Apostles – Twelve Men, No Women?

It is often said that one reason we cannot have women as elders in the church is because Jesus did not select any women as one of the twelve apostles. But is this a fair argument? Jesus, Radical and Wise While Jesus was radical is His approach, He was wise too. He did not have a…

Are there Apostles in the Church Today?

The term apostle is used throughout Scripture, but is it a role that is still found in the church today? To explore this possibility, let’s consider what the Scriptures have to say. The Twelve Generally we associate the term apostle with the twelve disciples that Jesus called apostles during His earthly ministry, see Luke 6:13.…

Loving the Wacky, Not Their Wackiness – Welcoming Differences, Avoiding Division – Part 6

Exploring the possibility of real unity under one roof despite differences of opinion We Cannot Separate It’s sometimes really tricky handling people of different persuasions in the Body of Christ. In fact, some are so weird and wacky that I am inclined to want to dismiss them altogether. Creating separation seems the easiest and safest…

Rediscovering Unity in the Body of Christ

In order to better affect the nations with the blessings of God, it is paramount that we, as the Body of Christ, rediscover, nurture and enjoy the unity that we have amongst one another. Notice, we don’t need to establish unity, we simply need to recognize the unity that God has already established amongst all…

The Problem of Being Different in Church: Welcoming Differences, Avoiding Division – Part 4

Exploring the possibility of real unity under one roof despite differences of opinion When Seeing Beyond is Unwelcome                             Consider what happens in a church group when a member or two begin to think differently, and perhaps even see beyond the horizons of their group. Most groups don’t facilitate open sharing, and even where some do,…

No Rank, only Roles in the Body of Christ

Leadership is determined by the extent you influence regardless of rank. And, contrary to how most local churches and denominations have been structured and governed, the New Testament church did not use or require hierarchy when it came to leadership. The elders, whether apostles, prophets, evangelists or pastors and teachers, had no rank in the…

Hierarchical Leadership – The Main Hindrance in the Body of Christ Part 5

Part 5 (Go here for part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 6) While we have taught and even encouraged complete dependency on Jesus as our Head with mutual submission to one another, in reality we have also erroneously instituted and taught hierarchical leadership in the Body of Christ as being Biblical. The two…

Hierarchical Leadership – The Main Hindrance in the Body of Christ Part 4

Part 4 - No Rank (Go here for part 1, part 2, part 3, part 5, part 6) To justify the existence of leadership in the Body of Christ, some say that it is found throughout the biblical narrative. While it is true that leadership is seen throughout the Bible, we need to recognize that hierarchical leadership…

Hierarchical Leadership – The Main Hindrance in the Body of Christ Part 3

Part 3 (Go here for part 1, part 2, part 4, part 5, part 6) We have patterns in our Christianity that follow the exact philosophies of this world. One of these is in the area of leadership. We are aware that we should not lord it over one another, but our structures have hierarchy and…

What divides the body of Christ – Part 4

I have a dream Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King's speech, let me share my dream. I have a dream that one day we will again gather as the ecclesia, regardless of our differences, united by God’s love as expressly seen in Jesus, and letting nothing get in the way of that. Until then, the…