Aaron and his sons are ordained for their priestly ministry. The phrase translated as ordain, here (ומלאת יד–אהרן ייד–בניו), literally means to fill the hand of Aaron and his sons. The earliest mention of a type of ordination by the people of anyone to any kind of ministry in Scripture literally means that through ordination,... Continue Reading →
Desire Prophecy, Don’t Forbid Speaking in Tongues
Paul is writing to the local church at Corinth in order to admonish the congregation toward unity in the faith—unity through maturity. He is currently addressing the practice of spiritual gifts—particularly those of prophecy and speaking in tongues. He has admonished the local church to prioritize love, which edifies. He has also instructed the congregation... Continue Reading →
I Will Never be The Pastor Again, Anywhere
I have been thinking for a long time about the legitimacy of the America’s pastorate—not the biblical pastoral office, mind you, but the American use of the pastorate. A church hires a “pastor” to lead or rule the church. Sometimes, the pastor that the local congregation “hires” is a hireling unfree to do ministry as... Continue Reading →
Reflections on Appointing Elders in the Local Church
On Sunday, May 30, 2021, we appointed Steve Faccio to the office of Elder at The Church at Sunsites. Ordination is an odd term that is not used in Scripture to refer to the appointment of elders (pastors) in a local church. Scripture does speak of appointing to office (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5). Elders who... Continue Reading →
Pharisaism: The Religion of the Degenerate
Jesus is in the temple complex speaking directly to the chief priests and elders. This is Jesus’s third parable against them in view of the public. https://youtu.be/7dylE9wAVZY Matthew 22:1-14 22.1 Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς πάλιν εἶπεν ἐν παραβολαῖς αὐτοῖς λέγων· 2 Ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ, ὅστις ἐποίησεν γάμους τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ. 3... Continue Reading →
Against Human Religion
Jesus is in a conversation with the chief priests and elders who challenged his authority. He tells his second parable against them. https://youtu.be/o0CFBQCFU6Y Matthew 21:33-46 “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and... Continue Reading →
On Judging Pastors
The church at Corinth is divided. The body hasn’t treated Paul well. Yet, Paul referred to the congregation as a holy temple and condemned anyone who might destroy the local church by building upon the gospel foundation with anything other than the gospel—teaching Christ’s person and work because He alone is sufficient. Pastors are slaves... Continue Reading →
Be Careful How You Build
Paul continues to talk about his own ministry, the example he set when he served as pastor in Corinth for a-year-and-a-half. He and Apollos are God’s fellow workmen and the congregation is God’s garden (v. 9). Today, we see the importance of quality in the preaching and teaching ministry of the local church, which equips... Continue Reading →
God’s Just Judgment in Revelation
All of creation is perpetually measured by the standard of God’s holy righteousness. What is our place? Who is worthy to announce the Father’s just verdict? What hope do we have if we have all sinned and God must judge justly? https://youtu.be/DpQ3qE0YmmE Revelation 5:1-10 I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on... Continue Reading →
A New Church Polity?
When we look at the majority church in our day and compare that to how the Bible describes the church, we see two organisms that seem to be completely different. This is true even with regard to the polity (governing structure) of the church. In the 19th and 20th centuries, there has been a drastic... Continue Reading →