I was thinking more like "apostle" - so I was blurring the good distinction you are drawing. An apostle is like a minister plenipotentiary, or what legal eagles call an agent, for whose acts the principle consents to be responsible -- as long as the agent acts within his brief. WHen I was the Bishop's vicar, I was there to do what the Bishop wanted, not what I wanted.
I don't think 1 Jo 2:19-27 is about all the truth but the truth of the incarnation, that Jesus is the Christ. Is is the denial of that about which John is writing. And besides I Cor 12 stands. Diversities of gifts, not all get all, each gets some.
And we are all agents. All are priests (and that is without any modifiers) in the Kingdom of Christ. And any leaders in earthly church fellowships are to help to build all of us up as the priests we are. No substitute for that, either.
So, in Spirit and in truth, the organizational chart of God and His royal priesthood of believers is as follows:
I don't think 1 Jo 2:19-27 is about all the truth but the truth of the incarnation, that Jesus is the Christ. Is is the denial of that about which John is writing. And besides I Cor 12 stands. Diversities of gifts, not all get all, each gets some.
And the Holy Spirit is like the wind, as Jesus explained to Nicodemus. He may blow one gift or revelation one way at one time, directly to one person or through another, and at another time, in another direction. It is all at God's discretion.
I wouldn't address Baalam's ass with reverence, nor anyone in the Church. All are to allow the measuring rod of the immutable Logos of God as his Magisterum. And the Rhema of God, aligned with the Logos, is to guide each and all, as the Holy Spirit decides and severally blesses.
OH! I get the difference, silly moi!. You are right. You’re reading substitute like, um, aspartame for sugar - a replacement - not as sweet and possibly bad for you in large doses. Anybody who presents himself or herself as THAT kind of substitute for God is gonna be REAL bad for you (and worse for him/her-self!)
= = =
Quite so.
However, MD, it does NOT seem to matter conclusively by far . . . what the language is THOUGH THE LANGUAGE SEEMS TO EFFECT DEGREE . . . and for some . . . probably a significant degree.
But Proties have more Scripturally kosher language about such leaders
and congregation members STILL emotionally and sometimes intellectually begin to construe anointed or attractive or loving, or seductive, coercive, . . .
leaders
as substitutes for at least Christ or at least Holy Spirit—just as some RC’s do with Mary et al.
It
IS
a
HUMAN
problem of significant proportions in ALL RELIGIOUS groups.