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Discussion Forum : Scriptures and Doctrine : The Pure Milk of the Word

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havok20x
Member



Joined: 2008/9/14
Posts: 980
Pineville, LA

 Re:

Good point, Oracio.

I go to a church that has 1 pastor.

I do believe it is a non-essential for salvation. And of course if I go and plant a church, it doesn't automatically have elders, but if I am planting a church, my job isn't to run it, necessarily. It it is to work with it until it is mature enough to continue on its own. Paul planted churches and appointed elders. That is the model we see, Biblically, for places that have nothing.

I suppose a believer could plant a church and stay and appoint elders to work with him.

I am against a single-pastor system just like I am against using our church credit card to buy stuff. And what I mean by that is that I will voice what I think and show what I see in the scriptures, but I am certainly not going to call down fire over it...lol

I prayed about it several years ago, and I believe the Lord showed me that, while it is not the best situation, we aren't walking in open and blatant sin to only have 1 pastor. And I am well-aware that almost no one else in my church is qualified to be an elder, and of the 1 or 2 of those who are qualified, I don't think anyone would want to do it.

*******************

concerning "non-essentials" I would say we need to be careful putting things under that label. Because the label non-essentials has a cousin called "useless" and everyone gets those confused....lol

We will spend our entire lives, as believers, slowly, yet surely bringing our lives, our families, and our churches under the submission and lordship of Jesus Christ. We are not resurrected yet, so perfection is absolutely fleeting, but we are to strive for it with humble vehemence, knowing that only through knowing the Father and Jesus Christ whom he sent, could we ever even cast our eyes in the right direction.

 2014/7/9 12:38Profile
Oracio
Member



Joined: 2007/6/26
Posts: 2094
Whittier CA USA

 Re:

Amen havokx20. I guess I haven't thought of a better way to term these kinds of issues over which there is so much unnecessary division. I agree they are important topics to discuss respectfully though.


_________________
Oracio

 2014/7/9 12:53Profile
rookie
Member



Joined: 2003/6/3
Posts: 4821
Savannah TN

 Re:

havok20x asks:

Please show me where this is in Scripture.


Paul confirms this precept in the following verses...


Eph 3:14
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,f
Eph 3:15
from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

Eph 3:16
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,

Eph 3:17
that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

Eph 3:18
may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—

Eph 3:19
to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.


Paul can only sow or water, he can only testify of the covenant that God established with him. He prays to God for those he has ministered to receive the increase that can only come from the Holy Spirit. The covenant is only a shadow for those who have not witnessed the Holy Spirit's work.

For Paul, God's covenant is not a shadow but a reality. And he prays this for those he ministered to...
Eph 3:18
may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—

Eph 3:19
to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Until one "comprehends" the covenant God makes with the individual, the knowledge of the covenant is just a shadow of things unseen.



_________________
Jeff Marshalek

 2014/7/9 12:54Profile
havok20x
Member



Joined: 2008/9/14
Posts: 980
Pineville, LA

 Re:

Okay,

I got your meaning now. Thank you!

However, can I ask you to clarify how what you are saying applies to the gift of teaching and the sufficiency of the Scriptures?

I am having a hard time following what you mean. Sorry. lol

 2014/7/9 12:57Profile
havok20x
Member



Joined: 2008/9/14
Posts: 980
Pineville, LA

 Re:

Oracio,

I wonder what would happen if, when we discovered that we believe different things or that we weren't all saying or thinking the same things, we got down on our knees in prayer and poured through the scriptures and sought the Lord? I can't imagine anything bringing more unity amongst us than seeking the Lord and desiring to know His will.

After all, if we are all pursuing Him, we'll end up in the same place...lol

 2014/7/9 13:06Profile









 Re:

Brethren I appreciate the good discussion occurring here. I wound not have thought this thread wound generate such.

Now if I could go back to the OP for a minute. The exhortation is to long for the pure milk of the word so that by it we may grow in respect to salvation. But how do we long for that pure milk of the word? How is this worked out?

The most obvious answer is to pick up our Bibles and read them. But can that longing be to hear Spirit filled anointed teachers share the word.

Just wondering.

Blaine

 2014/7/9 13:43
Oracio
Member



Joined: 2007/6/26
Posts: 2094
Whittier CA USA

 Re:

Quote:
Now if I could go back to the OP for a minute. The exhortation is to long for the pure milk of the word so that by it we may grow in respect to salvation. But how do we long for that pure milk of the word? How is this worked out?

The most obvious answer is to pick up our Bibles and read them. But can that longing be to hear Spirit filled anointed teachers share the word.

Just wondering.

Blaine


I believe an important thing for us to consider here is the need for application and obedience. How do we grow and how is it that this is worked out? Simply put, not only by reading the Word but also obeying what we read as best as we know how, according to the light we have. Oftentimes the emphasis is too much on reading the Word and not enough on obeying it. In that chapter in 1Peter Peter goes on to give several exhortations that if applied and obeyed, in essence show how this is worked out in our lives.


_________________
Oracio

 2014/7/9 16:47Profile









 Re:

Agreed brother. But it seems the converse is true in the American church. There is very little reading of the word. Some have even said that the modern American Christians are biblically illiterate.

But you are right. Growth comes from obedience which I think can only come about by the Holy Spirit quickening our will to obey what we have learned.

My insights.

Blaine

 2014/7/9 16:55
Oracio
Member



Joined: 2007/6/26
Posts: 2094
Whittier CA USA

 Re:

Agreed brother Blaine. Both are vitally important.


_________________
Oracio

 2014/7/9 18:52Profile
rookie
Member



Joined: 2003/6/3
Posts: 4821
Savannah TN

 Re:

habok20x asks...

"However, can I ask you to clarify how what you are saying applies to the gift of teaching and sufficiency of the Scriptures?"


There is a saying amongst the local Anabaptists here in central PA. "God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called." Peter is a perfect example of how God works in man to accomplish His purpose.


When Peter exhorts...

1Pe 2:1
Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,

1Pe 2:2
as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,fn

1Pe 2:3
if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.


Through Scripture, Peter is presented to us as one who was selected by God to preach the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ. We see that God entrusted him with the power of the Holy Spirit to find favor amongst his brethren.

Peter exhorts those who read his epistle to put off the old ways and as newborn babes, to feed on the pure milk of the word of God. You see, Peter himself, has been taught in like manner has he not? One can only witness to others as he has learned from God. And according to the Scriptures, God has ordained that His Word is the means by which men are freed from the bonds of Satan. Jesus, when tempted by Satan, demonstrated the power of the Scriptures to fend off Satan's attack in the wilderness.

Most in the American church see the Scriptures as a collection of stories. They have as in the parable of the sower, not endured the various ways in which Satan attacks the individual to keep him from comprehending the life changing power behind the words of Scripture...

In the last verse highlighted Peter posses this question...

1Pe 2:3
if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

How does the "pure milk of the word" taste? Peter claims it is life changing.




_________________
Jeff Marshalek

 2014/7/9 19:51Profile





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