So, just to get things a little more heated up, I'll throw this in. Wives submit yourselves to your hugsbands. Ok. Zen has been fighting about that forever......How does that command fit with this one?
1 Peter 5:5 (KJV)
[SUP]5 [/SUP]Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
Zen do you think you can be subject to your wife? Or is that a one way street?
If a wife pointed out to me that I was treating another Christian like something distasteful on the bottom of my shoe, I would hope I'd listen to her. Fortunately my God lets me know when something is displeasing to Him, and He has shown nothing but kindness and blessings to me.
It's shocking to know that I've seen Christians who consider themselves seasoned elders say that they'd like to see me be dragged behind a church and be beaten to a pulp by other Christians for believing in chastening an ungodly woman. Women who are too emotional to even formulate an argument or reply to the person they are angry at. Women too emotional to read and understand simple statements and proudly talk down to someone.
At least 2 Christians have said I should convert to Islam.
Even now, I feel God's grace and blessings, and not the feeling that I should submit to scornful and puffed up, abusive and hysterical women or mocking men who want to protect them.
When we have to give account of our words, I'll have to explain what I meant by my original comment. Where as the rest will have to explain why they'd want me to be beaten or even killed for living by my belief and why you talked down to me with scorn.
Elders are not emotionally abusive and they don't talk like teenagers. They don't mock young Christians for not having a girlfriend (fornication) and they don't brag about how many years they have been 'teaching' while acting like a woman who needs those same amount of years learning in silence (spoiler alert: like the bible says). Church elders don't get so enraged that they can't think straight and then slander and rail against someone for hours.
I submit to you that if you consider yourself a church elder and you've lost your composure, you may be in need of some self-reflection.