Authority Contests

Jesus, the Great Shepherd, leads only one flock. And he is our only Shepherd.

Ian Johnson October 10, 2024 0 Comments

Jesus is our only Shepherd, gives his life for the sheep, and has only one flock. He assigns us to where he wants, when he wants.

A God who Speaks, Authority Contests, Desire to have our own way, Divisions in the Church, God Acts by Speaking, God Never Stopped Speaking, God Speaks to Us, God's purpose for us, God's Voice, His Friends, His sheep, Through Jesus, Through others, Through the church, To bear fruit, To live in unity

God's calling, human organizations, Jesus' flock, Jesus' sheep, our Shepherd, sheep, the good shepherd, The Great Shepherd

You Are Not The One to Build, Part 4: God is “calling!” What does that mean?

Ian Johnson August 16, 2023 1 Comment

Linked text accompanying the You Tube video with the same name. God calls us. God’s call presents neither a question of what human has “authority” nor of human “leadership,” but of God’s right to make free use of what He gives.

A God who Speaks, Authority Contests, Divisions in the Church, God Acts by Speaking, God Speaks to Us, God's purpose for us, God's Voice, His Children, His Friends, Must Trust God to Enter, Peril of Seeking Power, The Kingdom is all around us, The Kingdom is all around us, The Kingdom of the Heavens, To be his ambassadors, To be in his image

authority, calling, callings, credentials, divine calling, education, God calling, human authority, Jesus, Jesus' authority, leadership, What is a calling

“Spiritually Traumatized” Areas Hypothesis

Ian Johnson August 28, 2022 1 Comment

States the hypothesis that one of the drivers of historical change is repeated spiritual trauma affecting conquered or subjugated cultural groups in some specific areas of the world where movements often start.

A God who Speaks, Authority Contests, Church purpose versus church growth, Divisions in the Church, Ethnic Division, God Never Stopped Speaking, Heresy, Merit, Peril of Seeking Power, Religious violence and persecution, Salvation, Social control and statecraft, Wars as consequences

conquest, cultural denigration, elite, folk belief, folk culture, folk religion, God speaks, hierarchy, oppression, persecution, priesthood, ruling elite, spiritual trauma, spiritually traumatized, spiritually traumatized area

A Few Comments on the Overall Process

Ian Johnson August 21, 2022 0 Comments

Most of the currents of modern Western history can ultimately be traced to the well-meaning decisions of Christian leaders in the early centuries to seek political sponsorship. This led to the inversion of the Gospel message, forced exile of “heretics,” the rise of Islam through the influence of exiled “heretics,” and most of the subsequent upheavals in the Western world.

A God who Speaks, Authority Contests, Changed treatment of each other, Compulsory Christianity, Desire to have our own way, Disrespecting poor believers, Divisions in the Church, Ethnic Division, God Never Stopped Speaking, God Speaks to Us, Heresy, Islam and Christianity, Islam as a Consequence, Peril of Seeking Power, Peril of Seeking Respectability, Religious violence and persecution, Repentance, Salvation, Social control and statecraft, Through the church, Truth and Falsehood, Wars as consequences, What is sin?

Christendom, Christian politics, Christianity, Christianity and Islam, Christianity and politics, Divisions in the Church, heresy, heretical movements, History of Christianity

CONCLUSION: THE SELFISH FOCUS OF HERETICS

Ian Johnson June 3, 2021 0 Comments

Even a very respectable denomination’s or church organization’s determination that a teaching is “heresy” cannot be taken, without examination, as absolute truth for two reasons. First, a deliberately divisive person’s–a true “heretic’s”– motives are selfish rather than doctrinal and usually well-hidden behind doctrine. Second, such people sometimes take control of even respectable denominations.

Authority Contests, Denominationalism, Desire to have our own way, Divisions in the Church, Heresy, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Peril of Seeking Power, Personality cults

church organization, Conclusion, denomination, division, False prophets, false teachers, following, heresy, selfish, selfishness

The “Winning” Faction may be Heretical

Ian Johnson May 31, 2021 2 Comments

Because the truth remains true even if no one believes it, it does not depend on human power relationships. Therefore, it is not safe to label people “heretics” because they disagree with us concerning doctrines that were imposed on our ancestors by right of conquest or that disagree with teachings honored by political leadership or majorities today.

A God who Speaks, Authority Contests, Church purpose versus church growth, Denominationalism, Divisions in the Church, God Speaks to Us, God's Voice, Heresy, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Peril of Seeking Power, Personality cults, Truth and Falsehood, Victory

Falsehood, heresy, Political determination, Right Doctrine, Right of conquest, Truth

Tradition May Support an Heresy

Ian Johnson May 24, 2021 1 Comment

Heresy cannot reliably be diagnosed by comparing individuals’ or other groups’ doctrinal positions or practices to the traditions of my own group and calling any that don’t match well “heretical.” Religious tradition, even Christian religious tradition, may support a heresy. Heresy is the division, not the disagreement.

Authority Contests, Disputes about words, Divisions in the Church, Heresy, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Peril of Seeking Power, Religious violence and persecution

Church, Church unity, division, heresy, Religion, Religious tradition, separation, Tradition, Traditionalism

The Departure of Organized Christianity from its Roots, Second through Sixth Centuries CE

Ian Johnson December 25, 2020 1 Comment

This is an outline of the second part of my attempt to link early errors of organized Christianity to the state of the modern world–specifically, in this part, by showing the origins and entrance of specific errors before Muhammad which profoundly affected subsequent history. Links will be added as future posts are written.

A God who Speaks, Adoption, Authority Contests, Background Information, Church History, Islamic History and Secular History Interaction, Church purpose versus church growth, Complex unity, Compulsory Christianity, Discipline or Correction, Disputes about words, Disrespecting poor believers, Divisions in the Church, Forgiveness and Unforgiveness, Free will, God Never Stopped Speaking, God Speaks to Us, God's Existence and Nature, God's purpose for us, God's sovereignty, God's Voice, Greed, Heresy, Historical Background, Index, Injustice and Lawsuits, Jesus the Son, Leaving Our First Love, Male and female, Marriage, Marriage and Reproduction, Merit, Other Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Peril of Seeking Numbers, Peril of Seeking Power, Peril of Seeking Respectability, Prophecy, Purpose of the Church, Quarrels, Regeneration, Religious violence and persecution, Replacing Relationship with Morality, Salvation, Sin, Sins versus sin, Site Index Page, Social control and statecraft, Son of Man, The Bible, Through the church, To be in his image, Trinity, Unity, Wars as consequences, What is God's Word, What is sin?

Christian Divisions, Fifth Century Christianity, Fourth Century Christianity, Hellenistic Phiolosophy, heresy, Heresy hunting, Index, Just War Theory, Monotheism, Roman Law, Roman Law and Jurisprudence, Roman Religion, Rome, Second Century Christianity, Sixth Century Christianity, Syncretism, Third Century Christianity

Conclusion–Mutual Submission to Each Other Under Christ, Not a Chain of Command

Ian Johnson December 10, 2020 1 Comment

For unity to be seen in the Church, there must be submission—first submission to Christ as Head of the Church, then mutual submission to each other. A part of this necessary submission is to submit to those God has placed in leadership in the Church. But submission to leadership must come after submission to Christ, and be an aspect of mutual submission to each other. Much division has been caused by leaders who have insisted that they, and other human leaders, should be “in command” of the church. Only Christ is rightfully in command.

A God who Speaks, Authority Contests, Divisions in the Church, God Speaks to Us, Heresy, In the Church, Meaning of Unity, Other Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Peril of Seeking Power, The universal Church and local churches, Through others, Through the church, Uncategorized

chain of command, church government, Church unity, leaders, leadership, mutual submission, submission, Unity, Unity of believers

The Ephesians 4 “Offices” are Jesus’ Gifts to the Church, not Fixed “Offices” of Authority

Ian Johnson November 24, 2020 3 Comments

Ephesians 4:11 identifies five groups of people given to the Church by Christ to equip its members to do the work of the ministry–apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. These five groups are best viewed based on their functions, and not as fixed “offices” of authority. The common Protestant emphasis on the pastor as the “boss” of the local church is unjustified.

A God who Speaks, Authority Contests, Church purpose versus church growth, Divisions in the Church, God Speaks to Us, Other Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Peril of Seeking Power, Purpose of the Church, Through the church

Apostle, authority, authority figures, authority in the Church, Church Offices, Clergy, Ephessians 4 offices, Evangelist, Laity, Pastor, Pastor-Teacher, Prophet, Teacher

Jesus, the Great Shepherd, leads only one flock. And he is our only Shepherd.

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You Are Not The One to Build, Part 4: God is “calling!” What does that mean?

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“Spiritually Traumatized” Areas Hypothesis

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A Few Comments on the Overall Process

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CONCLUSION: THE SELFISH FOCUS OF HERETICS

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The “Winning” Faction may be Heretical

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Tradition May Support an Heresy

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The Departure of Organized Christianity from its Roots, Second through Sixth Centuries CE

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Conclusion–Mutual Submission to Each Other Under Christ, Not a Chain of Command

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The Ephesians 4 “Offices” are Jesus’ Gifts to the Church, not Fixed “Offices” of Authority

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Authority Contests

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