The Supremacy of the Holy Spirit Over the Church

SOME PEOPLE think that Pastors have supremacy over the churches they oversee. But Pastors do not have supreme authority to run the affairs of the churches. Pastors are leaders but servants. They serve the churches for Christ’s sake (2 Cor 4:5).

The Lord Jesus Christ is the founder and foundation of the Church. Thus, Paul referred to Him as the Head of the Church. When Christ was physically present in the world, His disciples regarded Him as their Teacher, Lord, Helper, Instructor, Comforter and Counselor.

And after Christ Jesus was raised from the dead, He said to His disciples that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him and that they should go and start ministry ( Matthew 28:18).

However, Christ would not want the Apostles who were the first batch of ministers He appointed to immediately start active public ministry until after the Holy Spirit had come upon them to receive power.

Earlier, Christ Jesus had given them the assurance that the Father would send another Helper, to be with them forever. This Helper was the Holy Spirit (John 14:16). The disciples received Him to dwell within them when Christ breathed on them after His resurrection (John 20:22). Then the Holy Spirit came upon them on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).

Since the day the early ministers received power to be witnesses of Christ, they began to have a unique relationship with the Holy Spirit. They regarded Him as their Master, one who had supremacy or supreme authority over them and the Church as a whole.

Consequently, one day, the Holy Spirit sent Peter to the house of Cornelius to preach the Lord Jesus to him and his household for the salvation of their souls. The Spirit spoke to Peter when he fell into a trance (Acts 10: 19- 20).

Here, you can see the Holy Spirit powerfully directing the affairs of His Church as Master who had supreme authority. He ordered Peter and as a servant, he had no option but to obey   Him.

Again, in the church at Antioch, the Holy Spirit ordered that Barnabas and Saul be set apart Him for the work to which He had called them (Acts 13:1-2).

Here, too, because the Spirit of Christ chooses and appoints men as vessels for His use, He has control over them. He tells them what should be done in the Church and it is carried out without questioning. His true servants gladly obey His voice so as to be in the perfect will of God the Father.

Moreover, in Acts 5:3, Peter recognized the supremacy of the Holy Spirit over him, all the Apostles and the Church in general. Reacting to the lie Ananias told concerning the proceeds of the sale of his land, Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit…?

Similarly, in Acts 7:51, Stephen rebuked the persecuting Jews for always resisting the Holy Spirit. He did not say the Jews were always resisting the preachers of the gospel, but their Master, the Holy Spirit.

Today’s Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers who are genuinely called and set in the Church must learn from the ministers of the early Church and regard the Holy Spirit as One who has supremacy over the Church.

By James Quansah

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