Ordained by God? What Does Ordained Really Mean?

As Bereans (see Acts 17), we examine and test everything including words that are used.  One word we often hear used in the man made religious organizations is ‘ordained’.  Many modern pastors claim to be ‘ordained by God’ and ‘most’ places hold to 3 traditions ordained by God. 

1. Baptism  (Click HERE to read our article on baptism.)
2. Lord’s Supper (Click HERE to read our article on the Lord’s Supper.)
3. Marriage (Click HERE to read our article on Marriage.)

There are many verses that use versions of the word ordain so let’s see what those definitions are so we can gather together a concept where such circumstances would be considered ordinations of God.    

Before you continue reading this article click HERE to read the biblical definitions of ‘ordain.’

Here is a summarization and just a few of the commonalities of the various meanings of ordain:
Appoint, give, have charge of, exercise, bring forth, to found,  to put, abide, establish, to rise, decree, to do, make, practice, commit, to place, cause to be, mark out or bound,  arrange in orderly manner, assign etc….

So we now see the general meaning (by no means exhaustive) of the word ordain(ed) according to God’s Word.  The full context of ordain (and similar words) show that God has started, created, invented, set in motion, caused to be, arranged, established etc…..everything! To lift up marriage, or baptism, or the Lord’s supper over and above all that God has decreed is to diminish the rest.

If we scour through the bible we will find many, many ordinations/institutions of God, here are just a few:

1. The government (Romans 13:1)
2. Obey the government (Romans 13:3-5)
3. Preaching the gospel (Mark 16:15)
4. Head coverings for women (1 Corinthians 11)
5. Wives submit to husbands (Ephesians 5)
6. Husbands love wives (Ephesians 5)
7. Husbands rule wives (Genesis 3:16)
8. Long flowing dresses on women (1 Timothy 2)
9. No adornment (1 Peter 3)
10. Women silent in the body (1 Corinthians 14 and 1 Timothy 2)
11. Men in authority of the body (1 Timothy 2)
12. Children obey parents (Colossians 3:20)
13. Parents teach children (Deuteronomy 6)
14. No men lording over the body (Matthew 20:25-26)
15. Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11)
16. Love God (Luke 10:27)
17. Love one another (Luke 10:27)
18. Carrying our cross (Luke 14:27)
19. Be separate from the world (2 Corinthians 6:17)
20. Man is to repent (Luke 13:3)
21. Bear good fruit (Matthew 3:8)
22. Man is to live by every Word of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4)
23. Do not tempt God (Matthew 4:7)
24. Follow Jesus (Matthew 4:19)
25. Let your light shine before men (Matthew 5:16)
26. Make amends with your brother (Matthew 5:23-24)
27. Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44)
28. Be perfect (Matthew 5:48)
29. Pray in private (Matthew 6)
30. Let the dead bury the dead (Luke 9)
31. Don’t forbid children the kingdom of God (Luke 18)
32. Baptism (Acts 2)
33. Be living sacrifice (Romans 12:1)
34. Be kind to one another (Romans 12:10)
35. Be of one mind (Romans 12:16)
36. Avoid those who cause division contrary to doctrine (Romans 16:17)
37. Let no man glory in men (1 Corinthians 3:21)
38. Deliver sinful brother to satan (1 Corinthians 5)
39. Don’t eat with a sinful brother (1 Corinthians 5:9-11)
40. Unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
41. Let every man abide wherein he was called (1 Corinthians 7)
42. Every man have psalm, doctrine, hymn (1 Corinthians 14)
43. Do not be yoked with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14)
44. Every man give according to his heart (1 Corinthians 9)
45. Walk in the spirit not in the flesh (Galatians 5:16)
46. God is not mocked (Galatians 6:7)
47. Put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6)
48. Rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4)
49. Think on whatever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely (Philippians 4:8)
50. Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
51. Don’t quench the spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19)
52. Do the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5)
53. Reject a heretic (Titus 3)
54. Obey them that have rule over you (Hebrews 13:17)
55. Do not err (James 1:16)
56. Submit yourselves to God (James 4:7)
57. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord (James 4:10)
58. Let your yay be yay, nay be nay (James 5:12)
59. Confess sins one to another (James 5:16)
60. God ordains that man is not to sin (endless scripture verses)

We write this article because we notice that many people from the man made religious system like to elevate certain ordinations from God and either neglect or diminish the rest.  This bears the resemblance to those who say ‘As long as we agree on the essentials, we can disagree on the non essentials.’  This leads to disobedience and deception because people will think they are following ‘ordinations of God’ in doing these few things and therefore put lesser value on the rest of the Word of God.

We are to live by EVERY word of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4) and ALL scripture is important….

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16)

God be praised!

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