Why doesn’t the New Testament Church of Christ have any singularly set-apart man at the head of the church?
It was because of this question, among many similar questions, that the book of Hebrews was written. The book of Hebrews was written expressly to help the house of Israel transition over from the law given through Moses (which was a shadow of greater things), to the new and living way of Christ. The Hebrews, steeped in tradition, had a difficult time letting go (or seeing why they should let go) of those things which they had long held as truth.
In Hebrews 1:1-2, it tells us that truly in times past (Old Testament), God spoke through the prophets, men who were set aside by God to symbolically act in the place of Jesus Christ as mediators. “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it…”Ezekiel 22:30.
“And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.” Exodus 4:16.
“Christ himself takes His rightful place as our mediator with God”
However, today (New Testament), Christ himself takes His rightful place as our mediator with God. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” 1 Timothy 2:5. “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Matthew 28:18.
At no other time except after Christ’s resurrection was this true. We do not have a prophet, prophet-seer-revelator, high priest, first president, or pope over the church because our only head is Christ. Rather, we truly have many prophets in the New Testament Church of Christ who have spoken and continue to speak and guide us according to the Word of God. “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.” 1 Corinthians 14:29.
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;” Hebrews 1:1-2.
Perhaps the question that some will ask is: Wasn’t it the pattern that the Law of Moses dictated, that there was a high priest or one man set aside to guide the church? To this, the scriptures answer, “Now these ordinances were given after this manner (Law of Moses –r.a.g.), that thereby the people might look forward on the Son of God…” Alma 10:9.
Christ said we are called under a new and living way, and that the ministry of the law was changed, which is why we also do not have ministry from the orders of Aaron or Levi. The lineal priesthood of man (from father to son) was only a shadow during the time of the law, so that we might look forward to a great time when our lineal priesthood would be under Christ, a priesthood given from the Father to His Son (the one head over the church).
”Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:10-12.
Thus, God may call men where and when He chooses to serve and feed His people. This is not to say that God did not set up an order for His church in the New Testament, but that that order was to be not one man with a spokesperson, but twelve men, the Apostles. On this earth, there would be no authority greater than them, not even the authority of a prophet. Nor would any one of the Apostles be greater than the rest, but that they would be equals under Christ.
“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God (Jesus Christ – r.a.g.); Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:16-22.
“There was a time in the restored Church of Christ when people were beginning to ask these very questions again…
To answer these questions, the church came together two very specific times to address them”
There was a time in the restored Church of Christ when people were beginning to ask these very questions again; “Shouldn’t we have high priests?” “Should there be a prophet over the church?” “Should there be lineal priesthood?” To answer these questions, the church came together two very specific times to address them. The first of these times was at a conference on March 17, 1867, when the church made a defining statement that separated us from many of the other restoration churches and brought us back closer to our true roots, with the Bible and Book of Mormon as our standard of faith. That resolution emphatically states that the doctrines of polygamy, baptism for the dead, lineal priesthood, plurality of Gods, and exaltation of man were all false doctrines.
Then again on April 6, 1928, at a church conference, the church reiterated that the position of high priest was not an office in the Church of Christ, and that any who taught it, whether in public or private, would be looked at with disfavor by the church. With these public statements, the church was reaffirming the simple truths found in the Bible and Book of Mormon, and rejecting false doctrines that were trying to get a foothold in the Church of Christ.
As the scriptures clearly state: “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” Ephesians 4:11-12.
As such, we know that we have One who is set over the church, and we need and want for no other. He is Christ Jesus, the one and only Son of God. Thus, all of the New Testament Church of Christ ministry are called after the order of Christ himself, of whom Melchisedec was a figure.
“If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood (Aaron and Levi –r.a.g.), (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec (actually the type for the order of Christ; Alma 10:9 – r.a.g.), and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.” Hebrews 7:11-12.
For this reason, in the New Testament Church of Christ, we do not see the callings of high priests or the callings after the order of Levi and Aaron, as it would be unfruitful to return to the beggarly elements of the law as given through Moses: “For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.” Hebrews 7:18.
As the Book of Mormon also states: “Wherefore, we speak concerning the law, that our children may know the deadness of the law; And they, by knowing the deadness of the law, may look forward unto that life which is in Christ and know for what end the law was given; And after that the law is fulfilled in Christ, that they need not harden their hearts against Him when the law had ought to be done away.” 2 Nephi 11:49-51.
“…for the scriptures amply tell us we have one leader already over the church and, because He lives forever, there will never be a need for another man to fill this role”
Thus, any man today who would try and take upon himself the role that Christ himself is fulfilling, as the sole leader over His church, would be attempting to usurp Christ’s position; for the scriptures amply tell us we have one leader already over the church and, because He lives forever, there will never be a need for another man to fill this role. He is the last high priest and makes intercession for us every day. He is the only one who has lived a perfect life, undefiled, who does not need to make daily sacrifices. And, He loves us so much that He was willing to lay down His own life for us, while we were yet sinners…
“By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man (Jesus Christ – r.a.g.), because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.” Hebrew 7:22-28.
And Christ said: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” 1 Peter 2:9.
