hi. I'm a bit in a rush right now. So I'm copying and pasting some of what I wrote to this guy "AuldSoul" in another thread link. and his hang up against "central authority" (Hi Korah, Dathan, and Abiran, that JUDE THE CHRISTIAN ELDER APPLIED TO THE CHRISTIAN IN THE "NEW TESTAMENT" Jude 11,12; Numbers 16) it goes into a little bit about, if carefully and HONESTLY and thoroughly analyzed and examined, the First Century True Christian Church (and they were not perfect in everything either) were "organized and centralized" with a "governing body" in Jerusalem for a while, and whose decisions (with the Holy Spirit, not instead of the Holy Spirit) were BINDING on the rest of the local congregations. I know, Almost, that this is another digression. but that guy brought it up. about "no organization in the NT" which is patently inaccurate. and you might be right that I did not totally totally address the eye paint comparison thing. I did not totally "dismiss it" either though. but I could have gone more into your points about it too. sorry I didn't. I will in my next posting. I did make a somewhat decent point though, you must admit, that Jezebel did her hair up too. but you never mentioned her hair being made beautiful and whatever. I was saying that comparing it with A FORMAL CEREMONIAL CAKE, DRUID PAGAN CANDLES, DECORATIONS, SELF-HONORING, SELF-GLORIFYING ELABORATE YEARLY THING "birthday celebrations" that pagan fools did in the Bible is a wee bit of a stretch. but I promise, I'll address the specific points you raised a bit later. for now, to the guy who thinks it's only in the "OT" that there's organization, and not in the "NT", he needs to read this, (and I have more on that subject written to ther people, this is just a tid-bit,) and read the Word of God a bit more carefully:
now, again, Auldsoul, you keep bringing up 1 John 2:27 and reciting that ad nauseum about "not needing a teacher" ripping it out of context and also dismissing SO MANY OTHER VERSES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT where it says "teacher teacher teacher teacher". for you to use the Eunech to try to back up your Korah like apostasy is insane. his own words to Philip, and don't gloss over them, is "how can I know sir without somone to teach me," and he was NOT referring to just the "Holy Spirit" either. the same is true in the matter with Cornlius. Peter, an Elder and Rep of the visibile Church and Arrangement, and not just the Holy Spirit alone, was needed. the Ethiopian was reading God's Word, but he needed a live visible TEACHER. to guide him. so your constant appeal to 1 John when that was talking about being taught to "know the Lord" (compare Hebrews 8:11), and the context was about people trying to MISLEAD them (2:26), not referring to true authoritative apostolic teachers, not understanding the pertinent context of that statement, and making a religion out of it almost, is very auspicious.
because what do you do with all the other verses that say "the apostles and elders direct and bind you" and "how can I know without a teacher" and "be obedient to those taking the lead among you and teaching you, giving the double honor". etc? and also analyze it. John himself was TEACHING them by writing his very epistle. there are many teaching and study points in his letters. if teaching was absolutely unnecessary by apostles and elders then why are there such things as apostles and elders in the first place, and why did John have to write anything to them about "Christ's Blood" and "keep His commandments" and about "anti-Christ"? yes it was inspired Scripture, but the point is that Paul said "be obedient to those takeing the lead and be submissive" (unlike Korah with Moses). and Philip TAUGHT that Eunech, even though that Ethiopian had Scripture in his possession. why did Paul and the Apostles and Elders meet and convene and decide matters and added "these NECESSARY things" on all the congregations, if those congregations had the Spirit and that's all that was needed?? no answers to that at all I notice. I never down-played the Spirit. but you're saying it's that and just that, end of discussion.
it was the Governing Body AND the Spirit that "laid those necessary things" working together, not instead of each other. let's not go bananas on 1 John 2, and shut our eyes to everything else in the Greek New Testament, Acts, Hebrews, 1,2 Corinthians, Jude, Reveletion 3, etc. there's a balance, in other words. also, one other thing. it says "anointing" right?? well that would apply to the anointed ones mainly. but that's a whole other debate and discussion. but even so, the Christians in the first century clearly received guidance, direction, and teaching from human elders and authority. they were not private intepreters claiming to go by just God's Spirit. that's what we have in chaotic Christendom today, especially Protestantism. a mish mosh of conflicting sects, denominations, cults, groups, all claing to go just by the Bible and by the Spirit. yet having many differences in doctrine and practice. what does that say? later.
