The Empty Office
It is generally believed that unless you have the calling of God in your life you cannot pastor a church, let alone oversee or lead a congregation; and to salt further the wound even attend pastoral school. As much as it is traditionally thought to be so, it is not Biblically so. Biblically there are ministers of God that are born ministers but there are also ministers of God that are created by circumstances.
The bomb so soon lands with the introduction of the gentile churches, that due to lack of the prepared Called quickly are headed by Bishops and Deacons; solely the incumbents of The Empty Office. Meaning men not called but chosen for their thorough bred quality to exercise the office of the called had to occupy; by the need not the arrangement.
Philippians 1:1 KJV Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
Titus 1:5-9 KJV For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
The often poetized church in Philippi of the Macedonians was such a church solely under bishops and deacons. The arrangement issued of a need encompassing all the city Paul did reach; the need for men in The Empty Office. The gentile church began vastly under the care of bishops and deacons not only Timothy but even Titus was sent out to ordain bishops and deacons upon the congregations. The key ideal being, even Soul Winning was according to the Order designed and preordained by God supposed to be solely done by the called; but a thing called A Change Of Order did happen. And so, the church went soul winning and many were added to the church of God.
One would and still could tell, to lead one to Christ does not just take skill but also one genuinely born of God. It is a terror due, for it would seem good to not facilitate but engage self which often happens in the modern church. But a skilled and truly born again person will beat the odds to out do the urge to put self as part of the praise as it often happened to Paul.
Philemon 1:19 KJV I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.
It was meant for the taught and prepared, but yet when the time of persecution did come, the sent did harbor among the Jews as the church did sounded the horn of the good news against the designed will of God. A thing also that meant men untrained and unprepared like Paul would be cast in to the field to harvest. For it was said only to the eleven after the resurrection of Christ; go ye...
