Quote:
Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah
Look at this we all can agree (You, Me and Nee) that a Pope is not scriptural, but the gift of Apostles is.
I think you meant Paul charged Titus to speak with all authority.
Personally I believe that verse in Titus disputes the whole concept of "apostolic authority" since the word "all" should include every form of authority. Since Paul says very clearly that he never claimed "apostolic authority" it would be hard to then justify his telling Titus to claim it. On the flip side it would be hypocritical of Paul to tell Titus to speak "with all authority" if he didn't also. Hence I find it untenable to say that this term "all authority" can refer to some kind of "apostolic authority". Therefore, I interpret "all authority" to refer to the authority that the Lord gave to the two or three that gather together in his name in Matthew 18.
|
Where did Paul specifically say he never claimed "apostolic authority?"
The reason I push against the idea that the Apostolic gift still exists is:
(1) We can't even agree what it consists of.
(2) Some, given the freedom to define apostles as they wish, create monsters like the MOTA.
It seems to me what the Church has done, by default, is to define apostles as church planters and missionaries. Certainly the idea of some ongoing care and advisement is there. But not the idea of control and lording which clearly exists in the LCM. Paul advised churches to listen to him, even begged them, but he was never overbearing about it. He was willing to let a church follow its own path rather than try to strong-arm them.
The classic example is what happened in the Midwest ten or so years ago. Rather than allow some Midwest churches to follow their own leading, the Blendeds condemned them and came in and installed new churches in Columbus and Toronto.
This also illustrates a big problem with one-church-one-city. There is only room for one, and the LCM is more than willing to discredit other "squatters." Which as far as I'm concerned shows the hypocrisy of the whole thing.