Well what you're talking about with like popes and cardinals and such is the hierarchy of the earthly churches. Hierarchies within hierarchies. What I am talking about is the hierarchy within the two spiritual kingdoms themselves. Again 1 Corinthians 12 gives you the basic hierarchy of the Kingdom of God, though of course as pointed out there are then hierarchies within these hierarchies as for instance among the clergy. You could add Matthew 5 in there also among others. Perhaps this would make a good BDF topic unto itself really.
I expected that you were talking about 1 Corinthians 12, it is commonly taught in Christianity this way. But let's look carefully at the verses:
1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
The very first thing to learn is that the gentiles are taught to be dumb. Movie stars and TV stars and talking heads get to speak, you shut up and listen. That is contrary to all the gifts. We are not spectators we are participants.
3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
Simple little test. There are many so called preachers who think they are funny and will make stupid little jokes which amount to saying that Jesus is accursed. Obviously there are many arrogant and proud who also say this. Also, even more subtle, they will add criteria and practices that are not in the New Testament but for some reason are required or allowed by them. That means they are not saying that Jesus is Lord. If they say the Bible is sexist, or out of date, well that means they are saying it is accursed and that Jesus is not Lord.
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
Key concept. Think about the US military, you have branches of service and in those branches you have different roles. You could be in the engine room of a naval ship, or you could be deciphering coded messages of the enemy, or you could simply be a courier carrying messages, etc. Every job is essential. Logistics can be the difference between victory and defeat. So yes, we all have different gifts, not everyone is Rambo, but every job has the same goal to bring in the kingdom of the heavens.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
How do you administer your gift? I see some people are speaking to crowds like Billy Graham, others are on Youtube, still others are writing blogs, and still others are doing street preaching. You are to follow the Lord's leading.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
If God is not operating in your ministry then something is wrong. But I have also listened to the testimony of many of the Lord's children and I asked the Lord why He wasn't operating with me the same way. For example, I prayed about a rapture dream and immediately I got one. But then I realized I don't want a ministry of dreams, I prefer the more sure word of God. However, I did pray from time to time for help from the Lord and He provided help through dreams.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
We need the manifestation of the Spirit if we are to minister. Others will be asking for the Lord to show them that He is operating in your ministry and so God will manifest the Spirit. That is an experience that every single person should have, just as every person in the military wears a uniform for that military.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
Wisdom is useless if it cannot be supported by knowledge and knowledge is useless if you can't get the insight from wisdom. One is not above the other, they are both needed. Michael Jordan needed Scotty Pippin and vice versa.
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
These gifts are more specialized. For example, suppose the church has a ministry for drug addicts. That is not going to apply to every member in the Body of Christ, but that does not mean it is less important than any other gift. For the drug addicts that get saved and delivered it will be extremely important ministry.
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
Take "discerning of spirits". I had to discern Fauci's spirit, decided I did not trust him and that was extremely important at the time. It was a big decision to not take the shot, it meant my wife and I would lose our jobs and have to sell our house and move. But how often do you need this gift? When you need it then it is critical. I had a flat tire in my car about 250 miles from home. That was the first time I noticed there was a phone number on the driver side window. I called it, they came out and took care of me. I had driven 15,000 miles in that car without ever needing that number, but when I needed it, then it was critical.
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
We have many spiritual needs and they are all provided by the Spirit to us in the Body of Christ. There are different gifts, administrations and operations, but they are all essential and they all are operating based on the One Spirit.
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.