The Church of the Holy Spirit

5. “Those Who Preside in the Lord”

Chapter 5 “Those Who Preside in the Lord” 133 I. “All Things Should Be Done Decently and in Order” Theologians have firmly adhered to the view that primitive Christianity, at least outside Palestine, existed in a state of charismatic anarchy. The end of charismatic anarchy signified the end of a charismatic period and the beginning of firm and definitive organization of church life. This external organization emerges on the basis of episcopal authority that did not exist during the charismatic period, or at least in the way it appeared at the end of the second century.1 As often happens, the most problematic statements are the ones most trusted, hence the thesis concerning charismatic anarchy received universal acclamation. No solid evidence has been given in support of this thesis with one exception: the abundance and rich variety of charismatic gifts which had no parallel in any subsequent period. In this respect, one should point to another claim that at first glance appears indisputable. It proceeds from the presupposition that St. Paul, the major figure in primitive Christianity, believing the Parousia to be imminent, did not intend to provide the churches he founded with a solid organization. Founding the churches, he limited himself to giving some indispensable guidelines for church life in order that these churches might persist until the second coming of Christ.2 This line of reasoning leaves the organization of church life in total dependence on the personal good intentions of St. Paul or lack thereof. It fails to notice that the principles of ecclesial life, such as they appeared in primitive Christianity and still today, were not random, but rather derived from the very nature of the Church.Christians living at the time when the book of Acts was written were well aware that it was not for them to know the times or seasons of Christ’s coming. Thus the projected length of the Church’s existence could not have affected the organization of the local churches. Even if the churches had but one day to exist, their ecclesial life had to be “organized,” since, as we will see, none of the churches could exist a single day without a person to preside over it. Therefore it is unclear how and why the abundance of charismatic gifts could lead to anarchy or their disappearance to solid church organization. If the charismatic era banned legalism from the Church it does not follow from this that there could exist a church organization not based on principles of law. If the Church in the course of history appropriated the principles of law and built its actual external structure on this foundation, it does not mean that the Church became deprived of charismatic gifts. The Holy Spirit lives in the church of our times just as in the primitive church. Charismatic gifts are still sent down in the church of our time just as in the apostolic age. The charismatic age did not end but continues to exist within the Church even though it now takes a different form. The end of the charismatic age would signify the end of the Church’s very existence, for the Church was and still is a charismatic organism. “All things should be done decently and in order” (1 Cor 14.40) because “God is not a God of confusion, but of peace” (1 Cor 14.33). The Apostle’s admonition completely destroys any claim concerning the charismatic anarchy of primitive Christianity. Wherever there is rank, structure, or order (taxis) no anarchy can exist.That is why it is surprising how that view—that primitive Christianity lived in the state of anarchy—managed to appear at all. If the abundance and rich variety of gifts caused some defects in the church life of that age, it was primarily, even exclusively, due to the overly ecstatic state of some members of the Church. We have no right to extrapolate the image of life in the Corinthian church onto other churches founded by St. Paul. The ecstatic state of the first Christians was not an exclusive feature of those times. We find it in the time when according to almost universal conviction the church had passed through its anarchic stage and entered a period of organization. Montanism could not have spread so quickly and taken control over such an enormous number of churches had it not had any ground in the life of the church. An extreme ecstatic mindset revealed itself not only in...