tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020592.post4725199225212055718..comments2024-03-21T12:32:39.345-05:00Comments on Frankly Speaking: Church Elders and Their Children, Part 3Frank Bellizzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949066335378651585noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020592.post-18538760051498802942010-03-26T22:16:06.944-05:002010-03-26T22:16:06.944-05:00Steven,
You raise several interesting points and ...Steven,<br /><br />You raise several interesting points and possibilities for further study and reflection. What does a faithful application of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 look like? Thanks for stopping by and offering your insight.<br /><br />James,<br /><br />I think you're on the right track. On the island of Crete, how many families would there be where the father and his grown children were believers? By all accounts Crete was a pretty wild place. Yet, Paul expects Titus to see to it that there are elders in every town.Frank Bellizzihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07949066335378651585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020592.post-49699151764762402432010-03-23T22:20:57.072-05:002010-03-23T22:20:57.072-05:00Thank you for bringing this post to my attention. ...Thank you for bringing this post to my attention. Your work and study is very helpful and insightful.<br /><br />When Timothy and Titus received these instruction, how many men would they find qualified who had been converted long enough to have raised children, obey the gospel, and 'prove' themselves before they could be qualified (if taking the one conservative view of them having older, converted children)? I know from the presumed dating of the writings that it is a possibility. However, your take on this part of the qualifications seems to make more sense when reading the text.<br /><br />I love how you brought out that pistos refers to faithful Christian identity approximately 25% of the time, therefore forcing us to consider other options.<br /><br />Again, thank you for dropping by and alerting me to your studies. I have a lot of reading to do!James Joneshttp://www.iamdrinkingcoffee.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020592.post-62169712918416695872010-03-17T13:24:50.189-05:002010-03-17T13:24:50.189-05:00Frank, I'm glad you're working through the...Frank, I'm glad you're working through these things so well. As you note in the post, these really are interpretations of consequence, that affect the behavior and structure of leaderships in the churches in some very concrete ways. <br /><br />A strict legal interpretation of the passage also necessitates excluding men on the basis of actions that may very well have preceded their conversion! This is very easy to imagine in our context and in Paul's, and it seems very unlikely and unfortunate. What about the man who becomes a christian while his children are teens, for instance, and simply don't accept his faith? What about the man who simply never had kids to start with? It seems like this verse is really intending to exclude, rather, men who simply are not skilled in leading well, and who evidence that in their lives.Steven Hovaterhttp://www.stevenhovater.com/wordpressnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020592.post-81216253210305977482010-03-16T23:13:22.959-05:002010-03-16T23:13:22.959-05:00Thanks, guys, for your encouragement.Thanks, guys, for your encouragement.Frank Bellizzihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07949066335378651585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020592.post-80322917305767263542010-03-16T19:20:12.303-05:002010-03-16T19:20:12.303-05:00excellent series Frank. Keep up the good work.excellent series Frank. Keep up the good work.Stoned-Campbell Disciplehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00807468566670784346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020592.post-65461968711036662862010-03-14T18:54:41.812-05:002010-03-14T18:54:41.812-05:00My thoughts so far... educational and insightful. ...My thoughts so far... educational and insightful. Much of what I presumed of the text, but you've provided that translational context that I think solidifies it for me.<br /><br />I think you've hit it squarely with the previous post about the perfection required of the standard that has been held up by many is nearly impossible to attain.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17927504342166012124noreply@blogger.com