B5
Ordain carefully
C1
Ordain defined
D1
To invest with ministerial or priestly authority; confer holy
orders on. (Source)
D2
Ordain is also used to mean to recognize and establish an
individual to a specific office and/or calling. Ministers are
ordained to their offices by the laying on of hands (1 Tim. 4:14) and
are thereby charged with the duties of that office. (Source)
C2
Laying of hands:
D1
Began in the Old Testament. An example is Joshua. Numbers 27:18-23
NET The LORD replied to Moses, "Take Joshua son of Nun, a man
in whom is such a spirit, and lay your hand on him;
19 set him before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community,
and commission him publicly. 20 Then you must delegate some of your
authority to him, so that the whole community of the Israelites will
be obedient. 21 And he will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will
seek counsel for him before the LORD by the decision of the Urim. At
his command they will go out, and at his command they will come in,
he and all the Israelites with him, the whole community." 22 So
Moses did as the LORD commanded him; he took Joshua and set him
before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community. 23 He laid
his hands on him and commissioned him, just as the LORD
commanded, by the authority of Moses.
D2
Is
the idea
of blessing from “laying on of hands,” comes from: Nehemiah 2:8
NET and
a letter for Asaph the keeper of the king's nature preserve, so that
he will give me timber for beams for the gates of the fortress
adjacent to the temple and for the city wall and for the house to
which I go." So the king granted me these requests, for the good
hand of my God was on me.
(Compare
Mark 10:16).
D3
Shows God’s protection: Ezra 8:31 NLT We
broke camp at the Ahava Canal on April 19 and started off to
Jerusalem. And the gracious hand of our God protected us and saved us
from enemies and bandits along the way.
D4
Giving authority and recognition of the gifts of the Holy Spirit on
believers for ministry: Acts 6:5-6 NLT Everyone
liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of
faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon,
Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish
faith). 6 These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for
them as they laid their hands on them.
C4
Be careful in whom we ordain.
D1
Must meet the Scriptural qualifications: See 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 1 Peter
5:1-4, Titus 1:5-9, Acts 20:28-32, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, Hebrews
13:17, and James 5:14-15.
D2
Use background checks and have them be a part of the congregation for
a while.
D3
Beware of those who are deceivers. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 NLT These
people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise
themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 But I am not surprised! Even
Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no wonder
that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of
righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked
deeds deserve.
C5
If they are ordained when they are unqualified in God’s sight, it
will be a sin that is remembered by God. We will have to give an
account.
D1
The Greek word
for partaker (participate, share, etc.) is κοινωνέω
koinōnéō. It means to share, participate in, join, be associated
with, etc. A few verses where the word is used. The bold font is my
emphasis.
E1
Hebrews 2:14 WEL So then, as the children have flesh and blood in
common, so he also likewise took of the same, so that
through death he might make him inactive who holds the dominion of
death, that is, the Devil 15 And deliver those who through fear of
death were all their lifetime held in bondage.
E2
2 John 1:10-11 Do not receive into the house or welcome
anyone who comes to you and does not bring this teaching; 11 for
to welcome is to participate in the evil deeds
of such a person.
C6
We are to be pure. Purity is God’s by definition. It applies to us
on how we deal with our spouse and children, money, sex, work,
criminal record, etc.
C7
Quotes:
D1
Clarke:
It is a sin for any improper person to thrust himself into the
sacred office; and he partakes of that sin who introduces, helps him
forward, or sanctions him in it. O, what an account will rash,
undiscerning, and prejudiced bishops, presbyters, and others, have to
render to God for their ordinations! Their laying rash or careless
hands "on skulls that cannot teach, and will not learn;"
while probably they refuse inducting others well qualified for the
Christian ministry.
C8
Questions:
D1
What are some purposes of ordination?
D2
What are some qualifications?
D3
What are some dangers?
D4
What are some ways we might be “partakers of other’s sins?”
