Understanding the Doctrine of the Royal Family of God

Grace Bible Church of Pullman Pastor-Teacher, Ron McMurray

Introduction The outline of chapter five is very simple: Verses 1-7 royal family relationships Verses 8-16 royal family responsibility. Verses 17-25 royal family authority.

Doctrine of the Royal Family of God 1. Definition. The royal family is the family of the King, Jesus Christ. As God and as deity He is a sovereign King. As humanity, by physical birth He is a King; He is the son of David. He is descended from the royal family the tribe of Israel, the family of Jesse, the son of David. As the God-Man seated at the right hand of the Father as a result of the ascension He is spiritual royalty.

There are many who are descended from the human royalty of David, many ancestors in the human royalty of David, but only those who are born again in the Church Age are a part of the spiritual royalty which comes from the strategic victory. Strategic victory comes from the right hand of the Father. So the royal family is the family of the King. The family of God includes all persons in human history who have believed in Jesus Christ. The royal family of God is made up of believers from Pentecost to the Rapture or believers in the Church Age only.

To whom much is given much is expected. Everything has been given to us and therefore everything is expected from us under God s plan. We are royal family, we have been given things that no-one ever possessed before spiritual blessings, temporal blessings. Our briefing day by day in Bible class is the means by which we fulfill the expectations of grace in the establishing of a royal family of God. The principle is that regeneration means to be born again. While regeneration has occurred in every dispensation it is only in the Church Age that the royal family of God is actually formed. All believers of the Church Age are then known as royal family.

2. The setting for the royal family of God. a) The first advent of Christ occurred in the dispensation of Israel. This includes the death, burial, resurrection, ascension and session of Jesus Christ at the right hand of the Father. b) Ten days after Christ was seated at the right hand of the Father the Age of Israel was interrupted before its conclusion and a new dispensation was started. The Age of Israel was brought to a halt in order to insert a dispensation whose sole purpose was to call out a royal family for Jesus Christ. So a royal family is in the process of being called out today.

c) Jesus Christ was royalty by birth, royalty by deity, and He became royalty by strategical victory session at the right hand of the Father. d) The spiritual royalty of Christ occurred as a result of His ascension His death on the cross for our salvation, followed by His physical death, followed by His resurrection, ascension and session. All of these things occurred in order to provide a spiritual royalty. e) Seated at the right hand of the Father Jesus Christ has a new title King. That makes Him King of all kings, a super royalty. He is Lord of all lords. Because He is King of all kings and Lord of all lords, as a man, He is a new type of royalty, a superior royalty, a permanent royalty, and a spiritual royalty.

At this moment His title of King of kings and Lord of lords means that even though Satan rules this world, and even though Satan often administers through various world rulers, the Lord Jesus Christ is superior to all of these as the God-Man and that He is now a new type of royalty and a permanent type of royalty. f) Therefore as the King of kings and Lord of lords Jesus Christ must have a royal family to share His reign. It is unthinkable that a royal family would exist with only one person in it. g) Therefore the Age of Israel had to be halted in order to introduce a dispensation in which the specific objective is to form a royal family for Jesus Christ, a royal family forever.

3. The documentation for this royal family is so extensive that it covers the entire book of Ephesians as well as Hebrews. It covers many passages of the scripture but two areas of documentation alone pretty well cover it. Ephesians emphasizes the position of the royal family forever; Hebrews emphasizes the priesthood of the royal family forever. 4. The formation of the royal family of God. There are three basic principles in the formation of the royal family. a. The first of these is the baptism of the Spirit. b. The second is positional truth c. The third is some of the principles found in sanctification.

On day of Pentecost, these believers were taken by God the Holy Spirit, totally apart from their human merit, and entered them into union with Christ. Immediately the royal family went from one to roughly two hundred and something. On Pentecost the Age of Israel came to a halt. The BHS caused everyone to be royal family which enters everyone into union with Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ Himself foretold the baptism of the Holy Spirit John 14:20; Acts 1:5.

The Bible takes time to explain the mechanics of the baptism of the Spirit 1 Corinthians 12:13. The baptism of the Spirit occurs at salvation Colossians 2:12. Positional truth means that we are royal family of God. This is also known as salvation or phase one sanctification which enters us into the royal family of God. 5. The royal family relationship then becomes an issue. The spiritual royalty of Jesus Christ is unique. As God He is sovereign, as man He is Jewish royalty, but as the God-Man seated at the right hand of the Father in His resurrection body of His humanity He is a new type of royalty spiritual royalty, permanent royalty, King of kings, Lord of Lords.

Jesus Christ in hypostatic union at the right hand of the Father was also alone when he arrived there. There was no royal family. He had no royal family at the moment of His session and so God the Father makes provision ten days later to establish a royal family for the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as the first Adam in the garden was alone and God provided a help meet, so the last Adam was alone and God the Father provides a bride for the Lord Jesus as King of kings. That bride is made up of the entire royal family, believers of the Church Age. The word body is for the pre-Rapture royal family on earth, the word bride is for the royal family in resurrection body in heaven prepared to return with our Lord.

During the Tribulation the bride will be getting her new dress, the removal of all human good, all legalism, and so on. The Tribulation will continue its course, finishing the Age of Israel, and when Christ returns we return as His bride, royal family. Positional Truth never existed before the Church Age, it will never exist after the Church Age. Positional truth, then, belongs to all believers, it guarantees that there will be no judgment for any of us in eternity Romans 8:1. It guarantees that we have eternal life and also explains the mechanics by which the righteousness of God is imputed to us in this dispensation. It is the key to election and predestination, both of which are related to positional truth and to nothing else

It also explains why we are new creatures in Christ Jesus and even though we are new creatures in Christ Jesus we are still very sinful and we fail many times. Being a new creature is strictly a positional concept, it is a synonym for the royal family. When it says, Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature (2 Cor 5:17) is has no experiential connotation. This insures us eternal security. BHS is not an emotional experience, can t feel it, see it, or experience it. BHS is not progressive to mean you are more saved than someone else because you had an emotional experience.

BHS is not related to human merit, ability, or good. It is not related to getting involved in anything by way of social action. The implications of retroactive positional truth indicate that there is no place in the plan of God for getting involved. BHS is eternal in nature. Once you believe in Jesus Christ the baptism of the Spirit occurs and you will be a member of the royal family of God forever, nothing will ever change it. You are royal family of God and there is no act on your part, no sin, no failure, no power in this world or in heaven that could ever change that.

6. The coat of arms of the royal family. Inasmuch as the royal family lives in the holy of holies [the royal palace] forever God the Holy Spirit sets up a coat of arms for us. He indwells the body of every believer 1 Cor 6:19,20. Never before in human history has God the Holy Spirit made His residence in the body of any believer. This is the coat of arms of the royal family of God. Indwelling of the Spirit is forever. The Filling of the Spirit occurs after we confess sin so it is temporary due to our freewill choosing sin and recovery. (Eph 5:18)

7. The security of the royal family. The 44 things accomplished at the point of salvation provide perfect security for every member of the royal family. God is perfect; His plan is perfect. The perfection of God s grace plan is seen in the fact that there is nothing man can do to gain salvation, there is nothing man can do to lose salvation. God the Holy Spirit not only indwells us but He seals us to the day of redemption receiving a resurrection body. 8. The royal family in time phase two. a) The objective of the royal family in time is to mature establishing a command post of Bible doctrine resident in the soul.

b) The believer must move to maturity through the study and application of doctrine to his life. This is the tactical victory of the angelic conflict and it is achieved not by works or even Christian service, it is achieved by cognizance. We must have maximum doctrine in the soul. c) God is glorified when he can provide each believer his paragraph for blessings in time. Three Categories of Blessing: i) The spiritual blessings of occupation with Christ, sharing God s happiness, the inner residency of doctrine to meet every exigency in life, capacity for life, for love, for happiness, for blessing;

ii) Temporal blessings promotion, success, wealth, prosperity of every kind, leadership dynamics; iii) Dying blessing. 9. The royal family of God in eternity is also an important principle. After the Rapture every member of the royal family of God will possess a resurrection body exactly like that of Christ. This resurrection body will be minus the old sin nature, minus human good, minus the lake of fire or any condemnation.

The royal family will return with Christ and share in His coronation, His millennial reign, as well as His eternal rule. Those members of the royal family who reach maturity will have great rewards and decorations through all eternity. There is a wide variation among believers in eternity. While all have a resurrection body that is where all common things stop. Some will be highly decorated and blessed to a greater intensity than those who failed in time.

In anticipation of verse 1 dealing with male variations notice the parallelisms that are set up as guidelines. In verse 2 in the variations of age between women notice that guidelines are set up which are familiar father, brother; mother, sister. 5:1 Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, Do not sharply rebuke an older man (in the congregation) AASubj EPIPLESSO means to punch, to rebuke, to reprove, to reprimand. It means to reprimand here Do not reprimand. PRESBUTEROI older man than you are. Sons do not reprimand their fathers.

but rather appeal to him as a father PAImpv PARAKALEO means to appeal. This is what should habitually occur when a younger man (pastor) is in some kind of a conflict with an older man. There should be some deference with regard to age where certain little problems will arise. as a father PATER - translated father. Here is a principle of respect for age. Humility and grace orientation provide the younger set with objectivity toward the older members of the congregation.

Principles 1. The possession of authority should never be abused. 2. Thoughtfulness and courtesy toward older men keep them concentrating on Bible teaching in the critical sunset years of their life. 3. Young people full of ambition and arrogance often distort their own importance into a system of bullying and abusing older people in the congregation. 4. Unless the older man is just a total ass he is entitled to a certain amount of respect and veneration because of his advancing years.

and the younger men as brothers NEOTEROI - meaning young or youthful, and so this should be translated younger men. as brothers ADELPHOI - used here for members of the family. This means in the presence of authority, and you are in the presence of authority when you come to church. Therefore you treat men who are your contemporaries as you would treat men in your own home when the parents are present.

In other words, everyone has a right to their privacy, everyone has a right to be here without someone making fun of them, someone ridiculing them, someone making life miserable for them. This emphasizes the importance of several things. First, as far as Timothy is concerned, the importance of a young pastor establishing his authority by consistent Bible teaching rather than by being a rank-happy pastor. This also provides the emphasis on grace since God has provided the authority of the pastor-teacher. No pastor ever earns or deserves the authority given to him by God in grace, therefore he is to use the authority in a grace manner.

Therefore since the authority of a pastor is the only authority in the devil s world it should be guarded by grace function rather than by taking ego trips and being carried away by one s own self-importance. In the case of one s own contemporaries in youthful vigor in the congregation, if you have avoided blind arrogance and have listened to Bible teaching then you are going to respect the privacy and individuality of the other members of the royal family present in such a way as not to interfere with their life or in any way cause them harm or concern.

5:2 the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, if all purity. PRESBUTEROI - refers to the fact that women also get old. How should the older women in the congregation be treated? Here again we set up standards to make it clear that this is over and above loving the brethren. Loving the brethren doesn t mean to even pay any attention to them, it just means that you are free from any mental attitude sins toward them. as mothers MATER - means mother.

So what is the real suggestion here? Mothers should always be treated with respect by their children. Whether they are good mothers or bad mothers is totally inconsequential. the younger as sisters NEOI in feminine gender means the younger ladies or the younger women ; as sisters means to treat them with respect. Therefore you treat ladies in the congregation through the eyes of God, not through your own judgment. God views each lady in the congregation as being of supreme value. You treat them the same way, they are valuable to God.

If they are valuable to God then you are to show them the same deference, that is what it is all about. Remember that it is the divine viewpoint that counts in everything. This principle of doctrine must be kept in mind for true royal family sensitivity. It is being sensitive to the divine viewpoint. It is not only looking at life from the divine viewpoint but operating from that basis.

The final phrase has to do with women; men toward women: with all purity .- EN AGNEIA purity of mind. Purity of mind is integrity and honor in the soul of a man that gives him enough poise to be a gentleman under every circumstance of life where the ladies are concerned. Ladies can be obnoxious, but it takes a lot of character, poise, honor and integrity to maintain a calm relaxed attitude toward ladies when they get that way. It is Bible doctrine in the soul that produces the integrity, the attitude. Translation: Older women as mothers; younger women as sisters, with all purity [integrity].

Principles 1. Mutual respect is not based on social life, sexual life, legalistic bullying, or austere fanatical leadership. Mutual respect between a pastor and his congregation is based upon the intake and application of doctrine. 2. Mutual respect is centered in the most important function of the royal priesthood, the assembly of the church for the purpose of believing and learning doctrine. 3. The pastor respects the believers who are positive toward doctrine.

4. The congregation respects the pastor who through diligent study presents Bible doctrine which nourishes the soul and produces the spiritual growth necessary to glorify God in time. 5. Therefore mutual respect is centered in the communication and reception of the Word of God. 6. No church program, no effervescent pastor or personality, no system of gimmicks, no display of emotion, will ever replace the primary system of worship in the royal family of God 7. Insert expository Bible teaching into the local church and the church becomes the basis for both personal and national blessing without interfering in national government.

8. Therefore, as goes the application of doctrine so goes the historical trend in any generation. The mutual respect portrayed in these two verses has an application to the pastor, his communication of doctrine, the congregation, and their response to doctrine. The Doctrine of Old Age 1. Definition. Old is a term of time, it connotes having exited a long time, having advanced far in years and having lost the vigor of youth. The age of sixty is the line of demarcation as a general principle 1 Timothy 5:9. 2. Old people are to be respected Leviticus 19:32; Proverbs 23:22; 1 Timothy 5:1,2. There is one category who will never respect older people: invading armies. That is why the military must always exist to keep them out. Invading armies destroy older people Deut 28:50 and 2 Chronicles 36:17.

3. The problems of old age. a) Old age is a time of being unteachable (generally, though there are exceptions) Ecclesiastes 4:15; b) Old people are also helpless John 21:18; c) Old people are more vulnerable to disease 1 Kings 15:23; d) Old people become security conscious Psalm 71:9. 4. Divine discipline makes people old before their time Psalm 6:7; 32:3. 5. However doctrine learned in youth is profitable in old age Proverbs 22:6; Psalm 71:17,18.

6. The blessings of old age. These blessings are primarily to the greater-grace believer. The believer who has followed the colors to high ground of maturity and has established a command post in the soul not only has dying grace when dying comes but he has a marvelous and wonderful old age. Therefore there are many blessings set up for him. For example, old people join all categories of greater-grace believers in praising the Lord and occupation with Christ. Old people with maximum doctrine have fantastic capacity to enjoy the Lord in their sunset years Psalm 148:12-14. Old people in greater-grace status have great security and blessing from that greater-grace status Psalm 37:25.

Old people in greater-grace status also have honor Proverbs 17:6. Grandchildren are the crown of old men and the glory of the sons of their fathers Proverbs 20:29. Old men in greater-grace have blessing in dying Job 42:17, full of days means full of blessing; 1 Chronicles 23:1; 29:28. Old age is used as an analogy for blessing in Isaiah 46:4.

7. Old age is blessed in the Millennium Isaiah 65:20; Joel 2:28; Zechariah 8:4. 8. Those in authority have been ruined by ignoring the advice of older people 1 Kings 12:6-8,13. 9. Standards for old people in the royal family are found in many passages. E.g. Titus 2:2,3. 5:3-6 we have relationship with widows in the local church. 5:3 Honor widows who are widows indeed. Honor - PAImpv TIMEO treat graciously, continuous function throughout the Church Age. The active voice: the royal family in the local church produces the action of the verb. It is not just Timothy but the entire congregation that fulfils this function.

widows CHERA - a place for honoring of one of the more helpless categories in the human race. who are widows indeed PAIndic EIMI - state of being verb. ONTOI really widows. Translation: Honor widows who are really widows. The adverb implies that all widows are not widows. Some women are divorced and not really widows. As will be pointed out in verse 6 these women are troublemakers. It also demands charity from the shepherding committee under certain conditions

At the time of writing widows were often destitute and helpless because of the persecution to the early church. So in the following verses Paul categorizes those who can legitimately claim support and those who cannot. Every local church should have what could be called a charity fund. The Doctrine of Widows 1. Definition. A widow is a woman who has lost her husband by death. A widow is also a woman who has legitimately divorced her husband under one of four kinds.

A widow is also someone who has divorced her husband under no legitimate count. But a widow is a woman who has had at least one husband. She is then the female survivor of a marriage. In our context she represents a very helpless situation on the one hand and a very dangerous situation on the other. 2. The principles of protection of the helpless apply to widows and children Exodus 22:22. God Himself protects widows and orphans in the helpless category Psalm 68:5,6; 146:9.

God punishes those who attack or abuse the helpless Psalm 94:6-12. Divine judgment is pronounced on those who bully and abuse the helpless Malachi 3:5. 3. The law of the Levirate marriage. a) It was considered a tragedy in Israel for a man to die without an heir. b) It was desirable to perpetuate the name of everyone in Israel and avoid the inheritance transferring to another family. c) Therefore a law. The law is derived from the Latin word levir which means the dead man s brother or the husband s brother.

d) It was the custom when a Jew died without male issue or male heir that his nearest relative, generally his brother, should marry his widow and continue the family of the deceased man so that every family in Israel would be perpetuated. e) The firstborn son of the marriage between the deceased man s brother and his widow would be the man s heir to perpetuate his line. f) Therefore the family name is perpetuated through this stated law which is found in some detail in Deut 25:5- 10. g) A pre-Mosaic law illustration. The levirate marriage actually occurred before the law was stated Gen 38:6- 11.

This same levirate law of marriage was used by the Sadducees to attempt to discredit the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 22:23- 33. The Sadducees did not believe in resurrection so they used the levirate law to try to trip up our Lord regarding resurrection. 4. Widows are used in the condemnation of the Pharisees. The Pharisees who were highly religious and full of all kinds of pious activity had abused the most helpless class, the widows. So: Matthew 23:14. The same principle is found in Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47. 5. The origin of deacons in the local church came out of a problem regarding widows Acts 6:1-6.

6. The apostle Paul advises widows to remain unmarried 1 Corinthians 7:8,9. 7. Paul indicates widows qualified for support in the local church 1 Timothy 5:3-16. 5:4 but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents, for this is acceptable in the sight of God. EI is first class condition. DE but shows a contrast between widows in the local church who are honored and supported by the charity list, and those who are exceptions because they are troublemakers, and so on. any widow TIS pronoun - used to represent a specific category of widows who are not to be supported. They are instead troublemakers. if any widow by category.

has children PAIndic ECHO - those with children or grandchildren in this particular verse. The indicative mood indicates the first class condition. TEKNON is children or grandchildren. they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents, for this is acceptable in the sight of God. learn PAImpv MONQANO - means to learn by practice or experience, from someone who passes on this great tradition. A woman is a widow, she is helpless, she is over sixty, she has no means of support; her children or grandchildren should provide that for her.

The active voice: the children or grandchildren learn from the experience of supporting the widowed mother or grandmother a very wonderful principle. The imperative mood: this is a command, so this particular category is not to be enrolled on the charity list of the local church. to practice piety PAInfin EUSEBEO godliness. She is a believer and FHS which makes her a member of the royal family of God. She studies and applies Gods Word to her life. She is a faithful woman. Christ is willing to assume responsibility where even establishment demands responsibility so he provides the local church the finances to help widows.

Mature believers assumes all of his obligations and responsibilities, whether it is the fact that his word is his bond or whether it is the fact that someone in his family is helpless and needs help, he assumes responsibility for his own. It can be translated, let them learn above all to assume responsibility [or to show respect]. The active voice: the children and grandchildren of the widows actually produce the action here. and to make some return to their parents, for this is acceptable in the sight of God

and to make some return to their parents TON IDION OIKON their own house. APODIDOMI PAInfin - means to give back, to recompense, to give out, to provide monetary support. PROGONOI parents and grandparents. for this is acceptable in the sight of God ENOPION in sight of. God is pleased with children or grandchildren who support that widow. Here is a place where doctrine and establishment actually meet. This shows that the welfare state is totally rejected by the Word of God. Charity is acceptable but the welfare state is completely and totally out and, in effect, evil.

It destroys the population, it destroys the moral fiber or the character and the integrity of the population of a national entity. Welfare states either produce slaves or degenerate people. It is both evil and sinful for the believer to neglect destitute members of his own family. The Bible always rejects socialism. Socialism inevitably leads to the intrusion upon the privacy of the national entity and therefore destroys its freedom. Translation: But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn above all to show respect to their own family, and to provide monetary support: for this deed is pleasing in the sight of God.

Principles 1. Not only does this verse recognize the principle of divine establishment (laws of establishment from God) but it emphasizes the importance of charity as originating not even in the church. Charity originates in the family. Divine Institution #3 is the origin of true charity. 2. Charity spreads to other places. Charity and welfare are not the same. Welfare stems from socialism; charity stems from truly helping the helpless. There is never anything wrong with helping the helpless but someone who can get out and work for five cents an hour is not helpless.