Another valuable factor in helping to make plain the source of our system of organization is to be found in the writings of the Spirit of prophecy. If my studies were to be merely the recording of the history of organization among this people, I should probably spend most of my time reading to you from what is written in the Spirit of prophecy. I know of no better source upon which to draw for such history. You who are gathered here today are doubtless familiar with what the Spirit of prophecy says on this subject. Unruly and disorderly elements have in times past tried to control our work, but their efforts have failed, thanks to God's care for this movement and the principles which govern its administration. Every worker in this cause should understand thoroughly the principles of order and administration under which we carry forward our work.
My purpose in these lectures is to call your attention to a few of the principles of administration as we find them today in our organized work. No doubt other important points will be suggested to your own minds as you think and study along this line.
The church is God's own institution in the earth. It should be the greatest example of the principles of God's government to be found outside heaven itself. I wish first to read some selections from "Testimonies to Ministers," dealing with the introduction of principles of order and administration:
"It is nearly forty years since organization was introduced among us as a people. I was one of the number who had an experience in establishing it from the first. I know the difficulties that had to be met, the evils which it was designed to correct, and I have watched its influence in connection with the growth of the cause. At an early stage in the work, God gave us special light upon this point, and this light, together with the lessons that experience has taught us, should be carefully considered...
"As our numbers increased, it was evident that without some form of organization there would, be great confusion, and the work would not be carried forward successfully. To provide for the support of the ministry, for carrying the work in new fields, for protecting both the churches and the ministry from unworthy members, for holding church property, for the publication of the truth through the press, and for many other objects, organization was indispensable. . . .
"Our work was not sustained by large gifts or legacies; for we have few wealthy men among us. What is the secret of our prosperity ? We have moved under the orders of the Captain of our salvation. God has blessed our united efforts. The truth has spread and flourished. Institutions have multiplied. The mustard seed has grown to a great tree. The system of organization has proved a grand success. . . .
"Let none entertain the thought that we can dispense with organization. It has cost us much study and many prayers for wisdom that we know God has answered, to erect this structure. It has been built up by His direction, through much sacrifice and conflict. Let none of our brethren be so deceived as to attempt to tear it down, for you will thus bring in a condition of things that you do not dream of. In the name of the Lord I declare to you that it is to stand, strengthened, established, and settled. At God's command, 'Go forward,' we advanced when the difficulties to be surmounted made the advance seem impossible. We know how much it has cost to work out God's plans in the past, which have made us as a people what we are. Then let every one be exceedingly careful nat to unsettle minds in regard to those things that God has ordained for our prosperity and success in advancing His cause. .
"Satan well knows that success can only attend order and harmonious action. He well knows that everything connected with heaven is in perfect order, that subjection and perfect discipline mark the movements of the angelic host. It is his studied effort to lead professed Christians just as far from heaven's arrangement as he can; therefore he deceives even the professed people of God, and makes them believe that order and discipline are enemies to spirituality." —Pages 24-29.
God's Provision for Administration
We read in 1 Corinthians 12:4, 5, and 28: "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord." "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." In the very act of bestowing the gifts of the Spirit upon the church, the Lord made provision for the administration, the leadership, of His work. In verse 5, this is referred to as "administrations," or "ministrations" (A.R.V.). In verse 28, the same work is referred to as "governments," which carries the meaning of steering, piloting, directing. So in bestowing the gifts of the Spirit upon the church, the Lord made provision for the administration of His work.
In studying the work and teachings of the church, it is highly important for us to understand the system that has been developed for the administration, or government, of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. There is a reason for saying this, for I find much lack of real understanding of these basic principles of our church polity. The doctrines of this movement rest upon the foundation of divine revelation. We can go to the world with an open Bible and define the great fundamentals of this movement. The principles of administration, or government, of the church rest upon the same inspired foundation.
In the work of the apostle Paul, we find two phases of ministry. First of all, he was an evangelist. He raised up churches. Follow him through all his missionary journeys, and you find him in country after country, and city after city. And what was he doing? —Preaching the gospel and raising up churches. What was the second phase that grew out of the first?—Caring. for the churches, administering the work. In 2 Corinthians 11:28 he states that besides all those things that came upon him, he had also the care of all the churches. What did he mean by that? He meant that he administered the work of the churches.
This is further illustrated by the fact that he laid upon certain men responsibilities in connection with this work of administration. Notice, in illustration, i Timothy 1:3, where he speaks to Timothy thus: "As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine." What was he doing in giving that instruction? He was instructing Timothy regarding his responsibilities in protecting the churches against false teachers and throwing around the church safeguards that were necessary.
Again, in Acts 20:28 it is recorded that he spoke to a meeting of church officers which he had called. He referred to these officers as "overseers." "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers." The apostle Peter used the same illustration in chapter 5 of his first epistle, beginning with the first verse: "The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder : . . . Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly ; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock."
National Supersedes Family Unit
In different periods of the world's history there have been different methods of administering the work of God, but these methods have been the growth of a development of certain great principles. In dealing with Adam, the Lord was dealing with one family, and the family plan lasted down to the time of the patriarchs. It was the family system, with the father of the family as the priest. Any number of illustrations of this method of government can be supplied. Noah, Abraham, and Jacob are illustrations of administrators in that form of administration.
When the Israelites went down into Egypt, how did they go ? They went as a family—as a family unit. The sons of Jacob came to their father after the experiences they had had in visiting Egypt, to persuade him to go to that country. These sons were men of mature years, with families of their own, but it was Jacob who made the decision for the whole family group. Why? He was the priest. He was the administrator of the family group. Although his sons were men of years, and themselves heads of families, they looked to him to decide questions pertaining to their welfare, to be their leader in all such matters.
The family unit had been adequate up to that time, but when Israel came out of Egypt, a new provision had to be made for organizing the people in their religious life and ac= tivities. Israel had developed to where God was now dealing, not with one family, but with a whole nation. Instead of the father's serving as the priest, the Lord provided for a regular priesthood, and outlined their work. He established a financial system for their support. Upon that financial plan we have not improved; we still find it to be the basic foundational principle for the support of God's work.
Under the family system, the father was not only the priest, but he was the elder or administrator of the family unit. He was the executive officer of the family council. In order to get the pattern in administration, it is necessary to study the Old Testament records. In patriarchal times, the word "elder" referred to the head of the family, or to the old men. It is quite evident that this name came to assume the dignity of a title or office. Just when this change took place, we are not able to say. When Moses was sent to deliver Israel, what group did God instruct him to call? "Go, and gather the elders of Israel together." Ex. 3:16. Who were these men? They were the representatives of the people. Again in the fourth chapter, verses 29-31, is this record: "And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. And Aaron spake all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed." How did they believe ? All Israel was not present at that conference. The elders were gathered together to represent the people, and what the Lord wanted the people to hear was spoken to that representative group. As a result, it is said that "the people believed." Obviously those representative men went back to their tribes, to their families, and to their communities, and reported to the people what the Lord had spoken to them through the mouths of Moses and Aaron.
Our Church Government "Representative"
What form of church government does the Seventh-day Adventist body have? Someone says, "A representative form of government." That is correct. To get the pattern for the Seventh-day Adventist form of church government, we go to this basic principle of representation as used by the Lord for ancient Israel. Let us notice illustrations of its development. In Joshua 24:1, we find a text that is to the point: "And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God." Now the second verse: "And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel." How did he say this to all the people? Were all the people present? No. Who were there?—Their representatives, the elders and the officers. God's message was given to the people through their representatives.
In 1 Samuel 8:4 there is another illustration to which I shall call your attention. "Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah." Here is an occasion on which the elders came to represent the people in their demands.
Before we turn from Old Testament references to administrative problems, there is another thing that should be noticed. In Exodus 18:19-26, we have the account of Jethro's giving Moses a lesson in administrative efficiency. Moses was attempting to do all the work himself. It was what we might call a "centralized administration." But his father-in-law told him that he was wearing himself out by that method. What was the result of his advice ? Israel was divided up into administrative units. What was the size of the first unit? It started first with tens, then went to fifties, hundreds, and thousands. In this we have a pattern for what Seventh-day Adventists have today in their church organization. All organization starts with the individual. We must have individual members first of all. The individual members are organized into groups of tens. They represent the church. Then the fifties would represent the conference; the hundreds, the union conference; the thousands, the divisions; and then the whole body of Israel, the world-wide body of believers, would represent the General Conference.
________ To be continued in April
