Ekklesia: Economic Subordination
by Dr. Patti Amsden
by Dr. Patti Amsden
As has been already defined, the Ekklesia is the called-out assembly of God’s people who convene for a governmental function. The term government evokes various definitions. Some think of government as the civil realm. Although the term does apply to the civil arena, government is seen in other spheres. One aspect of all governmental jurisdictions is that of organizing principles. For example, the base for establishing a government may be called a vision statement in a business, a charter in a non-profit, a constitution in a body politic, a set of by-laws in a church. Even families have organizing principles that are often just identified as ethics and may not be written but are enforced, nonetheless. Any government will have organizing principles. Governments also have rights and duties required of the participants in the given structure. Citizens have the right to vote; children have the right to be nurtured; congregants have the right to partake of sacraments; employees have the right to receive the contracted rewards. Duties are also required. Citizens must obey the laws; children must honor their parents and share household responsibilities as are age-appropriate; congregants must tithe and minister their gifts to help build the body of Christ; and employees must labor faithfully to fulfill their contracted obligations.
Another aspect of government is the authority structure that defines the rank and file within the system. Government means subordination, which is not about who has control but rather about who has authority. The concept of subordination is modeled within God, within the Trinity. God is one. “Hear oh Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord” (Deut. 6:5). The biblical view of God is called monotheism, meaning one God, as opposed to polytheism, meaning many gods. The One God of scripture is manifested in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is one in terms of His being. The three persons are fully equal in terms of their essence. Describing the Son, the Nicene Creed reads: “God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God; . . .Being of one substance with the Father.” Describing the Holy Spirit, the Athanasian Creed declares: “But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one: the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Ghost uncreated. . . . But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal, so that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.”
The Trinity reveals or models God’s plan of government. All persons within any governmental system are equal in being. In the Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equal. In human systems, all people are created in the image of God (albeit not all reflect the redeemed image of a Son of God) and all have been endowed with gifts and talents. Yet, in the Trinity, there is subordination in terms of function. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do; for what things he does, these also does the Son likewise” (Jn. 5:19). It has been stated that the Father holds the Executive roll. The Father sets the will, the purpose, and the destiny. Jesus fulfilled the will of the Father, and the Holy Spirit was sent to oversee and administrate the purposes of the Father and the Son (Jn. 14:16-26). In the economy of the Trinity, there is subordination; while in the being of the Trinity, there is equality.
Human governments should follow the pattern set in the Godhead, which is unity of persons while subordination of functions. The executive role defines the person who is responsible for the implementation of the vision. Without a vision or a purpose, there is no need for authority. The executive position oversees the vision and also maintains the government of the system, which insures that the purpose is accomplished. One could say that government is the distribution structure for the vision. Consider the four spheres of governments used as examples earlier. The executive branch of the civil realm is empowered to guarantee that the vision of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is delivered to the citizenry through the laws that are passed. In a home, a father is the chief executive to insure the family is nurtured and assets are secured. Elders guard the flock of God to maintain an environment where the Kingdom of God can be displayed. In the business realm, the chief executive certifies that the product or service, which had been previously determined by the organization, is produced. The concept of government is best described as the mechanism by which the assignment is carried out.
The Ekklesia functions as God’s governing body. According to Matthew 16:19, what the Ekklesia allows is passed down through the system and is distributed to the earth. What the Ekklesia does not allow is discarded or not allowed to be dispensed in the earth. “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is the vision statement of the church. Although all members in the Ekklesia are equal in being, not all members function in the seat of executive authority. Because Ekklesia is a government, there is economic subordination without inequality of being. Learn more about distributed power and shared authority in the next article.
Another aspect of government is the authority structure that defines the rank and file within the system. Government means subordination, which is not about who has control but rather about who has authority. The concept of subordination is modeled within God, within the Trinity. God is one. “Hear oh Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord” (Deut. 6:5). The biblical view of God is called monotheism, meaning one God, as opposed to polytheism, meaning many gods. The One God of scripture is manifested in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is one in terms of His being. The three persons are fully equal in terms of their essence. Describing the Son, the Nicene Creed reads: “God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God; . . .Being of one substance with the Father.” Describing the Holy Spirit, the Athanasian Creed declares: “But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one: the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Ghost uncreated. . . . But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal, so that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.”
The Trinity reveals or models God’s plan of government. All persons within any governmental system are equal in being. In the Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equal. In human systems, all people are created in the image of God (albeit not all reflect the redeemed image of a Son of God) and all have been endowed with gifts and talents. Yet, in the Trinity, there is subordination in terms of function. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do; for what things he does, these also does the Son likewise” (Jn. 5:19). It has been stated that the Father holds the Executive roll. The Father sets the will, the purpose, and the destiny. Jesus fulfilled the will of the Father, and the Holy Spirit was sent to oversee and administrate the purposes of the Father and the Son (Jn. 14:16-26). In the economy of the Trinity, there is subordination; while in the being of the Trinity, there is equality.
Human governments should follow the pattern set in the Godhead, which is unity of persons while subordination of functions. The executive role defines the person who is responsible for the implementation of the vision. Without a vision or a purpose, there is no need for authority. The executive position oversees the vision and also maintains the government of the system, which insures that the purpose is accomplished. One could say that government is the distribution structure for the vision. Consider the four spheres of governments used as examples earlier. The executive branch of the civil realm is empowered to guarantee that the vision of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is delivered to the citizenry through the laws that are passed. In a home, a father is the chief executive to insure the family is nurtured and assets are secured. Elders guard the flock of God to maintain an environment where the Kingdom of God can be displayed. In the business realm, the chief executive certifies that the product or service, which had been previously determined by the organization, is produced. The concept of government is best described as the mechanism by which the assignment is carried out.
The Ekklesia functions as God’s governing body. According to Matthew 16:19, what the Ekklesia allows is passed down through the system and is distributed to the earth. What the Ekklesia does not allow is discarded or not allowed to be dispensed in the earth. “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is the vision statement of the church. Although all members in the Ekklesia are equal in being, not all members function in the seat of executive authority. Because Ekklesia is a government, there is economic subordination without inequality of being. Learn more about distributed power and shared authority in the next article.
