Episcopal Authority and True Hierarchy (Theocracy)

Although we believe that there is a clear difference between the Clergy; (people called, who are separated unto full time ministry) and the Laity; (the ordinary local church membership). we also believe in the priesthood of all believers and that there is no mediator between God and man, save the man Christ Jesus. We also state that all true “born again” Christians have the same and equal position in Christ because of His wonderful salvation freely given to all that receive Him.

However, there is rank and file in the body of Christ on earth. The original intention of Jesus Christ and the Apostles was to lay down a sure foundation of principles, understanding and experience of doctrine, faith and practice. Clearly democracy in the body of Christ was not tolerated and seen as fleshly minded, carnal and worldly. For Church membership to have the “right” to vote on anything is unscriptural.

For the disciples to have cast lots for a successor to Judas was an abomination and of course we never hear of their replacement disciple again. Why? Because, he was not the right spiritual replacement, and we believe that Saul of Tarsus was the Lord’s clear choice to become the Apostle Paul, the wise master builder and chief Apostle. It is important to note however, that the disciples obviously saw themselves as an elite separate delegated authority, otherwise they would not have tried to replace one of their number at all.

Is there a hierarchy in heaven? Of course there is.

God functions as a theocracy and His church on earth should do the same. There is rank and file and order in heaven and there should be rank and file and order in His Kingdom and in the Church on earth. Jesus taught us to pray what is commonly known as “The Lord’s Prayer” and in it are contained these powerful words; “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Now that is clear enough isn’t it?

There is no “rebellion” in heaven and when there was, its instigator was regarded as the source of all iniquity and sin and that leader and his argumentative, vying, volatile and self-warring followers were cast out of heaven.

As far as we know from Bible Scripture, there is no “congregational elected board of deacons” in heaven. As far as we know from Bible Scripture, there are no preachers “on trial” by a congregation, who want to see if they will accept this preacher as their new pastor. As far as we know from Bible Scripture there are no “ruling elders”, “clerk of session” or “moderator of the presbyters” in heaven. As far as we know from Bible Scripture, there are no “independent churches or independent works for the Lord” in heaven and definitely no “lone range” individuals who refuse to submit to God’s throne but would rather “do their own thing for Jesus” and live in “their cabin in the corner of Glory Land”

No! In the light of what we read in Bible Scripture and what Jesus Christ instituted by calling out His disciples, teaching them and sending them out, is that there is a clear rank and file required to be implemented, adhered to and upheld, if the full experience of Church is to be realized by the individual lives of the membership of His Body which is the Church that fills all and in all.
This why we believe what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians is true of his time and also today, that many are weak and sick because they don’t discern the Lord’s Body.

Paul built the Church in Corinth as the wise master-builder and as Peter called him, “the Chief Apostle. But what happened? The membership preferred the oratory of Apollos rather than Paul. They distained oversight and leadership and ended up rebellious, carnal and their church was filled with sin. They wouldn’t submit to God’s man, the Apostle Paul.

We believe in Hierarchy or Delegated Authority. It is a biblical fact that all Christians should be submitted to a special man of God, or "God's man," who as Christ's delegated authority is given special vision to lead the Lord's people into the fullness of His plan.

Now what does it mean to submit to God’s man. It means that the membership submit to leadership “as unto the Lord”. We emphasize that as being; “membership in the body submits to leadership, as if it was the Lord Himself that they are submitting to. Why? Because of these Bible Scriptures: 1 Corinthian 10.2, 1 Corinthians 11.1, Philippians 3.17,18, 1 Peter 5.5.

We believe that every Christian should be baptized unto a man of God in the sense that they are submitted and accountable to him. This should be applied carefully and there is a great responsibility placed upon leadership to “get it right”. What do we mean by getting it right? We mean that leadership need to be extremely careful not to abuse the power, respect and authority that has been given to them by the Lord and submitted to by the individual membership of the Church. We have seen countless examples of bad examples of this throughout Church history even up to the present day, where leadership abused their power, ruled the membership with dictatorial capriciousness and ended up cultic because of their carnal fleshly minded application of Biblical and Scriptural requirements.

As a consequence, many Christians have rejected hierarchy and delegated spiritual authority completely, citing these bad examples. Unwittingly they thereby enter into satanic deception, not realizing that satan has sought to engineer these “bad examples” of hierarchical Church government with the sole purpose of deflecting the Church away from implementing the Kingdom authority that comes when delegated authority is accepted and implemented. The devil knows the Corporate collective power of the realization of what true communion is and therefore satan fears it and wants to destroy it, no matter if he has to endure a seemingly “OK” movement or Church for a season until he can get it large enough and to the place where he can then corrupt it. The devil will create Communism and then destroy it, in order to show that collectivity does not work, so that Christians will give up striving to emulate heaven on earth in preaching Corporate Body of Christ truth, collectivity and the true inter-exchange of spirituality that is found in the fellowship of “oneness” in Him. When a Church dares to implement the reality of possible experience of living in the “one new man Christ Jesus” found in Ephesians the second chapter, thereby that Church reveals the life of experiential communion.

Others have equated hierarchy and delegated authority with the doctrine of the Nicolaitans whom God hates, Revelation 2.6. The word Nicolaitan when broken down into its two conjoined words “Nico – to rule” and Laitros – the laity”. Now the Nicolaitan Church was of course the worst example we find in Biblical times of the bad application of the hierarchical principle. This was a Church in which the leadership controlled every aspect of the membership’s lives by abusive psychological games playing. Instead of protecting, teaching and nurturing the members they “lorded it over” those members in extremely destructive, abusive and willfully overriding way, subjugating the people by interfering in their personal, private and family life. The leadership also ruled the people by employing the spirit of fear. Instead of just expecting the necessary awesome respect from the people, they turned that respect into the use of fear tactics, man made laws, traditions, rules and regulations while the leaders themselves were hypocritically far from adhering to their own rules themselves. Today the Nicolaitan Church would be described as a “cult” and the casualties from it and psychologically distraught people created by it would take a lot of counseling to heal their “raped and pillaged” minds and wills.

It is interesting to note that the Ephesian Church was probably the one Church of the New Testament that understood Corporate Body and hierarchical delegated spiritual authority the best of all the Churches. The Ephesian Church hated the Nicolaitans because of their carnal application of delegated authority along with all their other Gnostic doctrines and beliefs. Why? Because the Nicolaitans didn’t only have a wicked leadership, but that leadership saw themselves and taught the people that they were a separate priesthood and not just clergy, called by God into full time service for Him. Instead of seeing themselves as having been called by God, from among the people into full time “service and ministry”, they saw themselves as an pseudo spiritual elite. Now, God’s men have a special anointing on their lives, they should be given double honor by the people, they have special giftings in the “offices” they hold in the body of Christ, but they are still men and not gods.

It must be said at this point, that some of the greatest critics of hierarchy are themselves some of the biggest implementers of the excessive use of fear tactics upon their staff in the running of their organizations. They think by discounting hierarchy as a Biblical prerequisite for Church and ridiculing Churches like ours who have a hierarchy is enough to hoodwink their people and staff, while they then impose some of the most thoroughly psychological fear emanating dictatorships that I have ever seen. Their paid staff are usually treated the worst. Why? Because, these leaders think that because they are paying their staff to work as part of “their ministry” or “their church” well then the member of staff's living depends on their so called "leadership"..

Now let’s get back on track here by describing what it means to submit to God’s man.

We believe in Hierarchy or Delegated Authority. It is a biblical fact that all Christians should be submitted to a special man of God, or "God's man," who as Christ's delegated authority is given special vision to lead the Lord's people into the fullness of His plan.

Now what does it mean to submit to God’s man. We have said that it means that the membership submit to leadership “as unto the Lord”. We emphasize that as being; “membership in the body submits to leadership, as if it was the Lord Himself, that they are submitting to. Why? Because of these Bible Scriptures: 1 Corinthian 10.2, 1 Corinthians 11.1, Philippians 3.17,18, 1 Peter 5.5.


We now spell out the doctrine of "delegated authority" in such a plain and comprehensive manner that the substance and implications of the doctrine are unmistakable. We use Moses as an example of "delegated authority." Moses and all delegated authorities have a direct communication with God, inaccessible to the membership on certain issues and gift outworking, which necessitated the membership’s obedience to God’s man’s word on those issues and gift out-workings, under penalty of what the Bible describes as happens to a person who lives in disobedience and rebelliousness. God did not speak to the children of Israel, He only spoke to Moses, and they had to follow Moses exactly, verbatim. If they didn't, they were in serious trouble.

We go on to affirm that God speaks to delegated authorities mouth to mouth, as a man talks to a friend about the business. God had to take Joshua away from the people to speak to them. He told Joshua -- Joshua told them.

We point out and maintain that God directs different Christians to line up with a particular man of God, in order that they can be nurtured and mentored in a particular way for the purposes of His Divine plan and will for that individual.

As the people were all baptized unto Moses we maintain that throughout Christian history people have been “baptized unto a man”, “God’s man for the moment”. Now we acknowledge that the Greek interpretation of the entirety of this verse in 1 Corinthians 10:2-4 when dealt with from a point of exegesis and revelation from the text, plainly alludes to the fact that Paul was saying that Israel were “baptized unto the man of God, Moses” and that he, Moses, has been now superseded by the spiritual leadership, covering and headship of Christ. However, when the same scripture text is dealt with from the point of exposition and illumination, it plainly magnifies the authority that God gave to Moses and no one else. This same intimacy that God has obviously had with leadership down through history, may be down to that person’s obedience, availability or understanding about the purposes of God, but one thing is for sure, that special relationship between a leader or leadership and God absolutely exists.

We repudiate those who refuse the importance of leadership or the “set man” and who instead attack the very idea of it as unscriptural. We have news for those who do such that they are the ones who are unscriptural and rebellious in their ill taught beliefs. Most of the people who are anti hierarchy or “delegated authority” are usually cessationist in their doctrine, or Congregationalist in their understanding of Church polity.

However, in real life, if you join an Evangelist’s organization, then you are expected to “catch the Evangelist’s vision” and then work to ensure the success of that vision. It is the Evangelist’s vision, not your vision that you are there to promote. Your not there to promote yourself in ministry, but you are there to promote the Evangelist’s ministry. You don’t go to a man of God’s conference and then start praying for people in the auditorium. If you do you are out of order and it won’t be God. The people are there to be prayed for by the man of God and not you. Besides, prayer for healing and other gifts only follow the one who is bringing the Word of God. That is Bible Scripture: Mark 16.20., preaching the Word, with signs following “those who were doing the preaching”.

The same is true for the other offices in the Church hierarchy or “delegated authority”. Sheep don’t tell the Shepherd how to be a Shepherd, interfere in his position as pastor or usurp his authority by trying to pastor the other sheep themselves. This is out of order, blatant disobedience, presumptuous and conceived out of a heart of hellish rebelliousness. All problems and needs amongst the membership can only and should only be firstly dealt with by their Pastor. The Pastor may call on the resources of a Teacher for the purposes of instructing the membership in doctrine, or bring in the services of an Apostle or Prophet if the Pastor himself needs “advice” concerning something in his local Church. The membership should be baptized into the Pastor’s vision of how things should be run and not their own vision. Some people think that they can control the Pastor with money, craft, subtle cajoling, or trying to trick that Pastor into thinking that some new idea is his own. These attitudes that I have itemized are “off”, satanic, disobedient and ungodly.

Whether it is an Apostle or Pastor, or if either of those have become a Bishop, if a person is led by God to be part of their ministry, then they need to submit to that delegated authority by being baptized into the man of God's vision. That is what we mean by being baptized unto a man.

Whether it is a Prophet or Evangelist, if a person is led by God to be part of their ministry, then they need to submit to that delegated authority by being baptized into their vision. That is what we mean by being baptized unto a man.

Whether it is a Teacher, if a person is led by God to be part of their ministry, then they need to submit to that delegated authority by being baptized into their vision. That is what we mean by being baptized unto a man.

In our explanation of exactly what it means to be baptized unto a man, we reveal the extent off unreserved devotion that the leadership expects to receive from those who sit under their ministry: The clergy and people under his ministry should obey his teachings, submit to his love, protect and honor his ministry, co-labour with his purpose without question, without pretense, without hesitation, without procrastination, disobedience, or subtle rebellion. Christians should be baptized unto a man of God, be true to him, honor him with double honor, submit to him, and never criticize him.

We detail the purpose and benefits of "delegated authority": It gives the Church membership clarity, definition, direction and specific purpose in their lives, if they listen to as many of the leadership’s messages as they can. Then you'll get the whole content of what God is saying to the church. Jesus “sent them out in His authority” as “sent ones”, not “elected ones by those to whom they were sent”.

How can we recognize a man of God? We go on in what it means to be baptized unto a man, to explain that God's man always has a revelation. He preaches astounding messages yet he is a sinner saved by grace like others, but God has elevated him because of his anointing. He didn't deserve this anointing and that is why it is received by grace for God’s ultimate purposes.

Moses was called of God, not because he was a good man because Moses had a vicious temper and that temper caused him to murder an Egyptian. However, when Aaron and Miriam thought that God would speak to them equally as He did to Moses, she didn't think he was beyond challenging at that point, but God did, even though Moses had broken God's law by marrying outside of his own nation. Miriam however, incurred God's judgment, because nobody should go against God's man. The man of God stands or falls before the Lord Himself.

The Biblical truth of leadership that we are presenting is not merely incidental to the Christian life: You'll never be filled or full apart from God's man. To the average Christian who responds, "I don't want to follow a man, I want to follow Jesus," we reply that we've got news for you - that can't be done, because it’s unbiblical, unscriptural and anti-Christ.

We teach that to receive the provision and protection of the Word of God one needs to receive it meekly. Meekness is a transferring your rights. That means that you have no right to run your own life. Christ who you have given your life to you and asked to take over the running of your life should do the running of it, and He also He has the right to use whomsoever He chooses to bring about the humbling of your life. Among the rights that must be given up is the right to the "tree of knowledge." The "tree of knowledge" is what Adam ate of, and our "Adam" (carnal nature) seeks knowledge as a pretext for rebelling against authority. We exhort people to "lean not to your own understanding" which we associate with the self life, but rather come under the authority of God's Word, God’s body, God’s man or leadership, and Jesus Christ. We insist that it's not possible to follow Jesus alone, otherwise, people will be double-minded, will not receive the word of God in meekness, and thus will not be blessed.

We cite James 1:6-8 "How do you overcome that double-mindedness? When you receive the Word of God, receive it as the Word of God through a man. That is, if it's a ministry that has fruit, that has the credentials, preaches the gospel, believes in the death, burial, resurrection, ascension, the second coming, the new birth, believes that you must believe in the word of God, all of it, and walk in the Spirit, believes in worldwide evangelism and has love and has changed lives in its ministry. That's the test of whether or not the ministry is from God. Once you find out that the ministry is of God according to the test of the word of God, by its fruit, then you should listen to the man speak not as a man, but as from God." We quote I Thess. 2:13. "'For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. Then when you receive it, as the word of God, it starts to work in you effectually. When you stop trying to challenge it, to test it in terms of your carnal fleshly mind’s “Adamic” evaluation, then it begins to become effective working in you ... The mark of a person that has true meekness and is a real Christian, that person gladly receives the word of God (i.e., the message that the man of God preaches). The person doesn't set back and try to decipher out what's what and what isn't and what is the Word of God, so that he can still live and have his rights. But he transfers his rights in Adam with meekness and receives the word of God, because if what the man of God is saying lines up with the Bible then it is spot on, anointed and God’s Word for the moment.

Therefore the messages preached by God's man are identified with what Paul was speaking of in I Thess. 2:13 (the word of God, not the word of man), and any critical evaluation of such messages becomes equated with the workings of "Adam" or the fallen nature.

We go on to say that we are not taking away people's ability to think and test things, but that thinking and testing must be done, in faith, in love and in God not in fleshly minded “Adamic carnal mindedness”, which divides, separates, intimidates, and condemns.

By not receiving the man that is sent and delegated, you are rejecting Christ, that's what the Bible says. This is not written in Genesis, it's written in Matthew. If they receive you, they receive me. If they receive me, they receive the one that sent me. The Lord said it's a matter of understanding delegated authority and who is sent. If they're sent, you'd better not criticize their methods; just commit it to God and just receive him. This passage means if you bless them, you're blessed, and if you reject them, you're rejected in your experience. It means that the blessing and curse of your life depends on what you do, not just with the Spirit of God, or just with the word of God, but also with the man of God who's sent.

There is a direct parallel between Moses and the New Testament leader. We think so many people have been nurtured and mentored up and because of their ecclesiastical fears and they have missed the point of God's true government in the order of love. Did you ever realize that a man comes instead of God and takes literally God's place as far as what he God says? Think of the power that the man of God has with God as well as with men. We are certain that no one assumes that Moses alone wielded such authority, but Joshua did, David did, the Prophets did, the Disciples did, the Apostles did and down through Church history there has always been God’s man for the moment. Luther, Wesley, Whitefield, Edwards, Finney, Moody, Parham, Evan Roberts, the Jeffrey brothers, D.P. Williams, Wigglesworth and on and on it goes.

God said to Moses, “Aaron shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God”. Exodus Moses, you will take My place over Miriam. She has no right to ever criticize you one single time. And if she does, she will have leprosy. If I want to give you permission to marry a black lady, that's My business. It's none of Miriam's. And if I want to say it, that's my privilege. And Moses, I am going to put you ahead of an entire nation, and you are going to take My literal place. And when you ask Me something, I'll do it, and if you ask Me to change My mind, I'll do it. I'm investing heaven in your mouth.

Many Christians today say, 'That's Moses, but that is not for today.' To that we say, is that right? Well, what you are saying is from the pit of hell.

Many Christians today say, 'Is anyone supposed to take God's place?'

God has ordained His servants to be in His place as a mouthpiece because the Lord works through men revealing Himself.

What if they get “off” by deviating from sound doctrine and practice? You can be sure as long as they are around and alive, God hasn't judged them with death.

"Wisdom Is Justified of Her Children."