In Christianity, you have the Apostles, bishops, and ministerial servants?
This is inaccurate, dear Knows (peace to you!). In the "church" established by Christ (after he denounced the ONLY religious institution sanctioned by God - the Jewish system with its temple and priesthood)... there was him (the cornerstone), the Apostles (the foundation), the Prophets and some others (pillars)... and then the "living stones" (everyone else). ALL of these make up the "temple", the "place" that God inhabits... by spirit. Because if ONE part is "holy", the whole THING is "holy"... Christ taught that no one was over/above anyone. Including himself. He DEMONSTRATED this... by washing his disciples feet... and telling them that if HE did so to THEM, they should do so to one another.
Unfortunately, some [men] who have a tendency to have to CONTROL EVERYTHING... and who cannot function without some tangible appearance of "order" (from their perspective) changed the meaning of various positions. Part of this had to do with their prior history as Pharisees, Sadducees, priests, etc. Habit.
For example, "bishops" (overseers) and "ministerial servants". Those men had NO position in the "congregation"... other than to see that the widows and orphans received the item donated for them. Their tasks came about when there was a dissention between the Hebrew-speaking and Greek-speaking widows. The latter felt that they were being overlooked in the distribution... that the other widows were getting more. Because they wanted to focus on THEIR task (of continuing to share the "good news" about Christ), the Apostles called all the disciples (in the area) together and told them to seven (7) men who they believed to be "full of spirit and wisdom"... and appoint such men OVER the "necessary business" of the distribution.
In order to ensure that the distribution WAS fair... and honorable (because they had opposers who were looking for reasons to lay blame)... it was determined that such men had to meet certain "qualifications," including being "husbands of one wife." This did not mean that they could NOT be polygamus, per se; rather, it meant that they could only be "lawfully" married to one woman at a time (i.e., any other wives would have had to be put off/divorced for fornication or adultery, as those were the only grounds. A man married to a woman who had another "wife"... one he had divorced but not LAWFULLY - she had NOT committed fornication/adultery... was actually married to "more than one" wife). This was so that no accusation could be levied against such a man, that his good name was not at question, again, because some were in the business of finding fault.
The same required applied to MALE ministerial servants. I say male because women were ministerial servants, as well. Some, like Phoebe, were even named. There had to BE female ministerial servants because... those being cared for consisted primarily of WIDOWS (vs. widoweres). Since a man/men could not visit a woman ALONE... without giving rise to potential gossip and slander... these widows (who were not always old! True, the younger ones were admonished to remarry and bear children... but some were not that young, while not that old... and some were barren so childbirth wouldn't have provided for/protected them)... received THEIR distributions... from women ministerial servants. In addition, the "ministry" was NOT preaching... but literally CARING for these: their PHYSICAL needs. So, along with the distribution, these were helped with tasks like cleaning, retrieving/carrying water, cooking, personal hygiene, etc.
Religion and faith are interchangable.
As MAN views/considers those terms, yes. Which is a huge part of the problem. Because some have deemed that "religion"... and pratice of/adherence to... is a manifestation of one's faith. It is NOT. It is merely the "outward appearance." Doesn't say what all is in a person's HEART, at all.
When many of the same faith gather together, one needs a way to control things so as to not get out of order.
And there you go. Perhaps, you would be one of those who think as I shared above. If everyone there is controlles by CHRIST, however, which is done THROUGH HOLY SPIRIT... then there is no need to "control" things. Because HE controls things... and when everyone listens to HIM... there is no getting "out of order." Paul, a former Pharisee, had to learn this, though. He tried, mightily, to "control" the Corinthian congregation... to usurp the puprose... and RIGHT... of holy spirit! In doing so, he almost single-handedly demolished that congregation. He certainly divided it, greatly... to the point of having to back-pedal and rescind his former admonitions, which admonitions had absolutely nothing to do with the teachings of Christ. One might be able to see Paul's change of heart if one reads his letters in their more accurate order (i.e., Romans AFTER the two to the Corinthians).
This is were the structures come in and, voila, religion! It is always the same progression. Faith inevitably leads to religion.
Not always, dear one. True, it did for many in the first century; however, it did not for all. For some, Christ remained their leader at all times (the congregation at "Philadelphia" comes to mind); some, not so much. But that Christ WAS their leader, and not men, is the gist of the letters to the "seven congregations." My Lord HIMSELF told those in them what they were doing right... and what they were doing wrong... and admonished them listen to HIM... and hear what the SPIRIT said to those congregations, not the men in them. (Revelation 2:5, 7, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17, 20, 25, 29; 3:2, 5, 6, 15, 16, 18, 22). Only AFTER thatwas John brought to be in spirit and given the Revelation by Michael.
I hope this helps and, again, peace to you!
A slave of Christ, the One and Only Leader of HIS Body,
SA
