Moderators Gregory Matthews Posted October 18, 2016 Moderators Share Posted October 18, 2016 See: http://spectrummagazine.org/article/2016/10/05/perspective-vision-unity-building-annual-council-2016 Quote Gregory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Gregory Matthews Posted October 19, 2016 Author Moderators Share Posted October 19, 2016 Did you read the article? The article suggested much more that that. Quote Gregory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rudywoofs (Pam) Posted October 19, 2016 Members Share Posted October 19, 2016 Quote “the General Conference is the highest authority that God has upon the earth” kinda sounds awfully smug to me.... Sure hope that's not an idea that gets broadcasted to the public — people will think we've just substituted the GC for the Holy See. Quote Pam Meddle Not In the Affairs of Dragons; for You Are Crunchy and Taste Good with Ketchup. If we all sang the same note in the choir, there'd never be any harmony. Funny, isn't it, how we accept Grace for ourselves and demand justice for others? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Gregory Matthews Posted October 19, 2016 Author Moderators Share Posted October 19, 2016 I felt that the article suggested a manner in which people who disagreed on some issues could come to a common understanding of some issues which would include agreement of good faith & sincerity of both sides, as well as how to proceed in a manner that both sides could be satisfied. Kevin H 1 Quote Gregory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators debbym Posted October 19, 2016 Administrators Share Posted October 19, 2016 8 hours ago, rudywoofs (Pam) said: kinda sounds awfully smug to me.... Sure hope that's not an idea that gets broadcasted to the public — people will think we've just substituted the GC for the Holy See. This issue of ordination of women exposes how we as a denomination have mixed views of spiritual authority in church leadership and very different ways of addressing the issue... We have no GC policy that forbids women's ordination. This is very stressful for those who reject it. They are making a call for unity to bring the various areas of the denomination into conformity to their view that women should not be ordained. This is not a call to unity with Christ but a call to conformity to those who are uncomfortable with women's ordination. This is unhealthy and exercises and new form of authority to be exercised by GC requiring the various fields in the world church to yield to the authority of these leaders views above the authority of the Holy Spirit. The success of this endeavor requires establishing to the world church the certainty of GC inherent authority above and beyond scripture. Of course this implies that they assert they are acting by the authority of the Holy Spirit but it remains without a clear biblical injunction. This eerily echos the experience of Churches who exercised authority to require members to obey the authority of leaders requirements Biblical or not or be punished and lost. This is what the religious leaders of Christ's day had fallen into. And we are nearing his second appearing. The EGW white statements of GC being the highest authority is a statement that has been made and retracted and made again clearly implying that it was a conditional statement not a permanent incorruptible divine right of authority established as long as time shall last. We have no infallible human leadership in the SDA church. This has long been discussed here on CA. and it elicited no end of dissension and passionate disagreement. Human authority does not equal divine authority. The authority of the state or the government or of leaders or educators or males or females is not divine authority. "The righteousness of God is not wrought by the wrath of man." James 1:20. CoAspen 1 Quote deb Love awakens love. Let God be true and every man a liar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Gregory Matthews Posted October 19, 2016 Author Moderators Share Posted October 19, 2016 Well, the issue of whether or not to ordain women is the most divisive issue that we, as a denomination, face today. pierrepaul 1 Quote Gregory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Gregory Matthews Posted October 19, 2016 Author Moderators Share Posted October 19, 2016 Yes, and if this is settled, there is a 2nd divisive issue that will rise to the # 1 position. pierrepaul 1 Quote Gregory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted October 19, 2016 Members Share Posted October 19, 2016 5 hours ago, Gregory Matthews said: Yes, and if this is settled, there is a 2nd divisive issue that will rise to the # 1 position. What would that be Gregory? I think I have an idea. I remember John 3:17 or was it 3:16, mentioned something a while back! Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Gregory Matthews Posted October 20, 2016 Author Moderators Share Posted October 20, 2016 In my opinion, the 2nd divisive issue would be: Denominational membership, the current debate over standards for membership. Quote Gregory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted October 20, 2016 Members Share Posted October 20, 2016 8 hours ago, Gregory Matthews said: In my opinion, the 2nd divisive issue would be: Denominational membership, the current debate over standards for membership. OK, that's not what I was thinking!! Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators debbym Posted October 20, 2016 Administrators Share Posted October 20, 2016 11 hours ago, Gregory Matthews said: In my opinion, the 2nd divisive issue would be: Denominational membership, the current debate over standards for membership. This follows on issues of Church authority and social control. When Philip baptized the Ethiopian eunuch i don't think there was a test given him to see if he qualified to be baptized. Yes yes.... i know it was a different time different social setting but i am confident he went his way filled with the Holy Spirit. CoAspen and phkrause 2 Quote deb Love awakens love. Let God be true and every man a liar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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