Monday, April 05, 2010

R-E-S-P-E-C-T For Piper? Why?

I'm wondering.....

Why must Christians have misplaced respect for hirelings and disqualified pastors?

Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary of American English:

Respect

RESPECT', v.t. [L. respecto, or respectus, from respicio; re and specio, to view.]

1. To regard; to have regard to in design or purpose.
In orchards and gardens, we do not so much respect beauty, as variety of ground for fruits, trees and herbs.

2. To have regard to, in relation or connection; to relate to. The treaty particularly respects our commerce.

3. To view or consider with some degree of reverence; to esteem as possessed of real worth.
I always loved and respected Sir William.

4. To look towards.

Palladius adviseth the front of his house should so respect the south. [Not in use.]
To respect the person, to suffer the opinion or judgment to be influenced or biased by a regard to the outward circumstances of a person, to the prejudice of right and equity.
Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor. Lev 19.
Neither doth God respect any person. 2 Sam 14.

End quote.

Interesting....

Lev 19:15 as mentioned in Webster's above:

(ESV) "You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.

(KJVR) Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.

(LITV) You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment; you shall not respect the person of the poor, nor favor the person of the mighty; but in righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.

So, considering the definition, why are we to view with a degree of reverence of someone who has thoroughly proven himself to not be a faithful minister of the Gospel as it is written, but rather, has show outright DISrespect of God, His Word, and His Children, in open and unapologetic defiance? Why is partiality being given to such a person?

Jas 2:9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

What is to respect of one who is an impediment to the Gospel and to the growth of Christians?

“Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting” (Romans 16:17-18).

1Ti 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.19 Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. 21 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. 22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

Could it be that many churches have violated 1Tim. 5? Many pastors, and Piper and Warren are included here, not only have not ruled well, thus earning double honor, they aren't qualified at all, thus not earning any honor as elders. Could it be that seminaries have violated this command by pumping out men who think they are now pastors, when in fact they were not qualified before or when they were accepted into the seminary (seminaries usurp this authority from the local churches which is a factor in this problem)? Such men showed no eagerness to serve as deacons much less be qualified (requires EVERY requirement to be fulfilled) as elders.

Instead, should not the sheep be horrified at the shepherd, so called, who invites the wolf to dine with the sheep? What respect is there for such a shepherd?

Eze 34:2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord GOD: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep?
Eze 34:3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep.
Eze 34:4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.
Eze 34:5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts.

Eze 34:8 As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 10 Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.11 "For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.

Joh 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.

Offering wolves in sheep's clothing is the slaughter of the sheep. Piper is in this very position, offering the wolves of Warren, Driscoll, Tripp, and Wilson. Instead a true shepherd PROTECTS the sheep from the wolves, which also infers a shepherd knows what a wolf looks like and what he does, and thus can identify him. He doesn't OFFER him to the sheep!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You bring up a good point but we also need to consider "If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take not of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother" (2 Thess 3:14-15). As I commented before, this is a highly important issue, and I do pray that Piper would see his error. May we win him over with love and truth.

In Christ,

Committed Christian

Denise said...

Well said CC. Thank you.