01.6.6. No Respect Of Persons In Gods Judgment
Chapter 6vi - No Respect Of Persons In God’s Judgment
God’s judgment is without respect of persons: “For there is no respect of persons [prosopolempsia, a noun derived from the noun prosopon, meaning face, countenance, or appearance, and the verb lambano, meaning to receive; the compound word means respect of persons or partiality] with God. For as many as without law sinned, shall also without law perish; and as many as sinned in the sphere of the law shall be judged by means of the law; for not the hearers of the law are just before [in the sight of] God, but the doers of the law shall be justified” (Romans 2:11-13 -translation). The noun prosopolempsia, used for respect of persons, is described in God’s instruction to Samuel, a compassionate man, who was concerned about King Saul: “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). In Romans 2:11, the noun prosopolempsia (respect of persons or partiality) is negated by the adverb ou, signifying that God’s judgment is the same whether persons sin without law or in the sphere of the law. The expression “without law” applies to non-Jews who are without a written code of law; however, they are condemned because they do not live according to the general revelation in creation. On the other hand, the expression “in the sphere of the law” refers to the Jews who were given the law of Moses. None have ever been given license to sin. The Jews are judged because the holy law is God’s definite standard. Therefore, God’s judgment, which is without respect of persons, will be a verdict of guilty on sinning mankind, whether non-Jews or Jews. Paul was not discussing how men are saved, but how they will be judged according to the light to which they have been exposed. The statements “no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11) and “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34) are taken out of context by persons who hate the Biblical doctrine of Divine election and God’s providential government. Their defense against these Biblical facts is the quotation of the previously mentioned verses. They say if these subjects are true, God would be guilty of arbitrariness in election and would fail to treat people equally in His providential government. Pertaining to the doctrine of election, if God did not choose some, all would be lost because all are depraved. Concerning God’s providential government, none can determine which rank or station of life supersedes the others, because all without exception enter this world in the same state of depravity.
FIRST-Election does not make God a respecter of persons. This is contrary to the false concept that the doctrine of election makes God guilty of injustice in that He gives to equal persons unequal things. One must understand that God is not bound to save any person, considering that He alone has absolute freedom. No one can go to law with God. He is His own law; therefore, there is no law above Himself. Since God is absolutely sovereign and free, man must view His choice of some as being for God’s own pleasure. Therefore, election originated with God: “Having known [perfect active participle of oida], brethren, that you have been loved [perfect passive participle of agapao], by [hupo, ablative of agency] God, the choosing [eklogen, accusative feminine singular of ekloge, selection, election, or choosing] of you” (1 Thessalonians 1:4 -translation). This verse records the “act,” the “Agent,” and the “object.” The moving cause of God’s election is found only in “the good pleasure of his will” (Ephesians 1:5), and it is called the “election of grace” (Romans 11:5). God’s decree of election is an act of sovereignty, not an act of justice.
God is not a respecter of persons in election because He did not choose men according to their character and works. Will any attempt to say God is unjust to choose some from the pit of depravity, when He would have been just had He destroyed all? God saw all people alike, and nothing but the good pleasure of His will balanced His choice. Justice always presupposes debt, but God could not be a debtor to man since man is dependent on God. Therefore, the decree of election is not a matter of right and wrong; it is God’s free and undeserved favor to the unfavorable bound by a sinful nature. No person can ever understand the meaning of the grace of election until he is able by grace to see that he deserves God’s eternal wrath. The worldly ambitious person says, “Blessed is the man who rises to great heights in the eyes of men.” The sensualist says, “Blessed is the man who walks according to his own sensuous desires.” But the Christian says, “How blessed is the one whom Thou dost choose, and bring near to Thee, To dwell in Thy courts...” (Psalms 65:4 NASB). The Greek verb for “chosen” in Ephesians 1:4 is in the aorist tense (completed action in past time), middle voice (sovereignly selected for Himself), and indicative mood (the mood of reality, which makes the choice an established fact). The compound verb eklegomai (or eklego) is derived from the preposition ek, out of, and the verb lego, to speak, say, or gather. In its inflected form, it means “chose once for all for Himself.”
SECOND-Providence does not make God a respecter of persons. Concerning God’s providential government, no person is in a position to say which rank or station of life is superior to others. What appears to be partiality in providence, such as circumstances, condition of health, natural abilities, and external advantages cannot be justly determined in the light of the present. Man’s future alone can determine him happy or unhappy. Unhappiness evidences dependence on happenings to make one happy. Since man’s present condition is perpetually changing, even temporal happiness depends on more than externals. Such things as pain, persecution, disappointment, and hardship are often used to discipline God’s people. To the unsaved, they may constitute God’s punishment that is being constantly revealed from heaven (Romans 1:18).
Everything done in time was purposed in eternity. Therefore, the time for the execution of that purpose is brought about by the providence of God, signifying that providence is purpose in execution. The noun form for the word providence (pronoia) means provision, foresight, or care (Acts 24:2; Romans 13:14). The verb form (pronoeo) means to have in mind, care for, or take care of (Romans 12:17; 2 Corinthians 8:21; 1 Timothy 5:8). Providence (Divine care or direction) may be considered in three major ways:
(1) It may be without means or with means.
(2) It may be extraordinary or ordinary, which means either by miraculous operations or by the common course of means.
(3) It may be general or particular, which may concern the whole world in general or some in a particular way. For example, some things belong to men in general, such as, “He [God] is giving to all life and breath and all things; and He made from one every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, appointing seasons and the boundaries of their dwelling having been designated.... For in Him we are living and being moved and are having our existence...” (Acts 17:25 b, Acts 17:26, Acts 17:28 -translation). On the other hand, other things belong to the elect in particular: “For to this purpose we are working hard and are contending with dangers, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Preserver of all men, above all of believers” (1 Timothy 4:10 -translation). The sovereign God has power over everything He has created. He did not bring something into existence that He cannot control. Living in a day when God is humanized, blessings are materialized, and the gospel is socialized, Christians are a very small minority who appear to have the impossible goal of accomplishing what they preach. Christians, not religionists, encounter the same opposition as Nehemiah and the remnant of Jews when they undertook to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 4:1-23). God’s purpose was not obstructed in the case of Nehemiah, neither will it be hindered in His purpose for the “little flock” (Luke 12:32). Nehemiah’s opposition went from Sanballat’s grief (displeasure) to his anger, and then to his conspiracy (Nehemiah 2:10; Nehemiah 4:1-8).
God is ruling in the affairs of men. The greatest example of the controlling power of God is seen in the death of Jesus Christ. From all eternity God predestined every detail of that event. (See Acts 2:23; Acts 4:28.) Christians espouse the truth and proclaim it for the purpose of reaching the elect. Although there are many devices in the hearts of men, the counsel of God shall stand; and His purpose shall be accomplished (Proverbs 19:21; Isaiah 46:10). Those who oppose this Biblical fact argue, “If decrees do something to the event, freedom of action in producing the event is impossible.” The Lord does not change the quality but the current of the stream. It continues running according to its natural tendency, but it runs under God’s guidance and subservient to His pleasure. Kings follow their own natural inclinations, but they are guided by God to fulfill His purpose.
Regarding Christ’s death, one cannot deny that the time of His death was purposed in eternity (Revelation 13:8), and the execution of that purpose was brought about by the providence of God. No one laid hands on Jesus Christ as He taught in the temple for the reason that His hour had not come (John 8:20). There was an hour for each aspect of His life. In John 12:23, Christ said, “The hour has come [perfect active indicative of erchomai, to come] that the Son of man may be glorified” (translation). (See John 13:1; John 17:1.) A Divine providence by which all things are held together (Colossians 1:17), governed (Proverbs 21:1), and directed is proved by the Being of God, His creation, and perfection.
Man has great difficulty explaining that God’s providence cannot be excluded from man’s sinful acts. Two things must be considered as undeniable facts, whether or not we are capable of reconciling them to our own satisfaction:
(1) God is not the author of sin (James 1:13).
(2) The providence of God has some concern with sinful acts. None can deny that God supports men in their being while they are sinning (Acts 17:28). He did not kill Ananias and Sapphira before they sinned (Acts 5:1-11). He kept Abimelech from committing adultery with Abraham’s wife, Sarah, by appearing to him in a dream and saying, “Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife....for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her” (Genesis 20:3 b, Genesis 20:6 b). However, in the case of David, God did not prevent him from committing adultery with Bathsheba, which was a sin against God (2 Samuel 11:1-5; 2 Samuel 12:13-14; Psalms 51:4). God did not allow Laban to hurt Jacob (Genesis 31:7), but He did allow Shimei to curse David (2 Samuel 16:5-14). Although David had nothing to do with the fall of King Saul, he did have something to do with the fall of Uriah; therefore, he knew his chastening was from God. He said, “...let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David...” (2 Samuel 16:10).
Every Christian has a Shimei who is such a trial to him that he wishes him removed. Nevertheless, he must not overlook the fact that God has a purpose in the Shimei in his life. While Shimei was David’s offender, Alexander the coppersmith was Paul’s offender (2 Timothy 4:14). What is true of evil men is equally true of all our ominous surroundings and adverse circumstances, as we like to call them. These are not only appointed by God, but they are also kept and made to operate for the good of God’s people. They are beyond our ability to understand, especially while experiencing trials. But having passed through them, we can look back with the assurance that the God of providence arranged them for our good. No Christian knows just what another believer needs, particularly his trying, searching, sifting, and sanctifying circumstances. God’s providence is designed for Christian humility, submissiveness, contentment, detachment, denial of self, unearthliness, and conformity to Jesus Christ. Therefore, we should say with David, “Let Shimei curse because it is for my good.”
If natural sense (the collective faculties of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, or touching of man by which he perceives, discerns, realizes, or recognizes) alone were considered in reference to God’s providential government, one would not give the Sovereign His rightful place in trying circumstances. Believing that God created man and subsequently assumed the position of a mere observer is a deistic concept of God. Such a person would not proceed beyond Shimei’s cursing David (2 Samuel 16:5-14), Joseph’s envying brothers afflicting him
(Genesis 37:17-28; Genesis 45:1-15; Genesis 50:14-21), or the Jew’s hatred manifested in the death of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:23). Rising above the natural sense of discernment is necessary but impossible apart from grace. The spiritual discernment of God-given faith says, “the LORD hath said unto him [Shimei], Curse David” (2 Samuel 16:10); “But as for you, ye thought evil against me [Joseph]; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive” (Genesis 50:20); and “This man [Christ] was delivered according to the fixed purpose and prearrangement of God...” (Acts 2:23 -translation). This manifests the difference between the natural man and the Christian.
God as governor of the universe and man sometimes punishes one sin with another sin. As it has been shown, Romans 1:1-32 teaches that the removal of God’s restraint in time is a fearful punishment of sin. Plato made the statement that a license to sin is the greatest punishment of sin. He was correct when it comes to sin being punished by greater sins, but he was incorrect when he said it is the greatest punishment. As horrible as the description of sin is (Romans 1:24; Romans 1:26; Romans 1:28; 2 Thessalonians 2:11), the eternal punishment of hell is the greatest. Sometimes God overrules sin for good, as in the case of Adam’s fall for his perfection in grace, Joseph’s being sold into Egypt for the saving of many persons alive, and Christ’s death for the salvation of the elect. “The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works” (Psalms 145:17).
People who are unable to distinguish between the perfection of the Creator and the weakness of the creature, or the chief Agent and the instrument, adhere to the visible action without ascending to God who presides over all. “The King’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will” (Proverbs 21:1). Kings are ruled and overruled by God who is “higher than the highest” (Ecclesiastes 5:8). Both politicians and religionists think God’s heart is in their hands. Authorities of human government are not viewed in Scripture as having intelligence of a spiritual order. Scripture represents them as “beasts.” Both Old and New Testaments use this word literally and symbolically. Daniel described governmental authorities as lions, bears, leopards, and the fourth beast as being so terrible that he had no name for him (Daniel 7:1-28). John reversed the order in Revelation 13:1-18. He called the fourth beast, too wicked to describe, dragon. All the beasts-governmental authorities-will give their authority to one government under the antichrist (Revelation 13:1-18). Nevertheless, this power will be controlled by God: “For God put [edoken, aorist active indicative of didomi, to put] it into their hearts to accomplish [poiesai, aorist active infinitive of poieo, to do, bring about, or accomplish] His purpose [gnomen, accusative feminine singular of gnome, purpose, intention, or decision], and to bring about [aorist active infinitive of poieo] one decision and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled [future passive indicative of teleo, to finish, complete, or fulfill]” (Revelation 17:17 -translation). God works unseen in all the political and social changes of mankind. Therefore, instead of kings, presidents, and politicians preventing the accomplishment of God’s purpose, they are unknowingly fulfilling it. Furthermore, religionists who say God can do nothing for them in a spiritual way until they choose to let Him, deny His sovereignty. Does the depraved will of man control God concerning man’s physical life and sustenance? One who would say “I will live a long time” does not recognize that his breath is in God’s hands. In order to escape the dilemma of making God the cause of sin, one must have some understanding of depravity, grace, and confession. No Christian would ever say, “I did that sinful act because God worked in me to do that which is sinful.” The Christian knows that apart from God’s grace he is nothing and deserves nothing. Therefore, rather than trying to resolve the problem which the natural person has with providence and sin by way of concurrence, he respects the boundaries God has established for his thinking. (See Deuteronomy 29:29.) Scripture never presents providence in its relation to sin by way of argument, but always in a historical setting of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. God-given faith does not flee from responsibility; furthermore, it explains sin as coming from man’s depraved heart.
God’s providential government can be trusted, because it is executed according to His eternal purpose. As important as prayer is in the life of a Christian, it can never derange the economy of providence. Prayer must come through the discipline of learning. An informed person who prays seeks strength to meet and not change facts. Much so-called prayer seeks to drag God on man’s side; thus, it is man-centered rather than God-centered. Prayer is power to submit our lives to the will of God. Prayer will not change God’s purpose concerning who shall be saved or when they will be saved. God’s providence does assure us that the elect will be preserved until they are regenerated. (See Jude 1:1.)
Although the elect fell in time in our representative human head, Adam, we did not fall in eternity out of our covenant Head, Jesus Christ. Therefore, having been permanently loved and kept by the sovereign God, all the elect are assured of being effectually called at God’s appointed time. The same God who permanently loved and kept the elect for salvation is able to keep the effectually called elect from falling and to make us stand in the presence of Him without blemish in the sphere of eternal joy. This is the good side of providence, and it is wonderfully portrayed against the apostate condition which is also under the control of providence (Jude 1:24-25).
God’s providence is not appointed as a guide for one’s life. It should drive us to the word of God. Christians must not murmur against providence. We discover the will of God and our duty under dark and doubtful providence by going to the word of God. Providence in itself is no standard for duty. It may present occasion for sinning, as in the case of Jonah. Any testimony of providence contrary to God’s revealed will must not be accepted. Providence does not justify moral evil. Every sinner loves the good providence of God, but Christians love the God of providence. As mercies are fuel to a sinner’s lust, they are fuel to maintain a Christian’s love and fidelity to God.
THIRD-God’s righteousness in judgment proves He is not a respecter of persons. Neither Divine election nor providential government makes God guilty of partiality, as He is charged by the enemies of these two Biblical doctrines. God’s judgment is without respect of persons. Romans 2:11 is connected with its preceding and succeeding verses. The conjunction “For” (gar) shows that “no respect of persons with God” is associated with the preceding verses. The noun prosopolempsia of Romans 2:11, which means respect of persons or partiality, is negated by the adverb ou; therefore, no one can accuse God of being unjust in view of the fact that He is righteous in His judgments: “For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe” (Deuteronomy 10:17 NASB).
God, whose understanding is infinite (Psalms 147:5), cannot be bribed because everything past, present, and future is eternally known to Him. There is no succession in His knowledge. The correct way to speak of the God of gods and Lord of lords is, “He is.” One might speak of created man as having been, is, and shall be; he is not now what he was; and he shall not be what he is at the present. However, God is the same now that He was, and He shall be the same as He is now (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17).
Eternity has been defined as duration without beginning or ending and present without past or future. However, “duration” is not a good term on account of it signifies the length of time something continues to exist. Constance, which means perpetual, ceaseless, permanent, or uninterrupted, is the better word. Eternity is not duration; it is ceaseless. Furthermore, eternal signifies more than pretemporal. The terms pretemporal, cotemporal, and posttemporal are expressions used to describe past, present, and future with reference to time. Such expressions are necessary for creatures of time, but they cannot be used with reference to God. That which is temporal to us, whether past, present, or future, is a present fact to the eternal God. All things with respect to God have a known and a real existence; however, since there is no time with God, both are simultaneous to Him. Although future things in time do not coexist with God, He coexists with them: “...I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he” (Isaiah 41:4). The eternal God with infinite understanding knows man’s thoughts before their existence. David said, “O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off [a Hebrew adjective meaning far or remote]” (Psalms 139:1-2). The Lord said to Moses concerning Israel, “...I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware” (Deuteronomy 31:21). Greatness must be ascribed to the God of gods and Lord of lords because He eternally knows every man through and through: “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable” (Psalms 145:3). Conclusively, God who knows man through and through cannot be bribed. The Hebrew word shohad means bribe, gratuity, or inducement. Prohibitions concerning the reception of bribes are found in the Pentateuch: “And you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of the just” (Exodus 23:8 NASB). Under the old economy, the Jewish judges had a duty as serious as that of the priests. Since the judges must make judgment on the basis of God’s standard, their judgment would be God’s judgment. Judges must be (1) impartial-“You shall not pervert the justice...” (Exodus 23:6 NASB),
(2) judicious-“Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent or the righteous [capital punishment]...” (Exodus 23:7 NASB), and
(3) incorrupt-“And you shall not take a bribe...” (Exodus 23:8 NASB). A bribe is something given or promised as illicit payment for information that would be advantageous to the person offering the payment. People on Wall Street could give many examples of bribes in the Stock Market business. No doubt bribes are common today, but the commonality of a crime does not make it right. The same portion of Scripture (Exodus 23:1-9) warns against following the multitudes, whether irreligious or religious: “You shall not follow a multitude in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to pervert justice” (Exodus 23:2 NASB). This verse assumes that the multitude practices evil. The honest person, because of his own innate tendencies to evil, knows this is factual. Listen to Isaiah, “Your rulers are rebels, And companions of thieves; Everyone loves a bribe, and chases after rewards...” (Isaiah 1:23 NASB). “Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away the rights of the ones who are in the right” (Isaiah 5:23 NASB). Listen to Micah: “Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe, Her priests instruct for a price, And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the LORD saying, Is not the LORD in our midst? Calamity will not come upon us” (Micah 3:11 NASB).
Disregard for Biblical principles leads to fraud and violence, thus indicating that if the price is right a bribe can lead to violence. “Cursed is he who accepts a bribe to strike down an innocent person...” (Deuteronomy 27:25 NASB). David said, “O LORD, I love the habitation of Thy house, And the place where Thy glory dwells. Do not take my soul away along with sinners, Nor my life with men of bloodshed, In whose hands is a wicked scheme, And whose right hand is full of bribes” (Psalms 26:8-10 NASB). Ezekiel said to Jerusalem, “In you they [rulers of Israel] have taken bribes to shed blood; you have taken interest and profits, and you have injured your neighbors for gain by oppression, and you have forgotten Me, declares the Lord God” (Ezekiel 22:12 NASB). (See 1 Samuel 8:3; 1 Kings 15:19; 2 Kings 16:8.) As Saul bribed others to seek the life of David, the Jews of the greater David’s time bribed one of His own disciples to betray the Son of God into their hands. Those who have no knowledge of depravity think it strange that personified goodness (Jesus Christ) could be treated by men in such a manner. Religionists who understand neither depravity nor personified goodness think that virtue needs only to be presented in its true colors in order to be loved by all at once. The thought that all men would love embodied righteousness is false. Virtue was embodied in the Person of Jesus Christ; but all men did not, do not, and will not love Him. The Son of God was despised and rejected by men. Following His rejection, wicked men led Embodied Godliness to Calvary, where they crucified the Son of God between two thieves. The absolutely righteous Lord “spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, For I the LORD your God am holy.... You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly” (Leviticus 19:1-2; Leviticus 19:15 NASB). When it comes to judging others, Christians must never consider what others have done or are doing in similar conditions. We must begin with serious self-judgment, and from there judge on the basis of Scripture, regardless of our closeness to or distance from the ones being judged. Furthermore, we must not be swayed by rank, wealth, influence, or the opinions of others. The power of the court of Areopagus at Athens was great. The custom of the court was to make its judgments only at night without light. The reason given for this practice was that the members of the court might not be prejudiced for or against the accused by seeing his countenance and gestures. Truth alone was to be regarded, and no attempt to distort it so as to lose truth or objectivity must be allowed. Since that was the practice in the court of Areopagus, what about the civil, self, and assembly courts of our day?
“Respect of persons” [prosopolempsia, partiality or favoritism] means to look with favor on some with regard to their external privileges without any concern for their internal character. This is vividly demonstrated in the realms of society, politics, and religion. Immoral and heretical things are overlooked in the lives of many for personal, political, and religious advantage. Jude warned against this, “These are murmurers complainers, conducting themselves according to their own lusts, and their mouth is speaking boastful things, having men’s persons in admiration for the sake of advantage” (Jude 1:16 -translation). James condemned looking with favor on some with respect to their external privileges
(James 2:1-9). The wealthy man must not be given attention above the poor man, but this does not mean that the indolent person is to be regarded the same way as the industrious person. Solomon mentioned the sluggard (atsel, sluggard, slothful, or indolent) six times in the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 6:6, Proverbs 6:9; Proverbs 10:26; Proverbs 13:4; Proverbs 20:4; Proverbs 26:16). “Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise” (Proverbs 6:6 NASB). The ant could be called a little preacher with a great message of foresight, diligence, and industry. The ant’s foresight motivates its diligence in providing food for the coming winter. “How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?” (Proverbs 6:9 NASB). Was not man created with more understanding than the lower creatures? “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing. But the soul of the diligent is made fat” (Proverbs 13:4 NASB).
All respect of persons is not sinful. If it were, there would be no place for authority in either civil government or the assemblies of Christ. The following are some ways in which respect of persons is not sinful:
(1) There is holy respect of persons with God: “And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect [shaa, the basic idea is to look with interest, gaze at, inspect, or have respect or regard for] unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect...” (Genesis 4:4-5). Abel’s person was accepted prior to his offering, thus teaching that the person must be regarded before his service. Consequently, salvation does not result from works, but good works are the fruit of the one having been created in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:10).
(2) There is a justifiable respect of persons due to their age (1 Timothy 5:1).
(3) Respect is due to those in a God-appointed office in civil government (Romans 13:1-7). While one may bow to the office of king, president, etc., he is not obligated to bow to the person in that office who acts contrary to God’s Biblical principles.
(4) Respect is due men of God for their God-appointed office in the local assemblies of Christ (1 Timothy 3:1-16; 1 Timothy 4:1-16). However, Christians are obligated to follow God-appointed leaders only as they follow the Lord. (See 1 Corinthians 11:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:7.) Although salvation is common to all believers (Jude 1:3), we are not equal in gifts and calling (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 1 Corinthians 12:27-30). The inequality in gifts and calling must be respected because God Himself makes one to differ from another.