Vermeer’s Milkmaid

“. . . There is a difference between a hierarchy and an elite. The one is work oriented, the other privilege and leisure oriented. For a people to accept the fact of hierarchy means to accept a given variation of responsibilities in society. Paul speaks of this in 1 Corinthians 12:3-31; he speaks of the body as one with many members or parts, all sharing a common life and purpose in Christ. The unregenerate lack such a oneness except in sin. The redeemed are still given to the divisiveness of sin because of their imperfect sanctification, but they also have the Holy Spirit and His call to unity. Their being thus moves to this unity in Christ, and a recognition of the hierarchy of callings and functions  in Him. . . .

“Because the world is God’s creation, it accomplishes God’s purposes. This is also true of the curse. The curse saves God’s eschatological movements in history by destroying man’s efforts to play god and by forcing men to a dependence on Him. . . .

“When work is God-centered, it moves in terms of the premise of Psalm 126:6, namely, that the God given order of creation, as well as the providence of God, works to further all efforts in His name and for His glory. . . . Because God made the world, He made all things good (Gen. 1:31), and all things holy, set apart for Him. Things are profane when men and their motives are profane. The clergy can be and often have been profane, and the same is true of every profession, calling, or variety of work. Work becomes holy when it is governed by God’s law word and eschatology. . . .

“The ecclesia [the church; ‘In Ephesians and Colossians, ecclesia has a cosmic scope.’] can be a small group meeting in a home, and it is also a cosmic power. It is also a family, and the members are brothers and sisters and a kingdom under Christ the Lord.

“All the members have a function, a local function within the house congregation, and a function in the world, wherein they manifest the works of Christ in and through them. The body does not exist for the institution’s sake, but for Christ and His world-wide Kingdom. If the church has a false eschatology, its work will have a false focus. If a church is not governed by the dominion mandate and a call to victory, it will be governed by defeatism.

“Meanwhile, the elite will work for an elitist society in which they are everything, and the people are nothing. The “scientific” interest in cloning is elitist. The dream from Plato’s day has been to command cow-like masses who will serve the purposes of the elite. The dream of cloning is a hope to stamp out docile creatures who will serve the elites as their social slaves. This is a profane eschatology, and a dream of a man-made hell.” [Emphasis mine]

Systematic Theology | Vol. 2, page 1050-53
R.J. Rushdoony