The Church: Its Organization, Order and Discipline

08 RULERS

“OBEY them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” Hebrews 13:17. COOD 40.1

It is evident, not only from the connection in which this language is found, but also from the words of the text, that the rulers here spoken of are rulers in the church. Civil rulers have to do with temporal affairs and men’s bodies; but the rulers here mentioned are engaged in carefully caring for the souls of those whom they rule. These same rulers are thus mentioned in the former part of this chapter: “Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:7, 8. It seems that these rulers were those who had taught them the word of God, and that submitting to the ruling was obeying that word. COOD 40.2

The charge the Lord made anciently against those shepherds of Israel who should have tenderly cared for his flock but did not, was this: “Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.” Ezekiel 34:3, 4. COOD 40.3