How to Behave Yourself in the House of God

By: Mike V

1Ti 3:14  These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:1Ti 3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

The first thing we need to notice in this study is that nowhere in all of scripture are we told that Peter, or any other single man, “is the pillar and ground of The Truth.” What this verse, along with “the sum of Thy word” (Psa 119:160) teaches throughout scripture is that “the church of the living God… is… the pillar and ground of The Truth.”

In the first epistle of John we are told this most powerful Truth:

1Jn 4:13  Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.1Jn 4:14  And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.1Jn 4:15  Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.1Jn 4:16  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

We know and believe the love God has toward us to such an extent that Christ Himself calls us “…Jesus of Nazareth whom you persecutest.”

Act 22:7  And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

Christ had already taught this very doctrine earlier when He told us:

Mat 25:37  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?Mat 25:38  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?Mat 25:39  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

The same principle applies to those who persecute Christ and His body:

Mat 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:Mat 25:42  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:Mat 25:43  I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.Mat 25:44  Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?Mat 25:45  Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

Those are but a few of the scriptures which clearly state that Christ identifies with His church. Not once does He confer His identity upon any one man. It is always conferred upon His body, the church.

Who exactly is Christ of whom we are told “as He is” (1Jo 4:17)? The gospel of John has exactly seven ‘I Am’ statements which tell us who Christ is and therefore who we in Him are:

1. “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35) Are we bread? Nowhere are we called ‘the bread of life’, but if Christ is in us and if we share His Word with others then we are indeed “as He is in this world” (1Jo 4:17)

2. “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12) Are we the light of the world. In this case Jesus comes right out and tells us that if He is in us then we too are “the light of the world” (Mat 5:14 and 1Jo 4:17)

3. “I am the gate for the sheep” (John 10:7) Are we, in Christ ‘the gate of the sheepfold? No, we are not overtly called the gate. Christ alone has that title, but He in us will certainly ‘stand at the door and knock” simply because we are as He is in this world (1Jo 4:17).

4. “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11) Are we shepherds of the Lord’s flock? Yes, we are explicitly called ‘shepherds of the Lord’s flock (Joh 10:2;1Pe 5:2 and 1Jo 4:17)

5. “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25) This title belongs to Christ alone. Nevertheless we are still told that like Him ‘from our bellies will flow rivers of living waters’:

6. “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6) This title belongs exclusively to Christ. Nevertheless through Him within us, we can show others that Christ is ‘the way, the Truth and The Life’ (1Jo 4:17).

7. “I am the true vine” (John 15:1) Are we “The True Vine”? Of course not, not of ourselves. But we are branches on The True Vine and as such we must bring forth much fruit” through feeding the bread of life to others. (Joh 15:5).

Joh 15:8  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.Joh 15:9  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.Joh 15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.Joh 15:11  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

We should indeed be rejoicing in our calling even as we are “hated of all men” (Mat 10:22, Rom 9:18).

We are also called ‘the body of Christ’ of which body He is ‘The Head’:

Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

We are not ‘The Head of the body’, but we are “His body which is the church”, as Paul reveals in this same chapter just six verses later:

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

Exactly who is part of His body which “fills up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ”? The answer to that question must be decided by each of us, and we must surely count those with whom we fellowship to be that ‘body.’ If we do not consider each other to be Christ, then why are we fellowshipping together? If indeed we do count His church to be Christ Himself, then we must never “lean to our own understanding” when differences arise in our midst over doctrinal matters. That is what we are commanded to do, and that is the example we are given by the Lord’s original apostles when the question arose about the need for circumcising Gentile converts.

Pro 3:3  Let not mercy and truth [“The church is the pillar and ground of The Truth] forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:Pro 3:4  So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.Pro 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.Pro 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.Pro 3:7  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.Pro 3:8  It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.1Ti 3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Here is how we are expected to behave ourselves in the house of God when we disagree with others in the Lord’s body which is the church:

Act 15:1  And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.Act 15:2  When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

Why did the church at Syrian Antioch decide to “go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question?” They decided to do so because they knew what the scripture taught concerning how we are instructed to handle difficult decisions. Here is the earliest Biblical instructions on the proper, godly way of settling hard questions within the Lord’s house:

Deu 17:8  If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose;Deu 17:9  And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and enquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment:Deu 17:10  And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the LORD shall choose shall shew thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee:Deu 17:11  According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left.Deu 17:12  And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel.Deu 17:13  And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.

It is the Lord who picks our leaders by having us to bring before him men who are “known among you” as men of integrity, to be our leaders:

Deu 1:13  Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.

You are all well aware of all the years of unpaid service which has been given for your sakes by every one of our elders. Each of us is aware of the solemn requirements of our calling. James warns us:

Jas 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. (BSB)

Hebrews 13:17 instructs us to obey our leaders because “they are keeping watch over your souls as those who must give an account.”

Heb 13:17 Be persuaded by your leaders, and be deferring to them, for they are vigilant for the sake of your souls, as having to render an account, that they may be doing this with joy, and not with groaning, for this is disadvantageous for you. (CLV)

In Acts 20 Paul warns the Ephesian elders to pay close attention to yourselves and to the flock over which the holy spirit has made us overseers, because grievous wolves will enter in among us not sparing the flock. He even warned us of what we have experienced more than once about men among our own elders arising and speaking perverse things:

Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.Act 20:29  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.Act 20:31  Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

Here is what Peter commands the Lord’s elders to do:

1Pe 5:1  The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:1Pe 5:2  Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;1Pe 5:3  Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.1Pe 5:4  And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Christ Himself warns us:

Luk 12:48  But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

The Lord had told the apostles, through His Word, to take ‘matters of controversy within your gates to the priests and judges that be in that day.’ Nowhere in all of scripture are doctrinal matters decided by just one man’s judgment. One man may indeed speak for the priests and judges but only after “the apostles and elders came together for to consider this matter”:

Act 15:6  And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

Every one of the apostles and elders gave their input before James declared what the holy ghost had told them to do about this question at this time:

Act 15:7  And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

“When there had been much disputing” is speaking about disputing between the apostles and elders… “the judges in that day” who all stepped up and shared with the other elders what the Lord had given them to contribute to the settling of this “controversy with thy gates.” It was thoroughly discussed by ‘wise and understanding men’ who are known among you and have been placed among you by the Lord Himself.

Deu 1:13  Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.

“Take you wise men… and I will make them rulers over you” means that it is the Lord Himself who is working within His body ‘both to will and to do of His good pleasure… after the counsel of His own will’:

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.Php 2:14  Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings” does not mean that the elders cannot express differing views on the ‘controversy with our gates’. They most assuredly did express their differing views. Nevertheless this was the consensus of the apostles there in Jerusalem, and Peter, Paul and Barnabas were very zealous to be obedient to these decrees:

Act 15:28  For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;Act 15:29  That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

What Philippians 2:14… “Do all things without murmurings and disputings,” is telling us is that once a consensus is reached we are to “share it with the churches”, which is exactly what Paul and Silas did immediately following that conference in Jerusalem concerning whether the Gentiles were required to be circumcised.

This is how careful Paul and Silas were to abide by “the decrees of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem”:

Act 16:1  Then came he [He and Silas] to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:Act 16:2  Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.Act 16:3  Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.Act 16:4  And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.

Paul was so careful to abide by ‘the decrees of the [consensus] of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem’ that He circumcised Timothy, whose mother “was a Jewess”.

Peter, Paul, and Barnabas were all very careful to accept the judgment of the judges.

Deu 17:11  According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left.

That is what “Lean not to thine own understanding” looks like.

Pro 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.Pro 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.Pro 3:7  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Anyone who refuses to seek the counsel of the elders of the church cannot in any way claim to be “acknowledging [God and His Word]” and that person’s path is not being directed by Christ, rather it is being directed by his father the devil (Joh 8:44).

Anyone who refuses to seek the counsel of his elders is nothing but “wise in [his] own eyes and is not at all ‘fearing the Lord and departing from evil’, because this is what the Lord admonishes us to do:

Heb 13:17 Be persuaded by your leaders, and be deferring to them, for they are vigilant for the sake of your souls, as having to render an account, that they may be doing this with joy, and not with groaning, for this is disadvantageous for you.

Moses had made it clear that all males in Israel must be circumcised, and no one in the conference at Jerusalem was openly and overtly demanding that the Jews had to forsake that ritual to be saved. The early church was still under the law of Moses as James made so very clear in Acts 21, many years after the Jerusalem conference of Acts 15:

Act 21:17  And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.Act 21:18  And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.Act 21:19  And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.Act 21:20  And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:Act 21:21  And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.Act 21:22  What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.Act 21:23  Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;Act 21:24  Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.Act 21:25  As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.Act 21:26  Then Paul [Because Paul was also keeping the law at this time] took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

Every single elder at that conference in Acts 15 agreed that the Gentiles did not need to be circumcised to be saved. Notice carefully that Peter, Paul and Barnabas had made clear to the other elders that in their minds the Lord “put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith… we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we [Jews] shall be saved even as they.” Notice that Peter did not say ‘they shall be saved even as we [by practicing ritualistic outward circumcision]. What Peter, Paul and Barnabas concluded was not at this time the consensus of the other apostles and elders. They all agreed that the Gentiles were not required to be circumcised, but they absolutely did not agree at that time that the Jews did not need to keep the law of Moses.

Notice how James included the teachings of the synagogues to be the teachings of Moses which he and all of the apostles except Peter, Paul, and Barnabas considered as necessary for Jewish Christians to observe and keep:

Act 15:20  But that we [The apostles at Jerusalem] write unto them [Gentile Christian converts], that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.Act 15:21  For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

Verse 21 in the minds of the apostles at this time was not a negative thing. James and the apostles all expected all Jewish converts to continue attending the synagogues in their area and to be “zealous of the law.”

What now were Peter, Paul and Barnabas to do? Should they argue with the consensus of the elders or should they submit and keep the law of which Peter had just said:

Act 15:7  And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.Act 15:8  And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;Act 15:9  And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.Act 15:10  Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?Act 15:11  But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. [By grace through faith (Eph 2:8) and not by the works of the law]

The Jerusalem apostles no doubt felt they had scripture on their side because this is what the Lord had indeed told Abraham:

Gen 17:10  This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.Gen 17:11  And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.Gen 17:12  And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.Gen 17:13  He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.Gen 17:14  And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

We may think at some point, that the apostles had come out from under the law because of all the changes and reforms Christ had instituted in Matthew 5-7. Time and again He would quote the law of Moses and then follow what He had just quoted with the words… “But I say unto you…” and the “…But I say unto you” would invariably be the exact opposite of what the Law of Moses dictated:

Mat 5:38  Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:Mat 5:39  But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

‘Resist not evil’ is the exact opposite of ‘An eye for an eye’.

Mat 5:43  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

“Love your enemies” is the exact opposite of “hate thine enemy.” Yet the Lord had shown Peter, Paul and Barnabas that he had begun the “time of reformation”, and the law of Moses was “fading away” and being replaced by “the law of the spirit of life” (Rom 8:2). Fortunately for the church of that day, the apostles Peter, Paul, and Barnabas knew the Lord’s words of:

Deu 17:8  If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose;Deu 17:9  And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and enquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment:Deu 17:10  And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the LORD shall choose shall shew thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee:

Peter, Paul and Barnabas were all familiar with the three times repeated admonition to submit to the multitude of counsellors:

Pro 11:14  Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.Pro 15:22  Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.Pro 24:6  For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.

It is for our admonition, and as an example to all of us that Peter, Paul, and Barnabas were “persuaded of their leaders and deferred to them” rather than to lean to their own understanding, even as the Lord had shown them what would be the accepted truth at a later date. It was much like David acknowledging Saul as “the Lord’s anointed” even though he had already been anointed to become King Saul’s replacement. King David was anointed by Samuel, the same judge and prophet who had anointed King Saul.

Peter, Paul, and Barnabas, were being told at that conference over the question of Gentiles being required to be circumcised in order to be saved, that their doctrine would replace the law of Moses even for the Jews. Like David, they would have to wait for the Lord to reveal when He would make that replacement obvious to all. It took time for Israel to submit to David as their new king, and it took time for the doctrine that the Lord had put no difference between the Jews and the Gentiles to be accepted as the new Truth. It became impossible to live by the law of Moses when the temple was finally destroyed in 70 A. D.

Very shortly before the destruction of the temple the holy spirit made this revelation to Paul while he was still a prisoner at Rome:

Eph 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall between us; [The Jews must continue living under the law of Moses as agreed to in Acts 15]Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:Eph 2:17  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.Eph 2:18  For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;Eph 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together growth unto an holy temple in the Lord:Eph 2:22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

When the Lord destroyed King Saul it became evident that David was now the king, and when the holy spirit decided to make it clear it became evident that the Jewish Christians were no longer under the law of Moses.

This is very good advice for anyone who claims to tremble at the Lord’s Words:

Ecc 5:1  Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.Ecc 5:2  Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

In conclusion when “a… controversy within [our] gates arises” let us all be obedient to the law and “be persuaded of our elders and defer to them”:

Deu 17:8  If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose;Deu 17:9  And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and enquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment:Deu 17:10  And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the LORD shall choose shall shew thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee:Heb 13:17 Be persuaded by your leaders, and be deferring to them, for they are vigilant for the sake of your souls, as having to render an account, that they may be doing this with joy, and not with groaning, for this is disadvantageous for you.

If we tremble at those words and are obedient to them, then we will reap the benefits of the peace and joy that comes with these words:

Psa 133:1  A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!Eph 4:1  I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,Eph 4:2  With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;Eph 4:3  Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.