Diversity is not the strength of the Church. Christ is the strength of the church. Without Christ we would shatter into tribes, factions, and our envy would drive both jealousy and virtue signalling.
The passage today is important. God selects who is our high priest, and he is Christ. There is no other. We do not elect people to ministry nor to the high places of the church: God should appoint them. And when the sociologists and those broken by the social justice useful idiots twitter haterages say we need a diverse church there should be one answer.
It is God who chooses those who lead.
It is God who sets the criteria that qualify one to lead.
And race is not a criteria. Our unity is in Christ.
14Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
1Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; 3and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. 4And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
5So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him,
“You are my Son,today I have begotten you”;
6as he says also in another place,
“You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”
There are many who do not understand that no priest, no elder, in the true church wants the job. It is thrust upon them: they do not ask for it. God appoints them. Instead, we follow the ways of the world and elect our elders and ministers: this is not as it should be.
To be an elder is a noble thing.
And the unqualified; Those in open degeneracy, those who are heretics, those who will not submit to our high priest, are false teachers, false elders and should be ignored, if we are merciful. This is even before you filter the faithful, to find the husband of one wife, who is also of the faith, as are their children, and who is of good reputation.
Those who are inept, who are creepy, who are faithless want diversity so they can be part of the leadership. They should be corrected, so they repent.
And mocked if they demand power. Shame may lead to sorrow, sorrow to repentance.
If such have power, they reliably ruin things. .They have taken good churches and killed them, and now wear that authority as a suit, while proclaiming that which all would call heresy.
For they do not acknowledge Christ as their high Priest. They have broken the unity of faith.
What should we in pews do? As I have said before, I am not qualified for eldership. Most of us are not.
When those who are not of Christ take over a church, it rots. Such people are not to be tolerated: there is a place for confrontation. Our unity is not within our denomination or structure, for such can and frequently full of the corrupt, the debased, and the incompetent.
Our unity is in Christ. He is none of these things. Be like him. Be not like them.