The Ministry Becomes the Lampstand

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by aron

But these culturally-sourced expectations were cloaked in scriptural garb, to hide their true origins. The talk was of seeking "oneness" and "fellowship" and "authority" and "lampstands" while avoiding "ambition" and "deviation" and and "divisions". But it was all about who got to be a certain flavour of Top Dog, if you know what I mean. Who got to be despot and who had to kow-tow. I paid a high price for this realisation, but it was worth it.

Recently reading thru II Corinthians 10-12, Apostle Paul makes it plain that these same ministry battles were waged in the early church. While the disciples were with the Lord Jesus, He spent a good amount of time addressing this. I think this bore much fruit, unfortunately the successive generations never got the message.

Lee made a huge deal about "ambition," but neither Jesus, nor Paul, nor the Bible do. Lee made ambition first among the "seven deadly sins." Reading Paul, however, one gets the impression that ambition is virtuous, especially when pointed in the right direction. "Be burning in Spirit, serving the Lord."

What Jesus, the Apostles, and the Bible does address in ministers is the lust of being first, of being in control, of having sway over others, of lording it over the people of God. In Acts 20, Paul exposes those who would speak perverted things so that the saints would be drawn after them. Any talk or teaching in church history about a Pope, Holy See, Deputy Authority, Seer of the Age (SOTA), Oracle, MOTA, or "First among equals" is just perverted.

P-e-r-v-e-r-t-e-d.

Only Jesus deserves any such singular title in the church of God.