Should Members Obey or Submit to Church Leaders?

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by MacDuff

In my view, there is a distinction between the ekklesia portrayed in the Bible and the Churches of Christianity. They are two entirely different things.

In the gatherings of the ekklesia, no human ruling authority would be necessary. Only the supernatural ruling authority of the living Jesus Christ as Lord through the indwelling Spirit within the community, within each individual who is in Christ.

In my view, MacDuff has a fairy tale view of the New Testament. I'm not saying that I don't like this point of view since I also have been burnt by bad leaders who placed personal gains above the needs of the flock, but I see the same issues in the Bible. MacDuff's view of the early church is tainted by the desire to have something "perfect" as a starting point. There was nothing perfect in the book of Acts! Unfortunately for both of us, we were jaded by Lee's Recovery paradigm which begins the age with a "perfect" church and ends the age with a "perfected recovered" church.

I personally believe that MacDuff's assessment of the Christian life and the church in general would be vastly improved by regularly reading the New Testament. Read it for the facts. Read it afresh like the first time you ever saw the book. Try to read yourself into every scripture. Don't read as an observer but as a player. Picture all the scenarios that Paul, Peter, and John addressed in their epistles.