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Begin by reading Colossians 1:1-14
A friend of mine who is a Pastor carries a special card in his wallet. It is a card given by a Major League Baseball organization that allows him entrance into their ballpark for free. It’s a clergy pass. I imagine the light bulb just went off in your head, and now you’re wondering how you can get one of those too. Well, I’ve got good news for you, but if you’re like I was, this news may shock you. Ready? There’s no Biblical basis for a distinction of clergy and laity among Christians. In other words, the Bible does not teach that there’s a special class of Christians that enter the clergy and the rest are the laity. So, go ahead and apply for your cards!
Well, if the Bible doesn’t teach this, where did this idea come from? Well, it’s a long story, but it began in the early church. There is evidence in post-apostolic writings, beginning with Clement I, of teachers making a distinction between the qualified and the unqualified. The qualified became known as the clergy and the general population of Christians became known as the laity. By the 300s, this idea was taught and practiced in churches, and today, we can see how that has developed. In the Catholic Church, there is a very distinct hierarchy, and to become part of that, you have to make some very intense vows. And if you aren’t willing or “called” to do that, then you are, by default, part of the laity. However, this idea is still in place in many Protestant churches as well, where there is a distinction between the called and the unqualified, the pulpiters and the pewsitters.
So, what does the Bible teach? The Greek word for laity is the word laos. Whenever that word is used in the New Testament, it is used to refer to the entire Church. Because it is a word often associated in ancient Greek with a nation of people, this would have been revolutionary to the Jewish converts to Christianity. Whereas, the people of Israel were a laos or nation in and of themselves, now this term was being used to cross borders and ethnicities, bridging the gap between Jews and Gentiles, giving a unified identity through the Person of Christ. The word laos or laity is never used in Scripture, as we often hear it used today – to talk about a general population of Christians who are not called to an elite league of ministers.
Likewise, the word Clergy is never used in Scripture to reference an elite group with a special calling. This word comes from the Greek word kleros, which means a share or portion. It is used in Colossians 1:12 when Paul says, “the Father has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people.” This share of ministry is something that God entrusts to every Believer. While the Bible talks about the importance of training and discipling, it does not suggest that only those with a certain level of education can obtain a kleros. While the Bible does talk about specific offices and leadership in the church, it does not identify two separate classes of Christians. As Paul states in 1 Corinthians 12:25, “There should be no division in the body.”
Today, we use the word clergy to designate those who are employed by a church, recognized on a pastoral staff, or we may even go so far as to say that missionaries fall under this classification. But I believe there is harm in making this distinction. Over time, we can see what has happened. As we have emphasized the elite and special calling of the pastor, the general congregation has lost its sense that they are equally called, equally qualified, and equally responsible to exercise their gifts in the church. Instead, it becomes easy for us to say, “we pay the pastor to do the ministry,” and pass the buck on him. Likewise, many churches have pastors who want to take control, using the “clergy card” as a way of lording over the people.
I feel both extremes sadden the Lord greatly. Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Colossians 1, and other passages never speak of such an attitude as one the church should have. Instead, we are encouraged to see the church as a body working together, each part equally important and necessary. And who’s the head? It’s not the pastor, or the main teacher, or the patriarch who sits on the elder’s board. No, it’s Christ and Christ alone.
Being a living sacrifice compels us to understand this important point and to fight off hundreds of years of tradition that I believe violates some vital Biblical points. We are the laos – the people of God. As Peter points out, “We are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s chosen people.” We, by God’s grace, have been entrusted with a portion of ministry. It’s not my ministry. It’s not your ministry. It’s God’s ministry.
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