333 Words

333 WORDS….

Evangelicals, etcetera, simply must learn to “rightly divid[e] the word of truth”. The prerequisite for right judgment is full reliance on “the Spirit of truth”.

One issue requiring “rightly dividing” is obedience. If this issue is fuzzy your christianty will be confusing and less than dynamic. Many have been messed up by improper prioritization whereby man, not Christ, is being submitted to. Let’s look at it.

Sprinkled throughout The Word is the simple command to obey God, for example….

Jn.14:15: Keep My commandments.

We don’t obey indirectly, but directly. There is no mediator between Christ and believer except the “Spirit of Jesus Christ”. Only to those in serious spiritual bondage is there a human chain of command.

But what about…. ?

Hebr.13:17: Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give an account.

This verse seems to empower and validate the salaried. But does it? Let’s look at, and learn from,….

Eph.5:24: As the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands.

Surely, for the wife, Eph.5:24 is weightier than Hebr.13:17. And since much of the church consists of wives, this takes a lot of oomph out of Hebr.13:17. However, of the two verses, Hebr.13:17, it seems, is emphasized much more than Eph.5:24, this the doing of the salaried.

And there are other verses that bring equilibrium to the overly emphasized Hebr.13:17, such as….

Eph.6:1: Children, obey your parents.

1P5:5: Younger people, submit yourselves to your elders (those older). And, Be submissive to one another.

One might argue since leaders referred to in Hebr.13:17 “must give an account” to Lord Jesus, this suggests obedience to them requires priority.

Really? Is the husband less accountable? Are parents less accountable?

Jn.14:15 is far above the other mentioned verses. Christ alone must be obeyed. Since no person has the authority to add to or take away from His words, obeying others must be understood in a very limited sense.