Quote:
Originally Posted by OBW
But when I read scripture, both the words and deeds of Jesus, the things recorded in Acts, and the things that Paul and the others recorded in the various letters, I see a constant charge to follow and obey.
|
That is the filter I've also had for some time now and that's at least the larger part of how everyone in a religious bondage of one kind or another got themselves there.
I'm not leaving that unexamined any more. I believe there is a lesson to be learned on the negative side and I intend to study the issue intently for awhile longer at least.
At a minimum, there is certainly room in Paul's own teachings to not slavishly or blindly follow and obey Paul's every word. Some advice he expressly drew from his own opinion as he told us what he thought was best but not what was necessarily a commandment of God to be followed.
Even after all of these days of my divergent thought on the related issues, I'm not prepared to pick and choose for myself which teachings of Paul I think can be ignored (like the old "head-covering" exception to the inerrancy of Paul) and which ones dare not be even seriously questioned (like following him as he followed Christ). But some guy comes to me and says "Do thus and so as Paul instructed/commanded"?
I'm NOT going there any more and the religionists who object can hand-wring over the implied demise of their leadership-heavy ecclesiologies if they wish or condemn me for rebellion or apostasy or quarantine or whatever. I have no intention of showing up at their Sunday services and telling them that I think they are aping patterns which are not sufficiently grounded in scripture and the Spirit of Christ. Simultaneously, I'm at an end of worrying over what they might say to me in an adverse way. Pretend I'm a different denomination and just agree to disagree and I'll give you the ground to follow your own conscience as well.
If I don't have the light myself from the Lord Himself to follow and obey, in a positive way, no amount of pressure from another will prevail upon me again. Your analysis presupposes (someones) ability to accurately articulate what is supposed to be followed and obeyed. Amish anti-button teachings or whatever, at this point I'm leaning strongly towards relying solely upon the annointing as John taught.
That other guy's opinion is no better than mine, really.
OVER IT!
