I Wonder...

This would be more of an open discussion from what i gather.

I am sure you have noticed that in society we have people who have specialties. We "need" transportation, communications, ect. to have a running society. and in order to have those things we need people to excel in those areas.

i'm starting to notice that there is a similar thing in the Christian sides of life... not just the common pastor - congregation ordeal.

we need people who are good at interpreting scripture, we need people who can figure out, we need people who can tell what goes on, and we need evangelizing... and people are good at a few or all of some or others.

what do you think about that idea. i'm sure this has been thought of and conformed many times but this is just a thought i had.

God can and will use what is surrendered to
HIM; our abilities, our gifts, our talents.
HE will even make use of our inabilities
to show Himself strong, our inadequacys
to show Himself to be sufficient !!

I think you're right.

Let's be honest, we need highly educated men in the church. If we didn't have them, we wouldn't even have an English Bible.

We need men who can defend sound Christian orthodoxy against trends of the day (both in the theological and philosophical realm).

However, this is often neglected since we live in one of the most (perhaps [b]the[/b] most) anti-intellectual ages of the church in history - and, in my opinion, it is no coincidence that it is one of the most worldly.

Specialists in Christianity?

Eph 4:7 \t But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Eph 4:8 \tWherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Eph 4:9 \t(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
Eph 4:10 \tHe that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

"Eph 4:11 \tAnd he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 \tFor the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13 \tTill we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Eph 4:14 \tThat we [henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15 \tBut speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, [even] Christ:
Eph 4:16 \tFrom whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. "

Brother, I do believe that we're taught quite clearly in Scripture that we are to be specialists. God has given to each of us specific gifts and callings.

Thank you for bringing this up for discussion.
God bless,

Jason

rreighe wrote:
we need people who are good at interpreting scripture, we need people who can figure out, we need people who can tell what goes on, and we need evangelizing... and people are good at a few or all of some or others.

what do you think about that idea. i'm sure this has been thought of and conformed many times but this is just a thought i had.

If people actually walked what they believed and did less talking about what they believed, me included - we would be walking "epistles, known and read of all men!" This has nothing to do with education unless it's KNEE-ducation!! ;-)

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves;
but our sufficiency is of God;
2 Corinthians 3.5

Look at the 1904 Welsh revival. God took a formal miner and spoke to him AND he listened and obeyed! His sufficiency was in God alone not in any education. That is what we need more of, men and women who listen to the Spirit and then obey... but all this is just my opinion!

In others words, use what you have to always be used as God wants you to. if you (like me) walk with a dream of saving someone and pray about it then God will take you to places (mentally and possibly physically) where you just may. that is only one example.

rreighe wrote:
In others words, use what you have to always be used as God wants you to. if you (like me) walk with a dream of saving someone and pray about it then God will take you to places (mentally and possibly physically) where you just may. that is only one example.

[i]Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.[/i]
Matt 23:15

Everyone feels and believes differently, don't take my opinion as "gospel" and you said you wanted a discussion! My personal opinion is that if we took a vested interest in the lives of those we led to the Lord the Church of Jesus Christ would be better off. But I could be wrong!

In others words, use what you have to always be used as God wants you to.

God bless

We need men who can defend sound Christian orthodoxy against trends of the day (both in the theological and philosophical realm). Quote TaylorOtwell

What do you consider sound Christian orthodoxy?

rreighe wrote:

if you (like me) walk with a dream of saving someone and pray about it then God will take you to places (mentally and possibly physically) where you just may.

You are praying for a divine appointment. I will end my prayers at night something like this. "Lord, bring someone in front of me tomorrow that I may share about You..."

Lysa wrote:

You are correct. Take what we have and offer it to God as a sacrifice upon the altar of our life and He will take us to places we never dreamed of! Amen!

Also be prepared that He may NOT do the things that we dream of. If you are truly His, His will be done and not our own.

His will may be that you suffer in this life so that others may come to know Him.

What do you consider sound Christian orthodoxy?

That depends on what perspective you are coming from. In the Reformational tradition, the churches are usually confessional, which means they subscribe to a historic confession of faith that they find to be a sound summary of Biblical teaching. Baptists usually subscribe to the 1644 or 1689 London Confession; Presbyterians subscribe to the Westminster Standards; Continental Reformed believers subscribe to the Three Forms of Unity (Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession, Canons of Dordt); and other may subscribe to the Helvetic Confession. Those confessions contain articles on all of the major aspects of the Christian faith that would need to be defended. Obviously, however, these confessions aren't the bounds of salvation, since they even differ among themselves (especially the Baptist). If one was confessional, I would suspect they would be firmly grounded in all of those foundational topics, and be ready to give a defense for those beliefs.

A more basic outline of Christian belief is found in the "Apostle's", Nicene, and Athanasian creeds. However, false teachings have required more thorough outlines of Christian belief to be outline.

I believe the purposes of the historic confessions were/are to give a written document that will eliminate ambiguity of belief amongst the members and outsiders. Also, it provides a helpful educational resource for both adult and child.

I personally find the 1644 London Baptist Confession to be a sound summary of Biblical teaching, however, the confession itself has no article on the Lord's Supper - though Benjamin Cox's appendix to the confession does contain an article on the topic.

If you are not subscribed to a confession, I don't know what your bounds are. One could respond with a simple "The Bible is my confession". However, the Mormons and the Watchtower organization (and most other cults and heresies) make the same claim. The question is "how do you interpret the Bible?" That isn't to say that one that is not confessional can not have boundries - they certainly can - but they would have to be arrived at on a more individual basis, and I personally always try to avoid individualism if possible.

Honestly, everything the Lord taught us is "essential". Yet, there are doctrines that need to be insisted upon with more ferver than others, such as the person of Christ, the atonement, the Trinity, and the nature of the church.

Hope this is somewhat helpful.

With care in Christ,
Taylor