Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Taking too long between posts. Anyway......
I believe there are activities that weaken, even threaten the structure of the local church in regards to its purpose as the pillar and support of the truth. But as Steve suggested in the comments, they have more to do with who I am than what I am doing. The Leaders of the local assembly have a great responsibility and risk before them. The context of 1 Timothy 3:15 is qualifications of leaders and it is their conduct that Paul is addressing.
Paul warned the elders at Ephesus about the danger of false teachers (wolves) coming into the flock and doing harm. But he also expressed concern that even some of the elders present would wander from the truth and draw others with them. I am assuming the nature of the risk is false teaching from the outside as that was a common problem in the early church. The risk from inside may have been something else.
The letter Jesus dictates to the apostle John in Revelation may be a clue. It seems Ephesus fell victim to misdirected effort, they left their first love. Whichever the case, it is clear to me that we need to be on our guard as well. There is no reason for us to assume we are in a better place spiritually after 2,000 years. For my part I have a growing concern that the church in our day has lost its confidence in the power of God's Word. The error of the Colossian church of mingling human wisdom with God's (col. 2:8 ff) is again finding traction today.
The resurrection of contemplative theology in our day is drawing a lot of attention from people who should be able to see through it.
I believe there are activities that weaken, even threaten the structure of the local church in regards to its purpose as the pillar and support of the truth. But as Steve suggested in the comments, they have more to do with who I am than what I am doing. The Leaders of the local assembly have a great responsibility and risk before them. The context of 1 Timothy 3:15 is qualifications of leaders and it is their conduct that Paul is addressing.
Paul warned the elders at Ephesus about the danger of false teachers (wolves) coming into the flock and doing harm. But he also expressed concern that even some of the elders present would wander from the truth and draw others with them. I am assuming the nature of the risk is false teaching from the outside as that was a common problem in the early church. The risk from inside may have been something else.
The letter Jesus dictates to the apostle John in Revelation may be a clue. It seems Ephesus fell victim to misdirected effort, they left their first love. Whichever the case, it is clear to me that we need to be on our guard as well. There is no reason for us to assume we are in a better place spiritually after 2,000 years. For my part I have a growing concern that the church in our day has lost its confidence in the power of God's Word. The error of the Colossian church of mingling human wisdom with God's (col. 2:8 ff) is again finding traction today.
The resurrection of contemplative theology in our day is drawing a lot of attention from people who should be able to see through it.
