Spiritual Rank
I'm trying to maintain composure. It really frosts me when people use Scripture in a twisted way. This Reimagining Church book is starting to get to me. Boy I wanted to like this book.
Exousia is a Greek word that means "authority." The author maintains that at no point in the NT is one believer given exousia over another believer. All are equal, there is no hierarchy and no rank.
In order to maintain this, he has to fudge words around and ignore passages, like most of 1 and 2 Corinthians, which is Paul's defense of his authority over them, even using exousia a few times.
If a guy were to look up the word "rule" in the NT he would find that this word, proistemi, (which is defined as "to stand before in rank") is used several times of the higher rank of some in the church over others.
When he does mention "rule" he says it means to "guide." I don't see this at all in the word. Pro means "before" and histemi means "stand." It means literally to stand before, in front of. One might say to rank ahead of.
In fact, Romans 12 lists ruling, having rank over others, as a spiritual gift! 1 Thessalonians 5:12 says we are to esteem those who have the rule over you in the church highly! One of the qualifications of a pastor is that he rules his own house well, how else can he care for the church?
However, the author would have us believe there is no rank in the Body. Does this mean believing parents don't have authority over their believing kids? Does this chuck the whole man is responsible for his woman deal?
1 Thessalonians 5:17 says those elders who rule (rank) over you well get double honor. We are warned to stay away from "brothers" who are unruly (those who don't submit to authority)!
Goodness. It just bugs me more that he's so sloppy with Scripture. I truly wanted his point to be true. I did. But it's not. It just isn't.
It bugs me that he doesn't even veer into these passages. He just skips them as if they don't exist, mostly mentioning them in an appendix and he uses words deceptively to walk around passages. It's like talking to a Calvinist. Man. What a bummer.
Exousia is a Greek word that means "authority." The author maintains that at no point in the NT is one believer given exousia over another believer. All are equal, there is no hierarchy and no rank.
In order to maintain this, he has to fudge words around and ignore passages, like most of 1 and 2 Corinthians, which is Paul's defense of his authority over them, even using exousia a few times.
If a guy were to look up the word "rule" in the NT he would find that this word, proistemi, (which is defined as "to stand before in rank") is used several times of the higher rank of some in the church over others.
When he does mention "rule" he says it means to "guide." I don't see this at all in the word. Pro means "before" and histemi means "stand." It means literally to stand before, in front of. One might say to rank ahead of.
In fact, Romans 12 lists ruling, having rank over others, as a spiritual gift! 1 Thessalonians 5:12 says we are to esteem those who have the rule over you in the church highly! One of the qualifications of a pastor is that he rules his own house well, how else can he care for the church?
However, the author would have us believe there is no rank in the Body. Does this mean believing parents don't have authority over their believing kids? Does this chuck the whole man is responsible for his woman deal?
1 Thessalonians 5:17 says those elders who rule (rank) over you well get double honor. We are warned to stay away from "brothers" who are unruly (those who don't submit to authority)!
Goodness. It just bugs me more that he's so sloppy with Scripture. I truly wanted his point to be true. I did. But it's not. It just isn't.
It bugs me that he doesn't even veer into these passages. He just skips them as if they don't exist, mostly mentioning them in an appendix and he uses words deceptively to walk around passages. It's like talking to a Calvinist. Man. What a bummer.
posted by jeff at
9:45 AM
2 Comments:
i have had pagan church on my shelf for months, is it any better?
I just started reading pagan christianity last night after finishing reimagining church. I think I'll like pagan christianity much better, the book that is. He's good at pointing out the problem, I just don't think his answer is as swell as he thinks it is.
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