What is Building Up?

[OBW]

Originally Posted by countmeworthy

They also believe it edifys oneself...cause that what the Bible says.

Edify. This is one of those words that everyone knows what it means, but I think that most people treat it as if it means something else.

Edify. Essentially to build. An edifice is a building, and the modification into edify indicates the process of bringing a building to be. So "building."

Yet, in spiritual, emotional, psychological, etc., terms, what is "building"? It surely means to add to or improve the condition with a goal to a "correct" or "healthy" condition. But how do we gauge that?

By our feelings? We feel better. We are impressed. We have a sense of elation. We are joyous. We are euphoric.

But is this the true measure of "building" in the spiritual realm? Or is it a substitute? We accept a better feeling as the measure of something grounded and sober.

So what builds you? Euphoria or hardship? An unspeakable revelation or a solid revelation that you are not as righteous as you thought?

Just some examples.

I still assert that the Cessationist position is no better than the position that tongues and other miracles continue. But the "old school" version of the Pentecostal/charismatic gifts seems to place it way out of balance with respect to scripture. Just like Lee took "prophesying" and drove it way out of perspective.

And I know that last one still riles many of us who now despise the LRC. We really liked the kind of involvement that we got in our testimony times. But the pattern does not look like that. It looks like people gathering in mass to the Temple, then to other places where there were teachers to learn from.

No record of the listeners stepping up to speak out and "prophesy."

If we are just supposed to do our own "prophesying," then what is a teacher? Why are they mentioned in a positive sense? Not just in a negative sense. Paul didn't say to avoid teachers. He said to avoid certain kinds.

I agree that hearing from the body as a whole at times is a good thing. But insisting on it is not much better than insisting on tongues. Or piano and organ but no band, Or Band but no organ (unless it is a Hammond B-3). Or a single piece of unleavened, bleached flour bread broken immediately before the "table" v separate crackers (and layer in wine v grape juice; one cup v lots of little ones v dipping the bread in the "juice", and so on).

Personally, I cringe at the word "edifying" because it almost always ends out with a "feel good" aura around it rather than something that looks like either personal sanctification or the growing together of the members of the body.

And while I agree (even with my Dad a little) that it is probably not correct to pass the charismatic things off as relics of an ended time, too much of the visible evidence is that it is not about edifying, but about feeling good.