Theology That Bites Back
Introduction: As the aftermath of the great evangelical leadership meltdown continues apace, we find ourselves in the midst of a very interesting discussion. What do we do about evangelical leaders who flaked, evangelical leaders who wobbled, and evangelical leaders who stood firm—now that some of the smoke has cleared, and some who wobbled are starting …
My brief post on the reversal of the turnaround at World Vision generated some questions and comments, so let me chase them here. Start with the central thing — and that would concern our duty of not being the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son. If the subject is sin and repentance, …
In order for a minister’s family to fit with the qualifications that Paul addresses in Timothy and Titus, there has to be a large measure of intentionality in it. Such families do not happen in fits of absentmindedness. The minister and his wife are obviously where it starts, but as the kids get older they …
If we adopt the policy I am suggesting in the larger church — that of asking elders and ministers to step down if their children are excommunicate (or the moral equivalent) — this solves some problems, but not all of them. It actually creates a few interesting problems. One interesting problem it could create is …
Not surprisingly, there are objections to this position I have been urging about the minister’s qualification in his family. One of the more potent arguments is that this position presupposes that the father somehow has salvific powers, which runs counter to what we know the Bible teaches about the sovereignty of grace. Only God can …
I have mentioned that we should begin any attempt to institute familial qualifications for the eldership with children who have been excommunicated. We could begin here for pragmatic reasons (we have to start somewhere), but I want to argue that there are exegetical grounds for having this be the place where we draw the basic …
Up to this point someone might be excused for thinking my purpose in tackling this issue of elder qualifications in a man’s family has been to explain to us all what the standards do not mean, and all the circumstances where they don’t apply. This has been a regrettable necessity because our modern approach to …
The calling of a pastor can be a demanding, rigorous, and often thankless calling. For every televangelist with white shoes raking it in, there are a hundred men laboring in obscure corners of the Lord’s vineyard. For those who are aware of this reality — the fact that congregations are sometimes critical, fussy, envious, and …
As we continue to consider the implications of Paul’s requirements for the minister’s family, a few other considerations need to be introduced at the front end. These considerations are not in the interest of governing through exceptions — just the reverse, actually. We are coming (soon enough) to a statement of what this high standard …
I have said in other contexts that the Pauline requirements for ministry are character qualifications, and as such they are not analogous to the operation of counting rocks. Though we are discussing the requirement of godly family management, let me illustrate the point with one of the other qualifications, also having to do with family. …
