Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
The "Moses Model" of authority is also widely used by others to abuse.
My issues with the teaching of Deputy Authority:
- There is no direct NT counterpart to Noah, Moses, King David, King Solomon, Samuel, or any other notable OT person except for Jesus Christ Himself.
- Jesus Himself instructs us never to rule as the Gentiles. He never even hinted that Peter, or John, or James would one day rule the church.
- NT leadership is always a plurality. There is no justification whatsoever for a Pope, MOTA, the oracle, the acting god, etc.
- The concept that Paul, the senior worker, ruled all the other workers in "the work," is nothing more than a convenient circumvent to modern day popery.
- I Tim 5.20 stresses accountability by the elders who have "sinned" publicly for all to learn. Matthew 18 instructs us in some cases to tell "it to the church."
- The concept of "covering" is rife with dangers because "absolute power corrupts absolutely." When do we stop covering "nakedness," and start covering up serious "sins?"
- The concept that "God alone will deal with His deputy" has no basis in the scripture or in history -- just read up on the popes.
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Why is not there a New Testament counterpart?
One can make the case as regenerated believers we all have authority only in Jesus.
Consider Matthew 10:1 and Luke 9:49
Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow along with us.”
This would debunk the LC concept and upset the system by which control is vested in the hands of the minority by asserting only they as coworkers, elders, etc have authority.
If one tries to apply the 1 Timothy 5:20 & Matthew 18 approach of making elders accountable, the are summarily under so-called church discipline.