I have frequently observed that if we were to understand the way authority works in the Kingdom of God, we would have less arguments about who gets what title. Maybe we’d drop as many titles as possible.
Dave Black comments on this, and quotes Markus Barth today. I think he has a point.
Over on Complegalitarian Wayne Leman asks whether either side of the complementarian/egalitarian debate should claim to be Biblical. Since I am openly egalitarian, perhaps I should try to answer the question “is egalitarianism Biblical?” instead. But the fact is that I’d rather question the term “Biblical,” as indeed some of the commenters to Wayne’s post…
. . . from their point of view, that is. This is a kind of “take-2” on my Conscience of a Christian Publisher post. Centuri0n had a brief spurt of posting comments, but seems to have been silent since accusing me of deleting them at the very time I was restoring them from backups following…
I have, on occasion, been accused of being a “love preacher.” It’s not an accusation that frightens me, but it used to puzzle me. It doesn’t so much any more. There’s a difference between a casual “all you need is love” attitude and “love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34), especially considering…
I have had this on my Participatory Bible Study blog for a few days and so far there is only one entry. Contest ends Monday. Check it out!
… from Allan Bevere. This relates to my earlier post, The Real War on Christmas.
James McGrath links to a PDF by Tim S. Paananen demonstrating some problems with forgery detection via literary parallels. I’ve kept largely silent on the issue of the authenticity of The Gospel of Jesus’ Wife, because I don’t read Coptic and I’m simply not well enough acquainted with the various methodologies that would be required…
And if we really paid attention to Phil 2:5-6, we’d hold those titles and positions lightly, not regarding them as something to be grasped.
Interesting how many attitudes and behaviors that passage will impact!
I’ve often thought that that passage should be highlighted in any “leadership” training. And yet I’m unaware of any where it is (which could be my own ignorance).
I once co-taught two full days with some pastors overseas, including strong emphasis on that passage. On the final day, my co-teacher asked the group what that verse meant. He immediately replied, “That we should get busy and do the work of ministry.”
I think it is very difficult for us to get the idea that every member is a minister.