With many doctrinal questions, even dwarfing the power of Scripture, there is only one myth attacking the Church: “The clerical system is NOT Satanic.” That myth has been around since Rome commandeered the locally-managed, locally-identified, unified Body of Christ and implemented their clerical system from pagan religions before it.
James is a great teacher with many great ideas, just like Bill Hybels. Pastors are given to the Church by God, just as Apostles and Evangelists, and these functions have no expiration date.
Great pastors like James and Hybels would be far more effective than they already are if they operated as “pastors who are not clergy”. If you look, you will see that defining “pastors” as “clergy” is the source of division in the Church. And this needs no Scriptural claim, other than that Church Unity remains the unanswered prayer of Jesus in John 17 and was the directive given by Paul in Ephesians 2. Division is not from Jesus and that doesn’t leave many other options as to it’s source.
The clerical system is Satanic, as are it’s fruits of division, and its basis is without a shred of Biblical support—other than Scripture which was twisted according to the Biblical misinterpretation of Rome long ago.
For further explanation from the flourishing Church of China:
jessesteele.com/blog/watchman-nee-and
The Local Church movement from China regards the clerical system as Satanic. And Christian Research Institute’s Hank Hanegraaff says, “Certainly I have disagreements with the Local Church on secondary issues, but when it comes to essentials of the historic Christian faith we stand shoulder to shoulder.” He refers to them as, “often the most exemplary Christians.” I have found that they are “exemplary” because they allow pastors to be pastors, not clergy.
The clerical system is Satanic. The myth attacking the Church today is that the clerical system is not.