Bikerchaz, you really hurt me, but I hope God will help me get over it!
I am not at all hung up on any denomination - on the contrary, I am concerned about following Jesus only!
Why do you ask me if I have a relationship with Jesus? Have I ever behaved badly in this community? Have I ever hurt anyone?
You say you're saddened by what I've written. What was that specifically? Most of my posts, in this thread, were made up of questions and opinions of scholars.
Why do you think I am an immature Christian?
I know Jesus is the focus.
I know that nothing matters except Jesus, and I am just asking questions about His words (bind/loose).
According to the opinion of many scholars TO BIND means TO FORBID, and TO LOOSE means TO PERMIT. Jesus gave authority to church leaders to resolve certain issues like: Should women wear a veil? Should men wear coat and tie? Is is OK to use contraceptives? Is masturbation a sin? Should women have long hair? If a member commits adultery two or three times during his lifetime will this keep him from being saved?
In your church most probably women don't wear a veil; many of them have short hair; the members don't greet one another with a holy kiss; etc. They are not following the Bible - they are following the church leaders. Why? Because Jesus gave authority to them to resolve such issues.
Many Christians do not know what the words BIND and LOOSE mean. If we don't know exactly what these words mean we are giving room to speculation. For example, some Catholics (not all) think that TO BIND means TO CONNECT and TO LOOSE means TO DISCONNECT. So, if you're a Catholic you're connected with God, and if you're not a Catholic you're disconnected.
Do you still think I am an immature Christian just because I am trying to exchange opinions about this subject with other CC members? I've seen several Christian families in disarray because the church leaders did not do a good job resolving the above mentioned issues. Once I heard of a father who slapped her daughter on the face just because she trimmed her hair a few centimeters. That was the result of a poor job interpreting Paul's words.
There many more issues that must be resolved by church leaders, like the correct interpretation of many Bible verses. Did Jesus give authority to church leaders to do that or not?
Even though I am still hurt, I still can say "God bless" to you. I want God to bless you, ... I really mean it.
I apologise for hurting you, that was not my intention at all. You did word your questions in a way that misled my thoughts. EG, you put;
Jesus gave authority to church leaders to resolve certain issues like: Should women wear a veil? Should men wear coat and tie? Is is OK to use contraceptives? Is masturbation a sin? Should women have long hair? If a member commits adultery two or three times during his lifetime will this keep him from being saved?
I do not agree with you that church leaders have the authority. We all have this authority, ALL in Jesus. The church will keep pew sitters in pews and the leaders who retain their authority through names like vicar, priest and elder who are to serve and wash the feet of their ecclesia, not be paid to lord it over them.
The Church is here for all not a few, it is to proclaim the freedom from satans grasp and lead everyone to full maturity so everyone can pastor and teach and heal and prophesy and give a tongue and an interpretation, everyone, this does not mean chaos, this means letting Jesus run His church, it means letting Jesus convict someone who's clothing is proving to be a problem for someone. It means Jesus will do, not me or a 'leader', it means we can all do in Jesus name and in the unity He brings us to in the Father, not one person but us all as a body of many parts in the unity of the Spirit.
You wrote this;
In your church most probably women don't wear a veil; many of them have short hair; the members don't greet one another with a holy kiss; etc. They are not following the Bible - they are following the church leaders. Why? Because Jesus gave authority to them to resolve such issues.
and this;
There many more issues that must be resolved by church leaders, like the correct interpretation of many Bible verses. Did Jesus give authority to church leaders to do that or not?
No I do not agree, I do not care how any one cuts their hair or what they wear, I always greet with a holy Kiss, I think it bothers some, But no one is in the lead, Those I meet with in love know me and I know them. I am no better or worse off than anyone else (I do not mean monetarily), we are all equal and Jesus teaches us through His word and by His spirit.
I do, because I have been led to, visit the local Methodist church when they break bread, once a month. Even there I greet with a Holy Kiss, well hug actually, some one will put their hand forward to shake mine and I will say, Hug me brother or sister, but I am always conscious that there could be problems with this so I never force this on any one. This meeting is full of what you describe, and there in the middle is me. People come over to me to talk and see if I need saving, they never come twice, I am not what they expect when they talk to me.
This is what my take on who is in charge within the true Church is, this whole thing is;
John 14
[SUP]15 [/SUP]“If you love me, keep my commands. [SUP]16 [/SUP]And I will ask the Father, and he will give you
another advocate to help you and be with you forever— [SUP]17 [/SUP]
the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he
lives with you and will be[SUP][c][/SUP] in you. [SUP]18 [/SUP]I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. [SUP]19 [/SUP]Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me.
Because I live, you also will live. [SUP]20 [/SUP]On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and
I am in you. [SUP]21 [/SUP]Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
[SUP]22 [/SUP]Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
[SUP]23 [/SUP]Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and
make our home with them. [SUP]24 [/SUP]
Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
[SUP]25 [/SUP]“All this I have spoken while still with you. [SUP]26 [/SUP]But the
Advocate, the
Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you
all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. [SUP]27 [/SUP]Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
[SUP]28 [/SUP]“You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. [SUP]29 [/SUP]I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. [SUP]30 [/SUP]I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, [SUP]31 [/SUP]but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.
The first apostles had an enormous task of bringing the Jews who were steeped in traditions and laws into the light of Jesus, and the gentiles who new nothing of what God really was because they only saw what the Jews proclaimed, and we know what Jesus thought of that.
We are all called to be pastors, we are all called to be teachers, we are all called to be the people Jesus wants in the full maturity of our faith. We must all grow and fulfil our potential. On the last day when we stand before Him, and we all will, we can not say, "But the vicar/pastor/priest told me this or that" that will be no defence against what we do know and have heard. We all hear Jesus, the point is who do we listen to, Jesus or someone else in authority through tradition.
You are right there is only Jesus, I applaud you for knowing this, but it does seem to me that you listen to others. Some may have a message, but in the end it comes down to what we have heard from Jesus and does it marry up with the written word. Everything Paul wrote must be taken in the context it was written in, yes there is a message for us there but when it comes to putting down laws of dress code etc I want no part.
Again I do apologise if I made you feel hurt that was not my intent. If you meet me you can ignore and forget me. If you meet Jesus and ignore Him, that has more serious consequences.
Thank you for your blessing and I return it again to you twice over. I pray that you through the Holy Spirit will hear and understand the grace that God has given to all of us through the sacrifice of His Son. I Him, Jesus the Christ I pray wisdom for you and the fulfilment of all your desires in Him.
Chaz.