In the world, confidence is placed in the credentials of professionals. An honorable society of men and women bestow accolades upon their peers and those who join their ranks, giving them a standing. For the most part, we count on this when committing our affairs into the hands of others. It is generally wise to consult and do business with those who have some form of recognition in their field of expertise.
Category: Church
As you know the winter Olympic games are being held in Vancouver. Around this time the word unity is bandied about quite a bit. This cry for unity is not new and it is not unique. In Genesis chapter 11 mankind joined together in the kind of utopic harmony modern ideologues only dream about. People came together to build a city and a tower to ensure the continued unity of mankind.
As some of you know my wife and I are in North Carolina visiting my brother and his wife. We have been blessed with a safe journey so far. While driving around Wilmington I couldn’t help but notice the quantity and quality of the denominational “church” buildings.
1 Corinthians 14:26 How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.”
Let all things be done for edification. The word “edification” is a word that is not used very often. In fact, I would venture to say that many people are unfamiliar with the word. It is not commonly used and therefore it is not commonly understood.
Too often I hear complaints such as “I don’t get anything out of the service”, “the church’s worship doesn’t inspire me” or “church is boring”. I wish I could say that I don’t relate to these complaints, but the fact is I do. I’ve felt those same things before and the only conclusion I could draw to fix the problem was that something needed to change.
Jesus Christ is the head of the body, the church. Paul declares Jesus, “…the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen. ” (1 Timothy 6:15-16)
The United States of America. Being so far removed from the founding generation of this country makes it difficult to truly appreciate the word united in the title of our nation. Prior to the revolutionary war the states could be more likened to independent nations. A man living in America at the time referring to his fellow countryman would likely be referring to his fellow Virginian or his fellow Pennsylvanian. Rarely would a man refer to their fellow American- it was a foreign thought.
Consideration of the question of female church leadership and the place of women in the communal worship of Christian assemblies is of increasing importance in Western churches and religious bodies. As women have gained prominence and assumed positions of authority in secular institutions so have they advanced to leadership in religious organizations, albeit slowly and with more opposition. Some denominations have endorsed and encouraged women to go into the “ministry”, while others have not permitted this at all. Still others have concluded to allow a combination of husband-wife “pastor teams” or boards with both genders fully represented. I have been asked before why the church doesn’t allow women to be ordained to office or to lead the congregation in its worship of God. The simplest answer, which I still give, is, “the Bible doesn’t permit the ordination of women.” Let us review a few passages and I will throw in my two cents on this important discussion.
Like most Jews at the time of Christ, the Apostles asked this question in anticipation of an earthly kingdom in which the Christ would reign over the Earth and restore Israel to its original majesty. Now, 2,000 years later, many people still wait for the day when temporal governments will be thwarted, the Kingdom will be established, and the Lord will rule on David’s throne from Jerusalem.