Preeminence in Laurel's Prosebox journal book

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. Colossians 1:18

Someone reported from Perth, Australia, that policemen let themselves in to a Church building, went up to the front and commenced demanding compliance to ‘mandates’. In the photo you see the inside of the Church building, parishoners, and policemen up in front giving orders. The congregants and Church leaders are cooperating. You also see the national and state flags. The caption reads in part, “Where have we seen this behavior before in history?” This question of course suggests the State takeovers of the churches in both Nazi Germany and in Russia during world war two and in all of Eastern Europe during Communism.

Presently in the USA and around the world, in the “State Churches”, the government has jurisdiction and authority over the Church. By State Churches I mean State-registered or State-incorporated. In the USA this means 501c3 incorporation. Australia and other countries have their own versions of government-incorporated Churches. Communist China has the TSPC, or Three-Self-Patriotic-Church. That is the State-approved Christianity in Communist China. The government has the authority to order exactly what can and cannot be spoken or taught in the TSPC. In other words, The State has the preeminence. But the top authority over the ekklesia (the called-out people, assembled together) is Jesus Christ our Lord, and no other.

In Europe back in the middle ages, the pastors or bishops would physically bar and prevent magistrates and military troops from entering the Church building or meeting place. They defended the people inside. They prevented the agents of The State from any attempt to arrest congregants or disrupt the worship or use the Christian meeting to announce or enforce any State decrees.

What we have now in the world is a repeat of history, with the State claiming preeminence and authority over the Church. We have a situation where the ekklesia must gather (either publicly or privately) completely outside the structure and authority of the State Churches. God’s people must do what our Lord says, “Come out of her, my people.” The “her” is the Harlot Church System. She looks like “Christianity” but she in bed with that cruel Beast, The State. For the Harlot System, The State has the preeminence. For the bride of Christ (the saints, the ekklesia), Christ has the preeminence.

If you see the National flag prominently displayed in any church building, that is a hint that the Church is incorporated with the government; it is a State Church. That Church is under the authority of The State. Many Church Leaders do not understand the importance and relevance of this issue. They might think that Romans 13 means that The State is the ultimate authority in all matters, every time, without question. They might think that a Church-State union is a Christian thing. They do not understand that the State expects to have the preeminence over God in a State-approved Church.

When you see both the national flag and the “Christian flag” standing together side by side (or worse, the national flag foisted up higher than the Christian flag) then you know the Church is attempting to have two heads and is really confused. Did you know that the word “Babylon” means confusion? God calls His people out of Babylon. A woman who is two timing her betrothed (bridegroom) or her husband is considered a harlot. God calls His people to be a faithful “virgin bride”. This is why God uses the metaphors “Babylon” and “harlot” for the false or unfaithful church. This is why He calls the saints, “ekklessia”, and “body of Christ” and “the bride of Christ”. The harlot is dressed in scarlet, the “woman in a red dress” as it were. The virgin bride is dressed in white, pure and clean. The head of one is The State. The head of the other is Jesus Christ. Both use the label, “Christian”. Discern this, my friends.

We are not married to The State. We are betrothed to Christ (Revelation 19:7). Jesus Christ is the head of the church*. He is our one and only head and He has the preeminence. He has the supremacy and the first place in everything. Let us encourage one another to live like it.

*1577 ekklēsía, ἐκκλησία (from 1537 /ek, “out from and to” and 2564 /kaléō, “to call”) – properly, people called out from the world and to God.