8: Is The Clergy/Laity Distinction Biblical?

Welcome to the Ready for Eternity podcast. My name is Eddie Lawrence. Have you ever questioned where our modern concepts of pastors and church leadership originate? You might be surprised to discover that many practices we take for granted aren't actually found in the New Testament.

The Clergy-Laity Distinction as a Modern Assumption

This episode marks the first in a series comparing common Christian assumptions about church leadership with New Testament teachings. We'll start by addressing a fundamental question. Is the clergy-laity distinction biblical?

Let's dive in. One of the few things that most denominations have in common is a clergy-laity distinction. The clergy are people appointed or ordained, as we call it, to perform religious duties, rituals, and tasks.

Some people don't consider the common people, or laypeople, qualified to do these tasks, or they find that it would be inappropriate for someone who is not part of the clergy to perform them. Some terms commonly used to refer to the clergy are priest, reverend, minister, preacher, bishop, pastor, father, and so on.

In short, clergy are the people behind the pulpit and laity are the people in the pews. Although in the minority, there are some movements and denominations that have rejected the notion of a clergy-laity distinction.

While this is a more biblical approach, it isn't without its problems. The emphasis upon equality among believers may result in people serving in a capacity which God has not gifted them for. Sometimes this goes unchecked because of a reluctance to question someone's right to serve.

In reality, it isn't about rights, but about finding a role where they can apply their gift. At the other end of the spectrum is the idea that only seminary graduates may perform certain functions in the church.

Such an environment may deny people the opportunity to use their God-given gifts. For example, many lay people live under the assumption that they cannot understand the Bible since they don't have seminary training.

They rely upon the clergy to explain the Bible to them. Another example might be that in the absence of a minister, a lay person is not typically selected to deliver the sermon. This may happen even though there are members of the congregation who are gifted speakers and capable Bible teachers.

Lay people fail to discover and develop their God-given talents. There is an assumption that such tasks are exclusively within the realm of the clergy. As a result of all this, it never occurs to some people that they could have the honor of baptizing their own children.

Alternatively, they might want to baptize someone they have taught the gospel to. Although this is a duty and a privilege that Matthew 28, 19 gives to all disciples, most people assume that only the clergy may baptize.

There are no doubt many other examples, but these should serve to underscore the potential problems. One additional problem worth mentioning is that some members of the clergy develop a sense of entitlement, privilege, and power which they can potentially abuse.

Lay people are often reluctant to hold them accountable since the clergy hold a special status in the church, and they are considered to have a connection to God that lay people lack. So what does the Bible say about it?

The Old Testament Priesthood and the New Covenant

The words clergy and laity are not in the Bible. It's true that under the Old Testament there was a priesthood composed of the descendants of Moses' brother Aaron. These priests served God in certain capacities that were forbidden to other Jews.

This system was set up at God's direction, but it was only temporary. When Jesus established the New Covenant, the priesthood of the Old Covenant and the laws surrounding the priesthood changed. We know this from Hebrews 7, verses 11 and 12.

Jesus is now the high priest, and all of his followers comprise a new priesthood.

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 2 verse 5. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful.

Light, 1 Peter 2 verse 9. All disciples of Jesus are priests, regardless of gender, ethnicity, education, social class, or age. There is no distinction between believers. Instead, what Jesus intended was servant leadership.

Equality Among the Early Church Leaders

The most prominent and respected servant leaders of the early church reinforced this truth by their words and actions. They gave no hint of a clergy-laity frame of mind. From the following passages, you can see that all were equal.

With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it, 1 Peter 5 verse 12. Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, to the beloved Aphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house.

Philemon 1 verses 1 and 2. Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, Aristarchus, Damas, Luke, my fellow laborers. Philemon 1 verses 23 and 24.

Some may counter, saying that Paul and Peter were speaking of fellow ministers who would be clergy by today's standards. These verses must be read in light of the fact that we are all priests. When that is understood, the terms brother and fellow laborer deny any sense of a spiritual pecking order.

In addition, being a Christian in the early church meant you were willing to risk your social status, property, and even your life to follow Christ. Only the most committed became disciples. Therefore, there weren't any pew warmers or lay people.

Furthermore, Paul directly stated how others should view him and the other leaders.

One should think about us this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 1 Corinthians 4 verse 1.

In the early church, every member participated in the church assemblies according to 1 Corinthians 14. They used their God-given gifts when they assembled together. They considered God to be at work among all believers in each local congregation.

The Holy Spirit brought out qualities in them that would build up the church. Some of these Spirit-given gifts pertained to leadership. Nevertheless, nothing in the New Testament hints at a professional clergy or religious elite who had special roles and tasks that were theirs and theirs alone.

How Clerical Hierarchy Developed After the Apostles

In the centuries after the apostles, outside influences brought about a clerical hierarchy. This pecking order evolved into the clergy system that we know today. If there is no clergy, then who should perform the clerical duties of the church?

Well, first of all, none of this is meant to express that a seminary education isn't a valuable asset to the church. It is a valuable asset. Likewise, these comments aren't meant to discourage the practice of paid full-time ministers.

We just need to recognize that among believers, we are all priests. According to the Bible, there are no second-class citizens in the kingdom of God, just fellow laborers with differing gifts. Each disciple must determine what gifts God has given them, and then those with greater experience in those same gifts should mentor them in exercising their gifts.

So, who should perform the duties and functions in the church? The answer is that every Christian who has both the ability and the desire to do the work. There is no duty that is exclusively the role of the clergy.

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Keep studying your Bible, growing closer to God, and getting ready for eternity.

See you next time.