Hierarchy in the Service of Communion

Paul has this to say regarding “Hierarchy and Communion,” which is not eliminating the hierarchy but highlighting how all baptized persons are equal but has different charisms.

“But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ, so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming.

Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body’s growth and builds itself up in love” (Ephesians 4: 7 -16).

God gave charisms to build the body of Christ. Communion and participation mean that we function according to the charism that God gave. The various parts of the body support each other.

However, if the lens of liberal progressive ideology of “equity” is used instead of “hierarchy in the service of communion,” Paul will become a misogynist and patriarchal. It is so because Paul insisted on the ordered operation of the community.

Liberal progressive ideologues would want to disrupt order and hierarchy because, for them, “hierarchy” is “oppressive” and “abusive.” Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians has a lot to say to those who claimed that “equality” is the absence of distinctions or hierarchy.

“As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, is one body, so also Christ.

Now the body is not a single part, but many. Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.

Some people God has designated in the church to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then, gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues.

Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? (1 Corinthians 12 – 14, 28 – 30).

REFLECTIONS

PCP II teaches us that “We are all equal in Dignity but different in Ministry.”

The globalization of our society has exposed us to ideas that can either be beneficial or dangerous. One of these harmful ideas is Cultural Marxism.

Advocates of Cultural Marxism want to destroy our faith communities by promoting a new kind of “class struggle” where conflicts are no longer “economic” (as in the original Marxism) but based on “power differential.”

In this Cultural Marxist perspective, those in “positions of authority” are bad people who are only concerned with their power and entitlement. Those who are NOT in positions of power are considered the “marginalized” that needs to rise against those in authority.

Paul warned us against this perverted way of thinking. He invited us to see community life from the perspective of “communion,” where the varieties of charisms are not ranks of honors; instead, these are missions to be fulfilled and charisms to be shared.

Is it not that authentic listening happened when all those in the community recognized their respective needs for renewal?

How can honest dialogue begin when it is started with accusations of entitlement against one group? If this is the paradigm, it will just promote contempt against each other rather than authentic listening.

The ten Apostles were angry against James and John when they asked for positions of authority in the Kingdom of Jesus. Why are the ten mad? They were angry because they also wanted to have power.

Jesus, instead of accusing James and John of entitlement, called all of his Apostles to reflect whether they were ready to become selfless. Can you drink the cup that I drink? … to give his life as a ransom for many? (cf. Mark 10: 35 – 45).