I´ve noticed within church circles that their pastors sometimes (or maybe rather often) speak of the “lay people” or “the laity” as distinguished from their own kind, the learned or scholarly class.  This distinction is not found in The New Testament.  It has its origin in the cult of Romanism, but has for some reason been inherited by the Protestant church.  But that doesn´t make it more biblical.

The body of Christ is a body of saved sinners all equal to God.  The existence of that body is, as far as I´m concerned, the most powerful proof of the existence of its Head, our glorified Lord Jesus Christ. And He has sovereignly given His precious gifts to that body. Eph. 4:11-12 and above all 1 Cor. 12-14 speak of those supernatural equipments.  I don´t belittle good education, - in fact, it would be desirable if those who have the ability would apply themselves to at least the New Testament Greek -  but you can never educate yourself to become an evangelist, a teacher or a shepherd (which is just another word for a pastor).  These are spiritual gifts empowered by the Lord Himself through His Spirit.

I happened to know one of the most learned theologians in Norway, professor Carl Frederik Wisløff, who went home to the Lord not so many years ago.  He was the one who among other things, together with competent co-workers, gave to the Norwegian people an updated, accurate Bible translation which is sometimes called “The Wisløff Bible”, held in high esteem in the whole of Norway.  He died in his 90´ies.  He was the most humble and modest brother you could think of.  The “lay people” (though I don´t accept the distinction) considered him as one of their own, and he certainly was.  He was not sitting in some theological ivory tower high above “the common people”.  He was highy educated, but above all He was spiritually equipped.  He was a spiritual leader, but more than anything a servant of God´s people.

New Tribes Mission has ample examples of simple men and women who driven by the love of Christ and anointed by His Holy Spirit went to the mission field to reach the unreached.  In many cases the Lord equipped them miraculously with gifts as evangelists, teachers, shepherds alongside with practical down-to-earth jobs in the jungles.  There are moving stories of simple men and women who in those capacities were channels of awakenings among the natives, even though they would hardly be admitted to any theological seminary in the U.S. (and still I don´t look down on ecucation).  Many US pastors would humbly admit that these people had “something” which they didn´t have themselves despite their scholarship.

The most powerful revivals in the Norwegian history flourished through simple “lay people”. The farmer, Hans Nielssen Hauge born in the 18th century, is still today an honored name never to be forgotten as long as the topic is about revivals.  His most savage opponents were the clergy.

So let´s forget about the popish idea of laity and non-laity and go back to what God´s word says about the gifts given to the body of Christ.  O, be a simple man or woman soon facing the eternity and serve the Lord and His people with the gift “each has received”  (1 Pet. 4:10).

-jn-

April 16, 2010