Armor Bearer is Not a Biblical Church Office!

[JimB]

Armor Bearer is Not a Biblical Church Office!
From the blog H. B. Charles Jr.

He picked me up from the airport. We headed straight to the church.

I wanted to look over my manuscript once more before I preached. But I took a few minutes to chat with my driver.

I asked my standard questions, including, “Where do you serve in the church?”

“I’m pastor’s chief armor bearer,” he said proudly.

I summoned all the self-control I could muster. But I couldn’t resist. I had to ask. “What does that mean?”

He explained the various ways he serves his pastor. “I am basically pastor’s right-hand man,” he concluded.

I changed the subject.

But there was another question I wanted to ask: “You do know that armor bearer is not a biblical church office, don’t you?”

This time, self-control prevailed. Thankfully.

I read Terry Nance’s book, God’s Armor Bearers, when it was first published some years ago. I found it interesting. Then I forgot it. I never expected it would get so much traction. Yet there is a now a movement of “armor bearers.” And I am not sure it’s a good thing.

Let me clear. It is good for men to have hearts and hands to serve in the church. And it is good when men are willing to serve their pastor. Every man should have another man in his life that he submits to. But I wonder if all this “armor bearer” stuff is taking things too far.

Christians are commanded to honor their pastors. At the same time, however, pastors are commanded to be servant-leaders, not celebrities.

• Do you really need security with earpieces to protect you from interaction with your congregation?
• Do you really need someone to carry your Bible, manuscript, and anointed handkerchief to the pulpit for you before you preach?
• Do you really need the men in your church who have a servant’s heart to be used as your chauffeurs and butlers?

But there is a bigger question: You do know armor bearer is not a biblical church office, don’t you?
There are two biblical offices in the New Testament church: elders and deacons. Elders serve by leading. Deacons lead by serving.

Unfortunately, many pastors and congregations resist the hard work of developing biblical church leadership. Most would not dare consider establishing elders. And pastors and deacons often have a love-hate relationship, as they wrestle for power. (Trustees are not in the Bible. And they should NOT have final authority in the church, just because they handle the money.)

Brothers, if we are going to disciple men for Christian growth, service, and leadership, why not use the terms and offices the Lord has ordained? The church needs godly elders and faithful deacons not ecclesiastical rent-a-cops.

Come on, if you are going to fight what that armor, can’t you carry it?

As pastors, we should model Christlike humility and servanthood. We should labor to nurture biblical church leadership. Our goal should be congregational health, not personal comfort. We need Christian soldiers that will lead the army of God into spiritual warfare.

And may we do so dressed in the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:10-20), so we won’t need anyone to bear our armor for us!

Ref. http://www.hbcharlesjr.com/2013/09/03/armor-bearer-is-not-a-biblical-church-office/

 

[Optimax]

Gee!

Now I'll have to find another "office" to hold!

 

[Always in His Presence]

AMEN!!!! Jim, believe it or not we agree!

 

[chapdaddy]

I have been in churches where just about everybody is a minister of something... like greeting people at the door can't just be something you do it's the "greeter's ministry".

 

[JimB]

AMEN!!!! Jim, believe it or not we agree!

.

 

[Biblicist]

Gee!

Now I'll have to find another "office" to hold!

Well there you go! Having spent a bit more than two years looking at your very relaxing avatar, I thought that this was you going fishing and as there were two boats that it was maybe a family thing. Now I find out, your holding your pastors fishing line and that the first boat is probably his and the second boat is belongs to (you) the support crew. Who would have thought!!!


PS: Err...It will probably take me a few months to shake off this wacky connection that I have made with your superb avatar.

 

[Svt4Him]

Didn't even know this was an issue, but am super glad it's fixed.

 

[Biblicist]

Armor Bearer is Not a Biblical Church Office!
From the blog H. B. Charles Jr.

The blog was certainly interesting as were some of the comments.

I wonder when we will find some of these over-the-top televangelists establishing their own private armies, which is also an OT thing. Wait a minute, I think some of them already have, aren't they the ones that undertake undercover sorties in their meetings sorting out likely targets which their commanders can attack, others seem to try and scare away those who might be a threat to their commanders, you know, the ones in wheelchairs.

 

[murjahel]

church treasurer, church secretary, assistant pastor, associate pastor,
Sunday School superintendent, arts and crafts teacher, church custodian,
and church caretaker... are some more names we need to eliminate... LOL... unless you can come up with chapter and verse...

 

[Svt4Him]

church treasurer, church secretary, assistant pastor, associate pastor,
Sunday School superintendent, arts and crafts teacher, church custodian,
and church caretaker... are some more names we need to eliminate... LOL... unless you can come up with chapter and verse...

Wait a sec, as a treasurer, I have to say there is a whole book dedicated to us in the Bible, the forth one to be exact.

 

[Messy]

I remember we read that book in church I think 20 years ago and there were two guys who loved it and saw themselves as an armor bearer for him (my ex), carrying his suitcase, one went away in no time, the other asked if he could please help him do the garden, well, yeah sure, no problem. And they were always pastor this and pastor that. He told me not to speak with someone who had talked disrespectful towards the pastor. Now that we're divorced he was the first one to leave church and everything he always held against him came out. He was lazy, couldn't even fix his own garden and much worse things, yeah he told me, 'cause I asked him when I was fighting my ex in court, so I was just as bad.
It was just false worship of the 'holy man' and not really from the heart.
He had some people who still help a lot in church and helped him when he had to move to another home, one is a deacon, but they never said they were armor bearers.

 

[Optimax]

Well there you go! Having spent a bit more than two years looking at your very relaxing avatar, I thought that this was you going fishing and as there were two boats that it was maybe a family thing. Now I find out, your holding your pastors fishing line and that the first boat is probably his and the second boat is belongs to (you) the support crew. Who would have thought!!!


PS: Err...It will probably take me a few months to shake off this wacky connection that I have made with your superb avatar.

Allow me to encourage you!

Ya must have missed the !

 

[Always in His Presence]

It is not just big name mean ole evangelist that have "armor bearers", when I traveled a circuit years ago there were "attending ushers". Typically in African American churches, but when the spiritual warfare teachings raised their ugly head again it became more prevelant.

 

[Svt4Him]

So who exactly was saying it is a Biblical office? Anyone?

 

[Always in His Presence]

So who exactly was saying it is a Biblical office? Anyone?

There are a number of churches that do.

 

[Svt4Him]

There are a number of churches that do.

Thanks, that cleared it right up.

 

[Yitzchak]

It depends upon how a person defines biblical. Do we mean that it is specifically listed verbatim in the Bible or do we mean that it is in keeping with biblical principles as in not opposed to what the Bible says ?

For example , if I ask the question is teaching someone to read biblical ? No. If I define it as being something which the Bible talks about. No where does the Bible command us to teach people to read. So is a church that has a literacy program now unbiblical ? Again , depends on our definition of biblical. I say we should define biblical as something which is in line with the principles that the Bible teaches.

I say that an armour bearer sounds like something which is biblical in the sense that it does not violate any biblical commands and it is in line with biblical principles to be a part of a church and play a useful role there in building up God's kingdom. As another poster pointed out , there are church secretaries and janitors too. Along with an assortment of other positions within the church.

Rom 12:7 If we can serve others, we should serve. If we can teach, we should teach.

Also , it is biblical in the sense of being specifically mentioned in the Bible as a legitimate ministry, to have an armour bearer. In the case of this scripture , they choose seven armour bearers. The stated purpose was so that the men who were called to the ministry of prayer and teaching the word would not be distracted by waiting upon tables. I take that as a principle and not just limited to waiting upon tables. It can just as easily be making travel arrangements and checking in bags.

Act 6:1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
Act 6:2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.
Act 6:3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
Act 6:4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

The man who wrote this blog sounds like he is on his high horse and picking a fight where there does not need to be a fight. Not only that he is just plain wrong. It doesn't get any more biblical than being an armour bearer so that those called to minister the word of God not be distracted by "waiting upon tables "...

 

[Yitzchak]

So who exactly was saying it is a Biblical office? Anyone?

I am saying that it is a biblical office. The early church appointed men to attend to these matters so that those ministering the word of God would not have distraction. That can as easily be airplane tickets an bag check in as waiting upon tables. Basically it is a personal assistant who takes care of the " waiting upon tables " part of things that goes along with any large ministry. Calling them an armour bearer is an accurate description and one borrowed from the Old Testament. A bit of flair for the dramatic perhaps , but so it si with all things Charismatic. The way I look at it , if you are Baptist , then you're called a Deacon , if you're Charismatic , you're called an armour nearer. I don't know of any Baptist deacons who limit their ministry to just waiting upon widows. They do what needs to be done to free up the pastors to minister without those distractions. I think it is legalistic to get hung up on titles and specific details. This type of ministry is definitely given in scripture.

Act 6:1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
Act 6:2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.
Act 6:3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
Act 6:4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.