Many churches boast of primacy. Each claiming their connection and founding to an apostle or holy person. The Church of Rome claims the Primacy of St. Peter, that the Apostle spent twenty four years as bishop of the Roman Church. The Eastern Orthodox boast in the Primacy of St. Paul, that the apostle to the Gentiles founded their first churches from Arabia to Ephesus. The Charismatics claim the Primacy of the Spirit, that the Holy Spirit founded their church as he did many atPentecost. Then there is the Church of Christ and The Church of the Nazarene that boast their primacy comes from Christ alone.
This factionalism and fantacalism ovet who founded which church; this vying for primacy of place using the names of apsotles or the Alpha and the Omega Himself is against the very heart of the Gospel and the words of the Apostle Paul, "I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas (Peter)"; still another, "I follow Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the the gospel -not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power." (1 Corinthains 1:10-17). The Apostle Paul makes the case against Primacy and the importancr of who baptzed a beliver, preached, and founded a church.
The Apostle goes on to say, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God [all the while] was making it grow and [He] gave the increase. So neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters, but [only] God Who makes it grow and become greater. He who plants and he who waters are equal (one in aim, of the same importance and esteem), yet each shall receive his own reward (wages), according to his own labor." (1 Corinthians 3: 6-8). If anyone would have had the right and priviledge of primacy it would have been the Apostle Paul, but he castes it aside and claims equality with all felow workers in Christ.
Primacy in Churches stems from pride and a misunderstanding of priesthood. Since Constantine the Great's corruption of the church in 323 A.D. Churches have wronglyfully put importance in founders and have a pagan reverence for proests like they are oracles. The Apostle Peter speaks against this pagan notion of priesthood, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." (1 Peter 2:9-10). There is no need for a special priestly class because Christ is the High Priest and has made the ultimate sacrifice for redenption (Hebrews CH 8, CH 9, CH 10, CH 11, and 1 Corintians 1). Priesthood now is simply to be ministers of the Messiah within us (Galatians 2:20).
There is no Prime of place church. Those who believe they are the greatest because they were established by The Apostle Paul, Apostle Peter, Apostle John, or Apostle James are violating what Jesus said, "At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven," (Matthew 18:1-4), and "Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all," (Mark 9:35), and "So Jesus declared, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them call themselves benefactors, But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves." (Luke 22:25-27.). Christ himself indicates that primacy is received through being a servant, not acting like sovereign or more sacred! Churches error in this regard, puffing themselves up and claiming their greatness, when all believers are called to be great servants.
Primacy is thus not only put to shame by the Apostles Peter and Paul, but spoken against by the Son of God Himself, Jesus Christ. There is nothing within Scripture that alludes to churches seeking primacy, to be considered of great position because of who established them. In fact, read through Paul's letter to Corinthians, the first epistle of two, and you will discover that this primacy business is pride and not of the Prince of Peace.
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