Tradition stacks archbishop over bishop and a clergy over the laity. Paul is simpler: two offices, bishop and deacon; bishop, elder, overseer, and pastor are one man and one work; the qualifications are for entering the office, not a standing audit; and ordination is the recognition of a proven man, never a sacrament.

A spiritual church gathering is not measured by music style, service length, or emotional experience. This article examines what Paul says a gathering of the Body of Christ should actually accomplish, and why Old Testament expectations about the presence of God in a place belong to a different program entirely.