"there is not a single passage in Scripture which commands or even provides an example of the current popular pattern of gathering in a building on a certain day of the week to listen to one person stand up and talk about the Bible for thirty or forty minutes.
It is just not there." -Jeremy Myers, full article, do read it
I sometimes say in meetings, "All American pastors know that the Bible knows nothing of a weekly meeting where a pastor preaches a sermon."
Or do we just do it anyway, knowing full well it’s not described/prescribed in Scripture, but assume it’s Ok because that’s just what has been defined as church, particularly in the West, and since the Reformation?
ReplyDeleteGreat question. (And thanks for posting this).
ReplyDeleteI think maybe we are willfully blinded? We are afraid that if we look too deep into it, we might study ourselves out of a job. That's a scary thing to face.
OK here goes. First - we are not commanded in Scripture to gather together and listen to one person preaching but ...
ReplyDelete1) Jesus taught in synagogues - see most (infamously Luke 4.
2) The early believers gathered together in the Temple courts and were taught by the Apostles (Acts 2)
3) This pattern of gathering is repeated throughout the church in Acts and the Epistles.
4) We are specifically warned to not stop gathering together (Hebrews)
5) 1 Corinthians seems to contain some instruction about how our gatherings should be ordered and conducted.
6) Paul routinely propagated the gospel by teaching in synagogues.
Sorry, but whilst there is no command, the practice of gathering together and learning together is Scriptural.
I am amazed that Radical Believer's comments are not being deleted.
ReplyDeleteIt goes against wainscott!
Radical Believer.... please continue to think!
Wainscott is wrong more than he is right.....
In certain issues, I agree with Wainscott. But, this is not one of them. Most of "Most High Reverend Wainscott's" teaching is pure fiction and in some cases Sci-Fi...
Hey Radical, great to hear from you.,. good comments...the balance you brought out was also found in many ways in Jeremy's full article..good stuff. And sorry about Steve's comments. The only comments I delete (besides porn and spam) are his. I;ve told him that for years, but the poor guy is so in love with me/obsessed with me..that he;s non stop trying to win me back
ReplyDeleteJeremy: yes, you rock
Ahem. Paul denounced Apollos. A well known speaker. The first chapters of Corithians is a mandate against the suppression of the Spirit in favor of elegant speech. That is why Paul diminished his role as a speaker. The great mystery is that we have access to the thoughts of God, that we have the mind of Christ.
ReplyDeleteThe order of worship that follows in chapters 11; 12; 13 and 14 are based on the preeminence of the prophetic gift, dispersed to the members and gathered again as members share. This model he says, he taught to all the churches (hence, the gospel he taught).
Paul's teaching on the Eucharist as an introduction to the church service is to guard against "arrogance" in response to the Corintians separating into bickering camps surrounding teaching and were hence spiritually immature babes.
Unknown.. Thanks for stopping by. Love to know who you are.
DeleteI assume by the ahem, you are trying to disagree. But I'm not sure there is any disagreement.
I see your examples about speeches and speaking. I never said anything was wring with that, simply made the point that the Bible doesn't describe/prescibe pastors giving what we call sermons in a Sunday gathering.
Your comments about the prophetic participation by non-pastors is so good. That's actually part of my argument. A normative church gathering in the Bible seems to include teaching by apostles (Acts 4), but central is sharing by others. Blessings