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according to God's law? They could not know except by faith and by the fruits of those who are actually engaged in the work of the Lord. Jesus said: "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." - Matt. 7:20, 21.

        ²⁸ If, therefore, we find one who is devoted to the Lord and is bending his efforts to do what the Lord has assigned him to do, and is faithful and true to the Lord and not compromising with the enemy, and who has the Lord's manifest blessings upon his efforts, then his fruits are being manifested and such is proof that he is pleasing to the Lord and going in the right way. (John 15:8) If one is being used of the Lord in harmony with his Word, that is tho evidence that his course of action is pleasing to the Lord. Being imperfect, such will make mistakes, but each one who has faith in the Lord will leave it to the Lord to do the chastening and the correction and to rectify the mistakes. (Heb. 12:6; Rom. 8:33) This same rule, because it is the Lord's rule, must apply to all who are in the "Society". If the "Society" is pursuing the wrong course or policy, then all of God's people must depend upon the Lord to correct that policy and change it into the right one. It is not the prerogative of any individual to set himself up as the judge to take action and oppose the work of the Lord. "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. "-Rom. 14:4.

        ²⁹ If Romans the thirteenth chapter applies to the church, does that mean that the elders and deacons have authority to do judging and to determine the course or policy of the church? No, certainly not. The elders are the advisers or counselors in the ecclesia and have no jurisdiction to act except within the scope of the authority conferred upon them by the Scriptures. The deacons are servants in the church and possess no authority other than that conferred by the Scriptures. The Scriptures do not confer authority upon elders or deacons to judge or determine the course of action of the ecclesia. If there is disorder in the church the ecclesia, composed of those who are God's children, may take certain action. The Lord himself laid down the code of procecdure. - Matt. 18:15-18.

30 The chureh as a bod~- has jurisdie1ion to hrar and detrrmine mattrrs r(·lating to those who are mem· brrs of the body; but no individual has bcen clothed 'rith such power or authority, aside from th(' tweh'o apostles, who were clothed wi1h special authority from 1he Lord. If Romans thirteen has any application to th·~ powrrs in the world, with murh stronger reasoning must it apply to the church, berause it is addressrd to those who are in God's family. Consider now the apostle ; iWltructions verse by verse.

lG7 THE TEXT

"Let every soul be subject unto tho hig'her powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordaincd of God." (Yerse 1) At once the question arises, To ,vhat shall God's people be subjcet? It is written: "And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subjrct unto him that put all things under him, that God ma~- be all in all." (1 Cor. 15: 28) This scripture really answers the question. This proves that the higher powers are Christ Jesus and Jehovah and that thc suprrme powe}" is Jehovah God. The apostle uses the husband and wife to picture Christ and the church, and by his argument he shows that the church is subj('et to Christ: "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. '1'herefore as tlw rhmch is subjert unto Christ, so let the wives be to 11wi1' own husbands in ever~T thing'." (Eph. G: 23, 24) The inspired testimony of James supports this conelllsian: "Subm it youl'selw's therefore to God. Resist tho de"il, and he 'I'ill fice from you. Draw nigh to Cod, and h(' will draw nigh to you. Cleanse YOllr hands, YU sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double III inded." (.Jas. 4: 7, 8) 'rhrse scriptures show beyond a doubt that tlU' anointed can be pleasing to God only by all undivided and eomplete devotion to him. '1'he apostle rould not mean that the "higher powrrs" are th(~ (.;entile powers. It is not possible that these are high('r than and have control over God's arrangement of his own people. J2 The apostle says: "The powers that be are ot'dained of [arrangrd under, Diu[floU] God." Can this be properly applied to the Gentile po,'ers on earth and not applied to the church? '1'he words of the apost Ie are in answer to that question: "But now hath God set the members ever~T one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And God hath set some in the ehureh; first, apostles; secondarily, prophets; thirdly, teachers; after that, miracles; then gifts of healing'S, helps, gowrnments, diversities of tongues." (1 Cor. 12: 18, 28) Those who have insisted that the apostle rt'ft'rred exclusiwly to the Gentile powers ,,,hen he said, "The powers that be arc ordained of God," cite in support thereof the words of Peter, to wit: "Sub· mit yourselves to ewry ordinance of man [human erea1ion, Greek] for the Lord's sake; whether it bo to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil. dorrs, and for the praise of them that do well." A cat'eful cxamination of this text shows that it docs not apply to the powers cxercised by the Gcntile governments. 33 The phrase" ordinance of man" in the above text means" human creation' '. How then could it be said that any ordinance of the church is of human crea· tion '? When the man Christ Jesus appointed the apostles and sent them forth as leaders and governors 31