The answer is pretty obvious isn’t it, JESUS. The New Testament emphatically states that Jesus is the head of the church and the believers are the members of his body.( Colossians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 12:27, and Ephesians 5:23) Paul in 1 Corinthians 12 makes it very clear that the (Laos) the Greek word for God’s people compose the body of Christ. Paul states that all believers are a part of Christ’s body. Paul makes it very clear that all members need each other and each member has a gift to be used for the body.
That is why the Books of the New Testament are always addressed to the Brothers and Sisters (Adelphos), saints or believers in a city. The New Testament writings were not addressed to pastors, elders, priests or religious leaders. The majority of New Testament writings were written to the body of Christ in a geographical area like Roman, Corinthian, Ephesus, or Philippi. The books of Titus and I Timothy, II Timothy were written to Paul’s itinerant traveling disciples. The only time we read about one specific leader in a local church it is about Diotrephes in 3 John 9-10. He had taken control of the church and was imposing his will on the church and taking it out of God’s will. John is instructing the church to take back control of their church. Paul’s’ epistles are also primarily written so that the body of Christ may correct what needs fixing in the given church in the area. Never does Paul name one specific leader in a local church to correct things. He tells the body of Christ to correct things.
Why are these documents addressing the body of believers primarily? This was because Paul and other writers were instructing the believers about their spiritual duties. Each believer was given a spiritual gift and it was to be used for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7)
Hebrews 10:24-25 is often quoted to show that believers are to go to church. It says that “Let us consider how may we may spur one another on to love and good deeds not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another –and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Notice a couple of things. One it says “Let us”. The activities for the meeting are addressing the whole body of Christ and not some leader or even elder, deacon or minister. The activities mentioned here are for the whole body to be engaged in, not a select few. All believers can encourage, all believers can stir up to love in others, all believers can stir up good deeds in other believers if given the chance. The sad truth is the body is not given a chance because a select few have been designated to lead the show in a traditional church.
The Mouth becomes the focal point and dominates the setting (those placed in charge do all the talking and leading). The rest of the body is transformed into an ear and sets in silence. No wonder most Christians are bored to tears in worship services. They were called to participate in the body of Christ and they have become designated to be observers and consumers.
The designated clergy who is to equip the believers for service takes the service away from the laity and does the service for the laity. This robs the laity of their God given calling. The clergy then becomes the head of the church instead of Jesus. The clergy tells itself that is being the under shepherd for Jesus. Where is that spelled out in the New Testament? This is not taught in the Holy Scripture. Then where did that come from? It came from man’s tradition. Jesus said that men make void the word of God by their traditions. (Mark 7:13) There is no scripture that tells the church that it should take away the church meeting from a participating laity and give it to the clergy. Every church needs to ask itself who is the head in this church Jesus or the clergy? The truth is that many who go to church are more focused on the minister than Jesus. No one minister, no matter how spiritual, can reflect the multi-faceted glory of Jesus. It takes the different parts of the body of Christ to do that. In a house church the focus is to be all on Jesus not a leader.