Posted on 01/07/2018 1:17:40 PM PST by tiredofallofit
But that chain of authority is often not so clear in the church world, especially amongst non-denominational evangelicals. If a man or woman steps up behind a pulpit and speaks to us authoritatively on matters of theology, why do we automatically accept this authority? Is it because we like what we hear? Or do we validate the authority because the pastor’s interpretation of the Bible jives with our own understanding? But who are we to even make that judgement? Why is our interpretation of the Bible any better than the person sitting next to us on the pew? And if we disagree with an aspect of the pastor’s views, do we have a right to question him? Or do we have to accept what he says because we have already consented to his authority?
(Excerpt) Read more at runningawayfrommychurch.com ...
(Excerpt) Read more at runningawayfrommychurch.com ...
I tend to run away from clickbait.
It wasn’t the Romam Catholic Church.
>>But by attending a church are we not putting ourselves under that person’s authority? How many people ever question that authority?
You provisionally put yourself under their authority, but it is our duty as Christians to be sure that the teacher is legitimate. This is why we are called to read and study the bible on our own. It is the basis for the book of Galatians. It is the source of the Reformation.
Great questions....Paul said it best in Acts 17:11 - be like the Bereans. The only authority that you must lean on is the Bible - the Word of God. You must not be lazy, but judge everything you hear according to Torah, the Judges and prophets. He went to the Synagogue in Berea and they compared everything that Paul said against the scriptures. Then they believed. Don’t put your trust in any man or institution, but in the Word of God. If you don’t understand something, ask the person that is “teaching you”. If he or he can’t show you why they say something, then take what they say with a grain of salt. Most Churches have a Pastor(s) or Priests. If they can not teach you understanding, then keep searching the scriptures. The Pastors are not responsible for your understanding or your relationship with God - you are. God has put so many resources for your learning if you just seek Him. All you have to do is to do what you are commanded to do in Matthew 6:33 - Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His Righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Seek him first where He is - in your heart. In my opinion, of course, but your salvation doesn’t lie in a Church or Synagogue, but starts at the closest place to you - your heart.
Chain of authority? You can list a series of people who sat in a chair. Where's the promise? Why put your faith in men?
And what of the times the chair was empty or had 2 or even 3 people who claimed the chair?
And what of the early times where they didn't keep track of who was in the chair? They had to go back and reconstruct the record and all of the accounts didn't agree.
Besides, the chain of authority doesn't even make sense. We're not talking about master and student. It's not like the current pope teaches the next pope. It's a series of people who puts their butt on a chair.
Getting behind a pulpit is a different calling. That is a gifting from the Holy Spirit and God will equip those He calls. Not everyone has the same gift. Wanting to is not the same has having it. Jesus is the Head of the church and the under Sheppard is the pastor. If a Messenger of God is an angel, then the church preacher can be called an angel, aka Revelation, "The angel of the church at Ephesus".
The question for the lay person is, Is this person called of God or is he a pretender. That is where the gift of discernment of spirits come in. We are not given a gift of discernment, but a gift of discernment of spirits. We should be able to tell if a person is led by the Lord or is faking it.
If the person is not following the Lord, it will quickly become evident.
many today get their authority from a church governmental body to teach "their" dogma. That may or may not be the doctrine of the Bible. This is the problem with seminaries today. They teach what man has decided is "truth" in order for the facility to turn out a pastor in their denomination. Most teach error for the entirety of their term as a pastor and never have the Holy Spirit teach them the Bible Truth.
If God has revealed the truth to you, you certainly have the authority to start your own church and preach there. Ordination has nothing to do with anything of the Bible. Any authority worth having comes from Jesus and His work on the cross. When Peter told Jesus that He was the Christ in Matthew, and The Father Himself had to tell him this, Jesus established His church on the Holy Spirit revealing who Jesus was as the cornerstone of His new church. If you confess Jesus as Lord and Savior as the Son of God, you have the authority to preach that. So just having your own testimony that Jesus saved you and He is the Son of God makes you a member of God's family and gives you the right to be a Son of God. They pretty much have the authority from the King to represent Him as a Son.
A pastor gets his authority in the same measure he lays down his life for his flock.
Reread Jeremiah 23 for God's heart on the matter:
Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord.
A good pastor has no authority.
All authority flows through him.
What is this "Rome" you keep talking about?
I agree most men's itching ears are easily fooled by the false claims of false prophets that have spread their despicable lies and deception far and wide.
Reason has convinced me that the consistent witness of the Fathers, Doctors, Martyrs and Saints of the One, True, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church founded by Christ Jesus is the sole teaching authority on maters of faith and morals.
If you are a Lutheran, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, an ex- monk of the Catholic Church, in the year 1517.If you belong to the Church of England, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII in the year 1534 because the Pope would not grant him a divorce with the right to remarry.
If you are a Presbyterian, your religion was founded by John Knox in Scotland in the year 1560.
If you are a Protestant Episcopalian, your religion was an offshoot of the Church of England founded by Samuel Seabury in the American colonies in the 17th century.
If you are a Congregationalist, your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland in 1582.
If you are a Methodist, your religion was launched by John and Charles Wesley in England in 1744.
If you are a Unitarian, Theophilus Lindley founded your church in London in 1774.
If you are a Mormon (Latter Day Saints), Joseph Smith started your religion in Palmyra, N.Y., in 1829.
If you are a Baptist, you owe the tenets of your religion to John Smyth, who launched it in Amsterdam in 1605.
If you are of the Dutch Reformed church, you recognize Michaelis Jones as founder, because he originated your religion in New York in 1628.
If you worship with the Salvation Army, your sect began with William Booth in London in 1865.
If you are a Christian Scientist, you look to 1879 as the year in which your religion was born and to Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy as its founder.
If you belong to one of the religious organizations known as 'Church of the Nazarene," "Pentecostal Gospel." "Holiness Church," "Pilgrim Holiness Church," "Jehovah's Witnesses," your religion is one of the hundreds of new sects founded by men within the past century.
If you are Catholic, you know that your religion was founded in the year 33 by Jesus Christ the Son of God, and it is still the same Church.
A priest receives his authority through the reception of the Sacrament of Holy Orders administered by the Bishop.
Non-Catholics do not have that passing on of authority such as this.
His butt.
So true.
nearly any group has an organizational structure chosen by the group itself.
If you wish to be a member/part of the group you will need to abide by the rules the group decides upon and to follow the leadership chosen by the group.
A church is no different.
The membership choses a pasture that reflects their beliefs. That pastor preaches those same beliefs from the pulpit and backs them up with references to the bible. Anyone in the membership who doesn’t like what is being preached ... can chose to leave... or can try to replace the paster with another closer to their beliefs.
Happens all the time.
Christianity and Roman Catholicism....there is a difference.
I am not anti-catholic by any means, but the modern catholic church has exactly zero in common with the original church as described in the gospels.
Oh, you mean tradition and symbolic, why didn’t you say so.
Baptist Pastors are charged and ordained by the Church, the body of Born-again believers, they attend after questioning by an Ordination committee comprised of Ordained men from other churches. After Ordination comes the laying on of hands of those Ordained men to the new Pastor. But in reality the Holy spirit touches a man and causes him to want to serve the Lord. Some men try to counterfeit the experience, but by their works you will know them. Kind of like the counterfeit Homosexual priests that molest little boys after the reception of the Sacrament of Holy Orders administered by the Bishop, you know them by their works.
Very very very dangerous to accept the spiritual authority of any man or organization. To add to the chaos you can’t trust yourself. Trust only God. But how to know? We live on earth and a plain of confusion.
love this Pope eh?
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