The Ordination of Service
The Test of Brotherly Kindness
Yeshua stated:
“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:2–14
The statement ending this parable of the coming government of YoHeWaH is simply a foundation for the topic at hand. “For many are called, but few are chosen.” This cuts deeply into the next step of a Believer’s walk, leading to the service we are all called into.
While the broad, vast majority of the laity of Christendom believe in the false pretenses of salvation, defined under the heading of “What a Believer GETS out of the equation of salvation”, and ministers within the majority of Christendom believe their commission is to teach what the sacrifice of Christ can manifest to their laity, as they dangle the proverbial carrot in front of the donkey, the true gospel of Christ tells a much different story. The fact is, salvation or the promise of eternal life is way down on the list of priorities that should be on the minds of Believers in YoHeWaH and His work within their lives.
His work really does boil down to the ongoing battle of a “GET” versus “GIVE” mentality. The Enemy constantly desires for the Believer to concentrate his or her thoughts on what he or she receives in the process of salvation, which in their eyes, ends with Christ and Him crucified… But YoHeWaH desires believers to consider preparing to serve in governance within His coming Constitutional Covenant administration of true service, void of any thoughts of selfishness whatsoever. That is the goal of the gospel of Christ… 100% selfless governance.
It’s no easy ride. The constraints of the physical mind, alongside the societal pressures of modernity and The Enemy Himself, tug relentlessly at YoHeWaH's efforts to manifest selflessness to its full potential. Christianity never addresses any of this because all effort that would be dedicated to such a venture ceases at the cross of Christ. All that is required is a casual address of faith toward what they would call “God in the flesh,” Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Yeshua also said this:
“… I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18
The Assembly that Christ speaks of in the above text has one purpose, and that aspiration was never to show the sheer awesomeness of YoHeWaH or Christ by handing out salvation like so many “get out of jail free” cards. The goal of the Church that Yeshua started almost two thousand years ago was to train believers to govern righteously, with 100% loyalty to YoHeWaH, the Father.
The Apostle Paul recognized this early in his service to the body that belonged to Christ. He commissioned Titus accordingly. Notice Paul’s salutation to Titus:
Paul, a SERVANT of YoHeWaH and an apostle of Yeshua the Christ, for the sake of the faith of YoHeWaH’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with GODLINESS, in hope of eternal life, which YoHeWaH, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of YoHeWaH our Savior;
To Titus, my true child in a common faith:
Grace and peace from YoHeWaH the Father and Christ Yeshua our Savior. Titus 1:1–4
Paul considered himself a servant. He also explains the purpose of YoHeWaH’s work in that service… instructing the knowledge of truth, which aligns with Godliness, IN HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE, not that eternal life is the main point. In other words, if the commission of selfless servitude is fulfilled, we might have won a position within the family of YoHeWaH, but it is not a promise void of stipulation.
Paul continues:
“This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and APPOINT ELDERS in every town as I directed you.” Titus 1:5
The need for order in the training of the saints in righteousness was a recognized agenda of Paul. From the initial baby steps of virtue, such as Baptism and the basic doctrines of the church as spelled out in Hebrews 6:1–2, to the acts of patience dealing with Believers who lag behind, to the really difficult tasks of caring for and serving the sick and afflicted, there was a certain need for those willing to and made ready to serve in such a capacity.
The criteria were made clear as Paul continues:
“If anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as YoHeWaH’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, set apart, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” Titus 1:6–9
In today’s society, the above list of qualifications is rarer than hen’s teeth. Even in the face of repentance, change, and character growth, the error of our ways in the past never seems to dissipate as it should. We must always keep in mind that the above standards were the goal. It was what Paul instructed Titus to look for, and while maybe there was an abundance of leading men who fit that criteria then, the pickings are clearly much slimmer than they should be.
As an ordained Elder today, I do not feel worthy to carry such an office because of my past and current shortcomings, but I do check the majority of the above boxes, and so I continue to move forward in the office I hold by the grace of YoHeWaH’s mercy, void of any recognition from anyone, for it is the greatest of the duties I can hope to accomplish as an overcomer. Those of greater standing before YoHeWaH, I will gladly fall under, who are far more qualified accordingly. Notice the point of the following text:
“The priest WHO IS CHIEF among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose nor tear his clothes. He shall not go in to any dead bodies nor make himself unclean, even for his father or for his mother. He shall not go out of the sanctuary, lest he profane the sanctuary of his Mighty One, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his Mighty One is on him: I am YoHeWaH. And he shall take a wife in her virginity. A widow, or a divorced woman, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry. But he shall take as his wife a virgin of his own people, that he may not profane his offspring among his people, for I am YoHeWaH who sanctifies him.” Leviticus 21:10–15
The key phrase is “Chief” or “Highest” among his brothers within the ministry of Levi, who would hold these qualifications, notwithstanding any shortcomings, excluding that one from serving. In other words, again, these qualities were the goal, not the exclusion thereof. Those unable to dot every “I” and cross every “T” within this list were not limited to the bench, but were not held in the highest esteem. To be chief or named in the highest appreciation amongst his brothers in service, one would hold all these characteristics, but with the greatest attribute of selflessness. This list of qualities is worthless when muddled with selfishness, as we shall soon see later in this article.
While Paul’s list of measures in the above text was early on in the Church that Christ built, there are even earlier examples of the commissioning of the Eldership that are very much worth noting.
“And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and LAID THEIR HANDS on them.” Acts 6:5–6
And
“Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping YoHeWaH and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying THEY LAID THEIR HANDS ON THEM and sent them off.” Acts 13:1–3
And
“And when they had APPOINTED ELDERS for them in every church, with prayer and fasting, they committed them to YoHeWaH in whom they had believed.” Acts 14:23
From very early on, the appointment of Deacons and Elders into the offices of the ministry carried on the rich YoHeWaH-approved tradition of the laying on of the hands of the prior Eldership for the service of the next generation and/or the congregation at hand. Note these examples:
“For Aaron’s sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty. And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests.” Exodus 28:40–41
And
Moses spoke to YoHeWaH, saying, “Let YoHeWaH, the Mighty One of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of YoHeWaH may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.” So YoHeWaH said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and LAY YOUR HANDS on him. Make him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall commission him in their sight. You shall invest him with some of your authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey. And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before YoHeWaH. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation.” And Moses did as YoHeWaH commanded him. He took Joshua and made him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and HE LAID HIS HANDS ON HIM and commissioned him as YoHeWaH directed through Moses.” Numbers 27:15–23
The directive of anointing the head of the one being commissioned and ordained, complete with the laying on of the existing Eldership’s hands for the service to the people of Israel, is a very heavy load to bear. Its weight exists because of the exchanged bondage created via the exodus of Israel from slavery to Egypt, over 3,500 years ago. A debt, all ordained servants of YoHeWaH pay on behalf of the shed blood of our brothers in Egypt and even by the shed blood of Yeshua Himself on the torchor stake. Notice the following text, as YoHeWaH explains this load that must be carried:
“And YoHeWaH spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them. Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them go with a razor over all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves. Then let them take a bull from the herd and its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another bull from the herd for a sin offering. And you shall bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the whole congregation of the people of Israel. When you bring the Levites before YoHeWaH, THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL SHALL LAY THEIR HANDS on the Levites, and Aaron shall offer the Levites before YoHeWaH as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that they may do the service of YoHeWaH. Then the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to YoHeWaH to make atonement for the Levites. And you shall set the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and shall offer them as a wave offering to YoHeWaH.
“Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. And after that the Levites shall go in to serve at the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a wave offering. For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel. Instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself. For all the firstborn among the people of Israel are mine, both of man and of beast. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them for myself, and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel. And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the people of Israel, to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Israel, that there may be no plague among the people of Israel when the people of Israel come near the sanctuary.” Numbers 8:5–19
Please understand that the Levitical Priesthood was never an eternal service, neither from creation nor intended for today. However, what shines through outside the animal sacrifices within that Priesthood is everything applicable for us to take from the commands YoHeWaH gave Moses to convey to Aaron’s family. These principles of order and proper governance within the modern congregation of Israel today, understood by most Believers as The Church, are clearly exemplified in the Acts of the Apostles in the first century. Thus, the ancient Levitical Priesthood is a typology pointing to the ministry and service of the Eldership, moving forward from Christ and Him crucified.
Our understanding of the coming re-establishment of the Aaronic system, known from Ezekiel’s words (chapters 40 through 48) as the Zadok Priesthood, is certainly a work in progress. The nuts and bolts of how and where this coming judgment upon the people of Israel will occur are very much up in the air within our knowledge… However, the principles of those commissioned to serve are still the same. Selfless service will be the goal. The perfected leadership of the true Eldership in the Covenant Observing Congregations down through time will be the example moving forward within that coming Priesthood, as one dispensation of YoHeWaH’s training morphs into the next.
The ladder of spiritual success given to us by Peter in the opening chapter of his second epistle takes us to this perfected state that YoHeWaH is looking for. Note the steps to which we are all being commissioned to climb as Believers within the process of salvation.
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your FAITH with VIRTUE, and VIRTUE with KNOWLEDGE, and KNOWLEDGE with SELF CONTROL, and SELF CONTROL with PATIENCE, and PATIENCE with GODLINESS, and GODLINESS with BROTHERLY KINDNESS, and BROTHERLY KINDNESS with AGAPE LOVE. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Elder Brother Yeshua the Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior Yeshua the Christ.” 2Peter 1:3–11
The words capitalized in the above text create a ladder of success by which all Believers are measured.
The foundation is FAITH, a child-like belief in YoHeWaH and His Son. That faith is strengthened by subsequent levels obtained and perfected, moving forward in the Believer’s walk.
Adding to a foundational faith, acts of VIRTUE such as repentance, aka changing your walk away from YoHeWaH back toward Him and His ways, along with baby steps like being baptised, a proper form of tithing so that Festival observance can be kept, and a change of dietary means, are all statements to YoHeWaH that you, as the Believer, are dedicated to being reconciled to Him.
When acts of virtue are evident to YoHeWaH, He systematically adds pieces of KNOWLEDGE. Like a mother bird feeds a fledgling chick with small pieces of meat, even though that chick hungers for much more, the mother's wisdom only measures what her offspring is ready for.
As knowledge increases, so too are the rigors of SELF-CONTROL. Lots of failures are mixed in. As knowledge puffs up, shortcomings level the playing field, if one is wise enough to recognize the process. Missteps toward perfection must be met with PATIENCE on both sides of the equation… By YoHeWaH and by the Believer. Patience equals time, and over time, a form of GODLINESS begins to manifest, as the infancies of loyalty and trust begin their dance within the Believer’s walk.
Written upon our DNA are various forms of Spiritual Gifts. Like unopened presents waiting for their dawn, these esoteric talents are unlocked when Godliness is obtained… And YoHeWaH can now begin testing of the metal He has made, fashioning and shaping the said Believer into what capacity or office He has in mind for them within His coming government.
Enter BROTHERLY KINDNESS, also known as Phileo Love, a crossroads in the walk of life itself.
Teachable Moment: In any given situation, two spirits battle within each person’s mind, whether they are Believers or Unbelievers. Those two spirits are:
1 — The Spirit of Cooperation, the willingness to walk selflessly.
2 — The Spirit of Competition, the egregious attitude of self-interest, first.
Never before has this concept been so greatly tested in any given Believer’s walk as that which arises when empowerment or the illusion of power is given. The question after any ordination into the ministry is this:
Will this Servant of YoHeWaH serve Him with an agenda of “GET” or will he serve YoHeWaH with no agenda whatsoever, which defines selflessness and the way of “GIVE”?
The answer to that question provides the last step on the ladder of spiritual success… AGAPE LOVE. Yeshua spoke of failure to obtain this level of perfection in the opening text we began with.
“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:11–14
Make no mistake, the level of Phileo Love is not the goal. The fact is, coming to and obtaining that level, practicing a selfish form of the gospel of Christ, is the lowest level of Believer known to YoHeWaH. It is like running a race and on the last lap, ceasing to run, believing you are a shoo-in to win the race. So you pull a rabbit and the tortoise, taking a break in the race, never considering the damage you are doing to your coach’s agenda. It defines what the scripture calls a worthless servant.
There are five offices within the ministry. They are defined by Paul:
“And he gave some to be APOSTLES, PROPHETS, EVANGELIST, SHEPHERDS and TEACHERS, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of YoHeWaH, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” Ephesians 4:11–16
The last words of the above passage, “makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love,” speak volumes concerning the goal of all who would be ready to serve in the ministry and servitude of YoHeWaH in His coming government.
In closing, I want to return again to the now twice-quoted words of Yeshua recorded in Matthew 22. “For many are called, but few are chosen”. The called are those babes who walk humbly in the infancy of Covenant Observance. The few that are chosen serve in some capacity within the ministry of YoHeWaH’s Assemblies, and just so you will know, these services are not limited to ordained men in the Eldership. There is neither male nor female in Christ. All are tested in their own order accordingly. I have simply lent you aspects from the ministry side of the coin. There are many other ways Believers can and do serve, ordained or not.
That said, I want to elevate Yeshua’s words above, adding one more level to the chosen few.
“They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are CALLED and CHOSEN and FAITHFUL” Revelation 17:14
Make no mistake—we will all be ordained into the service and the government of YoHeWaH. The true test will be the perfection of our faithfulness, which is our loyalty to our King and Creator, no matter how hard it gets.
Joey Thompson
Joeythompson@aol.com