Mystery

We gladly admit that there is mystery for us in all things while there is no mystery for God in anything. We do not claim to understand even one thing exhaustively. Therefore, we can in ourselves be certain about nothing. But because God understands all things exhaustively, now, “having made known to us the mystery of His will” (Eph. 1:9), we can in Christ be boldly and humbly certain about everything that we do know. “In Your light we see light” (Ps. 36:9). When the people questioned how it was possible that Jesus knew so much, even though He had no formal degrees or “letters” after his name, like a Ph.D. (Jn. 7:15), Jesus explained to the people how He knew what He knew. His explanation gets to the heart of what is the biblical sense mystery. He said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority” (Jn. 7:16-27). Upon this basis He then commanded the people to “judge with righteous judgment” (Jn. 7:24). To judge rightly or righteously is possible for anyone who “wills to do His will.” Being willing to do God’s will and not our own is the only sure basis upon which we “shall know” anything for certain. The debate surrounding Jesus (and thus also by implication, the debate surrounding us as Basileians or of any believer who comes across as irritatingly “authoritative” to citizens of the Fallen World System) is that Jesus taught with an authority that was rock-solid and certain. He was able to do so because the source of authority of His “doctrine” was “from God.” He was not His “own authority.” Jesus operated by the One-Source View of authority. Practically, the One-Source View is the view of anyone who “wills to do His will.” Therefore, Jesus commanded the people to use the One-Source View in righteously judging whether He Himself was indeed using the One-Source View or not. He refused to allow them to judge Him on the basis of their own autonomy. Experiencing the Father “having made known to us the mystery of His will” is the basis of true kingdom authority. All knowledge not based on this kind of mystery is “falsely called knowledge” (1 Tim. 6:20). 

Also see Body of Christ, Certain Knowledge, Council of the Lord, Eucharist, and One-Source View.

Novitiate

The Novitiate is the period of formation during which a person who is already an Adult Communicant Member of Basileia becomes a Governing Member. The Novitiate begins with a Rite of Entrance and ends with a Rite of Incorporation. While the goal of the Catechumenate is to empower people to master Basileia’s charism, the purpose of the Novitiate is to build on this and empower people to re-master Basileia’s charism in new ways that no one has thought of before in order fulfill to our calling, especially to lift the fatherless, widowed, poor, oppressed, prisoners and sick.

Also see Catechumenate, and Governing Member.

Observe the Constitution

Observing the Constitution of Basileia is a chivalric way of kingdomculturally embodying the life of Jesus for the life of the world. Basileians are Overcomers who, in our primary discipline of listening to the Word, integrate the practice of observing the Constitution of Basileia with following the Lectionary in rhythm with the Church Year and interpreting the Word according to the Apostolic Rule of Faith.

Also see Listen, and Overcomers.

Offer Hospitality to All

Offering hospitality to all is a lifestyle practice of becoming uncomfortable if necessary for the sake of making others comfortable so that they can be healed and restored in their journey. Basileians are Hosts who, in our primary discipline of serving the Church and the world, integrate the practice of offering hospitality to all with advancing the Kingdom through our vocational callings and traveling to the edges of established expressions of Christendom.

Also see Hosts, and Serve.

Offerings

Offerings are not tithes, but voluntary gifts designated to advance the Kingdom, particularly through Missional Initatives. In Basileia, offerings, not tithes, fund missional initiatives and are thus administered by Missional Councils (who also administer the Community Tithe), while all Festival Tithes are administered by Presbyter Councils. Deacon Councils facilitate the equipping of Chapters in the administration of the Vocational Tithe.

Also see Tithe.

One-Source View

The One-Source View, which Basileia affirms, regards the Church, creeds and tradition as secondary, derivative and subordinate delegated authorities in relation to the revelation of the Word in creation, Scripture and by the Spirit. The One-Source View of authority is necessary to properly apply the Apostolic Rule of Faith and the principle of Sola Scriptura (not to be confused with the improper understanding and practice of “Solo” Scriptura). The One-Source View gives rise to kingdomculture and so is the kingdomcultural alternative to the Two-Source View.

Also see Apostolic Rule of Faith, Mystery, Sola Scriptura, “Solo” Scriptura, and Two-Source View.

Open Communion

Basileia practices open communion by equipping Basileians to be Sentinels who welcome all to the Table who are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, who are not lawfully excommunicated and who hold that by faith we are encountered by the real presence of Christus Victor in the Eucharist.

Also See Adult Communicant Believer, Child Communicant Believer, and Sentinels.

Orthodox and Charismatic

The Orthodox and Charismatic stream of the Church emphasizes God’s revelation of the Word according to the Spirit. If this is done by highlighting the unique function or mode by which the Spirit reveals the Word while at the same time maintaining the equal ultimacy of the revelation of the Word via sacrament and in Scripture, then this builds up the Church as a communion. But when the revelation of the Spirit is made the only authority or a more ultimate authority than the revelation of the Word through sacrament and in Scripture and is autonomously used to interpret all things according to a Two-Source View of authority, as with “Solo” Scriptura and Qualified Infallibility, then this tears down the Church through the dynamic of denominationalism.

Also see Emphasize, Evangelical and Reformed, Liturgical and Sacramental, Qualified Infallibility, Sola Scriptura, “Solo” Scriptura, and Two-Source View.

Overcomers

Basileians are Overcomers who in the practice of observing our Constitution kingdomculturally overcome dead ritualism in worship, dead traditions in life, and dead legalism in governance. This kingly lifestyle practice is related to our primary discipline of listening to the Word.

Also see Listen, Pattern-Keepers, and Storytellers.