Do We need God’s Vicar?
To
understand, whether we need God’s Vicar, we first need to know, who or what
God’s Vicar is?
Modern
Christianity seem to have different interpretations as to who or what is
Christ’s Vicar on earth.
Webster’s
Definition of Vicar –
1. an ecclesiastical (relating to a
church) agent (one who is authorized to
act for, or in place of, another)
2. one serving as a substitute
(replace) or agent (Two Types)
Webster’s
Definition of Regent –
1. a person (entity) who governs a
kingdom in the minority, absence, or disability of the sovereign
2. a person who rules or reigns
Note: Therefore, there exists two definition
for Vicar and Regent. One where the
Vicar or Regent is simply an individual, it does not distinguish between a
human or divine representative of the Church (Agent), and the other, where the
Vicar or Regent of Christ has the same attributes of Christ (Substitute),
in other words, the Vicar or Regent of Christ cannot be a mortal man, He must
be God.
Biblical
Definition of Christ’s Vicar or Regent –
A. Who is Jesus Christ, that He would
even require a Vicar or Regent?
Isaiah
9:6-7 (First
Witness)
6. For unto us a
child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be
upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called
Wonderful, Counsellor, The
mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7. Of the increase of his government and peace
there shall be no end, upon the
throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to
establish it with
judgment and with justice from
henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the
Lord of hosts will perform this.
Note: Therefore, according to this Old Testament
witness, a promised One would come (prophesy), He would be the foundation of Israel’s
government (Christ’s first coming), He would fulfill
the Law. This
promised One is both the Son of, and the actual God. Upon His precepts would be established
Justice (Enforcer) and Judgment (Ruler).
Only Christ can be both King and Priest, therefore protestants do not
mix Church and State, since only Christ has this sacred function.
Revelation
19:11&16 – (Second Witness)
11. And I saw heaven
opened, and behold a white horse;
and he that sat upon
him was called Faithful and True,
and in righteousness he doth judge and
make war.
16. And he hath on his
vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings,
And
Lord Of Lords.
Mathew 24:27 – (Third
Witness)
27. For as the
lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west;
so shall also the coming of the Son
of man be.
Note: These
New Testament texts describe Christ return (Christ’s second coming). Here Christ is sitting on a white horse. On Palm Sunday, Christ entered Jerusalem thru
the Golden Gate,
the only eastern opening into
Jerusalem. Christ entered Jerusalem from
the East to the West, just as prophesied above.
Christ entered thru the Gate on a Colt of a Donkey. A King on a donkey, represented a king coming
in peace (the Prince of Peace). This
second witness places Christ on a White Horse.
White in prophesy stands for righteousness. History teaches us that a King on a horse, is
a king at war. Therefore, Christ on a
white horse fulfills the promise that, “in righteousness he doth judge (King)
and make war (Conqueror). So Christ is
our King!
B. Who is Jesus Christ’s Vicar or
Regent?
John
14:15-18 & 26 –
15. If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16. And I will pray the
Father, and he shall give you another (Parakletos)
Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because
it seeth
Him not, neither knoweth
him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with
you, and shall be in you.
18. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
26. But the Comforter, which is
the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in
my name, he shall teach
you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever
I have said unto you
Note:
Since we have established that Christ is not just a king, but the King of Kings, not just a lord, but
the Lord of Lords, is there anything
that He as King must have?
A
King’s throne must always be occupied, otherwise Discordia, division, and
insurrection would occur. When Adam and
Eve left their thrones unoccupied, by going to the forbidden tree, their
royalty was stolen from them. Christ
will never make such a mistake. When
Christ, the Word, left heaven the first time, He left His Deity, also known as
thrown in the care of His father. When
Christ left the earth, he had to leave His earthly throne (power) in the care
of “another”. The Greek word used to
describe another in John 14:16 is Parakletos.
Parakletos
means, advocate, intercessor, lawyer.
Since Christ is our Advocate, Intercessor and Lawyer, it is reasonable
to believe that whoever is placed in this role, must be equal to, or the same
as Christ. Since we know that Christ is
God, then it is reasonable to believe that only God can be His own “Another”. When we compare Parakletos to Webster’s
Definitions of Vicar and Regent it becomes clear, the proper use of Vicar or
Regent is “Substitute”,
and cannot be mere agent (man), for an agent is not “another”, equal to or the
same as God.
Do we, as
God’s Church, need a regent for Christ?
If so, what is the function of said Vicar, and how does it apply to the
Church?
We know
that Christ, when absent from His thrown, has a regent, not for His sake, but
for His kingdom’s sake. The Agent/Vicar
protects Christ throne, power and Kingdome (people). When Christ fulfilled his promise to mankind,
by over throwing the false prince of this world, he took upon Himself a robe of
matter, in the form of flesh (Genesis 3:15).
This matter was necessary for Him to become Emmanuel, God with us (Isaiah 7:14). If Our Christ, the Word, would have come down
in His heavenly attire, all humanity would have been instantly destroyed by his
perfect presence. When Christ returned
to heaven, he decided not to remove his robe of matter, and therefore He refrained from His state of Omnipresence, for us, what
love and devotion to His children. Since
He has chosen to no longer exist in His Omnipresent form, desiring to remain as
Emmanuel, then He requires a conduit between humanity and Himself, much like He
is the conduit between God the Father and mankind. Christ’s conduit is the Holy Spirit, no other
entity or being can take this place (no man cometh unto the Father but by me
John 14:16). For a man to claim himself
to be God’s Conduit, or Vicar, is for man to commit treason or blasphemy
against God.
So
we now understand that Christ uses the Holy Spirit to remain in constant
contact with His children. This is
needed because of the separation that sin caused, but does His children, His
church require the Holy Spirit as individuals, or as a church?
I
Corinthians 12:1-15 –
1. Now
concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
Note: Here, the Apostle Paul
specifically addresses the members of Christ church, brethren. He states that there exists a need for the church
to understand what spiritual gifts truly are.
Is it possible that there existed a state were either no spiritual
gifts, few spiritual gifts, unrecognized spiritual gifts, or that false or
seducing spirits had entered the church?
2Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried
away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
Note: As we can see, Paul is
addressing those Gentiles who became Christians by accepting Christ as their
Savior. He reminds them that they were all equal in their ignorance.
He explains how they were deceived, by attempting to develop
relationships with idols that were incapable of forming that which they
sought. Being led by deception, into
deception.
3 Wherefore
I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth
Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy
Ghost.
Note: Here Brother Paul is teaching
the church, that no Christian, who has been baptized by the Spirit, will
consider Christ to be under curse.
Christ became a curse for our sins, but since He never sinned, He was
never under curse, He merely took upon Himself our curse, as a substitute for
us. If a Christian declares that their
Christ is accursed, then he believes that Christ was not the Pasqual, perfect
lamb, who takes away the sins of the world.
John 1:29 – The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith,
Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Revelation 5:12 – Saying with a loud
voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and
wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
Brother Paul then states that only
those who have the Holy Spirit understand that Christ is Lord, John 14:26.
4 Now
there are diversities of gifts, but
the same Spirit. –
Note:
Paul informs the church, that the spiritual gifts are more than one, and
therefore vary in type and function, but that all spiritual gifts are derived
from the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the
church requires the Holy Spirit to give each member, the specific appropriate
gift or gifts for them. The Holy Spirit
is the Giver of
gifts.
5 And
there are differences of administrations,
but the same Lord. –
Note: Paul states that there are variable processes
or activities of running God’s organization/church, but all is subject to one
Lord. In other words, the world church
can have varying traditions, but all traditions must be subject to God’s word.
6 And
there are diversities of operations,
but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
Note:
Here Paul states that there are different methods that the world church
can function as, but that it is Christ, the head of His church, who will be the
director of all.
7 But
the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal
(together with).
Note:
Paul is very clear, the specific gifts from the Holy Spirit,
are given to the specific individual, and if cultured, will benefit both the
individual, and the members, by leading them to the Savior, the specific
purpose, just as God’s Law does. This
follows the character and nature of our God.
God is specific
in all that he does, every action has a specific purpose, and every action is
for the benefit of mankind, to lead them to Christ. Therefore, if Jehovah grants us gifts that
will benefit our brothers, then we are obligated to share those gifts with each
other, otherwise we steal from each other, and from God. Hence coming together on the Sabbath. This mutual benefit, derived from God’s
gifts, brings the members together. Therefore,
the Holy Spirit brings the church together (togetherness), just like the Sabbath
and the Royal Law.
8 For
to one is given by the Spirit the word
of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To
another faith by the same Spirit; to
another the gifts of healing by the
same Spirit;
10 To
another the working of miracles; to
another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another
divers kinds of tongues; to another
the interpretation of tongues:
11 But
all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man
severally (apart from others or unique to) as he will.
Note:
The Holy Spirit makes each member unique, special, and for a particular
purpose. The Spirit creates in us our
individuality, and our unique purpose (makes us a peculiar people), for
God loves Diversity. Even though there exist
multiple individuals, each one possesses different specific gifts of the
Spirit, they are all, derived from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives to everyone, the
specific gifts that person would be able to cultivate, in service to God and
man. Therefore, the Spirit is the giver of gifts (enmity)
to God’s children. If the Holy
Spirit gave spiritual gifts at random, there would be those who received gifts
that would become a burden for them, and it would be something that they could
not handle. The Spirit would actually be
tempting his children, but this is not the nature of God.
12 For
as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one
body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
Note: Paul preaches to the members that there is only one body (church), but that the
body is comprised of many individual unique members (12 personalities types),
and even though there are infinite variations in the members, they all come
together and share one constant, that
makes them equal as one body. It is the
Holy Spirit that makes the changes in each members’ character to mimic
Christ’s, and the members, even though variable in nature,
come together in character, Christ’s
character. This is why Christ recognizes
His sheep, but does not recognize the goats.
Therefore, the Holy Spirit not only makes us unique, creates us to be similar
and equals.
13 For
by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or
Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one
Spirit…………
Note:
Here Paul is very clear, there is no difference in the members. We are all equals, and hence there can be
unity amongst Christ’s children. The
Holy Spirit makes
us all equals in Jesus Christ.
John 3:5 – Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man
be
born of water and of the Spirit, he
cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Baptism of water is the willingness
to become a follower of Christ and to accept His sacrifice as an atonement for
our sins, Justification. Baptism of the
Spirit is the act of Holy Spirit to place enmity against sin in each
member. This enmity leads the member on
the path of Sanctification.
Sanctification or the process of the Holy Spirit changing our character
to mimic Christ’s.
28 And
God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly
teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments,
diversities of tongues.
Note:
The Holy Spirit creates organization in the church, without creating a
cast system in it. There can only be one
head of God’s church, Christ Jesus. This
process of organization does not create a hierarchy in the church. God never intended that one man should rule
over another. God came to earth to free
His children, why would he create a means to enslave them.
Review:
Does Christ need a Vicar? Does Christ’s church need His Vicar? What is the Function of Christ’s Vicar?
By now, we should understand that
Christ is God, and nothing is impossible for Him. Therefore, Christ does not need a Vicar for
His sake, but he requires one for ours.
The Vicar of Christ, the Holy Spirit, functions to protect Christ’s
kingdom. He ensures the stability of the
church and protects it from anarchy.
The Church members require God’s
Vicar. The Holy Spirit performs many
functions for the church. First, He is
the Giver of Gifts. He determines which
specific gifts are appropriate for the specific member. Second, the Spirit is the conduit between
Christ and His children, keeps us united with our Savior. Third, He is the creator of our individual
nature, and our similarity of character, enmity against sin. Fourth, He creates unity in Christ’s church,
by making it members equals. Lastly,
Christ’s Vicar is the sealer of Christ’s children.
Therefore, not only does God’s church
require the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to exist as God’s children without
Him. Our direct salvation is linked to
our relationship with Christ, that is cultivated by His Vicar. Mark 3:29 – But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never
forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. Without the Holy Ghost, there can
be no salvation.