Paula

Gengwall,

If people will not listen to the Spirit or the NT, then no amount of worldly hierarchy will solve any problems, and it has a long history of creating more of its own. Nobody is advocating utopia here on earth, but only saying that we should not add the world’s chains to spiritual problems. This isn’t complicated; we all just need to live by the “one anothers” of Scripture and start actual discipleship instead of running people through Sunday School like parts on a conveyor belt.

No, we don’t need rules beyond “love God and love your neighbor”, and more control will only bring more repression of the Spirit. The Head has not left the Body, nor has He delegated His authority to the left hand to boss the right. For any Body part to aspire to such rule over another is a sign, IMHO, of pride and immaturity. If we truly follow Jesus, we will want to be like Him– a servant, one who makes sacrifices, who lifts others up instead of pressing them down to keep them in line.