Copyright 2018 Theresa Harvard Johnson
(Read Part II: The Authority of Your Tribe)
Every army has companies – specialized divisions set in place to perfect a designated group and perform specific, necessary functions. Of all the excellent reasons to find your company or your tribe within the congregation, this one is, perhaps, the most critical.
Why? Because tribes and companies perfect the work we see in God’s end-game: One body, same spirit but different parts and functions (1 Corinthians 12). Each God-ordained division (elbows, hands, feet, knees, etc.) is set to assemble the troops assigned to that company for the work of the ministry.
It is this concept that has driven God’s Kingdom in the earth from the time of the nomadic people following the Law of Moses, the 12 Tribes of Israel, the 12 disciples of Christ, the divisions of the churches planted in the New Covenant… to the break out of specialty ministries in the marketplace today.
When we find where we belong, we “grow-up together and thrive” within our companies… for the good of the whole.
THIS KIND OF GODLY DIVISION IS MILITANT, STRATEGIC. It must be honored, respected within the military design.
The term tribe is literally translated in Hebrew to mean a clan or family group, a race of people or the lineage of a people (H5443). Under the Old Covenant, it identified the Hebrew race and its lineage which was critical to establishing the natural Nation of Israel. It was also the exact word used in the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the coming Christ. The word tribe here is called offshoot as in a branch that extends from the whole that grows in a necessary, but different and distinctive direction.
Isaiah 11:1 NIV says, “A SHOOT WILL COME UP from the STUMP of Jesse; from his roots, A BRANCH will bear fruit.”
In Greek, we often hear the term ecclesia which basically means those called out or separated by God as the Bride of Christ, his congregation or assembly. The understanding here, however, is still from a military perspective – with divisions, companies, tribes or specialty groups pulled from its ranks. An excellent example of what this might look like is the seven churches in the book of Revelations. While we mostly hear about these congregations in a negative light, they did serve a special purpose in their assigned region. Within those congregations, there were subgroups of varying tiers of leadership and helps. In some cases, their positive distinctions were highlighted.
In the New Covenant, we also hear about the house of Chloe, the ministry of the daughters of Stephen from his home, the gatherings held by Philemon in his home, those of Aquila and Pricilla in their home, and so forth.
Each group, though part of the whole, had its unique purpose … and specific function. We tend to gravitate to the place where WE FIT… and can grow, thrive and then extend our measure. Even more powerful is this truth: When we find our TRIBE the unity of that experience prophetically strengthens us and unites the power of that “company or tribe’s collective purpose.” We will talk about the SCEPTER OF AUTHORITY that is extended in God-ordained offshoots, companies or tribes in the next post.
Yes, we are all a part of one body. But some of us are set-apart for specialty work, and we must FIND THAT TRIBE that is ordained to help us “grow together” in the unity of the faith. Sometimes, that requires intimate community vs. generalized study and teaching from whichever way the wind blows.
Even today, we are a part of Christ’s tribe…. our division, however, just happens to be scribal.
