Chapter XVII · The Upper Room — J. C. Ryle
— Phil. 1:11
“Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.”—Phil. 1:1.
THIS opening verse of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians is a very remarkable text of Scripture. I suspect it receives far less attention from Bible-readers than it deserves. Like the gold of California, men have walked over it for centuries, and have not observed what was under their feet. In fact, if some Anglican divines had stood at the Apostle’s elbow when he wrote this verse, I believe they would have hinted that he had made a mistake.
Now what do I mean by all this? What is the remarkable point to which I refer? The point on which I place my finger is St. Paul’s mention of “the saints” before the “bishops and deacons.” He places the laity before the clergy when he addresses the Philippian Church. He puts the body of the baptized in the front rank, and the ministers in the rear.
There is no room for dispute about the various readings of manuscripts in this case. Here, at any rate, the Revised Version does not touch the language of the text.
It was unmistakably given by inspiration of God, and written for our learning. As such, I see in it the germ of a great truth, which demands special notice in the present day. In short, it opens up the grave subject of the rights and duties of the lay members of a Christian Church.
There are three questions which I propose to examine in this paper:—
I. What was the position of the lay members of a Church in the days of the Apostles?
II. What has been the position of the laity of the Church of England for the last 200 years?
III. What ought we to aim at, in the matter of the laity, in order to strengthen and reform the Established Church of England?
I approach the whole subject with a deep sense of its delicacy and difficulty. I disclaim the slightest sympathy with those revolutionary counsellers who want us to throw overboard Creeds and Articles and Formularies, and turn the Church into a Pantheon, in the vain hope of buying off invaders. I desire nothing but scriptural and reasonable reforms, and I know no reform so likely to strengthen the Church of England as that of placing her laity in their rightful position. One of the best modes of promoting effective Church defence in this day is to promote wise Church reform.
I. What, then, was the position of the lay members of Churches in the days of the Apostles? Let us imagine ourselves paying a visit to the baptized communities at Rome, or Corinth, or Ephesus, or Thessalonica, or Jerusalem, and let us see what we should have found, and what Scripture teaches about them. In this, as in many other matters, we have a right to ask, “What light can we get from the New Testament?”
This is an inquiry which deserves special attention, and I am much mistaken if the result does not astonish some persons, and make them open their eyes.
I say then, without hesitation, that you will not find a single text in the New Testament in which the ordained ministers alone are ever called “the Church,” or ever act for the Church without the laity uniting and co-operating in their action.
Are the deacons appointed? The twelve recommend it, but “the whole multitude” choose (Acts 6:5). Is a council held to consider whether the heathen converts should be circumcised, and keep the ceremonial law? The decision arrived at is said to come from “the apostles, and elders, and brethren,” with “the whole Church” (Acts 15:22-23).—Are inspired Epistles written by St. Paul to particular Churches? In eight cases they are addressed to “the Church, the saints, the faithful brethren”—and in only one case (the Epistle to the Philippians) is there any mention of “bishops and deacons” in the opening address. Does St. Paul send instructions to the Church about the Lord’s Supper, and about speaking with tongues? He sends them to “them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus” not to the ministers.—Is discipline exercised against an unsound member? I find St. Paul giving directions to the saints at Corinth, without mentioning the ministry: “Put away from among yourselves that wicked person” (1 Cor. 5:13).—Is a man “overtaken in a fault” to be restored to communion? St. Paul tells those who are “spiritual” among the Galatians to do it, and does not refer it to their ministers. (Gal. 6:1).—Is an Epistle written to the Christian Hebrews? Not a word is said about “rulers” until you come to the last chapter. Does St. James write a General Epistle? He addresses the “twelve tribes,” and only names “teachers” in the third chapter. Does St. Peter write a General Epistle? He writes to the whole body of the elect, and says nothing to the “elders” till he arrives at the last chapter, and even then he is careful to remind them that they are not “lords over God’s heritage.” As for the Second Epistle of St. Peter, and the Epistles of St. John and St. Jude, they never touch the subject of the ministry at all.