A Governing Principle: Bearing One Another’s Burdens & The Law of Christ
In this article I point out that using the Hebrew nation as a prototype, God established the concept of tribes – extended family households – as a model for His kingdom people. I am calling this model “Kingdom Households”, and proposing that this is still a model for God’s kingdom people, the Church, which is His Body. (The Ecclesia which Jesus is building). These are the specific proposals of this article:
- The governing principle in Kingdom Households aligns with God’s governing of His Kingdom according to “The Law of Christ”.
- “The Law of Christ” is encapsulated in His command, “Love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” John 13:34
- While this “Law of Christ” can be expressed in infinite ways, God intended the extended household to be the prototype of His Kingdom. Therefore, this law of love can be manifest most compellingly and most convincingly to the world through Kingdom Households. The specific vehicle of this expression given by the apostle Paul was through the broad category of “Bearing One Another’s Burdens”. Galatians 6:2
- The mission of the Church (the Ecclesia of which the Kingdom Household is the prototype) is to be “a testimony to all nations” of the good news of this Kingdom and its Law (Matthew 24:14), and “to make its wisdom known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places”. Ephesians 3:10
