Jackson Advocate

Jurisdiction Of
God's Children
Limited to Church

ELD. G. E. JONES

I propose to prove with the word of God that the jurisdiction of a child of God is limited to the church. (The child of God who is not in a New Testament church should be.)

In this present age God's children are given no jurisdiction over the world. Their judging is confined to the church.

"What have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do ye not judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth." I Cor. 5:12-13. The believers could deal with the unrighteous act of the one within the church and administer punishment. 2 Cor. 2:6. But the child of God has nothing to do with judging the wicked deeds of the outside world and administering punishment. God judges those who are without the church or of the world. He has not chosen us to do that. When we do we are taking upon ourselves the prerogative of God.

We find that these Corinthian brethren were taking their matters into the courts of the world. Paul rebukes them for this. "Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?" 1 Cor. 6:1. In the next verse Paul goes on to tell them their time to judge the world would come. "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" 1 Cor. 6:2. Why did Paul bring this into this connection? To show that those who were dabbling into the law of this present world were ahead of time. I have said, "Our time has not yet come to reign. It will come when Christ returns." Watch me prove that statement. "Judge nothing before the time, UNTIL THE LORD COMES." 1 Cor. 4:5. There it is in plain words. Remember it is said the saints shall judge the world. But those who would judge the world and its matters before the Lord comes are judging BEFORE THE TIME. This is to go contrary to the Scriptures.

Those Corinthians who were seeking to judge before the time were rebuked by Paul for seeking to reign as kings already. "Ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we might reign with you." I Cor. 4:8. Since we are not to do our judging or reigning until Christ comes, then, if indeed they did reign, Christ would be back and Paul would also be reigning. Let me give you Dr. Williams' translation of this passage. "Have you ascended to your thrones without us to join you? Yes, I could wish that you had ascended your thrones that we too might join you and them." So we see it is not our business to seek to judge the world outside, until the Lord comes. We are emphatically told to judge nothing before the time.

Now listen at Paul's rebuke of these people who would reign as kings and judge before the time. "For Christ's sake we are held as fools, while you through your union with Christ are men of wisdom." Dr. Williams in his footnote says this was said in the keenest irony.

Let us read on. "We are weak. Ye are strong. You are held in honor, we in dishonour." Jesus said, "How can ye believe that seek honour one of another, and seek not that honor that cometh from God only." John 5:44. The child of God is not to seek to be held in honour by the world through seeking to reign as kings and judge before the time. Because they were seeking to judge and reign as kings in this present time they were held in honour. On the other hand Paul and Apollos, because they did not judge those without and seek to reign as kings, were held as fools. Those who dare take this stand today are considered fools as were Paul and Apollos.

Where did the apostles ever seek an office or seek to have anyone else elected to office? The word of God must verily be the believer's rule of faith and practice. I believe for anything to be our duty as a child of God it must be plainly taught in the word of God. It must not simply be taken for granted. The Bible is an all sufficient rule of faith and practice. When we set aside the word of God as an all sufficient rule of faith and practice and turn to the wisdom of men, or that which to us may seem to be expedient- right then and there we begin preparing the ground in which modernism flourishes. The ultimate end can be nothing but the great falling away from the faith predicted by Paul. We are right now being caught in the rapids of that great falling away. When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? Luke 18:8.

The word of God is inspired. The recorded actions of men of today, no matter how good their intentions, can never substitute for the lack of scripture to set forth our duty as God's children. If the word of God does not tell us it is our duty then it cannot be our duty. God will not hold you and me responsible for not doing a thing which He has not made plain to us is our duty. It does not make any difference what men may think or do. If we go into any movement for bringing about righteousness unless we are taught in the word of God to do so then we run without being sent. If we are going to leave the word of God and be guided in our actions by the decisions of men wherein are we better than the Catholics who appeal to this council and that council to substantiate what they believe and practice?

I believe that the Christian finds his armour in the word of God. If any one can find where Christ gave to us the legislature or world's politics as a part of our armor I will use it. But until someone can show me that from the word of God I refuse to use such weapons if I stand alone. This is as vital and sacred with me as the word of God itself. I propose to speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where it is silent. If the courts of this world are spiritual weapons then I do not understand my Bible. If so, then the world, as well as we, handle spiritual weapons. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. These are carnal weapons.

After Paul has used such irony in rebuking the Corinthians for meddling in world affairs and seeking to reign as kings and judge before the time he goes on to say, "I write not these things to shame you, but to warn you." 1 Cor 4:14. So do I. For 30 years I have watched the trend of religious thought as it turned away from the old time gospel to one of reform. I have seen it leading to the discarding of great Bible differences for the sake of presenting a united front against social evils. It has led to exchange of pulpits, to ungodly ministerial councils. What else but the consideration of community and social problems forms the basis of such a council? The preaching of the commission in all that it contains could never be the basis.