[aron]

Originally Posted by OBW

So whether entirely alone and taught by God, or through a time receiving the accounts from someone(s), unnamed, who were there when Jesus spoke and acted as he did, Paul got it all. .

very good point. I now remember that Luke, Paul's traveling companion, was a compendium of stories par excellence, so Paul must be presumed to have had unfettered and long-term access to all of the Master's teachings.

Originally Posted by OBW

As for the use of synagogue practices, there is no way to presume that he got direct word from God or those unnamed persons that it was what God intended. We can only presume that with his writings about qualifications for elders achieving "Word of God" status as well as the mentions of appointing elders being recorded by Luke and mentioned by Paul, it is not simply some error even if not necessarily a requirement by God..

True. I just raise my line of questioning because something bad seems to have happened to the fellowships by the "Revelation" of John, and I am casting my net broadly. Throwing a net and pulling in a fish are two different things. One may follow the other, but it doesn't necessarily, at least the first or second cast.

Originally Posted by OBW

I also note that Jesus, while he did say strong things about the errors and teachings of the Pharisees, Sadducees, etc., never suggested that the temple leadership should not be. Further, he did his entire ministry in the form of a rabbi, even engaging in the kind of discussion and analysis of scripture that the rabbis of that time would do. He did say that we were not to revere a man for his position, such as "rabbi," but he did not say that the function of the position was invalid..

Well, my reading is probably stronger than yours, but that may be a function of my personality.

Originally Posted by OBW

I don't know that any of this prescribes anything specific, but it makes me less inclined to oppose function like elders, and possibly even structures of positions, but to look instead at how those functions are being carried out. The problem may not be the function or position, but the person who is claiming the position. That is another can of worms when you begin to analyze how to deal with persons who have come to hold postion but should not.

Good points. As I mentioned earlier, I am recalibrating my positions vis-a-vis structured positions. I myself am rather inclined to "function" and let people hang whatever title they want to upon me, rather than be handed a square hole and told to fit myself in. But again, that may be disposition or culture rather than "truth". People from other cultures might be very uncomfortable in a group agglomeration unless someone starts assigning places.

But at the very least, I would suggest what Paul did doesn't have to be the template we all have to squirm into, a la "NCCL" of Nee.