Quote:
Originally Posted by Praxeas
So do I...so now back to what we were discussing about men being allowed to speak up and give their opinion on what a verse means in light of what the Elder said it means?
So this is going to revolutionize church and bring more men in because they are itching to speak up and voice their opinions on the same verse?
And wouldn't that lead to confusion, everyone having their own opinion on a verse?
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Everyone already has their own opinion on about every verse there is. And thus we have confusion rampant.
Paul said we should be of the same mind, speak the same thing.
Here's how I see the biblical 'order' if you will:
There are some gifted and commissioned by God to teach doctrine in the church. This is primarily the responsibility of the elders. Teachings however must be examined, to see whether they are in accord with Scripture. 'Prove all things, hold fast that which is good'. Anyone who teaches the church must be able to ANSWER QUESTIONS. Notice Paul, in 1 Cor, when he tells women to keep silent, he says 'if they will learn anything let them ask their husband at home'. This implies that there was indeed proper questioning, just that it wasn't proper for women to be questioning things in the meeting.
Therefore, it is proper for men to question things in the meeting. This pattern is seen in the gospels, where Jesus teaches and his disciples ask him questions. (As a side note, also in evangelism, where Jesus is teaching the lost and they ask him questions.)
So the original pattern exampled by Jesus with his original disciples, the original 'prototypical ecclesia' in the New Testament, is for the Teacher to teach, and the students (the ones learning) to ask questions to clarify and further their knowledge.
This discipleship pattern is to be repeated (Great Commission), and we see it also in Acts. The same basic idea - teaching, and if necessary, questioning and dialogue, 'reasoning' from the Scriptures.
As I noted, Paul also said 'if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first hold his piece'. The purpose? 'For ye may all prophesy one by one', as long as it is done decently and in order, not in a chaotic confusion.
Therefore, teaching is not to be accomplished
only by one man lecturing to the whole assembly and that's it. There are a variety of methods described in Scripture for teaching, they are like 'tools in the toolbox', and should be used as needed and as appropriate.
The idea, however, of spmeone reading a verse of scripture, and then everyone just states 'well, I think it means xyz' and then the next guy says 'to me, it's saying abc' is probably a recipe for disaster.
Thus, the emphasis in scripture not only on proving all things, but also on the fact not ALL are 'teachers'.
Finally, our 'opinions' are to be conformed to the truth, as expounded in the meetings, in the Holy Ghost. Everyone, as disciples, is expected to conform their ideas to God's Word, but the method God uses is not mere dogmatic assertion by an authority figure, but by discourse, reasoning from scripture, and this often requires interaction, questioning, dialogue.
Heretics, however, may often force the issue down to a dogmatic declaration by the church to make a rejection of false teaching.
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