What is a cleric?

Because, what does it mean? I will tell you in brief what the very idea of a clergy is. It means a spiritual caste, or class; a set of people having officially a right to leadership in spiritual things; a nearness to God derived from official place, not spiritual power: in fact, the revival, under the names and with various modifications, of that very intermediate priesthood which distinguished Judaism, and which Christianity emphatically disclaims. That is what a clergy means; and in contradiction to these the rest of Christians are but the laity, the seculars, necessarily put back into more or less of the old distance) which the cross of Christ has done away.

Let us see now what is the meaning of a clergy. It is, in our day, and has been for many generations, the word which specially marks out a class distinguished from the "laity," and distinguished by being given up to sacred things, and having a place of privilege in connection with them which the laity have not. No doubt in the present day this special place is being more and more infringed on, and for two reasons. One is, that God has been giving light, and, among Protestants at least, Scripture is opposing itself to tradition, modifying where it does not destroy this. The other is a merely human one — that the day is democratic, and class-privileges are breaking down.

Because what does it mean? It means a spiritual caste, or class, — a set of people having officially a right to leadership in spiritual things a nearness to God, derived from official place, not spiritual power: in fact, the revival, under other names, and with various modifications, of that very intermediate priesthood which distinguished Judaism, and which Christianity emphatically disclaims. That is what a clergy means; and in contradiction to these, the rest of Christians are but the laity, the seculars, necessarily put back into more or less of the old distance, which the cross of Christ has done away.

Because what does it mean? It means a spiritual caste, or class, - a set of people having officially a right to leadership in spiritual things; a nearness to God, derived from official place, not spiritual power: in fact, the revival, under other names, and with various modifications, of that very intermediate priesthood which distinguished Judaism, and which Christianity emphatically disclaims. That is what a clergy means; and in contradiction to these, the rest of Christians are but the laity, the seculars, necessarily put back into more or less of the old distance, which the cross of Christ has done away.

The Greek word for heritage in this text just quoted is klēros, from which the English word, clergy, is derived. The Bible clergy consisted of ALL Christians, and the laity (Greek, laos, the people) were the heathen outside the Christian circle. The clergy have filched a word which is common to all God’s people, claiming it as the description of a class, unauthorized by Scripture, and giving the rest of God’s people a title, laity, which was applied to the heathen world outside.

Clergy and Laity. — The division of Christians into clergy and laity took place quite early in the Church. The term "clergy" is from the Greek kleros, and is found in 1 Peter 5:3, where all Christians are included in God's "heritage." The use of the word, however, soon wandered from this, to mean the bishops, presbyters, and deacons, to distinguish these from the laity (from laos, the people). The bishops and presbyters were also called "priests," but here again in scripture, the term applies to all Christians, as in Revelation 1, which clearly teaches the priesthood of all Christians. "In holy orders" is another term applied to the clergy, as if they were more holy than other Christians.

Rut this brings us to consider a third great obstacle to receiving the simple teaching of Scripture as to the organization of the Church; — the place occupied by the clergy both in the minds of the people and in the economy of the various denominations. By clergy we mean that class of men who are supposed, by reason of their office, to have a special nearness to God, and special rights in the way of ministry of the Word and administration of the "sacraments." Let us say at the outset that we have the highest regard for every devoted servant of Christ, wherever found or called by whatever name. That there are multitudes of such among the clergy we would not for a moment deny. What we have to say is not against men, but against a system which we are sure is not only a hindrance to blessing for the Church of God at large, but a great burden to many conscientious men who are galled by its yoke.

The word clergy is derived from the Greek cleeros, the primary meaning of which is "lot," and it is so used in describing the division of our Lord's clothing among the soldiers who crucified Him (Matt. 27:35, etc.). We find it used in the same way in describing the appointment of Matthias (Acts 1:26); but in that same connection we have that use of it which has probably been the origin of the word as we know it. "For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part (Gk., lot) of this ministry" (Acts 1:17; also ver. 25). This use of the word approaches the derived meaning of "inheritance" or "portion," and which we find applied to the portion of all the people of God (Acts 26:18; Col. 1:12). In 1 Peter 5:3, "Neither as being lords over God's heritage," the word "God's" is not in the original. The Revised Version renders it, "Neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you." But a more evident, and more accurate, rendering would be, "Not as lording it over your possessions;" the thought evidently being that they were not to rule God's people as if it were their own possessions. But the translation of the Revisers is significant as indicating the bias of a clerical position. They look upon a company of God's people as their "charge," their "flock," and in a sense their personal property, that which has been allotted to them, and so translate a passage which is meant to guard against this very thing. And this is the error that underlies all thoughts of a clergy, whether it be of the priests of the church of Rome and England, or the more modified forms as found in the various Protestant denominations. They form a special class with distinct privileges and special duties, who thus assume a position, gradually and unintentionally no doubt at the first, utterly inconsistent with the rights of the Church as a whole. So true is this, that it may be almost said, as the French despot declared, "The state is myself," the clergy is the Church. The clergy must preach the word; the clergy must administer the sacraments; the clergy must make the laws. A church without a clergyman is like a body without a head. Now with such thoughts of a special class in the Church of God, it is impossible to come to a right understanding of what that Church is. In a succeeding paper on the ministry of the Church we will have occasion to take up this subject of the clergy in connection with ordination. What has been said is sufficient to show why the very idea of a clergyman, which is nowhere mentioned in Scripture, is a veil over the truth as to church organization.

It is reasoned that because it was so in the past, something of the same kind must exist to-day. And so it has come to pass that certain men, by a ceremony known as "ordination," are set apart to be "clergymen." The word clergy is derived from the Greek kleros, which means portion, or lot. It occurs once in the New Testament, in 1 Peter 5:3, where it is translated "heritage." But very significantly it is used of the whole of the people of God, not of any special class of men among them.

The bishops of the Bible were not to be lords over God’s heritage. The bishops of today are addressed as, My Lord. It is curious that the Greek word for heritage is Klērōs, from which is derived the word clergy. The word, clergy, denotes a priestly caste of which the Bible knows nothing. God’s Klērōs embraced all believers.

All is prophetic, for exactly that which was not to be done is being done in Christendom today, hence many of those who claim to be shepherds of the flock are in reality nothing but hirelings; and often it happens that the hireling for the sake of better financial conditions will exchange "his flock" for another. Furthermore, there is to be no lording over the allotted charge (or over your allotments). The elder who has the oversight of the flock, called to shepherd the flock, minister to the flock as a servant, is not to take a place of superiority or spiritual dignity, claiming authority. This also is done in Christendom with its "Lord Bishops" and other titles of ecclesiastical authority. The word translated in the Authorized Version with "heritage" is in the Greek "kleros," and means an allotment. From this word comes our English "clergy." There is no such thing in the body of Christ as a "clergy" and a "laity."