But Paul and Elijah did it!
From here:
Mentone, AL - Since its founding almost a half a century ago St. Luke’s Methodist Church in Mentone has been a church that by its own confession has “struggled to be happy.” The members of the congregation of just over 100 people seem to consistently struggle with one another, arguing and holding grudges.
Over the years disputes have broken out over everything from building projects to who will run Vacation Bible School, to someone’s casserole not being eaten at a church picnic.
“We have two ladies in this church that haven’t spoken to one another in over twenty years” said deacon Charles Ainsworth. “I don’t remember all of the details, but it had something to do with one of the ladies criticizing the flower arrangement that one of the other ladies had made. It’s not that we don’t love one another, we just don’t seem to like one another. “We’ve all grown up together, and we just seem to get on each others nerves a lot.”
The various pastors of the church over the years have tried to preach peace among the congregation, but to no avail. But the church’s current pastor, Rev. Prentiss Carnes recently “discovered” a verse that may be the solution to all of the strife within the church.
“I was reading in Ephesians and came across 4:26a where it says ‘Be angry and yet do not sin,’” said Carnes. “I started thinking and realized that there’s a Biblical mandate here to be angry, that perhaps all these years we’ve been getting it all wrong. May God has called us to be an angry church. That seems to be where our gifts lie, in being angry.”
And “angry” is just what they are fostering now at St. Luke’s. The church has recently made Ephesians 4:26a its theme verse and has set out to make itself known as “the angriest church in America.”
“It’s a relief to know that we’re okay” said Lillian Ainsworth, wife of Charles. “We stayed so blooming mad at one another all of the time I wasn’t sure what our problem was, but I see now that we just have a different calling by God. The Lord calls some of us to be angry and that is our calling I suppose.”
“I believe we can be angry at one another and not sin because we still love each other deep down” said Carnes. “But we need to foster this anger that we have and learn how to do it better. God commands it, and therefore we must do it.”
One of our previous posts dealt with the overall nastiness of Phil Johnson, and two of the commenters in that topic have put forth the argument that Elijah was mean and personally insulting to the prophets of Baal, and that Paul wrote that he hoped the Judaizers would mutilate themselves, and Johnie Mac’s attack dogs came no where close to rising to that level.
Of course, both of those examples are prophets dealing with enemies of God, rather than brothers and sisters in Christ. Making the argument that Elijah and Paul were, to say the least, harsh in these two examples and so its ok to be harsh is as silly as claiming a church has been spiritually gifted with anger.
July 28th, 2007 at 9:40 am
Actually I disagree on the Paul against the Judaizers… the Judaizer were not enemies in the same sense that the Prophets of Baal were. They were beleivers who thought (logically) that if God choose the Jew, and Jesus was a Jew, and Jesus was the Messiah a Jew, then one needed to become a Jew to be a true believer in the Messiah.
The issue was not whether they did not beleive in Jesus but that they saw that by living under the Law as a believer one could please God.
So this was the first Christians who walk in Grace and those who were walking in the Old Covenant.
This see as much parallel to me today as it was then.
Those who are free in Christ verses those who walk in their own works.
Yet, saying that we are still to love them. I think the difference is that we are not to be angry as you stated, but still point out that “some are trying to harm me (Paul)”.
I am not saying be like them at all… but I do not see that by calling them what they are is name calling. If one is in sin, and one points that out in love and in truth, then I think that is different than one who states falsehood against another and refuses to accept correction at all… in fact ignores that correction on purpose and then adds more to the lies that were already stated.
They then are divisive people and false teachers and I have no issue in saying that.
Now, there is a difference also between someone who is humble and can see that they “may be wrong” but does not see it… than one who insists that YOU are wrong and that if pointed out that there is more than one way to look at it, arrogantly call the other a name.
Be Blessed,
iggy
July 28th, 2007 at 10:38 am
Iggy,
While the Baal worshipers were on a whole other level of animosity towards God than the Judaizers there is some serious tensions between Paul and the Judaizers. In Galatians 4 Paul writes, “I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing.” And then in Galatians 5, which leads up to the mutilation passage, Paul writes, “Listen! I Paul tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you.”
There seems to be a bit more of a rift here than something like denominational differences. This strikes at the heart of the gospel. Although its interesting to see the most severe rhetorical device Paul uses is to riff on circumcision. What we’ve seen from SoL, AM, C?N, et al. has been far worse than that, and has been aimed at fellow heirs.
July 28th, 2007 at 10:46 am
I agree yet the point is that the Judaizers still worshipped the same God.. though in a miss guided way.
I do agree that SoL and Am and CRN are taking it to a all new level as they have defined by their own terms what and how to become and be a Christian…
Sit in Pews on Chairs.
Listen to the style of music they prefer.
Listen to only THEIR accepted teachers (they tickle their ears best and present no challenge)
Dress in a conservative manner.
and so on… it seem not too far from making one become circumcised…. just less committed! LOL!
blessings,
iggy
July 28th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
As far as the “Judaizers” stand before God, only God truly knows. We do know that works salvation cannot save.
It is openly self serving to isolate one aspect of a Biblical character’s personality and use that as a approved template for our own behavior. All the prophets of the Bible were mere men with feet of clay and sometimes the inclusion of some of their distasteful tones project the completeness of the Scriptures rather than a divine example.
The New Testament teaches and outlines the approach, behavior, and speech that comes from the Spirit and not from the recources of the flesh. It is dispicable to preach Jesus and His truth in a graceless and condescending way. We all should be broken vessels of His grace, unworthy to even be in possession of the knowledge we preach, and eternally and lovingly concerned for those who are either altering His truth or preaching another Jesus.
The body of Christ, I contend, must begin a new and earnest search for personal and collective humility empowered by His love.
PS - Just returned from a ten day hospital experienece. I am weak but He is always strong. I just hope you guys haven’t slipped too far into heresy since I was gone! (satire)
July 28th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Rick,
We’ve missed you here and have prayed for your health and recovery. Welcome back. I’m sure you can help us sort out any new heresies
July 29th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
kinda funny how they left the other half of the scripture out which says “let not the sun go down on your wrath”
July 29th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Rick,
Amen.
July 29th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
Rick,
I was wondering about you… I just thought you wised up and stopped coming by! LOL!
Hope all is well… been under the weather myself the last couple of days…
Blessings,
iggy