Quote:
Originally Posted by awareness
just where does Paul speak against centralization? Please, can you show me where you gather this?
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In references like "...when some came from James" and "...those who were reputed to be pillars of the church" I gather that Paul wasn't ready to kowtow to people who seemed (at least to him) to be high and mighty within the various ekklesia.
And as
Ohio also noted in the tendencies of some observant believers to use "ordinances" as a unifying factor, that (to me) tends toward centralized, command-and-control organizational set-ups. I see Paul's response as, "Am I not also free?"
Much later, I think, others used Paul as their de facto "center of control", i.e. the "ministry of the age". But at his own time I would argue that Jerusalem was the de facto center, and Paul struggled against this, at least somewhat.
Just my view.