WORLD CHURCH

• ORGANIZATION-GOD'S PLAN (Return)
  
  "God is a God of order. Everything connected with heaven is in perfect order; subjection and thorough discipline mark the movements of the angelic host. Success, can only attend order and harmonious action. God requires order and system in His work now no less than in the days of Israel. All who are working for Him are to labor intelligently, not in a careless, haphazard manner. He would have His work done with faith and exactness, that He may place the seal of His approval upon it."
  
  -Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 376.
  
  "System and order are manifest in all the works of God throughout the universe." -Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 26.
  
  To be able to fulfill the great commission (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15, 16), to accomplish much work in a relatively short time, and to guarantee peace and united action, exact order and organization are indispensable.
  
  The foundation for organizational structure among God's people was laid down in the Bible: "Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hun­dreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace." Exodus 18:21-23.
  
  .           "And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evan­gelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." Ephesians 4:11-13.
  
  "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So 'we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." Romans 12:4, 5.
  
  "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ." "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teacher~ after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." 1 Corinthians 12:12, 27, 28.