Fear of Identity

As recent posts of my thoughts make their way out into the ether I've noticed that there is a fear of identity that is rising to the surface of the comments that are being left. It's apparent that some of my thoughts and opinions are ruffling the feathers of traditionalists, but what is amazing to me is the fact that—even though they want to disagree with me—they are either too ashamed of their opinions to use their name, or my blathering is hitting a bit too close to home; thus the dreaded Anonymous moniker.

Let me start out by saying that I welcome opinions by any and all, whether pro- or con-. If someone comments—unless, of course, their language is not conducive—I'll allow it to stay attached to the post. I'd also like to say that there is no one out there of whom I can't learn. I am a student, therefore always seeking knowledge. I am also not so convinced of my understanding and intelligence that I am beyond being incorrect. I'm wrong a lot, but that's why I keep studying, and discussing, and questioning… I'm seeking knowledge and understanding.

We make a grave mistake when we assume that we know everything about any one subject. We also make a mistake when we assume that the people we've been listening to are the final authority on any subject. We are all human, therefore fallible. We will all misunderstand, misinterpret, misinform, misguide… you get the picture? The practice of questions and discussion is not to promote ire between factions of any group or creed, but rather to foster individual and corporate growth among and between us all.

When you're scared of a different opinion then you're unsure of your own.

We'd all learn a valuable lesson if we took on John's credo: I must decrease so that He may increase. We cannot magnify nor elevate GOD to His rightful place in our lives until we are willing to debase ourselves and our philosophies. None of us have arrived, we're all carnal, none of us have done anything of any significance; yet… for some reason, GOD still chooses to use us. But, He will not use us if we glorify ourselves.

Listening to our own headlines, believing our own press, drinking our own Kool-Aid… you call it whatever you want, the practice will destroy us.

I want you to feel safe in your identity as you interact with me. So, I'm going to bare my soul in the hopes that you will see that the water's fine, and be willing to jump in.

Traditions

I believe that traditions of men are exactly that. While there is biblical precedent for the teaching of traditions, there is never license given to morph these traditions into Doctrine. Because of this I believe that organizational standards are traditions. The Text does not lay out a set of minimums by which we are to live, therefore neither will I; I chose, rather to live in the maximum of GOD's Illumination. 

All this being said, there are traditions to which I live and teach to my family. While I believe that I can demonstrate the biblical principle of each of these traditions, I do not assume that this gives me the right nor responsibility to bring you or anyone else subject to the practice of my family. Call me crazy, but I expect the same courtesy from everyone else. For example, I'll be glad to remove my wedding ring when I minister to your congregation if you're willing to put one on when you minister to mine.

One final thought on the subject of traditions, I don't believe that traditions that have been established in our lifetimes have the same importance and spiritual significance of those that Paul and the rest of the Apostles taught. Nor do I believe that just because GOD called me to be a teacher that my opinions or interpretations are necessarily GOD-breathed. I have made mistakes before, and will most likely again, therefore I leave GOD a wide berth in establishing doctrine and providing Illumination. Anyone who thinks that their teachings or sermonizings are on a level playing field with those of the Apostles thinks far too highly of themselves.

Religion

In my opinion, religion is the greatest weapon in our enemy's arsenal. Religion convinces people that their religious efforts are efforts toward GOD. This couldn't be farther from Truth. Religion in all of its flavors is humanistic at best. Whether we call them denominations, organizations, fellowships… a rose by any other name is still a rose, and all of these are but nicknames for religion.

Religion separates man from GOD, while relationship reunites GOD with man.

Because of my belief about religion I tend to shy away from the status quo. I'm not attempting to be relevant or relative. I'm neither emerging nor emergent. I'm neither liberal nor conservative. Please don't bulk me into any of these groups as I don't fit comfortably into any of them. I'm trying to be a disciple of Jesus, nothing else.

If your views on any subject are a result of your denomination, your circle of friends or the collective Kool-Aid jug at which you gather from time to time, your views aren't your own, you're being a parrot. Well, I refuse to be a bird-brain for anyone. I do my best to allow GOD to shape my opinions and views in His direction.

My view and understanding of the origin and purpose of religion throughout human history has also made me very intolerable of sacred cows and envelopes. In my opinion, sacred cows should not only be tipped, they should be shoved over a cliff. As to envelopes, if they're there, I'm going to push them (consider it a type of OCD).

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All this being said, I love a good debate, and I don't always have to win. I also love a good discussion. So, relax a bit. Take off your mask of religiosity. Be confident in your position and leave us your name. Don't hide behind anonymity, be true to yourself.

But most of all, learn to live clear.

Traditions 2

I want to continue on the discussion that we began in previous posts on the subject of traditions. It has recently come to my attention that there are those in the Apostolic Movement who are are preaching and teaching the credenda that if there is anyone among the congregation who does not follow the traditions of that congregation that they should be shunned, ignored... basically, the rest of the congregation should have nothing to do with that individual. The Text that they have used to back this contention is 2 Thessalonians 3:6. So that we are all on the same page, I'm including exact quotations from both the KJV (the translation that is most often being used to back this teaching) and the ESV.

KJV

"Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us."

ESV

"Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us."

First, let's look at the biblical definition of the word tradition. Tradition comes from a koine Greek word which is transliterated paradosis. Paradosis has several definitions, but the one that contextually applies in this usage is as follows:

1. a giving over which is done by word of mouth or in writing, i.e. tradition by instruction, narrative, precept, etc.

• objectively, that which is delivered, the substance of a teaching
• of the body of precepts, especially the ritual which in the opinion of the later Jews were orally delivered by Moses and orally transmitted in unbroken succession to subsequent generations, which precepts, both illustrating and expanding the written Torah, as they did were to be obeyed with equal reverence.

By the context of Paul's usage of the word paradosis we can glean that he is referencing a previous teaching that ties directly into this particular letter to the Thessalonian Community. Also—by the context—we can see that Paul used paradosis in its singular voice, referring to a specific tradition or ordinance rather than generally all previously taught traditions. Paul is obviously reminding the Thessalonian Community to remember his previous teachings in regards to individuals who are not willing to work and provide for their families and the Community. In reading the remainder of chapter 3 you'll see that contextually Paul is specifically dealing with laziness.

Paul was not giving the instruction that individuals who do not follow any of his other teachings should be avoided. He was writing to a group of people who lived as a community, providing for the needs of their individual families, and those of the collective; an action in which Paul himself participated during his stay in Thessaloniki. He was specifically dealing with the issue of people not pulling their weight in the collective, then spreading discord through their verbiage.

People who are too lazy to get involved are normally wonderful arm-chair quarterbacks.

For anyone to cherry-pick verse 6 of this Text and establish a teaching or instruction that if an individual does not follow the traditions established in a local congregation they should be shunned or excluded in any way from the Community is adding to the Text, not to mention a huge stretch hermeneutically.

I would like to again reiterate the fact that the Paul instructed the 1st Century Community to not abolish the traditions taught to them simply because they were traditions (2 Thessalonians 2:15). However, a practice to which Paul continually adhered was to identify traditions as just that, traditions, and not as doctrine. The danger is not in traditions but in deifying our traditions as doctrine.

Another stretch that is often made is to assume that the traditions established in a local congregation apply collectively to the entire Body. Who are we to assume that our opinions and ideals are that close to God's doctrine? As we've discussed previously in other posts, Jesus condensed everything given by God to Moses and the prophets of the Old Testament to two commandments: the Shema (Deut. 6:4) and the fact that we should love this one God with everything in us, and that we should love our neighbor in the same manner and with the same veracity in which we love ourselves (Matthew 22:40). Is it possible that now is the time to teach this rather than our own private interpretations of the Text? By the way, is the Text open to any private interpretation (2 Peter 1:20)?

The time has come to collectively examine our traditions to honestly see if they are bringing individuals closer to God or blocking their path to God. This is not rebellion nor lack of submission to the God's delegated authorities. Peter admonished pastors to shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock, (1 Peter 5:2-3, ESV).

Traditions

There is a lot of controversy in the Apostolic Movement concerning traditions. The primary controversy is whether or not they should be taught, followed or otherwise. There are some who contend that because they've been taught they should be followed with no questions asked, while there are others who posit the theory that because they are traditions of men and only loosely based on the Text that they should not be adhered to, and in fact, done away with.

Over the past week I've been in multiple discussions with people from both sides of this discussion, and while I have my own view of the subject, I have learned a bit from both sides. The primary lesson that I've gleaned is the fact that both sides have both right and wrong in their positions.

Let me first spell out my position, because I'm sure that there are those of you who have already begun to be concerned for the direction I'm going, simply because I'm willing to openly discuss this issue.

I—personally—have no issue with the teaching and establishing of traditions. In fact, there are traditions that I have taught in my own family that were passed down from my parents and generations past. Biblically there is nothing wrong with the teaching of traditions. However, when the teaching of these traditions is that they are doctrine simply because they've been taught by a man of God, this is where I depart from the status quo. Paul taught traditions through his letters to the 1st Century Community, but he was always careful to let them know that they were his thoughts or traditions and not directly from God. Paul also never used God's allowance of his traditions as a license to spiritually abuse the Community because he understood completely that the people were God's not his.

The Text specifically states that we shouldn't simply do away with the traditions established by our fathers, but it also specifically instructs that each one of us—individually—must seek out our own salvation with reverence and in awe of the task. This is not a contradiction in the Text. It is possible to seek out our salvation individually without tossing all the traditions out with the bath water. This can only happen through open and honest discussion of the traditions.

Too many in the Apostolic Movement posit the theory that their traditions must be followed simply because they came across the pulpit. This is not a biblical position. While rebellion is never sanctioned nor accepted in the Text, God never intended His Community to simply be blind followers of the doctrines of man. His missional cry from Eden to the Apocalypse is for man to commune with Him, personally, intimately. In addition, God never gave pastoral license to establish doctrine, He reserved that right for Himself.

Look at what happened during the 400 years between Malachi and Matthew. The Hebrews, because they were no longer hearing from God, began to expand the Torah far beyond anything God had ever intended. When Jesus came on the scene He reduced all of their expanded traditions to simply two commandments: love your God with everything you are and love your neighbor as yourself. He even clarified this further. He said that everything in the Torah (the Law) and the Nevi'im (the Prophets) hung on these two commandments. Basically, if you miss everything else, this is all it takes.

I was recently told that my understanding of the Text was incorrect because I was ignoring the fact that all Scripture is given for doctrine, instruction, reproof, for correction, for instruction... My response was simply this: this is correct, but preaching was only given for the saving of the lost, not the maintaining of the saints. It is my humble yet wholehearted belief that God never intended for doctrine to be preached from a pulpit. I believe that His intent was that doctrine would be taught, then caught one individual at a time. I find this evidenced over and over when individuals discover doctrine personally. They simply don't want to walk away from it. Conversely, how many people are leaving en masse from traditionalist congregations?

Rejecting all traditions, simply because they are traditions is also not what God intended. There has to be a middle ground.

I believe there is.

The time has come to allow people to ask questions about what is taught and preached. Questions do not equate with rebellion nor lack of submission. Questions are what bring us understanding. For far too long the Body of Christ has been content with people simply being preached at or taught to but the instruction never takes root. We've been content for people to simply go through the motions acting as though they understand. This is a gargantuan mistake on our part. Our job as disciple makers is to teach each individual what Jesus taught, to walk beside them on their journey to salvation, always being careful not to stand in their way and block the path to their God.

God never put the onus of salvation on the shoulders of the pastors or the preachers; He placed it squarely on the shoulders of the individuals.

If you want to teach a tradition, fine, but be strong enough spiritually to explain where the tradition comes from, and that it might not be a Heaven or hell issue. Don't reject traditions without first finding out why they are there. And most of all, find God for yourself. Be intimate with Him, personally. Allow Him to penetrate your existence with His Essence and impregnate your soul with desire and unction that draws you ever closer to Him... Not to religion, not to an organization, not to a fellowship, not to a church... but to Him.