Yes, that’s right. I don’t believe it any more. When I first began being exposed to the Charismatic doctrines in 1991 and 1992, “The Armorbearer” was one of the first doctrines. For those of you unfamiliar with the armorbearer teaching, allow me to briefly explain it, then state why I no longer believe it.
There is a passage [I Samuel 14:1] which talks about [King Saul’s son] Jonathan's armorbearer giving service to the king, and the author of the concept, Terry Nance, goes into great detail about how the armorbearer served the king in material or mundane ways of service. Then Nance goes to the passage where David’s men broke through a company of the enemy soldiers to get David a cup of water. After that, there is reference to the passage where Elisha [the “junior”] pours water on the hands of Elijah [the “senior”].
So from this teaching, Nance begins to outline how church people are to serve God’s leaders. Basically, I now have a problem with the whole line of teaching.
For years, I was in bondage to this line of thinking, and am just now breaking out of it. The teaching is designed to subject “little church members” under their “big, important leaders”. As an armorbearer, you run all over the place doing things the pastor or minister wants you to do, that he or she is too lazy to do themselves, such as carry their own Bible to the pulpit.
The fundamental flaw of the teaching, is that servitude is being taught to the body of Christ by the SERVANTS, instead of being taught by the LEADERS. By subjecting themselves to be a Bellhop for the Body Of Christ, they are teaching the leaders how to lead, instead of the leaders teaching the followers to follow. Anyone can serve a superior; how well do you serve those who are called to serve you? Jesus did not expect the disciples to lay down their lives for him, until he first laid down HIS life for THEM.
How can you as a leader expect servanthood that you have not shown by example?
Luke 22:24-27 -
And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
______________________________
John 13:1-17
1Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; he riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, “Lord, dost thou wash my feet?”
Jesus answered and said unto him, “What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.”
Peter saith unto him, “Thou shalt never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered him, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.”
Simon Peter saith unto him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.”
Jesus saith to him, “He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.”
[For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, “Ye are not all clean.”]
So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, “Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”
______________________________
Jesus, in telling the disciples to serve one another, was not saying, “Do you want to be a leader? Well, first, you must get down and dirty, wash my feet, carry my luggage, saddle my burro, and organize my ministry appearances.” What Jesus was saying to them was, “I am your Lord and Master. I have lowered myself beneath that which I created. If I can do it, you can do it also, to show love one for another.”
Parents show parenthood to their children by taking the children as babies, when the babies are helpless, and serving them, waiting on them hand and foot. They are lowering themselves beneath that which is lower than them.
From Servanthood To Sonship
______________________________
Galatians 4:1-7 reads:
Now I say, that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba, Father.” Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
______________________________
The Lord wants our focus to be off serving him, and to be upon functioning as a son. The son will serve the Father, but rather he is LOVING the father through his service, not trying to be a better servant to earn rewards of love.
In II Kings 2, Elijah the prophet is being taken up into heaven.
11And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
Elisha [“junior”] called Elijah “father”!!! It was a relationship that developed between these two men over the years. Pay close attention: Elisha did not pour water on the hands of Elijah because he wanted to be a great prophet, or to do Elijah’s dirty work. Elisha poured water on the hands of Elijah because he loved Elijah like a son loves a father.
Just like Jesus said, when he washed the disciples’ feet, Elisha’s service to Elijah was an extension of Elisha’s love for Elijah.
We see another example of the difference between servanthood and sonship, in the story of the prodigal son.
Luke 10:20-32
And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
And the son said unto him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.”
But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
And he said unto him, “Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.”
And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father,“Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: but as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.”
And he said unto him, “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.”
______________________________
Do you see the stark difference between the two sons? On the one hand, you have the prodigal, whose first and only concern was his SONSHIP, that he had violated the relationship between him and his father. Yet, on the other hand, you have the elder brother, whose first and only concern was his SERVANTHOOD, that he had performed faithfully and admirably, and had never shirked his responsibility.
The younger concerned himself with the love of his father, and being restored, regardless of possessions or benefits. Yet, the older was consumed with his self-effort, and the fear of not being rewarded.
Much of our walk with God is determined with how we view ourselves: as servant or as son.
In light of this understanding God gave me, I reject the armorbearer teaching, which seeks to enslave the sheep into indentured servitude unto the shepherd, and I reach out and embrace grace, which allows me to follow the shepherd’s example. We are not beasts of burden, or little timid servant-boys. We are God’s dear children.
Masters require servants to lay down their lives to protect the master. Fathers, however, lay their lives down FIRST, before ever receiving a single act of service from their sons.
How is it that we are expecting the sheep to live for the shepherd in this armorbearer concept? It is the shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.
And then they love him and follow him.
To quote a friend of mine, "We are armor-WEARERS, not armor-BEARERS."
For further reading:
http://www.availablelightonline.com/ana.html
There is a passage [I Samuel 14:1] which talks about [King Saul’s son] Jonathan's armorbearer giving service to the king, and the author of the concept, Terry Nance, goes into great detail about how the armorbearer served the king in material or mundane ways of service. Then Nance goes to the passage where David’s men broke through a company of the enemy soldiers to get David a cup of water. After that, there is reference to the passage where Elisha [the “junior”] pours water on the hands of Elijah [the “senior”].
So from this teaching, Nance begins to outline how church people are to serve God’s leaders. Basically, I now have a problem with the whole line of teaching.
For years, I was in bondage to this line of thinking, and am just now breaking out of it. The teaching is designed to subject “little church members” under their “big, important leaders”. As an armorbearer, you run all over the place doing things the pastor or minister wants you to do, that he or she is too lazy to do themselves, such as carry their own Bible to the pulpit.
The fundamental flaw of the teaching, is that servitude is being taught to the body of Christ by the SERVANTS, instead of being taught by the LEADERS. By subjecting themselves to be a Bellhop for the Body Of Christ, they are teaching the leaders how to lead, instead of the leaders teaching the followers to follow. Anyone can serve a superior; how well do you serve those who are called to serve you? Jesus did not expect the disciples to lay down their lives for him, until he first laid down HIS life for THEM.
How can you as a leader expect servanthood that you have not shown by example?
Luke 22:24-27 -
And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
______________________________
John 13:1-17
1Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; he riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, “Lord, dost thou wash my feet?”
Jesus answered and said unto him, “What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.”
Peter saith unto him, “Thou shalt never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered him, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.”
Simon Peter saith unto him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.”
Jesus saith to him, “He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.”
[For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, “Ye are not all clean.”]
So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, “Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”
______________________________
Jesus, in telling the disciples to serve one another, was not saying, “Do you want to be a leader? Well, first, you must get down and dirty, wash my feet, carry my luggage, saddle my burro, and organize my ministry appearances.” What Jesus was saying to them was, “I am your Lord and Master. I have lowered myself beneath that which I created. If I can do it, you can do it also, to show love one for another.”
Parents show parenthood to their children by taking the children as babies, when the babies are helpless, and serving them, waiting on them hand and foot. They are lowering themselves beneath that which is lower than them.
From Servanthood To Sonship
______________________________
Galatians 4:1-7 reads:
Now I say, that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba, Father.” Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
______________________________
The Lord wants our focus to be off serving him, and to be upon functioning as a son. The son will serve the Father, but rather he is LOVING the father through his service, not trying to be a better servant to earn rewards of love.
In II Kings 2, Elijah the prophet is being taken up into heaven.
11And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
Elisha [“junior”] called Elijah “father”!!! It was a relationship that developed between these two men over the years. Pay close attention: Elisha did not pour water on the hands of Elijah because he wanted to be a great prophet, or to do Elijah’s dirty work. Elisha poured water on the hands of Elijah because he loved Elijah like a son loves a father.
Just like Jesus said, when he washed the disciples’ feet, Elisha’s service to Elijah was an extension of Elisha’s love for Elijah.
We see another example of the difference between servanthood and sonship, in the story of the prodigal son.
Luke 10:20-32
And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
And the son said unto him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.”
But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
And he said unto him, “Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.”
And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father,“Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: but as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.”
And he said unto him, “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.”
______________________________
Do you see the stark difference between the two sons? On the one hand, you have the prodigal, whose first and only concern was his SONSHIP, that he had violated the relationship between him and his father. Yet, on the other hand, you have the elder brother, whose first and only concern was his SERVANTHOOD, that he had performed faithfully and admirably, and had never shirked his responsibility.
The younger concerned himself with the love of his father, and being restored, regardless of possessions or benefits. Yet, the older was consumed with his self-effort, and the fear of not being rewarded.
Much of our walk with God is determined with how we view ourselves: as servant or as son.
In light of this understanding God gave me, I reject the armorbearer teaching, which seeks to enslave the sheep into indentured servitude unto the shepherd, and I reach out and embrace grace, which allows me to follow the shepherd’s example. We are not beasts of burden, or little timid servant-boys. We are God’s dear children.
Masters require servants to lay down their lives to protect the master. Fathers, however, lay their lives down FIRST, before ever receiving a single act of service from their sons.
How is it that we are expecting the sheep to live for the shepherd in this armorbearer concept? It is the shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.
And then they love him and follow him.
To quote a friend of mine, "We are armor-WEARERS, not armor-BEARERS."
For further reading:
http://www.availablelightonline.com/ana.html
