Paul tracks this same line of thought in Colossians 2:11through Colossians 3:5.Can believers continue in sin? Certainly not. We are dead to sin.What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who
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Paul tracks this same line of thought in Colossians 2:11through Colossians 3:5.Can believers continue in sin? Certainly not. We are dead to sin.What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who
26Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. 27There is only the terrible expectation of God�s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. 28For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. HEBREWS 10
‘Receiving knowledge of the truth’ could mean hearing the gospel message and rejecting it. The passage explains itself, in my opinion, in that in the law of Moses, the people were covered because of who they were as Israelites. The High Priest took care of business for them each year.
It means, if you deliberately go on sinning, you’re done. Don’t thrown away your confident hope in Christ. Remember when you lost everything for Jesus? Don’t trample on Him. Remain faithful. Patient endurance is what you need so you will continue to do God’s will. Read the rest of 10 if that isnt enough direction for Christians who had turned from religious rigamorole to Jesus. When we turned to Him, we are still to stop sinning.
AoG Ordination recognition, for many decades, was based on evidence of “divine calling” and they heavily relied on a term “congregational proclamational” which declared their intention that ordination was primarily a recognition for those with a recognized pulpit ministry involving preaching the Word.
This excluded non pulpit ministries from ordination. But that has changed.
There is a booklet called “Ordination” that was commissioned by former General Supt. Thomas Zimmerman that is a classic dealing with the process and purpose of Ordination from their perspective which makes a clear contrast between liturgical and non liturgical ordinations.
From a distance it does seem that today Ordination is more about Degree than calling and about Position than gifting. But that may not
Be a fair observation.
I thank God for their pursuit of Excellence in Education while at the same time cling strongly to the affirmation of “calling” as being an equal criteria for the certificate of Ordination.
There are a lot of people out there who have experience… but its’ bad experience. We need people who have both, education and experience. One must be a “practitioner”
I would approach this proposed by-law change as I would any other. I would pray and then listen to the collective opinion and wisdom of the General Assembly. With that being said:
Today, I would vote FOR the proposed change.
1) This would still mean that every PERSON (regardless of age*, gender, race, nationality, ethnicity, etc) would have been screened by their state/regional credentialing committee, state bishop, and state council to be on the General Council floor.
2) Every PERSON would have either passed through CAMS&MIP or the Lead Institute and have successfully passed TWO Examinations and an oral interview on Doctrine, Polity and Scripture.
3) Every PERSON would have been current on their Ministerial Reporting.
4) Every PERSON would still have the collective benefit of the Ordained Bishops in the room and discussion with them.
This doesn’t change the Leadership structure in any way but it does change the Leadership paradigm by including the voices of another generation and of course the ordained women serving among and with us.
Consider me in. What are your thoughts brothers?
Just hypothetically tomorrow morning as you’re fixing to close the alter service 2 LEOs escorting Adam & Steve (not meant offensively – you can go w/Jack & Jim if you’d like) to the front and say: hey pastor dude how about you marry us today? You’d better have a backup preacher for your PM service (if you still got one that is-also not meant offensively)
Don’t need one – won’t happen
We need to learn from history lest we repeat it “First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.” ~Martin Niemöller, a prominent Protestant pastor who opposed the Nazi regime. He spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps. Germany, 1937.
You misinterpret my intent, young squire – I don’t marry anyone I don’t know — and I’m more than happy to defend a ‘no’ on the wild hypothetical grounds you posit
This raises another question: should ‘worship services’ be public? The early Church wasn’t public; the Church of Eastern Europe prior to the Wall coming down was not public.
All the same – let’s say you know well these two outstanding gentleman Jack & Jim… let’s say you know the LEOs if you’d like. Maybe the LEO’s want to get married two or all 4 of them want to be in the same marriage. Any hypothetical situation where you’re forced to marry against your convictions. Same thing that is already happening in the bakeries you know…
Not the same – church is not a place of public accommodation
It’s hard NOT be public if you have a building, tax exempt, school, daycare, mortgage payment, etc. (you name it)