rather than the person of Jesus Christ.
Although I may be "a man under authority,"that authority is not an institution but a person!
I will not serve an institution- I serve only God and serve with servants of God.
If my service to God puts me in submission to some servant of God,then I will become obedient to that servant,
remaining always responsible for my own obedience to God,
trusting the Holy Spirit to guide me in choosing well whom to obey.
If I discern some abuse of authority,I am free to reject the authority of the abuser,
even if doing so mars the reputation of institutionalized Christianity.
In doing so, however, I remain responsible for being obedient to Christ,
for I bear the yoke of Christ, not Christianity.
The emphasis on the individual is both admirable and biblical; Christ, after all, died to save sinners, that is, me. But I would not be so quick to dismiss the communal aspect of salvation especially given the covenant relationships with Adam, Noah, Abraham and Jaco were given to the People of Israel UNDER WHICH the persons of Israel would be deemed righteous. The same carries over in the NT fulfillment. Even though you are careful to use the term "institutions", rather than "community" or "body", a disdain of such order is at the root of rebellion, as well as of reformation (small r there). Historic Christianity, like historic Israel, is the heritage of every Christian and useful for enlightenment, learning and even worship; also in avoiding error (both of heresy from without and abuse from within). Christ was a man under authority (of His Father). He also paid taxes and fulfilled OT Law.
ReplyDeleteDisdain is, indeed, at the root of rebellion, but not of reformation, at the root of which is rather discernment. One seeking to reform an institution must take care not to be a rebel, doing so by speaking/living the truth in love.
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