Travis Seitler [photo]

Travis Seitler is a twenty-something guy living in Marietta, PA with his wife and two kids. Since 2003 He's been writing here about God, government and comic books. You can read more about him if you really want to, and you're invited to drop him a line, like, whenever!

The Saints are Kings and Priests

Posted July 24, 2007

It is a severe violation of the adult conscience to treat the saints as children under the over-lordship of elders. The ultimate effect of treating the saints as children is that they will either remain children in their understanding as they submit to bondage, or they will rebel. Elders exercise appropriate authority as fathers within their own households, but their role in the assembly is not as fathers and lords over children and servants, but as elder brothers in the faith and humble servants to the whole.

Source: Steve Atkerson, New Testament Church Leadership

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2 Comments so far

  1. Jack C. on August 5th, 2007

    Hello, and thank you for the Blog… It is a very interesting topic for discussion. I especially like that it is short, brief and to the point. Enough of the design.

    If I’m reading your Blog correctly,then, I too believe that our Pastoral leaders, Priesthood leaders, Elders, Clergy et. al. ought to take on the role, as Steve Atkerson states, of brethren, or older brothers to an assembly, congregation, ward, prayer-house.

    I do remember in one of my Literature courses, the works of Jonathan Edwards… (At least I think it was Jonathan Edwards) with the “Great Awakening” and his sermons of “Sinners In The Hands of an Angry God!” These early years of faith, Christianity etc. Was nothing less, than (In my most humble opinion), not just the role of father or Sheppard, but that of an “Angry” Father or Sheppard. I believe that these early examples of faith, (Christian Faith - I am NOT ATTACKING Christianity nor Faith in general - just its primordialness in history) were obviously (and out of context to this blog) keeping… no, no, no. Suppressing the potential for spiritual growth of his brothers and sisters to whom he was supposed to be an example of Humble Service. I hope that I am reading this Blog correctly, and that my comments are neither contradictory to your blog, nor contentious.
    Thank you…
    Jack AKA: Captain_Helaman

  2. Travis on August 16th, 2007

    Well, the Great Awakening was something like 18 centuries after Christianity started, so you can’t really say what came out of that are “early examples of faith.” ;)

    That most infamous of Edwards’ sermons was directed to those who were continuing to live in rebellion to Christ; not those brothers and sisters who were living to serve Jesus. It was a call to take seriously the implications of opposing He who holds your eternal destiny in His hands.

    The problem is when human leaders take upon themselves (whether explicitly or implicitly) that mantle of power and authority. Tolkien did a pretty amazing job portraying this with the Steward of Gondor in Lord of the Rings. A role which was designed to serve the true king of Gondor (Aragorn) was perverted by men who succumbed to the power offered in that role.

    And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. — Mark 10:42-44 (ESV)

    That is how Christian “authorities” are to act: as slaves and servants of the congregation. (In fact, this is also where the American concept of “civil service” and a government “…for the people” originated.)

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