The Need of Organization

The Need of Organization THE NEED OF ORGANIZATION
By Luther G. Roberts

Every organism is in a state or condition either of order or chaos; arrangement or disarrangement; unity or division; organization or confusion. The universe when spoken into existence by the mighty fiat of God was without organization (Genesis 1:1-2). “The Spirit brooded upon the face of the waters,” God spoke, chaos vanished and light appeared. The waters, were divided by the firmament, and the waters underneath the firmament were gathered together into one place, and the earth appeared. Then the plant life was brought into being upon the earth. The sun, moon, planets, and the stars, each was brought into its respective place in the universe. Animal life was created and given a place under the sun. Each plant and each animal life was perfectly organized. As the climtax of his organizing power, man in God’s own image, was made. He was given dominion over the living things upon, the earth, in the heavens, and in the sea. As the Psalmist says of man’s organization, he is “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Since man was honored with the divine image, and since God never gives too much for anything, the conclusion is plain and easy that man was and is more valuable and honorable than all the rest of creation. Yet, God’s material universe is not to be overlooked or despised. As the architect is seen in the building, so we/ behold God in the organization, the symmetry, and beauty of nature, in which each plant, planet, and animal is perfectly adapted to its respective sphere of activity. “The devout astronomer looks far beyond millions of suns with their planets and satellites ; far beyond all luminous and non-luminous bodies; far beyond the nebulae of the milky way, into fathomless and infinite space- space as superior to the grasp of the finite mind as God is to an atom, and high and lifted above all expression is God ‘blessed forevermore.’ ” While we are especially interested in that which pertains more directly to. man let us glance at the organization and government of the material universe. In the organization and divine administration of the.material there are three elements, the natural, the providential, and the miraculous. First, the natural, Natural, power is that ordinary force which God de-posited in nature for common or ordinary purposesl It remains in matter as a permanent factor. Second is providential power. Providential power is that additional force which God puts into nature for the ac-complishment of special purposes. Through nature and nature’s laws the providence of God works. Third is miraculous power. Miraculous power is force inde-pendent or., above natural power or means, as in the creation before there was any nature or natural power. Hence, there is perfect organization and perfect func-tioning in the government of nature, or the material universe. See this matter further treated in Milligan’s Scheme of Redemption.

Since God does not do the superfluous, organization was and is necessary in the material creation. Just so in his dealings with humankind there is need of organization. Organization in the government of man was needed in the first 2500 years of man’s existence on the earth. The plan of organization for the gov-ernment of man during this time is not fully revealed to us. But it is evident that God gave commands and that by faith man offered sacrifices to God. Parents governed their children and patriarchs their tribes. God was not it would seem favorable to confederated governments, but men were. God’s provision was for man to be governed not by a confederated form but that the government be that of a community of brethren.

Man was not content to be thus governed. God called the Hebrews out of Egypt and inaugurated, amidst the awful solemnities of Sinai, a system, of government for the good of the people. It was necessary that the nation called out of Egypt be organized. It was necessary in order to fulfill the promises of God; to g'overn the Jews, the law was their schoolmaster, tutor and governor, a wall of partition between the Jew and Gentile. Under God’s government the Jews prospered, but they became strong, worldly and proud, not content with God’s method of governing them. They desired to be like the nations round about them, and to have a government like theirs. So they asked for a king, which God granted them. Under this corrupt form of government they never did so well in pleasing God, as under that plain, simple form given by Jehovah.

Organization is needed also in the Christian dispen -sation, “the last days,” or final age before the end of time, in which we are now living. This is necessary to provide those things that pertain to man’s spiritual welfare as well as for his physical good.

We know that organization is needed in this age because it is Commanded, and examples of organization are found in the New Covenant, by which we are to be governed in this era. When Jesus chose twelve of his disciples to be apostles, and to be with him, to be- taught and trained by him for the great, work he purposed, there was some kind of an organization, of which Judas was the treasurer. During this period of the Savior’s personal ministry the material was prepared which went into the first organized congregation by the authority of Christ. Jesus promised and sent the Holy Spirit to the apostles to guide them into all truth; to direct them in organizing the greatest, most glorious institution ever inaugurated upon the earth—the church, eternity-purposed and blood-purchased. Jesus Christ is the reigning and ruling head of this institution. Of course, this church is the body of Christ, and was and and is necessary, for Jesus would not give his blood, nor would God purpose from all eternity, a non-essential institution, “a spiritual contingent.” That the church universal is to be made up of local churches, in various communities, each independent of every other one, and organized for effective work is clearly set forth in the New Testamnt (Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23).

Because the New Testament church is not an ecclesiasticism with a human head, and earthly head-quarters, with its convention, conference or synod, to direct its affairs, no one should draw the conclusion that there is not any system or organization about the Lord’s work. There must be some organization, some arrangement, in order to carry out the Lord’s appointments efficiently.

So, the conclusion is that organization is needed to do the work of the Lord effectually. The work ordained by the Lord Jesus Christ in this age or dispensation is, broadly speaking, three-fold: first, the preaching of the gospel; second, the edification of the saints; and third, the caring for the needy. Some work may be accomplished in each of these fields without organiza-tion, but for the work to be done thoroughly there must be some system for doing it. God has ordained that the work of preaching the gospel be done through the church. “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery which for ages hath been hid in God who created all things; to the intent that now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord,” is the language of the apostle Paul to the church at Ephesus (Ephesians 3:8-11). Again, Paul in writing to Timothy states this truth: “These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly; but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:14-15). It is the obligation of the churches of Christ to preach the gospel at home and abroad. This institution is the only agency which God has ordained for this great work. Churches are not fulfilling their re-sponsibility when they fail to proclaim the “gospel of Christ which is the power of God unto salvation.” The world could not have been evangelized in the first cen-tury of the Christian era as it was without organization.

Likewise God has purposed that through the church the saints shall be builded up in the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God (Ephesians 4:11-16). This scripture and many others show the organization which was set in order for the perfecting of the saints, for the growth of the body of Christ. It is the duty of the church to teach, train, and instruct those who become Christians by obedience to the gospel. Worshiping God is a part of the work of edification of the saints. Organization is required here to maintain a place for worship and to conduct the actual worship. A person might worship God acceptably under the trees in the woods by himself, but there by himself he cannot assemble with the saints and fellow-citizens of the household of God, he cannot speak to his fellow- worshiper, “teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs.” For mutual edification and fellowship we need organization.

Also in caring for the needy there must be some kind of an organization. James commands that we visit the “fatherless and widows in their afflictions,” or gives instruction which amounts to a command to do such work if we are true Christians (James 1:27). The examples of New Testament church doing this work as at Antioch, in Galatia, and in Macedonia, furnish us with authority for doing this work, and the method of doing it as well. In order to feed, clothe and shelter orphans, fatherless, widows who are widows indeed, efficient organization is required.

Moreover it is impossible to enforce discipline in the congregation unless there is organization. The erring are to be cared for, and disciplined when necessary, and without organization this cannot be done. There is no society, social, political, or religious, which does not, and of right ought to have, authority to exercise discipline among its members. In the state we have duly elected officers to maintain law and order. It is the responsibility and duty of every citizen to encourage obedience to the laws of the land. But in a special sense it is the duty of the officers of the law to see that the laws are enforced and that the guilty are punished. Just so, it is the duty of every Christian who is faithful to “restore the erring.” But In a special sense It is the duty of the bishops or elders, those “who watch in behalf of the souls of the saints as they that shall give account” unto God. If a congregation permits persons to lead sinful lives, or to teach false doctrines, in its membership knowingly, the whole congregation becomes a partaker of the sins. “A little leaven leavens the w'hole lump,” says Paul. If therefore, there were no other reasons for the existence of organization in the Lord’s work this one alone would be sufficient Now. as Brother Jas. K White, the Indian evangelist, would say, I want to make a careful statement: If the church of Christ d>d not exercise the other functions of the church to any greater extent or degree than the work of discipline there would be little reason, if'any, for any organization whatsoever."

Finally organization is required m the work of the Lord, for unless we have organization there cannot be successful cooperation. Without operation there can be no cooperation, and without cooperation our efforts will result in puny, small, and insignificant effect. This is the reason for the slow progress the churches of Christ have made in preaching the gospel through the world. We are divided into factions, or at least one congregation will not cooperate with certain other ones for various reasons which ought not to be, we are divided over preachers, colleges, etc.. until one group will not cooperate with the other. The only thing that matters is for each one of us, each Christian, to be lined up with the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ and his apostles, and then we will be united. If the preacher or the college is out of line with the New Testament then we ought to follow the New Testament regardless. The human body properly organized as a unit, works, and has perfect cooperation of all its members. Each member does his part and results are produced. This figure is used to show the relationship of members of the same congregation, but it may be used to enforce the teaching of cooperation of a number of congregations. Each congregation scripturally organized will willingly cooperate with every other congregation in every good work possible. Completely organized and functioning according to New Testament teaching there will be no schism, di-vision, and strife among brethren (Ephesians 4:16). When each congregation is organized properly, that is scrip-turally, there can be cooperation among the various congregations in the common labor for the salvation of the world. The cooperation of the churches in Mace-donia serves as an example as to how we may now cooperate in any work ordained of God. No society, political, social or religious, can function efficiently without organization. Since it is God’s will and purpose for man in this dispensation that he shall be saved through the church, the church must be organized, if it is to function according to the divine pattern. In conclusion permit me to drop a word of warning. Although organization is necessary, it is difficult, if not impossible, to keep man from overrganizing, or-ganizing something which is not authorized by the New Testament. But unless the organization is au-thorized in the scriptures for the age in which we live, we shall be condemned for organizing and having a part in such. We are living in a world of organizations religiously. These organizations in religion are called denominations, each of which has its related auxiliary organizations of all kinds and types. But these do not constitute the organization established, instituted, and set in order by scriptural authority. Hence, we should be content with the organization perfected by the apostles of Christ, and revealed unto us by “holy men of old who were moved by the Holy Spirit/' Human organizations in the work of the Lord are unnecessary, and they are plants which the heavenly Father did not plant, and they shall be rooted up. May the Lord help us who claim to “speak where the Bible speaks, and to be silent where the Bible is silent” to work diligently through the organization revealed in the New Testament, and to trust God to give the increase.