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Hardly any Christians would doubt that a church should have a minister, but I wonder

if that is what the Bible really says. At least in the New Testament I do not think there is any suggestion
to assert an ecclesiastical system of one minister per one church. Such a system must have been
developed by human wisdom and ideas which were cultivated in the long church traditions, rather than
originated in the Bible. Tradition or wisdom has its own merit and is not necessarily a bad thing, but I
do not think it is the idea based on the Bible.

Church in the New Testament was gift-oriented as described in chapters twelve and

fourteen of First Corinthians. The Early Church did not know the system of one minister for one
church. The church was not controlled by human wisdom, let alone by one minister's direction. All the
attendants in worship built the body of Christ, receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

What then, brethren? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.

"Each one" means every one that comes together. It says that anyone can have the

gifts of the Holy Spirit without exception. Listed here are the typical gifts of a hymn, a lesson, a
revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. In the book of Corinthians alone nine gifts are mentioned, and
many more are listed in the New Testament such as a healing, a prophecy, a service, a charity and
others. A gift is charisma in Greek (charismata in plural), denoting external endowments, and Paul, in
his teaching on gifts, claims that every one who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ has some kind of gift
of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual gifts are given not to evaluate individuals, but for the sake of the body of
Christ. In Paul's terminology, it is for edification of church. To put it in my words, it is for the presence
of Christ to fill the church.

The characteristic of the Early Church was the dynamic work of the Holy Spirit

revealed through each person without having the direction of a minister. Some spoke in tongues, some
taught, some prophesied and so forth. It depended on the Holy Spirit, not a person.

It was all good and wonderful, but was not always trouble-free. In the Corinthian

Church where the work of the Holy Spirit was eminent, the charismatic gifts were so abused by people
who spoke in tongues or prophesied that the church was quite disordered. It prompted Paul to warn
people to restrict the usage of the gifts. Even the gifts of God are under the control of people who use
them. "The spirits of prophets are subject to

prophets (1 Corinthians 14:32)." No matter how furiously the Holy Spirit is poured, it is subject to a
person using it, because "God is not a God of confusion but of peace

It is easy to say to use the gifts in order, but it is hard to do so in reality. How

could we know how much to use and when to refrain? It is difficult for us to know its timing. Paul says
that all can prophesy, yet he also cautions that when someone prophesies, others should judge what is
said. To judge means an exercise for others to make sure whether the contents of prophecy are from
God or biblical and help edify the church. However, it is questionable whether we can actually practice
such an exercise in the midst of worship services. There are churches which value tongues and
prophecies to this day, but I seldom hear that any of them is practicing biblical injunctions and
judgment in public worship. It is even ridiculous that a minister is the sole person to exercise it. "Let
two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said (1 Corinthians 14:29)." Notice "
others" being plural.

The Early Church was based on the dynamics of the Holy Spirit, but they may

not have been mindful of the cross of the Lord. They showed their fleshly self-assertion even in the
middle of services and mixed up the Holy Spirit with the flesh. The church built on the charismatic gifts
of the Holy Spirit should have been more desirable and faithful to the Bible than the one controlled by a
certain person. Yet, it is confusing unless people come together wishing to edify the church, that is, to
seek only the presence of Christ, instead of asserting themselves.

Perhaps, it was the reason why churches centered on the gifts of the Holy Spirit

had gradually decayed since the Early Church, and instead the system of one minister for one church
was adopted. In order for the gifts to be fully utilized, it is critically important to have the foundation of
faith in the cross, which is for us to recognize our co-death with the Lord and total identification with
the resurrection of Jesus Christ. "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as
Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life
(Romans 6:4)."

Why does God entrust His holy gifts to people who assert themselves in the

flesh? You may wonder, but how long do you think it will take us to be holy enough to exercise
heavenly gifts according to the will of the Lord? One hundred years? It may not be possible no matter
how hard we try to be holy. So you understand that it is nothing but mercy for the Lord to give and
pour His holy gifts on us in the flesh. God's life has nothing to do with man's righteousness. It is not by
deeds but by faith. Anything in a spiritual dimension is based on our faith in the redeeming work of the
Lord, and faith alone.

Yes, it is possible that we humans could abuse the charismatic gifts. We could

contaminate the holy flow of the Holy Spirit with our own dirty flesh and pride. This is the reason why
Paul emphasizes our faith in co-death with the crucified Lord. Unless we have the faith in the cross that
we will disappear in order for the Lord to appear, the stream of the pure Holy Spirit will get dirty and
stale. Those who are too absorbed in the gifts are blind to how stale they have become.

And now I think that the church which God truly desires is not the one created

by human wisdom to have the system of one church and one minister, nor the one centered on the gifts
like the Corinthian Church, but the one modeled after the church in heaven. Here is the model of the
third church described in the book of Revelation.

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth

and in the sea, and all therein, saying,"To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever !"

(Revelation 5:13)

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!"   (Revelation 7:9-10)

Every creature is praising the One who sits on the throne and the Lamb. "Every

creature" includes not only humans but also animals, plants and minerals such as stones and rocks.
They are all praising God. In the church of heavenly praise, the salvation for all His creation, which
Paul mentions in the book of Romans, will be perfected.

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God.

(Romans 8:19-21)

When all His creation, including grasses, flowers, animals, fish, waters, clouds and

stars in the Galaxy, cry out in jubilation to the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, we will be
all liberated from our bondage to decay and can enjoy the glorious liberty.

Thousands and millions of people join the praise resounding in the universe and

worship the Lord our God Jesus Christ. Our praise on earth to worship the Lord God in spirit and
truth reaches its climax in heaven. We are delivered from our bondage to decay with other creatures.
How jubilant we are in the glorious liberty of Christ! We shout for joy with all our hearts, souls and
minds, having been redeemed. It is when the original plan of God who created man is perfected.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.   (Ephesians 1:3-6)

God's plan predestined billions of years ago is now to be fulfilled. We no longer

This is the true church, and this is the worship in heaven.

The church in heaven is not controlled by a minister, nor based on special gifts. It

is where we simply praise Christ, the Lamb of God. We know that everything is completed in praise. It
has nothing to do with human elements such as race, culture, sex, education or experience.

Kohitsuji no Mure is modeled after the church of Revelation praise. We worship

the Lord God in spirit and truth. Our faith begins in praise and ends in praise. Although the gifts are at
work in worship, we do not feel it necessary to assert ourselves with the gifts, because we can now
enjoy the magnificent presence of the Lamb of God in the middle of our worship. Gone are man's pride
and flesh. Heavenly praises cover all human sins and flesh. We are not attached to having or not
having the gifts. We are so free as to worship the Lord in spirit and truth.

Everything is completed in praise. The church in the Revelation is the church of

When we praise Christ, only then, God's plan in heaven is manifested on the earth.

To the praise of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us. For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him, according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will, we who first hoped in Christ have been destined and appointed to live for the praise of his glory.   (Ephesians 1:6-12)

God's mystery has now been revealed. The church in heaven has now appeared

July 9, 1998