Conformity and Scriptural Interpretation

By William R. Cunningham
June 25, 2000

Introduction

At the time of this writing I was working on a study of "The Place of Women." Originally this study was just going to be a study of the interpretations of the scriptures in the Bible concerning women and women in ministry. For example, I planned to examine 1 Timothy 2:11-15 in detail, which I have done. However, the research that I began unveiled a plethora of information concerning women in ministry, homes (marriage relationships), and in general. Many of the ideals pertaining to women come from the interpretations of the Bible and primary Paul’s epistles. Note that I said that these ideals come from interpretations. That is very important and a major factor when dealing with the topic of women and their relationship with men. How we interpret the scriptures for the most part determines what is truth to us.

The interpretation of the scriptures therefore becomes a significant component in our understanding of the way God’s Kingdom operates. So we cannot take lightly the study of the scriptures, the understanding of the scriptures, and the application of the scriptures. These, however, are all dependant on how we interpret the scriptures and how we interpret them is determined by the current mindset of the individual studying them. I have found such to be the case in the study of "The Place of Women." People have interpreted the scriptures based on their own philosophy about women. This process extends to many areas of our life, including our concept of church and church structure.

Our concept of church is very different then what it originally was and is intended to be according to scripture. To most of us, church is the place that we go to on Sunday mornings to worship, listen to a sermon, and to some extend socialize with other "church members." We have accepted and abide by a system of operation within these churches. The pastor is seen as the head of the congregation and he (or she) is perceived as an authority figure. If the pastor says something then we consider the statement to be in many cases binding and we tend to be obligated to obey. The church seems to adhere to a hierarchical structure of government and in many cases rule over the congregation. This hierarchical structure in some cases transcends the local church in that many churches are included in that structure. This is the case of local churches that are also governed by a central body such as the Methodist to some extent.

What is the significance of this? The significance is that we have lost the method that God has set before us to follow. We have in many cases conformed to the world in our dealings and organizations. In particular, the church in many cases has succumbed to the temptation of conforming to the world around us. Of course fellowship with other believers is a very beneficial things and of that I do not comment. However, my intent in this lesson is to reveal how far we have come from God’s Way pertaining to the organization of the church body. We have come so far that our concept of church has been altered and the concept of the true church lost.

The church structure as we know it and as I have previously stated grants authority to the pastor or church leader (bishop, elder, etc.). These people are perceived to have a controlling influence over the congregation simply because they have the title of pastor or other such title. In doing this we have turned from God and turned to man. We have learned not to seek out the truth in the scriptures, which are freely given to us in the Bible. Instead we depend on men and women to hand feed us with no effort on our part. In such a situation, we learn how not to seek God and resolve to follow the way of religion instead of true Christianity. True Christianity demands that we seek the truth and become disciples of Jesus Christ (John 8:31-32). True Christianity reveals that all authority is given to Christ. So why do men and women of the clothe have so much authority over our lives and why doesn’t God have that authority? Why has the church as a whole conformed to the world system in its organizational structure? There are at least two things that are involved here. One is the fact that we allow mere men and women to have ultimate authority over us and second we have accepted the conformity of the church to the world system and thus govern our lives according to it.

True Authority

Who has the authority in the Christian Faith? What does authority really mean? Let’s look at the latter question first. There are two ways of viewing authority. They are as follows:

1. The power or ability to act

2. The right or privilege to act

Consider the following scripture.

Matthew 28:18 through Matthew 28:20 (NKJV) And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

The Greek word used here for the word authority (power in the KJV) refers to the idea of having the right or privilege to do something. What rights did Jesus have? This scripture reveals that he has been given all authority or ALL power or all rights and privileges. Jesus has complete authority in heaven and on earth.

Now Jesus had the right to command his disciples to go out and make disciples of all nations because of the authority that he had. The authority of Christ still exists today and the command to make disciples of all nations is still active. A disciple is someone that is a learner or follower. They learn and do what they have learned. A disciple of Christ is therefore someone that learns the teachings of Jesus Christ and then applies those teachings to his or her life.

Consider another scripture that refers to the same issue of the authority of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 11:27 (NKJV) All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

Of course we realize that the Father had to have the authority to give all things to Jesus and he had to have all things in order to give it. Consider the following verse of scripture.

Psalm 24:1 (NKJV) The earth is the LORD’S, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.

The point that I would like to make is that all authority belongs to Jesus Christ. He is the head of the Christian faith. Jesus is the standard of what we believe. No other person should come between yourself and Christ. No other person should have the authority over you concerning the Christian faith and life. Now there are people that have authority pertaining to law, such as the President of the United States or your boss on the job. However, even these do not have the right to govern your life. They can only govern your activities pertaining to their realm of authority. Remember that Jesus has all authority. He has authority over even these people. Consider the following verse.

Romans 13:1 (NKJV) Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

So if Christ has complete authority then why do we give so much power to church leaders? This isn’t meant to belittle the importance of spiritual leaders, however, these people also do not have the right to govern your life. At most they are guides to you to help you live a life in Christ.

Conformity

HOW WE Conformed

How has the church conformed to the ways of the world? We can see the conformity in at least two major areas in the church. The first is the structure of the local churches and second is the major teachings (or philosophies) of the local churches and the church organization as a whole.

As I have stated previously, the church has developed a hierarchical method of governing its affairs. This governing has extended to the lives of the congregation as well. I don’t want to get into a discussion on church government especially since there are many models used today because that is beyond the scope of this lesson. I want to point out that the church has taken an authoritative position in the lives of the Christian when it should not. Christ is the only authority as I stated. Because of the authority that the church is allowed to have over its congregations, people have accepted the same conformity of the church leaders. Since we have accepted the conformed ways of the church organization, we too conform in our own personal lives and therefore live a live based on the world’s system instead of God’s system.

The church has also conformed in the area of its philosophy. You will find that the primary emphasis of the church is not in living a life in Christ, learning the teachings of Christ to do them, or learning how to maintain a personal fellowship with the father. Turn on any evangelical program and you will see primarily teachings of prosperity, healings, and abundance in things. It is rare to see a teaching on studying the Bible, praying, etc. The primary philosophy of the church organization is materialism. More and more we see teachings of God’s blessings corresponding to the acquisition of wealth or abundance. This too is far removed from the fundamental teachings of the Christian faith and right in line with the philosophy of the world.

The Method of Our Conformation

I believe that the reason so many men and women have power of Christian congregations is because of the ignorance of the people and the conformity to the surrounding world system. Honest people attempting to live a life that is acceptable to God are convinced that they should do what their church leaders tell them to do. They don’t know and aren’t taught that God can teach them and that the Holy Spirit can lead them into all truth. They don’t know that they don’t have to follow the words of men but can learn from the Bible with the help of the Holy Spirit, which may mean the interaction with others for explanations and the like. Consider the following verse.

1 John 2:26-27 (NKJV) These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

"Those who try to deceive you" refers to false teachings that infiltrated the Christian fellowship from the beginning. The anointing refers to the special endowment or unction from God. This anointing, which is the Holy Spirit, abides (lives) in all of us who are Christians. Therefore, we don’t need anyone to teach us since the Holy Spirit will teach us. We also must abide in the Holy Spirit by submitting to God’s Way. So it is important for you to begin to pursue truth by eating and digesting the word of God by the study of his word and applying it to your lives. Do not merely be hears but be doers of the word as well.

Mimicking the World System

I have found that the church in many instances have mimicked the world system. We have, for example, setup our organizational structure based on the hierarchical system that the world uses. For example, a company will have a president (the top leader), vice president, and lower officials. The church has the pastor, assistant pastor, deacons, trustees, etc. These are setup in a hierarchical structure of authority. The people submit to the authority of the pastor, which by the way was not intended to be an office of the church but a gift of God (See 1 Corinthians 12:27-28).

The problem with the organizational structure of the church as a whole is that God didn’t intend for the church to be governed in such a way. First of all let me emphasize that the concept of church is used in a way that further highlights the problem. Church is not the place that we go to. Church is not a certain state of enjoyment as in "having church." Church is not the organization that you are a member of. Church is indeed the body of Christ to which we all belong if indeed we are born again and grafted into the family of God. Consider the following scripture carefully.

Mark 10:42 through Mark 10:45 (NKJV) But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Now James and John had previously asked Jesus if they might sit on his right and left hand in his kingdom. To sit on the right and left side of a king meant that you were second (right) and third in prominence next to the king.

Jesus made a distinction between the way of the Gentiles (those without God) and the disciples, who were to operate according to God’s Kingdom. The rulers of the world (Gentile world) control the subjects of their domain. However, in the Kingdom of God, the great ones will be the servants. God’s Kingdom uses a different standard of authority or prominence then the world. As great as Jesus was, he calls himself a servant. So now we see a problem with the hierarchical structure of many churches.

We see that the pastors are really servants according to the Bible and not leaders that control the congregation. All church "leaders" are in essence servants to God and ministers to God’s people. Their task is to minister the word of God to the people in one way or another. Their task is not to lead or rule the congregation but to serve them. However, we have taken the ideas from the world system or the secular realm and applied it to the church. Consider an example of this that proved to be deadly.

1 Samuel 8:4-5 (NKJV) Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."

The people of Israel wanted a King just like the surrounding nations. They turned away from God to mimic their worldly neighbors. The people insisted on a King and after the warnings from God and the refusal to listen by the people, God granted them their King. Recall the story of Saul the Benjamite and how his kingship turned into disaster for the people of Israel. However, Saul became king and was given authority over the people. The people placed Saul over them instead of trusting in God to be their King. They allowed the surrounding world system to influence their way of government.

World Philosophy

The same situation applies to personal living. Many if not all of us have adopted some of the surrounding world philosophies. To make matters worse, we interpret the Bible with these philosophies in mind. Rarely do we look at the raw facts presented to us by the context of the scriptures. Instead, we read our own ideas and presuppositions into the scriptures when we interpret their meaning. We gradually conform our lives based on the world system. Sin is justified in this process as well. Consider the following verse.

Romans 12:2 (NKJV) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

We have conformed to the world in many ways. We don’t seek God but instead seek religion. We seek to please God by performing our obligations in church. We don’t open our Bibles to hear from the Holy Spirit because we take notes during church services as the preacher preaches. We give the world system authority over us if we abide by its ways. We have turned away from God’s way to pursue the world’s way.

Do you try to put aside your presuppositions when you read the Bible so that the Holy Spirit can teach you new things? Or do you assume that you know a particular scripture and just read it for form and fashion? Do you have the answers in mind before you finish a particular passage of scripture? It is very dangerous to read the Bible with presuppositions that will alter a proper interpretation of the scriptures. Many scriptures regarding women in ministry are interpreted incorrectly for this same reason.

The philosophies of the world have infiltrated the church organization and people hold to it because they are deceived. However, there is a way out and the Bible gives it.

Change

The first thing we must realize is that we are deceived. After that we must pursue truth by prayer and study. Consider the following scripture again.

Romans 12:2 (NKJV) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

The way to affect change is to alter the way we think and therefore alter how we act. What have you been feeding on: religion or truth. You may have to alter your way of thinking completely. You may have to reprogram your processor so that you interpret and perceive things more clearly. This can only be accomplished if you abide in the word of God. Abiding in the word of God will ensure that you know the truth. Abiding in the word of God will help protect you from following someone’s lie. Abiding in the word of God can keep you save from heresies. Consider the following scripture.

John 8:31 through John 8:32 (NKJV) Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

The only way that you can become free from the world system, which has infiltrated the church, and be free to obey God and follow his ways is to become a disciple of Jesus Christ and learn the truth (and do it). Standing up for what you know to be true from the word of God may result in persecution from the mighty church organization as so many before you have experienced. Martin Luther was persecuted and ridiculed for his opposition to the Catholic Church because he believed in the personal study of the Bible and that salvation is by grace through faith and not by works.

It is your decision to pursue truth or continue in the ways of the worldly church system. This is not to say that the church you attend is worldly. However, as a whole the church has conformed to the world’s system in its structure and philosophy.

I pray that you will begin or continue to study the Bible diligently. I once believed that all Christians should vehemently study the Bible. I was told that not all people would study the Bible the way that I do. That’s OK and understandable. However, there is no excuse for people not to study their Bible. We must become familiar with the scriptures so that we can govern our own lives instead of handing that responsibility over to pastor or whoever you consider your leader to be, since it isn’t Christ.

All Christians should be in the habit of reading the Bible with the intent to understand what it says. The simple act of doing that will dispel many false doctrines that you have accepted. You don’t have to be a biblical scholar to learn biblical truths. Remember that the Holy Spirit will teach you. It is up to you to make the effort to learn. Going to church every day of the week won’t be enough either. You must study and you must seek for yourself instead of just listening to others tell you what the Bible says.

Pursuing the Truth Ministries has a slogan that reads, "Do you know the truth or do you just know what you were told?" Well do you. Can you tell someone that you know the truth and that you know the difference between God’s way and the world’s way? Can you identify the areas in your life where you have conformed to the world system even if that way is in religion perpetuated by your church or religious organization that you belong to? My goal is to get you to think about these things and take the necessary actions. I pray that you will seek God, tear down the walls of conformity, live a life in Christ, and teach others to do the same. Amen and God bless you always.