From the TeachingtheWord Bible Knowledgebase

Some people, even experienced Christians, think that there are different classes of people within the church of Jesus Christ. But in the first chapter of Colossians, the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit tells us that there are no spiritual elites in the eyes of God.

We see this especially in verse 28: "Him we preach (the Lord Jesus Christ), warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."

Notice the threefold repetition: "Warning every man" - "teaching every man" - "that we may present every man." Every man needs to be warned. Every Christian needs to be taught. And every Christian needs to be presented perfect, that is, complete or mature. There are no spiritual elites in the church of Jesus Christ.

Superiority and Inferiority Complexes in the Church

Some Christians think they are spiritual elites. They think they are spiritually superior to other people. They think they have a special "in" with God that others just don't have. So they feel superior. They think they have arrived.

On the other hand, some Christians think that others in the church have an elite status with God that they don't have, so they feel inferior.

The Apostle Paul warns the church against this kind of thinking in the passage above. He also warns against it in the 12th chapter of Romans, beginning at verse 3:

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

Even Paul himself disclaimed any notion of elite status, and cautioned against equating growing maturity in Christ with such a status:

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected (teteleomai, brought to the finished result of completeness or full maturity); but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. (Philippians 3:7-17)

There are no spiritual elites in the kingdom of God.

Elitism Among the Unsaved

The same thing is true of mankind as a whole. Often, people in the unbelieving world think they are elites. They think they are "above" religion. Or, they want a "designer religion" of their own making. They go to a certain church because it appeals to their flesh and to their pride, not because it is a church that preaches the one true Gospel.

This is the mindset we read about in the first chapter of Romans:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools... (Romans 1:18-22)

We find in that passage that every man knows about God, because God has revealed Himself to every man - not just some vague notion of God, Paul says, but "even His eternal power and Godhead". And so all men "are without excuse".

Why? Because although all men know God - all men, even the man who claims to be an atheist - they refuse to glorify Him as God. The unbeliever, whether he claims to be an atheist or he believes in a "God" of his own making and not the God of the Bible, thinks he can get along without bowing the knee to the one true God. He thinks he can be his own god, because his foolish heart is darkened. That is also a form of elitism, just of a different kind. Men profess themselves to be wise - wiser than God. But in doing so, they become fools.

Biblical Thinking vs. Elitist Thinking

Among unbelievers, elitist thinking leads to damnation. Within the church, elitist thinking leads to spiritual bondage.

The Apostle Paul says that the right way to think is to understand three things: Every man - saved or unsaved - needs to be warned. Every Christian needs to be taught. And every Christian needs to be presented complete, or mature, in Christ at the Last Day.

tq0140

Copyright 1998-2024

TeachingtheWord Ministriesmmmmmwww.teachingtheword.org

All rights reserved. This article may be reproduced in its entirety only,
for non-commercial purposes, provided that this copyright notice is included.

We also suggest that you include a direct hyperlink to this article
for the convenience of your readers.