter into a season of prayer. As I listened to what was being prayed I became aware that the tenor running through the petitions was a declaration of God’s intents and purposes for our city and region!
Yes, Lord! We believe we have heard your call and we want to pursue your call with all that is within us!
1Peterson, Eugene H., The Message, (Colorado Springs: NavPress Publishing Group) 1997.
2Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
3Fee, Gordon D., The First Epistle to the Corinthians, NICNT (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans Publishing, 1987) p. 149
4Ibid., pp. 149-150
5The New Revised Standard Version, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers) 1989.
6“Welcoming Hills”, Scott Krippene, Steve Siles and Tony Wood, New Song Publishing, Inc., 2002;
Celtic Cry, The Heart of a Martyr, Discovery House Music, Grand Rapids, MI, 2002
7 “Learn from the revelation that I alone impart.” Relationship facilitates revelation; it is the good soil. Covenant allows access, it makes way into, the heart of our yokefellow.
8Hearts United, Words and Music by Matthew Ward, Megin’s College Fund Music, 2001; Celtic Cry, The Heart of a Martyr, Discovery House Music, Grand Rapids, MI, 2002
