Not one of the founders of the church organizations of the last three centuries was a biblical scholar.  Not one of them was an eyewitness of the majesty that Peter saw in the mount (2:1:16-18).  The Bible is all they both clergy and laymen have.  That fact stands out with the unique literature each of them claims to be extra-biblical authority.  Neither Peter nor Paul proposed that the average church member should be expected to guide the church to effective productivity.  God will certainly manifest his power, authority and grace through church members of modest intelligence, but prophets, apostles, evangelists and pastor-teachers will never be replaced by ill-equipped members like William Miller or wild-eyed fanatics who seem to be pillars in the Church Christ built.  The presbytery will always be created by ordination and the prophetic word, therefore having all laymen in the presbytery is a demonic fantasy.

Pastoral incompetence and pride

The reason pastors fail is they have no interest in having parishioners who rise to ministry in their footsteps.  They do not impress their congregants with the unique altitude of the biblcal texts. They pander to every sensual whim while pretending to be judges of immorality and paragons of loyalty. The layman is often found racing half-cocked, never sufficiently humble to learn what biblical interpretation entails, and often daring to teach when they themselves have not scratched the surface of the field where the treasures lie.   They have created in their several traditions infallible sources of commentary. The notion that laymen are God’s primary guardians of the mystery of godliness is absurd, because it was the men trained by Yeshua who challenged Judaism, pushed the church beyond the borders of Judea and Samaria, and were the primary contributors to the New Testament. Even among the apostolic college Yeshua appointed and empowered Peter to “strenghten the brothers”, and the task of pastoral care in all churches entails training the saints to do ministry. Laymen may be critical in witnessing to the power of the Risen Christ, but a church built on laymen and guided and guarded by laymen has not yet been recorded.

A precious few elders and pastors

That’s conclude with what Peter saw as the primary witness that creates our witness.  There were three men with Yeshua in the mount when God’s  voice assured them that Yeshua was his VOICE, and a quick look around our 21st century room we can. See him very many are setting themselves up to be a modern version of the voice.  If Yeshua’s voice (as reported by his main eyewitness and their immediate disciples) is not all we want to hear then  the more sure word of prophecy is completely bogus.

For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 2Pet 1:16 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 2Pet 1:17 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 2Pet 1:18

Take note that we do not have 12 Gospels in the record of what Christ said and did.  Why should we expect Christ to put the transmission of his sayings to this generation into the hands of thousands of biblically illiterate laymen or pastors?  But let us observe our own practice, too often having nothing biblical to put forward.

12)  Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him; 13) the beginning of his talking (mouth) is folly and the end of it is wicked madness. (Ecclesiastes 10:12-13, NASB)