tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596708332568087278.post5130092038662223592..comments2024-01-24T10:39:27.668-05:00Comments on Coming Untrue: Binary ThinkingDr. S. L. Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06303707167715370504noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596708332568087278.post-74505425874239056552021-01-28T10:25:52.703-05:002021-01-28T10:25:52.703-05:00Pretty sure I wrote something on this subject a wh...Pretty sure I wrote something on this subject a while back ... why, yes, <br /><a href="https://www.cominguntrue.com/2019/12/anonymous-asks-69.html" rel="nofollow">I did</a>.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00346761712248157930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596708332568087278.post-23544538768265227182021-01-27T22:06:38.991-05:002021-01-27T22:06:38.991-05:00This to me brings up an interesting question. Is i...This to me brings up an interesting question. Is it really always forbidden to the Christian to call someone an idiot if they really are an idiot (even a callous idiot like president Biden)? Or, is it just a matter of getting across the same idea by just using different words allowing you to evade the biblical consequences for calling out idiots? Qmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596708332568087278.post-2717487371504730842015-07-01T10:39:20.819-04:002015-07-01T10:39:20.819-04:00When the role of elders in a local church devolves...When the role of elders in a local church devolves to the point that their primary involvement with preaching and teaching is voting on the hiring and evaluation of candidates for pastor (or pushing the pastor out when he becomes difficult to manage), we have indeed hit bottom.<br /><br />At least I hope it's the bottom.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00346761712248157930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596708332568087278.post-69963588134506809002015-07-01T10:10:07.424-04:002015-07-01T10:10:07.424-04:00I love this, Tom. You're dead right. Age is ...I love this, Tom. You're dead right. Age is not a guarantee of spiritual fitness for eldership, but being a novice most certainly is a disqualifier -- and that's whether you're a spiritual novice or simply a novice in life experience, by virtue of age.<br /><br />It's not by accident that the Lord specifically instructed us to see if elders a) have children that believe, and b) are keeping their homes in good order, so much as that rests with them. We are explicitly told, "if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?" It's a rhetorical question, drawing a direct parallel between home nurture and the skills required for eldership: he can't be expected to know what he needs to know unless he's done it.<br /><br />That alone should decisively rule out anyone who has not at least raised a family to the point at which his child-rearing skills and ability to establish a healthy home are manifest.<br /><br />But you also raise a second issue: that what most elders are doing today is not really elders' work. That also is a very serious problem. I was reading today that elders are to be honoured, "especially those that work hard at preaching and teaching." (1 Tim. 5:17). How many of our elders are working at that at all? Do we not routinely excuse them from the duties of this passage by saying, "Well, not everyone can do that..." or "The 'pastor' is the one who will do it all"? But I seen no more warrant for that than for appointing youthful "elders." We don't seem to be very serious about ANY of the qualifications for elders anymore. <br /><br />It's almost as though we don't believe the Lord really knows what we need...<br />Immanuel Canhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11580529966007662214noreply@blogger.com