Throughout the centuries Christians have held the natural concept that the church is merely a social organization. Actually the church is not an organization. As Paul says in his Epistles, the church is the Body of Christ. Our physical body, which is a picture of the mystical Body of Christ, is not an organization, but an organism. As an organism, it is altogether dependent upon life. When the life is gone, the body becomes a corpse, which could possibly be regarded as an organization.
The concept that the church is a social organization has caused a great deal of damage. In social organizations there is the need for certain members to be on the top, to be of the highest rank. In religion this may take the form of hierarchy. But there is no hierarchy in our physical body. No doubt, certain members are above others, but this is a matter of functional order, not of rank. For example, for the purpose of function, the nose is higher than the mouth. It would be absurd to say that the nose has a higher rank than the mouth has. In like manner, our fingers are below both our arms and shoulders. But this does not mean that the fingers have a lower rank. This is entirely a matter of order according to function. How could the fingers function if they were attached to the shoulders? Therefore, in the physical body, a picture of the living organism of the Body of Christ, there is no rank nor hierarchal order, but only order according to function.
In the past I have met some women who did not agree with Paul’s word in Ephesians 5 about wives submitting to their husbands. Likewise, they could not accept Paul’s word in 1 Corinthians 11 about the man being the head of the woman. Under the influence of the modern concept of female emancipation, they questioned why the woman had to be under the man. I answered them by pointing to the arrangement of the members in our physical body. I tried to show them that this arrangement is not a matter of rank, but a matter of function. For example, the nose is in the right place for its particular function. The same is true of all the members of the body. However, the fact that the nose is higher than the mouth in functional order does not mean that it is of a higher rank than the mouth. To consider the matter of rank with respect to the Body of Christ is to be under the influence of the fallen human concept. Many troubles and problems have been caused by this very concept.
As we consider the apostles, prophets, and elders spoken of in the New Testament, we need to drop the natural concept. If we hold to our natural concept, we shall automatically think that the apostles, prophets, and elders have a higher rank. The concept of rank is altogether a natural concept, a concept foreign to the Scriptures. The apostles, prophets, and elders carry out certain functions, but fulfilling these functions does not place them on a level above the other saints. In the Body there are many members, and these members have different functions. Although there is a difference of function, there is no difference of rank. In an organism there is no consciousness of rank. If our shoulders could speak, they would say that they have never thought of having any rank in our body; they would say that they have never regarded themselves as higher than the other members.
Some of the elders have been rather proud of their position and have expected the saints to give place to them. Other brothers have been ambitious to become elders. There is no room for such ambition in the church life. If we know the Bible, we shall realize that an elder is a slave. The thought of rank must be purged away. The apostles and elders are not high officials. On the contrary, they are those who serve Christ to the churches and to the saints.