Paula

Hi again Mike (posted in the other thread just a minute ago),

Your comment here is a good illustration of making a critical judgment without having first examined all the details carefully. Let me touch on a few points.

Nobody is advocating the complete absence of authority. Rather, we believe that authority is only in God’s Word. We do value leaders who rightly divide the Word and help the less experienced to mature spiritually. But this leader/follower arrangement is never to be permanent or based upon the flesh. That is our point. Children should grow up, students should graduate.

Nobody is given rule over anybody else because we are not a military unit but a Body. The left hand cannot demand that the right hand ask its permission to act; the foot cannot demand the obedience of the eye. We have the Spirit and “the teachings of the Apostles” which is the New Testament letters. Some are proven to be spiritually mature and deep into the Word, while others should observe these and follow their ways until they too reach maturity.

Whether we’re talking about a “church” or a marriage, there is always at least one leader, but that isn’t always the same person. Sometimes I lead and sometimes my husband does. Sometimes one person here will have a great insight, and sometimes it will be someone else.

And remember that Jesus said “not so among you”. Leadership among believers is service; “the greatest must become the least”. It is the exact opposite of the world’s model.

You’re right that believers should concentrate on the gospel, but the reality is that we have enemies both without and within. We are forced to defend ourselves here from control freaks who wish to cripple fully half the Body of Christ. This is a terrible mistake when “the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few”! We must keep studying the Word and not neglect areas that seem to be a waste of time to some, because it’s all the Word of God and worthy of our attention.

I would suggest that before you offer criticisms, it would be wise to do a lot of reading to get a fuller understanding of the view expressed here. There is a lot of material here, and I’m sure you’ll find answers to many questions.