Church Simply: United in Christ

Unity is not an option.

Jesus Christ demands that His church be united. He provides no loopholes or exceptions. We are to be one.

In John chapter 17 we find Christ's famous High Priestly Prayer. One of the primary themes of that prayer is Jesus' expectation that His body will be united. In this incredible prayer we read:

I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me (John 17:20-23).

Jesus prays that we will be one as the Father and Son are one. In other words, our Lord expects perfect unity. Jesus goes on to tie the effectiveness of gospel proclamation to the unity of the body. These are some extremely significant words by Christ.

Not long after Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension we read of the early church in the book of Acts. Luke paints a beautiful picture of unity for us:

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved (Acts 2:42-47).

We know, however, that all was not hunky-dory in the world of the early church. As the gospel spread and churches were planted some of the early believers struggled with unity. Paul in particular wrote to these assemblies to instruct them in the importance of being one. Paul offers no exceptions to the command for unity. Below are three examples:

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment (I Cor. 1:10).

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:1-3).

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind (Phil. 2:1-2).

Christ's church today is splintered into thousands of different factions. These have another name: denominations. Within these denominations, local churches often have statements of faith and membership roles that separate those who are in from those who are out. Some even deny the Lord's Supper to Christians who haven't joined their particular church. All of this flies in the face of Christ's command for unity.

Christian unity has no justifiable exceptions. All dividing walls beyond the gospel need to be removed. Christ wants His body to be one; we must do all we can to make this a reality. How do we do we accomplish it? Paul tells us in Philippians chapter 2. The key to unity is humility. Immediately after Paul calls the Philippian believers to unity he writes in 2:3-4, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Unity is a wonderful thing. It brings great joy within the body. More importantly, Christ commands and demands it. We make this happen through the simple yet profound act of treating others better than ourselves.

What is Unity and How Do We Achieve It?

In order to strive for unity within the body of Christ, we must know how to define it. After all, how can we reach a goal if we do not even know what that goal is?

In a previous post I offered this definition for unity: unity is a togetherness of mind and spirit that looks to the good of the group without demanding sameness within the group. You may have a different and possibly better definition, but I imagine there would be many similarities to mine.

How do we achieve this unity within the church family? Paul answers this question in the well-known passage of Philippians 2:5-11. The difficulty is not knowing how to bring about unity; the struggle is actually living it out. The reason for this is that unity comes through humility. Paul writes the following in 2:5-11:

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

In this much loved Christ Hymn, Paul tells us that unity stems from humble living. The apostle then shows us the greatest example in history by discussing the work of Christ on the cross. Jesus died not only as a sacrifice for our sins, but also as an example of the servanthood we are to show others.

Paul's desire is that the Philippian believers display "the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind." How does this occur? Through humbly thinking of other Christ-followers before self.

As we ponder what brings unity, we see that intellectual agreement on a certain set of doctrines is not what is important. Rather, what is critical is attitude and action. When we follow the path of Christ, considering others better than ourselves and treating them as such, we will indeed have sweet unity in the body.

A Dangerous Humility

As we approach the bible, we must do so with a correct dose of humility. The scriptures present some topics that are difficult to understand. It is wise to remind ourselves that when we ponder these issues we should be careful about the conclusions we draw. In particular, let's avoid thinking that we have everything figured out. Too much confidence in our own interpretations is prideful and frequently leads to division within the body of Christ. The prudent believer will consult other Christians prior to making firm judgments about the meanings of particular texts.

What I've described above is an appropriate humility.

When it comes to interpreting scripture, a different type of humility also exists - a dangerous humility.

This dangerous humility takes humility to the extreme. It basically says that we cannot really know what the bible means. Therefore, we shouldn't be dogmatic about anything. This false form of humility is dangerous because it takes direct aim at the gospel itself. The glorious gospel of Jesus Christ is made up of some wonderful truths that we know about from the bible. If we do not hold to these things, then we do not know Jesus Christ. For example, we must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that Jesus came to earth, that he was crucified and resurrected, and that he is the only means of salvation. Apart from these truths and others there is no gospel.

I will hold to these truths no matter what until the day I die. I will be dogmatic about them. This is not arrogance. Rather, it is simply understanding that the bible presents some truths in such a clear manner that to reject them is to reject God. It is an insult to God to suggest that basic facts discussed in the scriptures are beyond our comprehension.

The place to be humble is when looking at issues that are important, but are not core to the gospel. These are the issues where Christians have disagreed, sometimes for centuries. A few of these include the meaning and mode of baptism, predestination vs. free will, specifics of creation, women's roles in the church, and the proper form of church gatherings. Many more exist.

Please let me be clear: we should always discuss any issue in a charitable and loving manner. However, this does not mean that we ought to be wishy-washy or unconvinced. When it comes to gospel issues, we must stand firm. It is not arrogant to claim that the bible is crystal clear on the gospel. Nowhere do the writers of scripture ever call any aspects of the gospel into question. They write about the life and teachings of Christ in a straightforward way. These writers meant to be understood.

Let's not fall into the trap of this false form of humility. It is a danger to the church because it calls the gospel itself into question.

Out of the Cage

I once heard it said that when a person becomes a Calvinist, he needs to be locked in a cage for a couple of years. This is designed to cure him of being so annoying. Confession time: I could have used some time in a cage after I first embraced the doctrines of grace. Yes, I was kind of a pain. Mercifully, that lasted for only a couple of years. I'm no longer consumed with Calvinism.

It could also be said that when a person becomes convinced of simple church principles he should, like the new Calvinist, be placed in a cage for a few years. As mentioned above, this is to help him get over his new arrogance. It's to keep him from bludgeoning other believers with his new convictions about church. Sad to say, I probably should have been sent to a cage. I cringe a bit over some of what I've written on this blog. Some has been too harsh. Some was foolish.

This is not to say that I no longer hold strongly to simple church principles and practices. I most certainly do. However, going forward I intend to write (and live) in a more positive manner. When it comes to conversations about the church, I hope to listen more and try to convince less. I'm over trying to be an ambassador for simple church. I just want to be an ambassador for Christ.

I think, by the grace of God, that it's finally O.K. for me to come out of the cage.

Are Roman Catholics Saved?

"Are Roman Catholics Saved?"

I raise this question because it has been floating around ever since the Reformation. Because we live in a country that has millions of both Protestants and Roman Catholics, it is worth asking.

However, there is a problem with the question itself. It assumes a simple yes-or-no answer for all Roman Catholics. The reality is that it isn't that simple.

My guess is that there are millions of Roman Catholics in this country who know Jesus Christ as Lord. There are also millions who do not.

I'm also guessing that there are millions of Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, etc. who love Jesus. I'm certain there are many who do not. Even within the non-denominational crowd both exist.

We do well to avoid lumping Christian groups together as a whole. We do much better to ask the question of one person at a time. A better question is, "Is that particular Roman Catholic saved?"

Of course, the only way to truly know the answer to the question is to get to know that Roman Catholic. When we spend time with people we can usually tell whether or not they know Jesus (God is the final arbiter in this, but we can usually make a pretty good guess).

A funny thing has happened to me along the way in life. My Protestant background suggests strongly that Roman Catholics do not know God because they are simply trying to work their way to heaven. However, when I have gotten to know a number of Roman Catholics, I've found that many have a deep love for Christ. They may use some different terminology than I do and have differing practices, but their commitment to Christ seems genuine.

It is easy for us to fall into the trap of holding onto a straw man argument when thinking of Roman Catholic theology. It is not a monolith. Beliefs vary. All do not agree with the Pope on everything.

Let's get to know people personally and talk about the things of God. When we do this, we gain a much better understanding of whether or not they know him. This gives us a real answer to the above question, one person at a time. This is much more accurate and valid than making judgment calls about entire groups of people.

Blogging Reality

It's good to be a humble blogger.

An Utterly Inappropriate and Self-Serving Link

It would be completely and utterly inappropriate to link to someone else's blog post that speaks highly of my blog. Just to be a rebel, I'm going to do it. My friend Alan Knox linked to this blog, referring to a few recent "thought-provoking" posts. Thanks Alan!

Of course, my link is absurd because if you are already here it means that either you came from Alan's blog or directly to mine. Additionally, it goes beyond the bounds of appropriate social behavior to link to something like this. It reminds me of that saying, "Humility and how I attained it."

On Speaking a Different Language

If you take time to read this blog then I'm guessing that church-related issues are important to you. I'm also guessing that when you try to talk about the church you often realize that those you are talking with have no idea what you are saying. They simply don't understand. This happens to me frequently.

Regardless of whether or not I'm talking with a follower of Christ, I find little comprehension on the part of the person with whom I'm having the conversation. It reminds me of our time in India. India is an interesting country for many reasons. One of them is that since England colonized India, many Indians speak English to one degree or another. When in South Asia, we could talk with a good number of the people about basic issues. However, when it came to more in-depth discussions we often struggled to communicate. In particular, conveying Christian truth was difficult. The reason? English was not their first language. That's why we were beginning to learn Hindi before we had to come home.

Back to the present. What should we do if others do not understand? The fleshly temptation of course is to feel pride and/or disgust. However, those are not the responses Christ would like us to have.

So how should we respond? We need to take the responsibility of speaking in ways that others will understand. We need to meet them where they are. This is not condescension; it is rather servanthood. It is trying to humbly talk in a manner that will bring about understanding.

Up until just a few years ago I had never thought about church issues outside of the institutional box. If I had stumbled into a conversation such as we often have on this blog I would have had no framework for understanding. I simply hadn't thought about it before.

It's sort of like when I hear people talking about things like knitting, European literature, music from the 2000's, ancient Cambodian architecture, wigs, and Twilight. I have no idea what's going on.

We have a responsibility to talk with others, both Christians and non-Christians, in ways they understand. As for non-Christians, the best thing to do is talk a lot more about Jesus Christ than the church (at least at first). As for other Christians, let's humbly talk using terms and phrases that make sense. Let's continue to ask hard questions and point out inconsistencies in the church, but let's do so in a way that brings about solid dialog.

This does not mean that everyone who understands will agree with what we say. I know this about this blog. For example, one blogger who understands what I write at the same time takes me to task on his blog every few weeks. That's fine; he disagrees with me. But at least he understands. I'm glad about this.

Let's go out of our way to help others understand what in the world we are talking about as far as the church is concerned. We cannot control whether or not they will agree with us (they probably won't). We can't even really control whether or not they comprehend (but we can try).

Let's humbly and lovingly do our part.

Service is Supreme

Matthew 23:1-12 tells us the following:

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you — but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (ESV)

In the past I've held the titles of both "missionary" and "pastor." While well-intentioned, titles of this sort create an artificial caste system within the church. They divide people into groups of "who is qualified" and "who is not." Instead of equality in Christ, special names within the church bring man-made hierarchies.

For this reason, Jesus in the above passage tells us not to use titles. Christ is specifically denouncing the practices of the Pharisees. However, his commands are clearly statements to those who would follow him. We see in these verses that only one person deserves titles: God himself.

Instead of titles, our goal should be service to one another. The greatest in God's kingdom seek no titles but instead serve the body and broader community. It is these who "will be exalted."

This passage informs how we should think of the biblical term "elder." If elder is an office or title to hold, then this passage is difficult to understand. However, if elder is simply a recognition of godly behavior and attitudes on the part of older men in the church, then it makes sense.

Christ permits no titles. They give no benefit and only bring harm to his church.

Instead, Jesus is looking for servants. Let's be that.

A Personal Preference Method of Biblical Interpretation

One of the best aspects of blogging is getting to interact with other Christians who have different interpretations than I do of various biblical passages. The discussions we have both stretch me and force me to ask myself why I believe what I believe.

These interactions force me to face something I'd rather not: my own method of biblical interpretation. Specifically, I'm referring to NT church practices and their application for today. We all face this struggle. In some passages, we see practices that we believe we should follow today almost exactly as we read of in NT times. In other passages we see the early Christians doing things that we believe provide us with principles for today, but not necessarily anything specific to imitate. Finally, we read of other things from the NT church that we believe we are free to ignore (or not) if we choose to do so.

What concerns me is that the way I interpret may best be described as "A Personal Preference Method of Biblical Interpretation." I hope this is not the case, but I fear that it may be.

Here's my angst in a nutshell: Rather than reading scripture and trying to discern what the original authors intended, I'm reading to see what I want to see based on personal preferences. The things that I like a lot I interpret literally and/or say that they have direct application for today's church. Those things that I don't like that much or feel indifferent about get interpreted in such a way that we learn principles only. The aspects of church life that I'd rather not have to deal with I simply interpret as completely optional.

In the end, the method of interpretation is not, "What did the author mean and how would God have that apply to us today?" Instead, the method ends up being, "What are my own likes and dislikes when it comes to the church, and how can I find evidence for these in the bible?"

Let me give a few examples. I like meeting in homes as a local body of believers. Therefore, I find evidence for this in the bible and say we should all do this. I don't particularly like the idea of washing feet or giving holy kisses. Therefore, although I see evidence for these practices, I say that they are examples of loving behavior but not things we are supposed to be doing. As for giving to the poor, I'll just suggest that this is optional and a nice idea.

This type of interpretation is not something that only I struggle with. We all do to one degree or another. Although the Holy Spirit helps us understand what scripture really means, our own indwelling sin leads us to sometimes warp what we read to support our own purposes and preferences.

This should not terrify us. Rather, it should spur us on to always ask what God is saying in the pages of the bible. What does God want? What did He mean then and how does He desire that we apply this today? What would He have His church look like?

If we reach the point of thinking that we can interpret the bible with little to no error, we are in a dangerous place. Instead, we must approach the scriptures with humility. We must remember that we have been wrong in the past and will be wrong again.

Sometimes as we discuss church-related issues in the blog world we run into this problem. We defend what we believe about whatever issue because we feel comfortable with/like our position. Take any issue. How about the Lord's Supper? Too often we read about and/or get involved in a discussion about meaning, form, frequency, etc. based on what we like. It's as simple as that.

We must guard steadfastly against allowing our own carnal desires determine what we believe the bible says. We cannot have a selective method of interpretation based on what we want the bible to say. Instead, trusting the Spirit to lead the way, let us humbly approach the bible and attempt to figure out what God meant and what He means.

We need each other for this. Multiple people involved in biblical interpretation act as a guard against all sorts of incorrect interpretation. Yet another benefit of community.

Let's continue to have good discussions about church issues. Let's even disagree some of the time. However, let's also do our best to keep our own personal preferences out of the mix. We won't be completely successful in this, but the attempt is worth it. An accurate awareness of our own fallibility should give us pause and keep us humble.

It's Easier to Blog About the Negative

It's a sad comment on human nature, but blogging negatively is much easier than blogging positively.

It often takes little effort to put together a post blasting something that we don't like, don't approve of, or don't think is right.  In my case, for example, it is simple to target various things related to the institutional church such as large buildings, salaried pastors, planned meetings, etc.

It is much more difficult and requires more work to put together a post that speaks more about the positive.  As per church issues, this might deal with participatory meetings, house gatherings, full meal Lord's Supper celebrations, etc.

It bothers me that writing negatively is easier for me. I'm serious. It bothers me. If I dare to be a bit introspective, it shows at least a little immaturity and bitterness.

I'm not suggesting that we should never deal with problematic issues. In fact, some of the best blog posts (mine and others) constructively compare positive and negative things and then draw conclusions. This may deal with the church or any other topic.

What is problematic is when we bloggers are drawn at a visceral level to take aim at whatever we disagree with. If I currently look through my list of blog post ideas, there are a good number that wage war upon all things institutional church.  I'm beginning to see more clearly that this has very limited benefit.  I might feel good after I post negatively and others who agree with me may comment.  But in the end, what good does it do?

It is possible to write in such a manner that we deal with negative things in a positive way. The tone of this type of writing is gracious, humble, instructive, balanced, and seeks positive outcomes for all sides involved. This is far different from simply sending word-based missiles flying at what we dislike. It also strives for unity instead of division.

It requires much more work to see anything good in what we don't prefer. As per church things, I can see some good that comes from institutional church bodies. However, it's a struggle to write about those aspects. In my flesh, it feels so good sometimes to say, "That's not biblical!! Knock it off!! You hypocrites!!"

I write this post because I'm going to try to blog more positively about church life. Of course as I do this I will at times compare and contrast what I believe is biblical with what I think are man-made practices. This will by nature have some negative bent to it. However, the goal will be constructive.

This is all easier said than done. I'm tired a lot these days. In my fatigue, it will be simpler to get negative, destructive, and mean on this blog. I'm determined to avoid that downfall. Therefore, I hope you see somewhat of a shift in tenor here.

The outcome may not be exciting.  I've seen over the years that I get more comments on blog posts that are more controversial, inflammatory, and in-your-face.  Oh well.  If I get fewer comments, so be it.  I think it will honor God by striving for more constructive dialogue (however you spell that word) about both what we believe and how we live this out.

It may be easier to blog about the negative, but I'm determined to go more positive.  If it's more work, that's probably a  sign that it's a good thing.

Maybe We're Elbows

I've been thinking a lot lately about the biblical metaphor of the church as a body. Paul tells us very clearly that all parts of the body are needed in order for the body to be healthy. The apostle makes this clear in I Corinthians 12.

I Corinthians 12:12-20, "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body."

I find verse 18 to be particularly encouraging. We see that God Himself did the arranging of the body. Considering that this passage falls in the broader context of the use of spiritual gifts, we can take comfort in the fact that God has determined which body parts are which. In other words, it is God who dispenses spiritual giftings. This means that as believers we all have exactly the gifts that God wants us to have.

This falls nicely in line with the fact that Christ is the Head of His church. We all know that the head controls the other parts of the body. In the church, the Head (Jesus) tells all the other parts what to do and gives them the ability to do it.

What does our Head desire that we do? His desire and command is that we serve others within the church family. After all, Jesus left us an example when He said that He came not to be served but to serve. Whatever our gifts, we as the body must use these for the betterment and edification of the church family.

What body part am I? What are you? I'm being a bit silly here, but maybe we should think of ourselves as elbows. Elbows aren't particularly nice looking and they get dry easily; if we think of ourselves this way it might help us be humble.

Despite their homeliness, elbows are important to the life of the body. Just go through an hour without using one of your elbows. It's nearly impossible. Regardless of who we are, the church needs us and we need the church. The church even needs its elbows.

Of course, Paul also says in I Cor. 12 that the body wouldn't function if we were all the same body part. Therefore, let's not all be elbows. Instead, let's trust Christ to determine what parts we actually are. Let's just be sure to think humbly about ourselves. We are indeed needed by the church. We are important. We're just not important enough to think highly of ourselves.

Elders in I Peter 5:1-6

This post is part of an ongoing look at the role of elders/overseers/pastors in scripture. The previous posts:

On Elders/Overseers/Pastors in the Bible

Elders in Acts 11:30

Elders in Acts 14:23

In today's post, I want to look at one of the most important passages in the bible relating to this role. I Peter 5:1-6 is critical for at least a couple of reasons. First, Peter uses forms of all three Greek words for elder/overseer/pastor. Second, Peter tells us much about both the actions and motivations of those who would serve as elders/overseers/pastors. As with previous posts, for the sake of brevity I'm going to use the term "elder" unless there is a specific reason not to.

Peter writes:

"So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you..."

We can learn a tremendous amount from this passage. I'm going to point out what I see, but I'd love your feedback as well. Comments please.

We will see a few things that we have already discovered in the Acts passages.

So, what does Peter tell us?

1. Elders are multiple. N.T. churches always had more than one elder.

2. Elders are among the flock. Elders serve amongst people they know. They are not from the outside.

3. Elders are to shepherd the flock. This is a command. This seems to have a fairly wide range of meaning. We can at least say that shepherds care for the flock. This is where we get the word for "pastor." There are other aspects to shepherding such as feeding, guiding, leading, and protecting. We must be careful how far we go with these assumptions. To be safe, I think we must limit ourselves in this passage to the concept of caring for the flock.

4. The flock belongs to God. It is "of God." Jesus Christ is the head of His flock.

5. Elders exercise oversight. This seems to refer to caring for the spiritual well-being of the flock. This is where we get the word for "overseer." Let's be very careful not to allow our modern ideas of overseer (boss, ruler, master) intrude on how we understand this word.

6. Elders are to serve willingly and eagerly, not because of compulsion or for shameful gain. These words speak to the motivation to serve. The motivation must be one of sacrificial service. Our Lord came not to be served, but to serve. Let us follow this example.

7. Elders are not to domineer, but are to be examples to the flock. This is probably one of the most important statements about elders in the entire N.T. Peter expects that elders will not place themselves in positions where they can domineer over others. This is very important. Instead, elders are to be examples to the church. This may be the most important part of being an elder. In fact, elders are probably selected by the Holy Spirit and recognized by the church because they are already being godly examples.

8. Jesus Christ is the Chief Shepherd. The one true senior pastor of the church is Jesus Christ.

9. Christ will give the crown of glory. It is difficult to know who receives this crown and what it is. However, there is no doubt that it will be a good thing. This should motivate us all to serve diligently regardless of whether or not we are recognized as elders.

-Verses 5 and 6 are often left out of this equation. I believe that is a mistake. These two verses show us that the overall context is one of humility and mutual subjection.

10. Those who are younger are to be subject to the elders. We must understand this correctly. This is not the same as being subject to a king or even a boss. The idea is that those who are younger will listen to and follow the godly examples of elders who are caring for the flock. The elders lead by example more than by word. The younger follow this example, not because of the men who do it, but because they are following Christ.

11. All in the church are to show humility toward one another. We are all to think of others before ourselves. This includes elders.

12. All in the church are to humble themselves before God. We have no reason to be prideful since God has given us everything. Part of salvation itself is humility before the God who saves. Elders are to serve with this humility in mind.

We have seen a great deal in these few verses. We learn about what elders are to do and what their motivation should be. Elders should be, first and foremost, godly examples to the church who desire to care for the church. Their main duty is service. They do this together, not alone. They remember that the church belongs to Christ, and that He - the only real senior pastor - is returning one day for His church.

Humility (and How I Attained It)

The above photo comes from a humbling experience in my life. I was probably about eight years old. That Halloween my costume was a homemade Batman outfit. The only problem with this was that my best friend also dressed up as Batman - and his was purchased from a store. The primary material of my costume appears to have been some sort of heavy-duty plastic. Although my boots and cape were cool, that mask left a little to be desired. Sadly, my friend's Batman getup was much sleeker and superherolike.

The trick-or-treating started off well enough. However, the fun times ended rather quickly. As we waited at a certain house, a college-aged male opened the door. We said, "Trick-or treat." What he then said is forever seared into my memory. He yelled to someone else, and I quote, "Look! It's Batman and Fatman!" Based on our costumes, we all knew who "Fatman" was. I was crushed and humbled. I can't remember what happened after that.

The next year we went to a store for my costume.

The "Fatman incident" was a sort of forced-humbling. In fact, I suppose it was more of a humiliation. Regardless, it was not a positive experience for me. It was not constructive and was not done in love.

Today, many years later, as I think back on this episode, it does make me think of something we all need: more humility. Humility is sorely lacking in most of our lives. Despite what this post's title says, I have not even come close to attaining it. In fact, I'm far more prideful than I want to admit. I'm probably more prideful than I even allow myself to think about.

As Christians, we benefit a great deal from pondering our sinfulness and God's holiness. We are far worse than we think and He is far better than we think. Although we say we depend on the grace of God for all things, we actually look to ourselves for quite a bit. Why is this? I think the reason is that deep down we really don't think we are all that bad.

The reality is that apart from the grace of God, we would be spiritually dead. The only reason we can do anything that is worth anything is by the grace of God. In light of this, we must be people of humility.

Since we see so few humble people, where can we look for an example? We must, as always, look to Jesus Christ. In one of my favorite passages of scripture, we see Jesus' humility in full view. Philippians 2:5-11 says:

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The scriptures exhort us to humility:

Proverbs 15:33 - The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.

Colossians 3:12 - Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering.

The world notices the church when we act like Jesus. We may be hated for this, but in the end the world has a hard time rejecting sacrificial love. May we be people of humility like our Lord Jesus. This honors Him. May we be people who seek to put others first. May we be people who are willing to humbly sacrifice everything for the cause of the gospel. The gospel will spread far more effectively through humble, loving action than it will through carefully crafted apologetic arguments.

May we be humble to honor Christ. May we be humble to build up the church. May we be humble to win the lost.

On the Importance of a Humble Attitude Regarding Both Salvation and the Church

While at seminary, the two things that brought the most controversy and/or conversation were the two topics of salvation and the church.

Regarding salvation, the discussions focused upon God's sovereignty and how it relates to man's responsibility. Some would call this Calvinism vs. Arminianism, but that is too simplistic.

As for the church, the big arguments stemmed not so much from what the church is. We were all in agreement that the church is the people of God. No one said the church is a building. The discussions/conversations/controversies were related to what church life looks like.

The troublesome thing was that these topics often generated a lot of negative emotion. I still see this today and I do not understand it. Two Christians will be discussing these issues and become angry. Why?

I suppose the answer is that these are important issues. That was an understatement. Of course they are.

Why, however, do we have to fight over them?

We should, as brothers and sisters in Christ, be able to sit down with our bibles open and discuss in a loving manner what the bible says about these issues.

One problem in all this is that people do not like to give up their traditions. Especially as it relates to church life, people have a comfort zone. When one person challenges another's tradition, the result is often anger.

These are great topics to discuss. My hope is that more Christians will want to talk about them. We can sharpen each other as we look to the bible for answers. We must be willing to be corrected in humility and correct others in love.

I'm sure I do not have everything figured out when it comes to salvation or the church. I'm willing to learn and be corrected. I sure hope that happens.

May we all be humble people who enjoy conversation, correction, and challenge. May we let the bible change what we think - even what we hold dear. May we not become angry, but rather be thankful when a brother or sister shows us where we may are wrong.

The "Most Reverend"?

I received a letter in the mail today that was addressed to "Reverend Eric Carpenter." I knew right away that the sender did not know me because I despise the title "reverend." As Dave Black has said, the best title for all of us is simply "brother" or "sister."

This reminded me of something I ran into recently on-line. I was looking at the website for the large Roman Catholic Cathedral in Savannah - The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. As I perused the site, I came across the pictorial page for their staff. At the top of the page is a photo of "The Most Reverend J. Kevin Boland." The obvious question is, "What makes him the most reverend?"

Is he holier than others? Has he done extra-special things that make him extra-special? Is he to be revered because of some special quality?

This is simply another example of the ridiculous practice of church leaders taking made-made titles for themselves. Why does this happen?

The answer is pretty basic: pride.

Church leaders often like the pedestal that others within the church want to place them on. There is often an unstated but agreed upon idea that the church members will look up to the church leaders as authoritative and somehow closer to God.

When this happens, it impedes the spiritual growth of the church. Instead of each Christian living as a priest with full access to God, we too often see (in both Catholic and Protestant churches) leaders get in the way of people's communication with God. Many of the people seem to desire this as well.

Leaders within the church are to equip and disciple (along with being equipped and discipled). They are not to be placed on a special throne or pedestal where they speak to God for the people and speak from God to the people. That was what an OT priest did.

We now have full priestly communication with God because of what our high priest, Jesus Christ, accomplished on the cross. Christ is the only one who deserves to be on a pedestal.

If we are determined to refer to someone as "reverend" of "the most reverend," let it be Jesus Christ.

Ouch!

I've certainly felt this way before:

Olympic Crashes and Wipeouts

Just in case we needed a reminder that mankind is not perfect, the Olympics are here to help us. While many of the athletes are championed by the press as being god-like, the crashes and wipeouts of others show that they are all human.

In particular, I like the photo to the left. Yes, that is a two-man bobsled sliding along upside down. I'm glad they wear helmets.

Click here to view more royal mess ups.

Alexa and Humility

Alexa.com is good for my humility. I recently plugged by blog into Alexa and found that A Pilgrim's Progress comes in at # 613,379 in traffic rank in the USA. As for the world, I'm somewhere near # 4 million.

What all this reminds me is that I'm not that important. Ah - humility is good.

Some of the Most Important Verses in the Bible

Philippians 2:1-11 (ESV) says the following:

"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Our culture is not one that champions humility. Pride, arrogance, and self-centeredness reign supreme.

When we strive for and live lives of humility, we look far different than the world. This is when we look most like Jesus Christ. The above verses show us this. Philippians 2:3-4 instructs us to humbly look out for the interests of others before ourselves. These are very important verses for the Christian life.

We must be careful, however, not to sever 2:3-4 from 2:5-11. If we separate these passages and only teach 2:3-4, then we run the risk of teaching moralism. We are danger of suggesting that we must live lives of humility under our own power and ability.

When we teach 2:3-4 in connection with 2:5-11, then we rightly show that our very ability to live humbly is based on the gospel itself. We can only display humility because of the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross, which is discussed so beautifully in the Christ Hymn of 2:5-11. Only because of Christ's work can we care about the needs of others before ourselves.

Jesus is our model in 2:5-11. He is also our salvation in 2:5-11.

Let's display humility in all we do, understanding that it is only because the the gospel of grace that we can do so.