Quote:
Originally Posted by byHismercy
...my children are young and being formed. I don't think I can lead them into/promote teachings I myself feel are erroneous.....
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Well then there you have it. You don't want the children in your care to sit under teachings that you yourself don't agree with.
But at the same time the apostles' word is to be at peace with all, best as you can. So it would behoove you to engage this assembly at some level beyond the nominal, wave-as-you-drive-by level. They are fellow believers and you can still love them and receive them as such.
But I'd like to add a point, with an example. My point is that under the one-church-per-city model, you're in a fix if the pastor starts teaching that the Son is the Father or that you become God, and it doesn't make sense to you. Or suppose the pastors son is appointed office manager and starts molesting the church members, and the elders side with him and agree to bury the issue? And then it happens again? If you believe in the one church per city model you are stuck.
And my example is from my own experience. Recently, I began to consider "God's economy which is in faith" in light of all the seemingly random accounts that start the book of Acts. Consider the gospels: "Lord, we have left everything and followed you". And, "When you give a feast, invite those who cannot repay you". This is the opposite of the human economy where you store your grain in barns, and your money in the bank, or stocks, or land. And in the human economy there is reciprocity- when you give, you expect equal or greater return.
But the divine economy is a variant of the "pay it forward" idea. Give by faith, expecting that God will take care of you. Does He not array the lilies of the field in splendor?
Now, look at Acts. The people sold what they had, and held things in common. There was the issue of the dispensing to the 'hellenist' widows who of course had no assets... there was likewise Dorcas making shirts for the widows. There was Peter, telling the crippled beggar, "silver and gold I have none..." There was the case of Barnabas, selling everything and becoming a disciple, and Ananias and Sapphira pretending to sell everything.
Then you have Paul and Barnabas acting as channels to the poor of Jerusalem, who have given up everything to follow Christ. Luke's narrative has a thread that runs through it all, and it continues the gospels' theme: give without expecting return. This is Gods economy in faith.
Now, what do I do if I get this 'vision'? Start a new church? Force my assembly to come on board? Start seeking a fellowship that teaches this?
No - the gospel never changes and the faith never changes. It was delivered once, for all and to all. I will not leave it.
But that doesn't mean that I have to forget my ideas, to conform to the Hive Mind. I just hold them lightly within the context of the assemblies of Jesus' faith.