Quote:
Originally Posted by GrowingPains
The early church had dealt with congregations in Corinth and Galatia on a host of cultural issues, that had to do with how Christians were perceived in their world. This meant dealing with veils, and asking the women to wear them (taking authority to do that), employer relationships, drinking of wine and kicking out troublemakers in the church. Paul gave this same authority to Timothy and Titus in his letters.
I'm not advocating a rebuke-only ministry that knows nothing of gentleness and love -- but I'm just balancing out the viewpoint that the pastor has no authority according to Scripture. There most definitely is authority in scripture. So... where is that line? Is it only what's in Scripture? Would that then miss the entire principle of the Epistles -- how they were cultural situations, which may mean it doesn't mean to them what it does to us -- but it means something. It means the church shares and teaches propriety in regards to their culture. We encourage saints to avoid strip clubs, swimming holes where people are half naked, bar rooms, etc... The early church was concerned with these cultural issues and so should we.
I personally feel fathers and households should be even more heavily involved in these matters, and not always just deferring to the Pastor. But perhaps the pastor meeting with the house pastors (fathers) is a good idea.
Just sharing thought and challenging myself in the process.
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Sorry is I came accross harsh it was not my intention. As I said I feel that the scripture in Hebrews is not speaking of the pastor. As I have come to understand in recent years I feel that God gave the ministry as a whole to the church (local) when Paul or the writter of Hebrews speaks of those that have the rule he is speaking in the plural. See here lies the problem the hyarcy of the church ( I know my spelling is bad) has been given over to one man in many organizations especialy conservitive churches. This is where we the church is wrong. Again as I have said before the ministry was given to the church not the church given to the ministry. It makes a differance, Ephesians tells us that God gave some to be .... (the ministry) to edify, and equip (to complete, furnish) the saints. I changed the wording abit because the word perfecting is not a very good translation of the Greek word,check out the nkj) Note where we are to be after we have been equipt, in verse 13
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the
unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect (again the word perfect would be better translated complete) man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
In other words we are to have the full five fold ministry working together in the local assebly (this would keep a check and balance in the leadership of the local ass.. Just as we find in the early church. And the goal is the work together giving the saint the tools to do their ministry that we can all come together in the unity of faith. Which the end result being that we all come to the knowledge of the son of God, unto a complete person, having the measure and stature of the fulness of Christ.
Am I making sence? I know I tend to ramble abit. And brother keep asking and praying and studying you are on the right track. Question question question.
Your bother in Christ.
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