Okay men. I sense a self-righteous pile-on a' brewing so let's talk about it for a few words.
First, this one.
I see, so what you are willing to do is make statements to other people in a community like this board that are vague and then are unwilling to give full clarification. Why make them in the first place?
So here is what your posts look like:
You want to be able to accuse others (I.e. the SBC) without setting yourself up in a position where you need to defend your accusation. Just note that such posts on this board are never really taken seriously. If you intent on being in this community in a meaningful way you are going to have to do better than that.
Hmm. What to say?
I’m not making accusations but offering observations. In theology we talk about the “ground being level at the foot of the cross.” To my thinking my observation – or opinion if you prefer that word, is as valid as yours.
As regards the dead theologians, I’m not accountable to God for Calvin’s or Arminius’ theology. To quote the old hymn, “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”
Re, the Scriptures and the original manuscripts: if you can point us to a verifiable copy of an original autograph I'll be glad to receive directions to go see it. Otherwise, and with the Bible being the best documented literary work of antiquity, I've long since settled in my mind the veracity and authority of Scripture and don't sense a need to revisit all that. The Scriptures are God-breathed, period. I choose the terms "convictional inerrantist" to describe my personal viewpoint, and believe that those who understand the Bible the best are those who simply live it.
Next, sometimes the things we read or hear stand on the merits of their inherent wisdom, no matter the source (Balaam's donkey, Pilate's wife, etc.). And yes, I am new to this venue while you've obviously been here a while.
So I'll address this by noting that on a motorcyclist hobby board I sometimes frequent my post count is 1,540 over 14 years, which yields 110 posts a year or 0.30 per day over the total years (figures corrected via edit). Outside of that I'm an avid motorcyclist and ride with a solidly Christian group of men from several different Christian faith traditions. We are frequently around non-Christians or marginal churchmen that we view as part of the mission field within our daily lives. My point? At the end of the day I spend more time in the saddle than I do on the web.
With that said, your post count here is 39,720 over 11 years, or 3,610 a year - which yields just at 9 posts a day over the total years. Bro, whether you take this old guy's word seriously or not is up to you, but you need a life outside of this forum.
Now for this one:
Very telling. Doctrine is not important but money is.
First, you obviously missed the subtle humor in the comment. But since you took it as valuing money over honoring biblical principle I’ll offer a bit of feedback.
For my part, and while I'm not particularly driven by money, I'll also note that one cannot pay his bills with "praise God." Jesus had a lot to say about money, and I recall an ancient sage who said “the laborer is worth of his hire, and “consider those who serve well worthy of double honor.” The fact is that money is a valid biblical topic, and it is spiritual to talk about biblical topics.
Next, unless someone has inherited money to live off of, their best financial asset is their ability to work. I knew that before I heard it coined in those words.
I started working at age 12, throwing newspaper and working burger joints. Post high school I spent four years in infantry units (USMC). After I got out and went back to school I worked my way through college and seminary and graduated debt free from both. I married my high school sweet heart. We borrowed to purchase all of our homes except the last one, for which we paid cash. We were into "cash as you go and debt free" before Dave Ramsey was a household word.
My wife is an accountant and I am a journalist and school teacher by training. For the first 10 years of my ministry we lived on poverty wages and qualified for food stamps - which we never applied for. Those same churches that wanted me to serve "full time" on $8,000 and $12,000 a year “and a house” didn't want me to take outside work. Life is both weird, and sometimes unjust like that in the ministry. Out of six congregations I've served, I received a raise on two of the four moves. For one move I took a pay cut because the Lord said “go through that door.” Over four of the last six budget cycles the congregation I presently serve has honored my request to distribute to the other staff a raise offered to me.
This year, however, I will have to accept it if it is offered, because my wife and I are both considered self-employed under the tax laws, and last January our insurance premiums more than doubled, going to $1,500 a month ($18,000 a year) with a $7,100 each annual deductible. As I noted above, one cannot pay his bills with "praise God." That's not being irreverent, that's just being real.
About doctrine: the Pharisees of Jesus' day argued incessantly and they had doctrinal purity. Yet we find that Jesus called them the sons of hell. What would he say about our arguing and posturing? We may not want to know…
Doctrine is important, but pastoral debates about doctrine are sometimes subtly dishonest due to selective hermeneutics, and its first cousin called proof-texting. If we are going to be heralds of the Word, let us be honest heralds who preach the whole counsel of God.
Finally, the constant arguing about doctrine is addressed in Scripture, and I suspect that many of our hotly debated topics would find little standing among the apostolic fathers.
“But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.” (Titus 3:9-10, to save you the trouble of looking it up)
Where exactly to define the line between discussion that gives rise to wisdom, and disputes that lead to division is not easily delineated, but I am certain that Jesus and the Apostles would take a dim view of our much speaking.
If our hearts are right, it’s all about the Kingdom and not our standing, status, or notoriety; and certainly not about our eloquence or argumentativeness on web forums.
