INTRODUCTION: THE WORK AND THE WARNING
There is a difference between THE Work of God and the warning to return to that Work.
Both are important. Both have their proper place. Both concern obedience to Jesus Christ.
But they are not interchangeable.
Jesus Christ established a Work and commissioned His Church to perform it. That commission was not simply to warn people about the condition of the Church, nor was it merely to correct those who had departed from the truth.
It was to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world and to feed the flock of God.
Within that responsibility, the Church must also warn, correct, exhort, and encourage those whom God has called.
But the warning does not replace the commission.
And the necessity of repentance among those who have departed does not mean that those who remain faithful must abandon the Work Christ established.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God is the spearhead. The warning to repent supports the Work, but must never replace the spearhead.
This distinction becomes especially important when examining the Philadelphia and Laodicean eras of God’s Church.
For Philadelphia is told to HOLD FAST.
Laodicea is told to REPENT.
These are instructions from the same Jesus Christ, but they address different spiritual conditions.
And understanding those conditions helps us recognize the difference between faithfully performing THE Work of God and merely warning others to return to it.
I. THE TWOFOLD COMMISSION OF THE CHURCH
Jesus Christ gave His Church a twofold commission.
First, preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world.
Second, feed the flock of God.
These responsibilities are distinct, yet inseparable in the proper functioning of God’s Church.
THE FIRST COMMISSION: PREACH THE GOSPEL
Jesus Christ declared:
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”
Matthew 24:14
Notice what Christ identified as the message.
THIS GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM.
Not a new gospel about the condition of the Church.
Not a message primarily concerned with condemning other ministers.
Not a continual campaign of accusations and disputes among brethren.
But the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
Jesus Christ Himself preached that Gospel.
“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
Mark 1:14-15
Repentance was included in Christ’s preaching.
But repentance was not presented as a replacement for the Gospel.
Christ commanded people to repent AND believe the Gospel.
The Gospel concerns the coming Kingdom of God, the restoration of God’s government upon the earth, and the wonderful future Jesus Christ will establish when He returns.
This is the message Herbert W. Armstrong preached to the world.
Within the understanding of the Philadelphia Era, Christ opened the door for that Gospel to be proclaimed throughout the nations.
That was the spearhead of THE Work of God.
THE SECOND COMMISSION: FEED THE FLOCK
Jesus Christ also commanded Peter:
“Feed my sheep.”
John 21:17
The Apostle Peter later instructed:
“Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind.”
1 Peter 5:2
Feeding the flock includes teaching sound doctrine, strengthening the brethren, encouraging faithfulness, correcting error, and warning against spiritual danger.
Paul instructed Timothy:
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
2 Timothy 4:2
Notice that correction and warning belong within the responsibility of feeding the flock.
They are not a separate commission that supersedes the twofold commission.
A shepherd must warn his sheep of danger.
But he must also feed them.
A shepherd who continually warns the sheep but never feeds them has neglected his responsibility.
Likewise, a ministry that devotes its principal efforts to warning others about Laodicea while neglecting the Gospel and the feeding of the flock has reversed the proper order.
THE WARNING IS PART OF FEEDING THE FLOCK. IT IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR THE TWOFOLD COMMISSION.
II. THE SEVEN CHURCH ERAS DO NOT REPRESENT SEVEN DIFFERENT GOSPELS
In Revelation chapters 2 and 3, Jesus Christ addresses seven Churches.
Each receives instruction according to its spiritual condition.
Ephesus is told to remember and repent.
Smyrna is told to remain faithful unto death.
Pergamos is warned to repent.
Thyatira is told to hold fast.
Sardis is told to watch and strengthen what remains.
Philadelphia is told to hold fast to what it has.
Laodicea is commanded to repent.
These are seven messages from the same Jesus Christ.
But they are not seven different Gospels.
The Gospel remains the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
What differs is the condition of those Christ addresses.
Within the prophetic understanding of successive Church eras taught by Herbert W. Armstrong, these messages describe the spiritual characteristics of the Church throughout its history.
Yet the spiritual conditions described in those messages may also exist among individuals outside the period principally associated with a particular era.
Therefore, the appearance of Laodicean conditions does not automatically mean that Philadelphia has ceased to exist.
Nor does the warning to Laodicea abolish Philadelphia’s responsibility.
If Philadelphia continues, then Philadelphia must continue holding fast to what Christ established.
III. PHILADELPHIA: THE WARNING BEFORE THE LINE IS CROSSED
Jesus Christ tells Philadelphia:
“I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.”
Revelation 3:8
And again:
“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”
Revelation 3:11
Notice the instruction.
HOLD FAST.
Philadelphia possesses something Christ has given.
It has an established responsibility.
It has kept His Word.
And it is warned not to surrender what it possesses.
This is a warning before the line is crossed.
It is preventative.
It is intended to preserve faithfulness.
Philadelphia is not told to abandon the commission in order to establish a different work centered upon warning Laodicea.
It is told to continue faithfully.
Within the Philadelphia-era understanding, the open door was associated with the worldwide proclamation of the Gospel through the ministry established during Herbert W. Armstrong’s leadership.
That ministry was responsible for preaching the Gospel and feeding the flock.
And within the feeding of the flock was the responsibility to warn the brethren to hold fast.
The warning accompanied the Work. It did not replace the Work.
IV. LAODICEA: THE WARNING AFTER THE LINE IS CROSSED
Now consider the message to Laodicea.
“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”
Revelation 3:17
Christ continues:
“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”
Revelation 3:19
Here the condition is different.
Christ is not merely warning a faithful Church to preserve what it possesses.
He is addressing those who have already entered a condition requiring repentance.
The line has been crossed.
Therefore, the immediate responsibility is different.
Philadelphia must hold fast.
Laodicea must repent.
But repentance does not become a new Gospel.
It is the necessary correction of those who have departed from faithfulness.
Within the Church-era interpretation, the Laodicean Church as a whole is particularly associated with the Great Tribulation and the severe correction through which those who have remained lukewarm must come to repentance.
The Worldwide Church of God taught that some spiritually lukewarm members would enter the Tribulation rather than receive the protection associated with Philadelphia.
For those who have already departed, repentance must come first.
They cannot faithfully resume responsibilities they have abandoned while refusing to repent of that departure.
Repentance is first for those who have crossed the line. But the need for their repentance does not change the commission of those who remain faithful.
V. LAODICEAN CONDITIONS CAN EXIST BEFORE THE TRIBULATION
It is important to distinguish between the Laodicean spiritual condition and the principal period associated with the Laodicean Era.
Some may become spiritually lukewarm before the Great Tribulation.
Such individuals need Christ’s correction immediately.
They need to repent.
But the existence of those individuals does not establish that Philadelphia’s commission has ended.
Nor does it justify making the warning to Laodicea the primary occupation of the entire Church.
The ministry must still preach the Gospel.
It must still feed the flock.
And in feeding the flock, it must warn those who are departing or have already departed.
The warning must be properly directed.
Those who remain faithful are warned to hold fast.
Those who have departed are warned to repent.
The difference lies in the condition of those being addressed.
The spiritual failure of some does not authorize the faithful to abandon the responsibilities Christ gave them.
VI. THE ESTABLISHED MINISTRY AND THE TWOFOLD COMMISSION
There is another important consideration.
Jesus Christ did not leave the administration of His Church to self-appointed individuals.
He established ministerial responsibilities within His body.
Paul wrote:
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:11-12
Notice that Christ established a ministry for a purpose.
The ministry was given responsibilities.
It was to serve the Church, teach the truth, and carry out the Work Christ established.
Within the Philadelphia-era understanding, that ministry was entrusted with the twofold commission.
It was not established merely to issue warnings.
It was established to preach the Gospel and feed the flock.
The warning was part of its responsibility.
But the warning did not create the ministry.
The established ministry has the responsibility to give the proper warning. The warning does not establish a new ministry.
VII. THE LAYING ON OF HANDS AND THE QUESTION OF AUTHORITY
Scripture establishes that ministerial responsibility is not something a man simply takes upon himself.
Paul asks:
“And how shall they preach, except they be sent?”
Romans 10:15
And Hebrews declares:
“And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.”
Hebrews 5:4
The principle is important.
Ministerial authority does not originate in personal ambition.
Nor does it originate in the ability to recognize the mistakes of others.
Scripture provides examples of men being set apart for ministerial responsibilities through the laying on of hands.
“And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”
Acts 13:3
Paul also reminded Timothy:
“Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.”
1 Timothy 4:14
Within the ministerial practice of the Worldwide Church of God, ordination through the laying on of hands was an important part of recognizing those set apart for ministerial responsibilities.
A person could not simply declare himself a minister because he believed he understood prophecy.
Neither could he establish authority to represent Philadelphia merely by preaching a warning to Laodicea.
Knowing that others need correction is not the same as being commissioned to correct them as an official representative of the Church.
A warning may be scripturally correct without its messenger possessing the ministerial authority he claims.
VIII. HOW CAN SOMEONE CALL OTHERS BACK TO A PLACE WHERE HE DOES NOT STAND?
This brings us to a fundamental question.
How can someone claim to represent THE Work of God by calling others to return to it, when he himself does not stand within the established ministry commissioned to perform that Work?
Consider what such a person is claiming.
He tells others that they have departed.
He tells them they must repent.
He tells them they must return to what Christ established.
But where does he stand?
Has he been commissioned to represent that ministry?
Has he had hands laid upon him for ministerial responsibility?
Is he carrying out the twofold commission?
Or has he established a separate occupation of warning others about a Work he does not officially represent?
The distinction is important.
A person may know where a house stands without being appointed its steward.
He may recognize that someone has departed from that house.
He may even correctly explain why that person should return.
But knowing the location of the house does not establish his authority over it.
Likewise, recognizing the need to return to God’s Work does not automatically establish someone as a representative of the ministry entrusted with that Work.
How can a man claim to lead others back to the established ministry while claiming authority he has never received from that ministry?
IX. THE ARMCHAIR QUARTERBACK
Consider a football team.
The team has an established organization.
It has coaches, players, and assigned responsibilities.
Those on the field have been selected and entrusted with particular duties.
Now imagine a man sitting at home on his couch watching the game.
He sees the mistakes.
He criticizes the players.
He tells the quarterback what he should have done.
He announces what the coach ought to change.
He may even be correct about some of those mistakes.
But does that make him the quarterback?
Does that make him the coach?
Does that give him authority to issue orders on behalf of the team?
No.
He is what people commonly call an armchair quarterback.
He may understand the game.
He may recognize poor decisions.
But he does not represent the team merely because he can identify its mistakes.
Now suppose he begins telling the players that they must return to the team’s original strategy.
Perhaps the strategy really has been neglected.
Perhaps his criticism is correct.
But his knowledge of the strategy does not make him an appointed representative of the team.
The team already has established representation.
And the responsibilities of that team are not transferred to an observer merely because he believes the players need correction.
So it is with the ministry of Jesus Christ.
Recognizing a departure does not establish authority to represent the Work from which others have departed.
X. THE WARNING CANNOT CREATE REPRESENTATION
A person cannot establish his Philadelphia identity merely by declaring that others are Laodicean.
Neither can a ministry establish its authority by making the warning to Laodicea its principal message.
The question is not simply whether a warning is being given.
The question is whether the person giving it has been commissioned to represent the ministry entrusted with the twofold commission.
If there is no established ministry performing that commission, what exactly is being represented?
If the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is not the principal message, where is the spearhead?
If the flock is not being properly fed, where is the second responsibility?
And if the warning has replaced both, how can the warning itself establish that the Work is being performed?
It cannot.
The warning cannot serve as proof that the twofold commission is being fulfilled when the warning has displaced that commission.
Neither can a self-appointed ministry claim Philadelphia’s representation merely because it recognizes Laodicean conditions in others.
Representation requires more than a claim.
It requires a proper relationship to the authority and responsibilities Christ established.
XI. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPEAKING TRUTH AND CLAIMING MINISTERIAL OFFICE
There is an important distinction that must be preserved.
Every Christian has a responsibility to uphold the truth.
Brethren may encourage one another.
They may warn against sin.
They may call attention to Scripture.
Galatians 6:1 instructs those who are spiritual to restore someone overtaken in a fault in a spirit of meekness.
Therefore, the absence of ministerial ordination does not mean that a Christian must remain silent when he recognizes wrongdoing.
But there is a difference between speaking the truth as a fellow Christian and claiming authority to represent the established ministry.
One is a responsibility Christians may exercise toward one another.
The other is a claim of ministerial office.
They must not be confused.
A Christian may speak the truth without claiming an office he has not been given.
Likewise, an ordained minister must remain faithful to Christ. Ordination does not excuse disobedience or make every ministerial decision correct.
But the failure of one minister does not automatically authorize another person to appoint himself to that office.
The ministry belongs to Jesus Christ.
And its authority must remain subject to Him.
XII. THE PROPER ORDER MUST NOT BE REVERSED
We must now bring these distinctions together.
Philadelphia was entrusted with the twofold commission.
First, preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world.
Second, feed the flock of God.
Within the second responsibility is the duty to warn, correct, exhort, and encourage the brethren.
Philadelphia is warned to hold fast before departing from what Christ established.
Laodicea is commanded to repent after entering a condition requiring correction.
Some individuals may become Laodicean before the principal period associated with the Laodicean Era.
Those individuals need repentance immediately.
But their condition does not authorize the Church to replace the twofold commission with a third, supposedly superior commission devoted principally to warning them.
Nor does it authorize an unordained individual to claim representation of Philadelphia merely because he has adopted that warning as his primary message.
The established ministry must continue its responsibilities.
Those who remain faithful must hold fast.
Those who have departed must repent.
And those who claim ministerial authority must be able to demonstrate that they have been properly commissioned.
Putting the warning ahead of the Gospel and the feeding of the flock reverses the order of the Work.
And claiming ministerial representation through that reversal compounds the problem.
XIII. THE GOSPEL MUST REMAIN THE SPEARHEAD
The world needs to hear the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
It needs to hear that Jesus Christ is returning.
It needs to hear that God’s government will be established upon the earth.
It needs to hear of the wonderful world tomorrow.
Isaiah declares:
“For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”
Isaiah 11:9
And Revelation announces:
“The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”
Revelation 11:15
This is the wonderful message Jesus Christ brought.
This is the Gospel Herbert W. Armstrong proclaimed.
This is the spearhead of THE Work of God.
The warning to repent is necessary wherever repentance is required.
But the warning must not overshadow the Gospel.
It must not replace the feeding of the flock.
And it must not become the basis upon which individuals claim ministerial authority they have never received.
The Gospel remains the spearhead.
The established ministry carries out the twofold commission.
The warning supports and protects that commission.
And those who have departed are called to repent and return.
CONCLUSION: THE WORK, THE WARNING, AND THE REPRESENTATION
Jesus Christ established His Church.
He gave it a commission.
He established ministerial responsibilities for carrying out that commission.
Within the Philadelphia-era understanding, Christ opened the door for the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to be proclaimed to the world through the ministry established during Herbert W. Armstrong’s leadership.
The Church was entrusted with preaching the Gospel and feeding the flock.
Warnings against spiritual lukewarmness and departure belonged within those responsibilities.
But the warning did not replace the Work.
And it did not create ministerial authority.
Philadelphia was told to hold fast.
Laodicea was told to repent.
Those who remain faithful must continue.
Those who have departed must return.
And those who claim to represent the ministry must demonstrate that they have been commissioned to do so.
A person may recognize the mistakes of others without possessing authority to represent the Church.
He may accurately describe the Work without being commissioned to administer it.
He may call others to return without having been appointed to lead them.
But he cannot establish ministerial authority merely by delivering a warning.
The armchair quarterback may understand the game, but he does not become the team’s appointed representative by criticizing the players.
Likewise, the warning to return to THE Work of God cannot substitute for the Work itself.
The established ministry must perform the twofold commission.
The warning must remain within its proper responsibility.
Those who have departed must repent.
And those who remain faithful must hold fast.
For Jesus Christ has not changed His Gospel.
He has not abandoned His Church.
And He has not replaced the commission He established with a warning about those who have departed from it.
THE GOSPEL IS THE SPEARHEAD.
THE MINISTRY CARRIES OUT THE TWOFOLD COMMISSION.
THE WARNING SUPPORTS THE WORK.
AND REPENTANCE RESTORES THOSE WHO HAVE DEPARTED.
The warning points back to the Work. The Work points forward to the Kingdom of God. And Jesus Christ remains the Head of it all.
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