5 Reasons It's Great To Be Living in the Year 2020

2020 is turning out to be a good year!

The Corona Virus spreads, the stock market plunges, universities cancel class gatherings, major league sports suspend their seasons, the NCAA cancels all college championship tournaments, and people practice social distancing.

There are 5 reasons these unique events in 2020 make this year a great year to be alive.

1. We discover purpose is better than pleasure.

My friend Rick Warren has written a book entitled The Purpose Driven Life. When we feel good about life because we are surrounded by those things that give us pleasure, when the pleasures are gone, we are more likely to find our purpose. Rick says we were planned for God's pleasure, formed for God's family, created to become like Christ, shaped for serving God, and made for a mission. Worth thinking about when you can't find your favorite NBA game on television.

"When you have a sense of wholeness in God, everything comes together for good and will settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of our lives."  Philippians 4:7 (The Message)

2. We learn character matters more than comfort.

John Wooden was a great basketball coach and an amazing encourager of young men. He was fond of telling his players: 

"The true test of a man's character is what he does when no one is watching."

Social distancing allows me to ask the question, "Who am I?" I am who I am when nobody is watching. Ask yourself in 2020, "What am I thinking of when I am alone?" or maybe even better "Is my life lived as a display of good character at all times or is my life lived in a desire for great comfort at all times?" 2020 allows me to ask the difficult questions surrounding my character.

"We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope." (Romans 5:3-4)

3. We practice selflessness over self-absorption. 

The purpose of withdrawing from society is not so much to protect ourselves as it is to protect others -  the most vulnerable in our society - from the Corona Virus. In 1918, the Spanish Flu killed mostly young men and women n their 20s. In 2020, Covid 19 is mostly taking the lives of those older in years. There's something very refreshing in life when we begin thinking of others more than ourselves.

I have a close friend in Enid who's earned his Bachelors Degree in Chemistry and Physics, his Masters in Chemical Engineering, his Ph.D. in Molecular Engineering, and his M.D. in cancer treatments. He is now working on his MBA. My friend is curing lymphoma. Two patents he possesses will save lives as soon as they pass peer review and clinical testing. At lunch the other day, this man told me he didn't care if he made a dime off his discoveries. All he cares about is helping people who are dying. That's selflessness, and it trumps self-absorption every time.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or pride. Rather, in humility, value others above yourself." (Philippians 2:3) 

4. We contemplate the eternal as much as the temporal. 

The British Broadcasting Company reported in an investigative series fifteen years ago that "contemplating death changes how you think." It changes how you think for the better. 

What a great time to be alive. The entire world is thinking about death and mortality.  The British only discovered what the Bible has been telling us all along:

"Prepare to meet your God." (Amos 4:12)

One of the great blessings of the Corona Virus 2020 is that we learn to postpone our immediate gratification (assemblies in sports arenas) because of our future comprehension (a wide-spread virus that kills). The same principle of farsightedness is needed when it comes to preparation to meet our God. There's far greater benefit contemplating God these days than there is collecting toilet paper.

5. We awaken to gratefulness when we lose our settledness. 

Nobody likes disruption in life, but the old axiom, "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is true.

Rather than taking for granted our jobs, our families, our cities, our hobbies, our gatherings, and our lives, 2020 is teaching us gratefulness because we are in a season of loss.

"Giving thanks always and for everything". (Ephesians 5:20)

2020 is already turning out to be a great year.

The Moses Complex and Rulers Over God's People

Moses Strking the Rock at Meribah

There are two unbiblical practices in the present-day institutional church that foster the mistaken notion that there is an inherent authority in certain “offices of the church” that enable pastor/elders “being over other people” instead of “being the greatest servants of all the people.”

One of those false practices is the division between clergy and laity, where the former does all the work of ministry, and the latter pay the salaries of the former for doing the work.

I am not saying it is wrong to draw a salary for pastoring people, or for doing any other ministry in a local church for that matter. But I am saying that the division between clergy and laity is not a concept found in the text of scripture. 

All believers are called “ministers.” According to Jesus, there are to be no elevated positions of authority and power in His church (Matthew 20:25-28).

Sometimes people will be paid to do the work of the ministry because he [or she] is devoting full-time attention to the ministry. But that’s a far cry from being above - and ruling over - someone else in the fellowship.

The clearest example of what can result from elevating oneself over others in the congregation can be found, of all places, in the life of Moses and his leadership of Israel.

Who can forget the sad story in the Old Testament of Moses being forbidden by God to enter the Promised Land? THAT had been the greatest desire of his entire life.

But Moses made one fatal mistake that kept him from the Promised Land, and it was a doozy! What was the mistake that Moses made?

The usual reason theologians give is that Moses “struck the rock” with his staff at Meribah, instead of “speaking to the rock." That rock represented Christ. Paul tells us that the rock portrays Christ in 1 Corinthians 10. Moses striking the rock was a problem, but that does not paint the whole picture.

Early in the Exodus journey, Moses had been commanded to “strike the rock" at Meribah. He obeyed,  and when Moses struck the rock, water flowed from the rock! 

BUT, years later, coming a second time to the rock, according to the Numbers account, God commanded Moses this time to “speak to the rock." But Moses did not. Instead, in anger, Moses struck the rock again!

Water flowed anyway, but to see the whole picture of Moses' personal sin, which kept him from the Promised Land, we HAVE to understand Numbers 20:10-12 and what led Moses to strike the rock a second time, in opposition to God's command.

In verse 10 of Numbers 20, Moses stood in front of the people of Israel and chided them saying:

"Hear now, you rebels; [name calling deluxe] must WE [Aaron and I] fetch you water out of this rock?" [Temper on display.] Then, he struck the rock with his staff and abundant water came out for the people and their animals. [There is no clearer picture of the fact that the purposes of God are not thwarted by our silly acts of rebellion.]

But the next verse - v.12 actually holds the key to understanding the severity of this rebellious act. God said to Moses and Aaron:

"Because you believed Me not, [believed not what?] to SANCTIFY me in the eyes of the children of Israel, you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them."

The word SANCTIFY is from the Hebrew word "qadash" which means to “dedicate, consecrate, purify or cause to be seen as pure.”

What does it mean that at Meribah, the second time, Moses did NOT trust God enough to "set apart God" before the people?

Answer: In all other instances of the people rebelling and murming against God, Moses had been very careful to NOT speak as if he were the peoples' authority (God) over them, but to ONLY BE God's spokesman to them and to intercede for them (See Exodus 32:30-34; Numbers 11; 12; 14:1-21; and Numbers 16 as examples.) Moses recognized his place as one WITH Israel and though he WAS their servant/leader, He knew he WASN’T their authority (God)! Only God was over Israel.

So, the sin of Moses at Meribah, the sin that kept him from the Promised Land,  was Moses' failure to set God apart from himself.

Moses definitely had feelings of his own in terms of his personal disappointment in the people; but his grave mistake was setting himself above the people as their judge, spiritual authority, and even worse, their god. 

Moses made God appear unclean and impure to the people by speaking to them out of his [Moses] own angry heart and setting himself and Aaron apart and above (sanctified) among the people:

 "Hear now, you rebels; must WE [Aaron and I] fetch you water out of this rock?" [Numbers 20:10.]

That kind of hierarchical approach servant leadership is an egregious sin, one that kept Moses from his dream of entering the Promised Land.

Any servant leader that takes for himself an incorrect, inappropriate, spiritual authoritative right to speak to people that produces fear instead of love, is anathema to God back in Moses' day, and it is anathema to God today in the New Covenant Body of Christ.

This is exactly what Jesus was referring to in Matthew 20:25-26 when He said:

"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over people, and their great men exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant…” [NASV]

To make a difference between the clergy and the laity, as if the former has the spiritual authority and the latter has none, is the same category of mistake that Moses made, which caused him not to be permitted to move into the Promised land.

While in the New Covenant there is no loss of salvation when this "lording over others" happens, there is a loss of the blessings in the promised land (in a manner of speaking)

The Unbiblical Practice of Ruling Males in the Church

The other false practice that winds up elevating some people OVER others in the local church is when pastors, elders, or deacons are thought to be RULING LEADERS in the local church because of a supposed OFFICE of the pastor, elder, or deacon, that has a supposed “inherent authority” within the office. For this reason, some within a local fellowship will grant “authority” to the “pastor” [Southern Baptists have done this with the office of Deacon as well] because they believe God has given the pastor/elder [deacon] greater authority because of having that “office of” concept fostered by the KJV.

Neither of these concepts of authority over people has a textual basis in scripture and, thus, they lack a biblical foundation.

The constitution of an institutional [think 501c3 non-proft] church must grant “legal authority” to a group of trustees [or appointed people called "elders" or "deacons"], and may even call them "officers" of the 501c3 non-profit to operate within the guidelines of the state. But this is a cultural construct and practice and has no biblical basis at all.

Institutional churches may be closed by the state, but the gates of hell will not prevail against Christ's church.  "Legal authority” may be required by the state, but “legal authority” has nothing to do with “spiritual authority” in the church.

I will be taking BOTH the idea of “office of pastor” and “office of deacon” together to show the textual incorrectness of both.

I don’t deny that there were certain men set aside to serve the saints in a specific and practical way in the first century church. Acts 6 shows this as well as other passages. However, when New Testament believers used the Greek word diakonia (the KJV uses the word “deacon” the better word is “serving or servant”) to describe what was being done within that early congregation, they had in mind what had been seen in Jesus:

“Who made Himself of no reputation and took upon Him the form of a servant...[diakonos]” (Philippians 2:7).

What they had observed in Jesus, as illustrated in the washing of feet experience of John 13, His feeding the multitudes, His healing the sick, all being an example of one serving, can only be explained with the Greek word diakonia, which means “ministering or serving”. There was no hint in the minds of early disciples and authors of Scripture of any “inherent authority” in diakonia, nor was there any office of authority implied in that word either.

In fact, the general sense of the word “diakonia” throughout scripture is simply "to assist," which indicates not just to serve in general, but to work so as to benefit someone else. 

This servant spirit is in all things done for others, whether “the ministry (service) of tables” or“the ministry (service) of the Word”. Preaching truth is called a diakonea serving ministry in Acts 6:2-4. 

The ministry of serving tables through dishes and the ministry of serving truth through doctrine are both serving ministries without authority over anybody.

The Apostle Paul also uses the word “diakonos” to describe himself as a servant of the Lord (1 Corinthians 3:5), a servant of God (2 Corinthians 6:4), a servant of the new covenant (2 Corinthians 3:6), a servant of the gospel (Ephesians 3:7, Colossians 1:23) and a servant of the church (Colossians 1:25). All the passages above used the Greek word diakonos, but English translators often alternate between the English word "servant" and the English word "minister." Nothing wrong using both those English words when translating diakonos, for every follower of Jesus is to imitate Him, and He was a diakonos (Philippians Servants and ministers are the same things, and every Christian is a minister/servant. 

Paul noted that many of his co-workers were also servants. For example, the woman Phoebe is called a diakonos or minister/servant (see Romans 16:1).  

However, when King James and his translators in 1611 came across the word “diakonos” when describing Phoebe and other women (Priscilla, Lydia, etc.) they always used the English words helper or servant, and never the word "minister" as they often did when diakonos was used to describe men in Scripture.

For example, when King James and his men came across diakonis to describe Tychicus, (Ephesians 6:21, Colossians 4:7) Timothy, (1 Timothy 4:6) and Epaphras, it is always translated minister, and never “helper" or "servant."

As we have seen, the word diakonis in Scripture means "to assist" (help), "to serve" (servant), and "to minister" (minister). It is used in the Bible of both men and women. The English word "deacon" is only a transliteration of this word diakonis, not a translation of it. 

Why then, did King James and his translators call men "ministers" and "deacons" and women "helpers and servants" when the same Greek word (diakonos) describes them all? 

By 1611, the Church of England had a hierarchal structure of men who ruled over people in the church. They had  "deacons" and "ministers" (sometimes called bishops) who held spiritual authority over the laity. Could it be that English translators in the early 17th Century allowed cultural bias to creep into their translations of the Greek Scriptures to justify institutional church structure?

We do know that by the late 1500s, the Church of England had created the “Office of Deacon” and the "Office of Bishop" within the institutional Church of England, and wouldn't it be convenient if those offices could be shown in Scripture, with the Divine Right of the King to rule over everyone, wouldn't it King James? 

But let's not get on the Church of England too quickly for violating the Scriptures due to cultural bias without pointing our finger at we Southern Baptists who are doing the same thing. 

The Scriptures teach that all believers do the work of a deacon (diakonos) as servants of Christ and His people, servants of His message, and servants of one another, but one is hard-pressed to find “authority over” in that word, EVER!

Let me restate the problem with the word “office” in the English versions of the New Testament. It simply was NOT in the text of scripture! But, because the Church of England already had an “office of authority” called Deacon or Bishop, that cultural bias made its way into the King James Version. IT WAS ADDED! 

The Word OFFICE in the Bible Is Not There

Their concept of “church authority” is nowhere to be found in the TEXT of the sacred scriptures, but was a religious hierarchical system by 1611 that was carried over in the KJV translation. The translators practiced what is called eisegesis in their translation of the Greek into English, which means they read something into the text that is not there.

In fact, the word “office” occurs only three times in the King James Version of scripture, one time tied to the “office of deacon.” The other time it is tied to the “office of Bishop.” The final time in Romans 12:4 where the KJV says, “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office.”

Let’s look at those 3 times.

In 1 Timothy 3:13 Paul says this: 

“For they that have used the “office of a deacon” [there it is] will purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

The words, “have used the office of a deacon” were all used to define the ONE GREEK WORD, “diakoneo”, which is translated by A. H. Strong as: “To be a servant, attendant, domestic, to serve, to wait upon.” 

W.E. Vine, the marvelous Greek scholar of the last century, adds this about I Timothy 3:13:

 “The Revised Version rightly “omits office” and translates the verb “diakoneo” to mean simply to serve.”

The word “office” is an English addition to the text in I Timothy 3:13.

Throughout the entire New Testament, the word diakoneo is NEVER used to imply or show an office, and it certainly doesn’t imply “to rule”. It is the service done by one who is a servant to another person. The use of the words “have used the office of a deacon” was an attempt by the King James Version, as already stated, to identify an office that was already in operation at the time of translation.

But it isn’t just the incorrect inclusion of “Office of Deacon” in 1 Timothy 3:13 that leads the church astray. It is ALSO the erroneous concept of an “Office of Bishop” found in the King James Version rendering of 1 Timothy 3:1 where Paul said this about a bishop according to the KJV

“This is a true saying, If a man desire "the office of a bishop" [there it is again], he desires a good work.”

Again, the word “office” is NOT present in I Timothy 3:1. The word “bishop” is the single Greek word, episkopos which, as an aorist imperative, a noun used as a verb, means “to tend or to give oversight.” 

So, the word English word “office” was incorrectly placed in I Timothy 3:1, and the NOUN “bishop” was used to translate a VERB ("to tend, to oversee") because, as stated before, King James and his Church of England already had BISHOPS in 1611 who "ruled over people." It seems that King James and his boys wished to maintain their “hierarchical positions of authority” by adding to the Greek text words that were not found there at all. 

Adding to Scripture your cultural preference, and then demanding conformity to your preferences as if God's commanded them, is a dangerous practice indeed!

A proper translation of 1 Timothy 3:1 would simply be, 

“Whoever sets their heart on episcoping/bishoping (e.g. tending, serving, overseeing) others, desires an honorable task” 

There is no “office of bishop” at all in the text. It is just a person desiring a ministry of overseeing to which the Apostle is referring. 

The only other instance in the New Testament where the English word “office” is found is in Romans 12:4 where the KJV says:

 “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office.”

The English word “office” in this verse DOES NOT properly translate the Greek word at all. The word being translated “office” is praxis, which means “a doing or deed or function.”

Praxis is the same word Greek word in Romans 8:13:

 “...for if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds (praxis) of the body, you will live.”

IN SUMMARY:

The “office of pastor/elder/bishop or deacon” as an office that conveys “inherent authority” in the institutional church does not exist in the text of the sacred Scriptures. 

If you declare that those Scriptures are your guide to faith and practice, then you look to the Scriptures of God, not the traditions of men, for your marching orders. 

That being so, it becomes clear that we must admit that there are cultural constructs and personal preferences that give rise to the mistaken notion of male (or female) hierarchal leadership in Christ's church. 

Leadership in Christ's church is by gifting, not gender; an offer to approach with favor, not an office of authority with fear; a humble spirit of service, not a haughty status of superiority.

(Source: The above article was written by my father, Paul Burleson. A few minor additions for clarity have been made by me. My father and I have put together a booklet entitled The Bible and Authority in the Church, which is available for a free download). 

Dr. Alfvén, Today's Heresy, Tomorrow's Orthodoxy

Hannes Alfvén in 1970

Hannes Alfvén (1908-1995) won the 1970 Nobel Prize for Physics for his work on magnetohydrodynamics.

Alfvén’s work was disputed for many years by the senior scientist in space physics, the British-American geophysicist Sydney Chapman. 

Alfvén’s and Chapman were at odds with each other in large part over the peer review system in academia that qualifies a person's work as scientific and sound prior to publication. 

Hannes Alfvén rarely benefited from the acceptance generally afforded senior scientists in scientific journals. 

For example, he once submitted a paper on the theory of magnetic storms and auroras to the American journal Terrestrial Magnetism and Atmospheric Electricity. His paper was rejected on the ground that it did not agree with the theoretical calculations of conventional physics of the time. 

Hannes Alfvén was regarded as a person with unorthodox opinions in the field by many physicists. Stephen G. Brush notes that 

“..Alfvén remained an embittered outsider, winning little respect from other scientists even after he received the Nobel Prize..” (Stephen G. Brush, Book Reviews (2006) Physics in Perspective Volume 8, No 1, March 2006, pp.105).

Hannes Alfvén was often forced to publish his papers in obscure journals; Alfvén recalls in his autobiography:

“When I describe the plasma phenomena according to this formulism most referees do not understand what I say and turn down my papers. With the referee system which rules US science today, this means that my papers are rarely accepted by the leading US journals." (Hannes Alfvén, “Memoirs of a Dissident Scientist”, American Scientist, May-June 1988, pp.249-251).

Yet, Hannes Alfvén was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1970. In 1988, Alfvén was awarded the Bowie Medal by the American Geophysical Union for his work on comets and plasmas in the solar system.

Alfvén was only a handful of scientists permitted to be a foreign member of both the U.S. and Soviet Academies of Sciences.

Why am I interested in Hannes Alfvén?

In reading his autobiography and realizing that plasma physics in the year 2020 is confirming that Alfvén's theories of electromagnetic fields of currents throughout the plasma of space account for the formation, dimensions, and shapes of galaxies I am reminded that "the heresy today becomes the orthodoxy of tomorrow."

Coronavirus and the Human Death Rate of 100% - "Knowing it all ends soon, what should I do today?"

Photo: Claudio Furlan, LaPresse, Courtesy Associated Press

The United States and people all over the world seem to be in a panic over the Coronavirus.

The death rate from the heretofore unknown virus is 2.3% overall. The death rate is at 8% for people in their 70s, and it stands at almost 15% for people in their 80s. But overall, just 2.3%.

That means, for every 100 people infected with Coronavirus, less than 3 people will die from it.

And the world is terrified.

That's just plain silly. 

The human race has an actual death rate of 100%.

"People are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment" (Hebrews 9:27 NIV)

If you're living your life differently today because the Coronavirus has a 2.3% mortality rate, you're not yet comprehending that everyone (which means "you") has a 100% death rate. 

Steve Jobs once said,

Death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. Death is life’s change agent.

Death clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now, the new is you, but someday not too long from now you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. 

Sorry to be so dramatic, but it’s quite true. Your time is limited; so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.

Martin Luther King, Jr once declared:

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

The original Martin Luther, the one after whom Jr. was named, was once asked:

"If you knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, what would you do?"

Martin Luther responded:

"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree."

Luther reveals that the person "at peace with God" has no need to change the course direction of his or her life.

If you're considering your mortality because of the Coronavirus, you've not yet learned what it means to live.

Nobody is truly living until they are comfortable with dying. Peace with God brings a person to the place of planting an apple true on the last day of one's life.

This peace with our Creator comes from trusting the truth that He in His love for you,  has done for you through His Son Jesus Christ what you could never accomplish for yourself.

Christ died that I might live.

Pardon me as I go plant my apple tree.

Remember Them Who Rule Over You and Submit!

Paul and Mary Burleson, Wade's parents

To those who are regular readers of Istoria Ministries, the article today is a doozy! 

It's written by my father, Paul Burleson, who is drawing close to "four score" years of age. 

In the 1970s, he served as pastor of a Southern Baptist church in Fort Worth, a church that the Convention recognized as "one of the largest and fastest-growing Southern Baptist churches in the nation."

I can remember hundreds of seminary students flocking to hear my father  speak every Sunday night when I was in high school. Administrators and professors of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary were members of  the church where my father taught, and many "big names" in the Southern Baptist Convention became very close to my mom and dad.

My mom, Mary Burleson, waited till the four kids were out of the home, and then she launched her career, becoming a highly sought-after professional editor of books and textbooks. 

When Paul retired from being a vocational pastor at the age of 57, he began traveling the country with Mary, and they held pastors and wives conferences. Paul still teaches regularly, and if you want someone to encourage your people - both old and young - send him an email at vtm@cox.net. 

This morning, I saw a Facebook post that my dad wrote.  I tried to share his post on Twitter, but the link broke. So, I decided to place what Paul Burleson wrote in html (with links) on Istoria.  

I have two thoughts on the article you are about to read: 

1. We should all have more friends like Paul Burleson on Facebook, for he accepts and cooperates with all who disagree.

2. We ought to "share the dickens" out of this post, because it shows a respectful disagreement to the traditional Southern Baptist view that pastors/elders have "authority over God's people."

Thanks, Dad, for your encouragement! And, thanks Mom, for your professional editing of my newest book The Face of Grace!

________________________________________________________________________

A WEEKEND WORD ABOUT A WEAK TRANSLATION OF THE WORD

Paul Burleson

It has happened again!

Wade, our son, who is involved in the current debate about women in ministry in the SBC, has been challenged about his view of authority in the local church with the challenger quoting the Hebrews 13 passage as absolute textual evidence that elders are suppose to rule and that men only are to be elders [think "pastors"].

The writer correcting Wade said this, “Has Pastor Burleson overlooked the verse in Hebrews 13:17 -

"Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account?” (Hebrews 13:17)

Bam!

Close the door on any argument at all. The biggest statement for the idea that elders (pastors) rule over God's people and we should submit to them has just slammed the door shut on any disagreement. Right?

Wrong!

Let’s look carefully at that Hebrews 13 passage.

There are three verses in Hebrews 13 that could, at first glance with a Western mind set, be used for "the right of elders/pastors" to be "in authority over others" within the church., and for this authority to reside in those who hold “the office of elder/pastor."

But let's look at these three verses carefully and see if they say what those who believe in male pastoral authority believe they say. The verses are Hebrews 13:7, 13:17, and 13:24. In the King James Version they read:

“Remember them [presumably elders they say] which have the rule over you, [presumably those who hold the office of elder/pastor] who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.” (Hebrews 13:7, KJV)

“Obey them [presumably elders/pastors again] that have the rule over you [they think those who hold the office of elder/pastor again] and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” (Hebrews 13:17, KJV)

“Salute (to draw to one’s self) all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.” (Hebrews 13:24, KJV)

There are several observations that need to be made about the above three verses:

(1) Notice that the word “elder” does not actually appear in these verses at all

I added the word “presumably” in the above translations to show where some people think that the word "they" should be read as elder/pastor. But the word “elder” or "pastor" is simply not there in the more accurate translations.

(2) The word “over” is not actually in any one of these three verses either. 

We will lay it aside as an unfortunate and an unwarranted addition to the text by translators. It simply is not there in the better English translations.

(3) It’s also worthy of note that the Hebrews 13:7 verse is written in the past tense though “incorrectly” translated by the KJV in the present tense.

So, Hebrews 13:7 is correctly translated this way:

“Remember them who were your guides (e.g. 'your pioneers, those who led the way'), whose faith you are [presently] to imitate, taking note of how they were faithful to the very end of life.”

In context, Hebrews 13:7 as a verse reminding the early Hebrew Christians of all those faithful "pioneers of the faith" mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11 and Hebrews chapter 12, many of whom died for their faith. 

It follows then, in terms of proper exegesis, that Hebrews 13:6 is a reminder not to fear what man can do to me, but follow the example of those who've gone before (the Hall of Faith). And that is exactly the conclusion the writer of Hebrews wishes us to have: 

...so that we confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.
                          What will man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6).

The entire passage in Hebrews 13 is a help for Christians to learn how not to fear man. 

The men and women of faith listed in Hebrews chapter 11 and Hebrews chapter 12 did not fear man. They gave their lives because of being fearless. It may even include the Apostles themselves. 

To make "them" in Hebrews 13:7 to mean “elders/pastor” is not an option in terms of proper biblical interpretation. 

Ironically, the "them" to whom the writer of Hebrews refers includes Rahab (Hebrews 11:31), women (Hebrews 11:35), and other unnamed women of faith "of whom the world is not worthy" (Hebrews 11:38). Please note that the English word "men" in Hebrews 11:38 is not in the original Greek text. The pioneers of faith, "them who are our guides" and "of whom the world is not worthy" includes men and women. 

 (4) In Hebrews 13:17 three words give us some trouble as translated in the King James Version or read with a Western preconceived idea of meanings. 

As mentioned above, the word “over” is not in the text, so we will drop it. The 3 words are: Obey, rule and submit. 

"Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you." (Hebrews 13:17).

Obey - in the Greek it is peitho. This word means to persuade, to win over. When it is in the passive and middle voices, it means to be persuaded. In Acts 5:40, peitho is in the passive voice and is translated “they were persuaded."

The obedience suggested in the text is NOT by submission to any authority, but agreement resulting from persuasion (see W. E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words).

So, according to Vine’s Dictionary, the word peitho (wrongly translated "obey") means to follow the pioneers because you "have been persuaded” by their testimony, their lives, and their faith to the end. 

The word  does not mean obedience the way the Western mind thinks of obedience at all. The “willingness to follow” of Hebrews 13:17 is due to an internal reasoning and agreement that results from persuasion, not an external conformity that is the result of authoritative control.

(Side note from Wade: "It is for this reason, if any pastor demands your submission, you must resist because you have not been persuaded.")

Rule - is the Greek word hegeomai. This word means “to lead, to go before, to be a leader”; it does not carry the connotation of ruling over, but of being out in front doing a particular task in a church (see Strong’s Word Studies).

So, what needs to be seen here is that the Greek word translated “rule” in this verse and verses like it, is not a translation but a redefinition of one Greek word. Hegeomai, which is translated "rule over you" by King James' translators in Hebrews 13:7 and 17 and 24 [Strong's #2233] which is normally translated “count,” “esteem,” “to lead” or “to go before.” 

"Them that have the rule over…” is a substitute redefinition by King James' translators. There is no connotation whatsoever of “ruling over.” Remember thaemthat go before you.

So, according to the Scriptures, true leadership is nothing more than going out in front.

Submit - is the Greek word hypeikete. This word is in the present imperative active tense, and it means “to choose to submit or to follow or to yield”. This is that word’s only appearance in the New Testament, and most likely should be translated “yield.”

There is a Greek word that means “to be subject to and obey”. That word is peitharcheo (peith-ar-KAY-o), one of the words built upon “arche” meaning “ruler”. It is found three times in the New Testament, twice in Acts (5:29 & 27:21) and once in Titus (3:1).

There, and in other writings outside the New Testament, it describes obedience to someone who is in civil authority or to God, but that word is not the word used here and it is not ever used for relationships in the local congregation in terms of members "obeying and submitting" to the authority of a pastor/elder. 

Even Paul counted himself as a fellow servant. He said in II Corinthians 1:24:

 “Not that we have dominion [archo] over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy, for by faith you stand.”

(Note from Wade: Any man in a position of pastor/elder who seeks to "take dominion" over your faith, is violating the words of Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul, and is guilty of spiritual abuse). 

(5) For a better understanding of Hebrews 13:24 see the above for Hebrews 13:7 and the meaning of the Greek word translated “rule”.

So, the better English translations of Hebrews 13:7; Hebrews 13:17; and Hebrews 13:24 would be:

“Remember them who have [past tense] been your guides, [think "the people of faith" in Hebrews 11 and 12] who led the way with the Word: whose faith imitate, considering the strong way they ended their life.” (Hebrews 13:7)

“Choose to yield to those who are out in front leading you because you are persuaded they are likewise being faithful in their task, knowing they will be held accountable.” (Hebrews 13:17)

“Embrace all those who are your guides or leaders, as well as all the Saints. They of Italy embrace you as well.”(Hebrews 13:24)

There is simply no concept in this entire Hebrews passage of anyone "lording over" or being "in authority over" someone else in the church. There is no biblical (textual) justification for an office of any kind in the New Testament local church that carries "inherent authority" vested in it.

This is not to say that there cannot be ministries that people can be called to vocationally (pastors), or volunteer ministries (deacons) within a local church, but the sacred text tells us that gifted men and women of faith, whose lives have been an example of perseverance in the faith, are those people we should allow to persuade us of the truth in Christ, yielding ourselves to what they have to say because of the example they've given us. They are our pioneers. 

The New Testament does not teach that there is some kind of "office of authority" in the church.

Though the establishment of “hierarchies of title, offices, and positions” with inherent "authority over people" is certainly a cultural concept, Jesus, the Apostle Paul, and the entire New Testament tells Kingdom disciples that "it is not to be this way among you." 

Christ's Kingdom Advances When Gifted Males and Females Serve and No One Rules Over Anyone Else

It seems that my writings on biblical leadership in Christ's Kingdom - leadership that is based on gifting, not gender;  on character, not control; and on the persuasion of principle, not any position of power -  have caused a storm on social media among Christ-followers who identify as Southern Baptists.

There are some striking similarities between churches that practice same-sex leadership and men who enter into same-sex marriages. The Bible clearly teaches that marriage is designed by God to be a shared blessing between a gendered man and a gendered woman, just as the Bible clearly teaches that church servant/leadership is designed by God to be a shared blessing between gifted men and gifted women. There are no "render by gender" spiritual gifts in the body of Christ. Men and women receive the gift of teaching, prophecy, knowledge, wisdom, etc...

But because of an infatuation with an unbiblical doctrine called "male authority," males in Southern Baptist leadership work hard to silence gifted females.

Rampant homosexuality in the culture is often the product of radical patriarchy in the church. Both sins are about power, submission, and authority, with one person having the dominance, and the other person having the submission.

In this post, I wish to show you how an evangelical church affiliated with the SBC thrives under gifted shared servant/leadership of both males and females. 

Jesus taught His disciples that they were not to ask questions about "who is in charge." We are to inquire "how may I serve." For nearly a quarter of a century, I have been cautioning Southern Baptists that the major issue in our Convention revolves around "authority"- men have it, especially men in "the office of the authority of pastor" and women don't. 

The great crisis in American evangelicalism today is male infatuation with authoritarianism in the home and church. 

Dr. Tom Nettles of the Founders Ministries writes:

"(Wade) Burleson asserts the idea of a 'submissive attitude' on the part of a woman is a violation of the New Testament standard, a direct contradiction 'to the infallible and inerrant teaching of the New Testament.'"

That's not correct. Nowhere have I ever said such a thing. Women are called by Christ to have a submissive attitude, but I'm declaring that the Bible teaches Christian men should have a submissive attitude as well!

Back in 1998, the Baptist Messenger, our state Baptist paper, published the following letter from me:

As you can clearly read, Dr. Nettles has misrepresented my position, most likely unintentionally.  Maybe Tom can't imagine how a male Christian can have a submissive spirit toward a female, be it his wife, or a gifted servant/leader in Christ's Kingdom, including the local church?

Time To Be Constructive, Not Critical

I've been pastor of the same church for the last 28 years. I served two terms as President of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (2002-2004). I've also served two terms as Vice-President of the BGCO, and served many years on their Board of Directors. I have also served as a trustee of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, and in 1995, I served as Chairman of the Denominational Calendar Committee of the SBC during the sesquicentennial celebration.

The Director of Missions for the local Cherokee Strip Baptist Association is a member of the church where I serve. Our church has given well over $3,000,000 dollars to the Cooperative Program since 1992. In addition, our church has directly funded local and global mission efforts, spending millions of additional dollars on projects like the following:

1. A community planning center for the largest ethnic minority group in Enid.
2. A soon-to-be-opened women's shelter for abused and abandoned women.
3. A men's prison transitional housing center (the men come to Emmanuel Enid on Sunday).
4. A kitchen and shelter for the homeless in our community.
5. A hospital, orphanage, and community planning ministry in Niger, Africa.
6. Water well drilling equipment and training for over 100 water wells in Africa.
7. Direct mission support to missions in New York City, Guatemala, and a host of other mission points.

I share the above facts to only point out that Emmanuel Enid is heavily invested in missions locally and globally. We love cooperating with churches from all different regions, churches who do things different from us. Yet, some have called for Emmanuel Enid to be removed from the Southern Baptist Convention because we have women in leadership roles at our church (I Timothy 3:8-12).

How Emmanuel Enid Does It

Lauren Daigle singing at Emmanuel Enid

Unlike many typical Southern Baptist churches, we believe servant leadership in the local church and the home is never based on gender.

At Emmanuel Enid, we have a Leadership Team composed of 12 people, six men and six women. The 12 include the Chairpersons of our seven standing church committees (Finance, Personnel, Missions, Building and Grounds, Special Events, Emmanuel Christian School, and Deacon Service Committee), plus five trustees. The Deacon Service Committee has 30 servants on it, fifteen men and fifteen women, all of whom all meet the character descriptions found in I Timothy 3:8-13, just like Phoebe met the character qualifications of being a deacon (Romans 16:1).

Pastors at Emmanuel are servants. Nobody has authority over anyone. We serve according to our gifts. To us, a pastor is a "verb of service," not "a noun of status."

If you wish to read an official "white paper" on how Christ is the Head of His church and men and women serve as gifted, then I would urge you to download The Bible and Authority in the Church, a paper written by my father and me, print it off and regularly read it.

If a man or woman in our church has the gift of teaching, they teach. Christians from both genders who have the gift of prophesying preach. We don't have rules about "mixed company" and we don't restrict women from teaching in mixed company because we don't see any universal restrictions against women in Scripture.

"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy" (Acts 2:17). 

Women preach at Emmanuel Enid on Sunday. When that happens, it is no different than a man preaching. "Sons and daughters will prophesy" is the Scriptural teaching.

Some Christian men seek to restrict females from serving as they are gifted by Christ because of the awful and unbiblical doctrine called "the inherent male authority over women." Many years ago, I wrote a forward for Jon Zens' book, What's With Paul and Women:

"The viper known as 'the doctrine of male authority' has bitten the church. The toxin emitted by this errant teaching affects the females within our assemblies. It debilitates their God-given gifts, denigrates their Spirit-led ministry, and downplays their role as new Covenant priests. Those of us who have seen the church bitten need assistance, and help has arrived. This book will help you suck out the venom of male-only authority within the church. It will do so by helping you be able to articulate Jesus' view of the equality of women and then revealing for you how Paul's words in 1 Timothy 2 are consistent with Jesus' own teaching and ministry. You will be able to point out to others how the modern institutional church has misconstrued and misinterpreted Paul's writings on the subject, while at the same time ignoring Jesus' words and life on the same subject."

Objections to Shared Leadership

Some who read my writings on shared leadership object to what they read and point to three or four verses that at first glance seem to teach that women should be silent and men should lead.

Let's be clear. I am saying the Bible teaches just the opposite of what those objectors say it teaches. I see the Scriptures to clearly declare that Jesus Christ and His early followers taught us that servant leadership is based on gifting, not gender; character, not control; and a spirit of service, not a position of power.

If I'm right, then I must respond to those few verses that seem to say something different than what I see the Bible to clearly teach.
.
For example, what about I Timothy 2:9-15? (see Artemis and the End of Us: Evangelical Errors Regarding Women).

How about I Timothy 2:12? (see 'The' Woman of Error in I Timothy 2:12).

What about I Corinthians 14:34-36? (see A Free Speech Ekklesia for All Brothers and Sisters).

What about Hebrews 13 and "obey those who rule over you"? (listen to this message).

Just like Southern Baptists were once wrong on the subject of slavery, so Southern Baptists today are wrong on the issue of male authority.

The Bible clearly teaches that both men and women are to minister and lead in Christ's Kingdom and in our Southern Baptist churches.

The problem in the SBC is men acting like "Gentiles" (Jesus' words) and seeking to exert power, authority, and control over people. Power. Authority. Control.

When Jesus is the only authority over His people, then His people - His people means every brother and every sister in Christ - are empowered to serve as Christ gifts and commissions us.

Welcome to the Gender Ball Game Dr. Tom Nettles

Today, Founders Ministries published an article by my friend, Dr. Tom Nettles, where Tom takes me to task for writing that the Bible teaches leadership in the home, the church, and society is never gender-based.

I think Founders Ministries brought out the big gun (Dr. Tom Nettles) because the article I wrote this week entitled The 2000 BFM and the Theological Triage Tragedy struck a chord.

I learned a long time ago that when a big gun is fired, people are concerned. A writer only receives flak when flying over the target.

I seem to be successful in convincing Christ-followers within the Southern Baptist Convention what true, biblical, Christ-like leadership looks like, enabling them to lay aside the traditions of men.

Tom writes that "Burleson cites Scripture and condenses ideas that are false or have no relation to the position he wants to establish." 

The position that I wish to establish is that leadership in Christ's Kingdom (eg. "the church") is always based on gifting, not gender; humble character, not hubristic control; and a spirit of service, not a position of power. In other words, gifted males and females are part of shared leadership in the church, the home, and in society.

Tom writes that "Burleson overlooked passages like Hebrews 13:17." 

No, Tom, I haven't overlooked it at all. This message I preached on Hebrews 13:17 was delivered to my church nearly ten years ago. 

Tom writes that "with breathtaking confidence, Burleson asserts that it is a mistake to teach male leadership in the home and the church...(and) the idea of a 'submissive attitude' on the part of a woman is a violation of New Testament standard."

No Tom, you misunderstand. I'm not saying it's a mistake for females to have a submissive attitude toward males. I'm saying it's a mistake for males not to have a submissive attitude toward females. I'm also not saying its a mistake for a gifted man to lead. I'm saying it's wrong and sinful for a man to keep a gifted woman from leading.  As far back as 1998, two years before the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message was adopted, I pointed out to Southern Baptists that the Bible teaches mutual submission of the husband and wife, mutual leadership of the man and the woman, and mutual love of men and women (see image below).

Tom writes that "(Burleson) should consider arguing that John Broadus's argument against women...speaking in a mixed assembly...did not represent the general consensus of Southern Baptists at the time."

Tom, I agree with you! I can't disprove that John Broadus's views on women did not accurately present Southern Baptists' view of women "at the time" (eg. 1850s and 1860s). But John Broadus was wrong!  Just as he and the other FOUNDERS (pardon the pun) of Southern Seminary were wrong about slavery in terms of their interpretations of the Bible. Only the Bible is infallible;  man's interpretations of it are not.

As Southern Seminary recently reported, Southern Founders John A Broadus,  James P. Boyce, Basil Manly Jr., and William Williams, all owned more than 50 slaves between them. Shame on them. Yet, they all used their faulty interpretations of Scripture to justify slavery.

I'm uninterested in debating Founders' views on women. I'm only interested in telling others what the Scriptures teach.

Tom quotes the Philadelphia Association and says (in agreement with the Association) that "women in the church of God should be silenced (and that the Bible)... excludes all women whomsoever from all degrees of teaching, ruling, governing, dictating, and leading in the church of God.”

Hogwash. That is not what the Bible teaches. The overwhelming teaching of Jesus and the New Testament is that men and women as gifted by Christ (the Head of the church), and as led by the Spirit, and as called by the church, should serve others without restrictions.

But what about I Timothy 2:9-15? (see Artemis and the End of Us: Evangelical Errors Regarding Women).

But what about I Timothy 2:12?  (see 'The' Woman of Error in I Timothy 2:12).

But what about I Corinthians 14:34-36? (see A Free Speech Ekklesia for All Brothers and Sisters).

Now, I'm asking you a question. Why do you base your views on three passages of Scripture that at your first glance "prohibit women from speaking or teaching," but you ignore the overwhelming and clear teachings of the Scripture that all men and women who follow Jesus are to serve as the Holy Spirit gifts them?

The Bible clearly teaches that both men and women are to minister and lead in Christ's Kingdom and in our Southern Baptist churches.

For further reading, peruse A Biblical Primer on Women in Christian Ministry.

The problem in the SBC is men acting like "Gentiles" (Jesus' words) and seeking to exert power, authority, and control over people. Power. Authority. Control.

PAC men (Power. Authority. Control. men) are running the SBC, but the days are soon coming when the Spirit will move and Christ will become the Head of His people and this infatuation with authority and control will come to an end.

Spiritual power trips typically end in twisted trysts of sexual submission.

When Jesus is the only authority over His people, then His people - that means every brother and every sister in Christ - are empowered to serve as Christ gifts and commissions us.

I tried to write a comment to Tom's post on the Founders Ministries website. The Founders would not let it through. So, in closing, I ask you to read my full response to Dr. Tom Nettle's article. The comment was written "off the top of my head" in about 2 minutes, and I post it here without edits, in case the Founders at some point in the future decide to take my out of 'moderation.'

WADE'S RESPONSE TO DR. TOM NETTLES:

"Tom, I'm honored you would respond to my writings. The "office of pastor" may have a long and early pedigree in Baptist history and ecclesiology, but you may be missing my point. Slavery has had a long and early pedigree in Southern Baptist history and ecclesiology. Neither one of us would say it has precedent in Scripture (at least I don't think we would). However, Southern Baptist preachers during the 1850s and 1860s would have defended tooth and toenail the right - those pastors would say the biblical right (I have their sermons) - for Southern Baptists to own, trade, and purchase slaves.

My point is that the BIBLE - nowhere - speaks of "the authority of a pastor to rule over people." Period. The Bible refers to Christ as the one with authority over His church, and He gifts men and women as He pleases. We are His body, and there is only one Head. A multi-head church doesn't exist, no matter how long and how often Baptists try to say a "Pastor" has authority over anybody. I've written a book called "Fraudulent Authority: pastors Who Seek to Rule Over Others."

If "ordination" means that a person is bestowed some "mystical authority" over God's people, then I am against ordaining women - and men.

Christ gifts His people - men and women - as He sees fit. There are no "render by gender" spiritual gifts. The men and women gifted with teaching should teach. The men and women gifted with prophesying should prophesy (preach). The men and women gifted with serving should serve. Those are the "roles" of the church.

Now, if a local body of Christ which incorporates as a 501 C-3 wishes to designate a man or a woman to be a "pastor" of that non-profit, then they must file papers with the state and declare who is the local 501 C-3 "pastor" - for tax purposes and for officiating marriage ceremonies. However, few people realize that "legal authority" in any church is not the pastor, not the members, and not even the congregation. Legal authority - as defined by the state - are those men and women listed as "trustees" on the Secretary of State Certificate of Incorporation, and those so designated in continuing By Laws.

Baptists have historically been "people of the book." We wrote our Confessions first (1644), and in that London Confession, the "ordinances" (baptisms and the Lord's Supper) were called "Christ's ordinances," not church ordinances, so any convert of Jesus had the privilege of baptizing others they led to Jesus, and any convert had the privilege of sharing the bread and the wine with other. By 1689, after the Presbyterians issued their Westminster Confession, Baptists in London wrote another Confession to more align with Cromwellians ruling England. It's then that this mystical idea of "an office of pastoral authority" came into existence among Baptists. King James and the Anglicans, Cromwell and the Presbyterians, and other denominations all viewed "the office of bishop" as an office of authority, and only they (eg. "the bishops") could handled "the ordinances."

I know you read Gill (as do I), and this brilliant Hebrew linguist convinced me that the ordinances are Christ's, not the church, and every follower of Christ is a minister.

Some just happen to get paid.

I'm pushing back against this awful doctrine that "Preachers" or "Pastors" (i.e. MALES) have some kind of inherent authority over females. The doctrine of eternal subordination of the Son was ruled heresy a long time ago, but it lives today in the hearts of many attempting to keep females eternally subordinate to males.

I appreciate the friendship with you and Tom Ascol, and I must say, I'm flattered that the big gun is now writing in opposition to what I write.

I must be making progress in raising the awareness of what I deem a more biblical view of women and leadership. Though you know history (as do I), the interpretation of the Bible can change to more accurately reflect the teachings of slavery.

Ask our Southern Baptist pastor friend, Dwight McKissic, or my fellow Teaching Pastor at Emmanuel Enid, Abraham Wright, if they are glad Southern Baptists changed our interpretations of Scripture on the issue of slavery.

Southern Baptist will also one day have a more biblical view of women.

The Holy Spirit will see to it (Acts 2:17)."

More to come...

A Chilling Crisis of Power, Control, and Authority: An Open Letter to the Southern Baptist Convention

Wade and Rachelle, Valentine's Day, 2020

I am a third-generation Southern Baptist preacher. 

I have been pastor of the same Southern Baptist Church for the last 28 years and married to Rachelle for almost 40 years. 

I voted for Donald Trump in 2016, and I intend to vote for President Trump again this year. 

I was the driver for Paul Pressler during the early 1980s as we went from church to church, recruiting Southern Baptist pastors to show up for the Southern Baptist Convention.

I was part of the platform security team for Paige Patterson. I believe in every word of the Bible! I have no hesitation calling the Bible inerrant and infallible, but I also fellowship with many Greek and Hebrew scholars who have a problem with the word inerrant.

Anybody that calls me a liberal hasn't met a liberal. I'm conservative in theology, politics, and lifestyle. 

But I am deeply troubled by what I see in the Southern Baptist Convention.

Demands for conformity have overtaken a desire for cooperation.

Conform, David Uth, Or Else!

Dr. David Uth, Pastor of the historic First Baptist Church, Orlando, Florida, has been pressured and bullied to conform by the Southern Baptist Executive Committee. They've demanded that a woman David chose to speak at the Pastors Conference not speak. This woman, Hosanna Wong, has blessed the people of David's church, FBC Orlando, through an original spoken word she performed during their worship services. David wanted Hosanna to perform a Christ-exalting spoken word at the 2020 Southern Baptist Pastors Conference. 

The men in power, the men in authority, the men in control, the "SBC PAC men" is what I call them, said "No!" to David Uth. 

They played a game of Hardball Religion with the Pastor of FBC Orlando.

This past Tuesday, February 18, 2020, Mike Stone, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the SBC, violated the Executive Committee's tradition of transparency and moved the Executive Meeting behind closed doors where secret sessions soar as silent and supreme sanctuaries for saints in sin. 

The Executive Committee came out of the darkness, where democracy dies, and declared that no
woman will speak at the Pastors Conference.

Goodbye, David Uth.

He will voluntarily no longer serve as President of the Pastors Conference.

Could you ever imagine the day when the senior pastor of the First Baptist Church, Orlando, Florida, the historic first church in the host city of the Southern Baptist Convention, would be marginalized, humiliated, and blackballed by leaders of the SBC?

David Uth is out as President of the Pastors Conference because he will not violate his principles for the sake of conformity.

But it gets worse.

Conform, Russell Moore, Or Else!

That same Executive Committee, behind closed doors, created a task force to investigate the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. That's a polite way of saying they are going after Russell Moore's job. Members of the Executive Committee don't like that Russell Moore has spoken truth to power, and they want Russell to conform to their demands and be silent about Trump.

The Southern Baptist Convention needs Russell Moore. No leader should have absolute power. All leaders, whether religious or political, should tremble at the thought of accountability to people. That's true liberty.

It's a dark day when a Convention allegedly built on cooperation around missions demands conformity on political views. The Fundamentalist Forum has been advocating an "investigation of Russell Moore" since 2017. The FF is not even SBC, it's an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Forum.

But guess what? The finest independent Fundamentalist Southern Baptists have ever produced, Paige Patterson, is back in the limelight. He opened his newly built home to help film the video announcing the new creation of a right "wing" of the Southern Baptist Convention called the Conservative Baptist Network. 

Patterson's protege, Scott Coulter - husband of Sharayah Coulter - filed the digital application for the Conservative Baptist Network.

Fundamentalism is all about power, authority, and control. 

In that kind of environment,  sexual predatory behaviors are allowed to fester because those in power will deal with the problem themselves, not involving law enforcement. It's not needed, they believe. They are God's vicars on earth.

Thus, the sexual abuse crisis in the Southern Baptist Convention during the last 20 years.

Conform, Beth Moore, Or Else!

Is it possible for you to imagine that the most recognized and most popular woman in the Southern Baptist Convention is marginalized, denigrated, and excluded by men in leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention? 

When SBC male leaders make out Beth Moore to be the enemy, then we have a historic problem in the SBC. 

It is because of men like Russell Moore and David Uth, women like Beth Moore and Rachel Denhollander, and other people with the courage of convictions, people unafraid to speak what they believe while cooperating with those who disagree, that make our Southern Baptist Convention great. 

We need people who are unafraid to express truth to power, exalt Christ to the nations, and encourage churches to love people and follow Jesus. We need them.

Conform, Wade Burleson, Or Else!

I believe the infallible and inerrant Scriptures teach shared leadership among gifted men and women. I've seen attempts at the national level to remove women from every position of leadership by using the age-old unbiblical doctrine of "male authority." 

The Bible teaches that leadership in Christ's Kingdom is based on gifting, not gender; character, not control; and a spirit of service, not a position of power. 

Of course, I'm declared to be a liberal for this belief.

Oh, my soul.

I'm a biblicist who loves Jesus and His people and chooses to obey God rather than men. I'm humble enough to know that my interpretation could be wrong, and I'm smart enough to know that yours could be too. 

Let's dialogue. Let's cooperate around the major purposes for which we exist.

Let's be a Cooperating Convention. 

Cooperation, by definition, requires two or more groups of people who disagree on secondary and tertiary issues to come together for the purpose of fulfilling more important purposes.

People who know no better think that "to be a Southern Baptist," you must agree with everything the 2000 BF&M teaches. 

Not so. Not even close.

Very few realize that the 2000 BF&M teaches "closed communion," meaning, your church must dismiss all guests and Christians who are not members before serving the Lord's Supper (see The Absurd Notion that a Church Must Affirm the 2000 BF&M To Be Southern Baptist, an article I wrote a dozen years ago). 

Research shows 60% of SBC churches violate the 2000 BF&M in this area.

Baptist confessions were never intended to be instruments of conformity. The Committee who wrote the 2000 BF&M had this to say about your disagreeing with their Confession:

The sole authority for faith and practice among Baptists is the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. Confessions are only guides in interpretation, having no authority over the conscience.

A confession is a statement of religious conviction, drawn from the Scriptures, and is not to be used to hamper freedom of thought or investigation in other realms of life.

That's why we call our missions emphasis the Cooperative Program.

When men in positions of Southern Baptist Convention leadership, hold offices of power, authority, and control, without checks and balances, they'll begin to marginalize those who disagree with them.

Something needs to be done. 

These SBC men of power, men of authority,  (PAC men, I call them) must learn some humility.

You can do something about the marginalization of good, solid, Bible-believing Christians in the Southern Baptist Convention.

What is the Southern Baptist "Convention"?

It is a gathering of Christians who are members of Southern Baptist churches for two days out of the year. To attend the Southern Baptist "Convention" this year, June 9-10, 2020, you must go to Orlando, Florida, where the gathering will take place.

There are three things you can do to stop the PAC from demanding absolute conformity:

1. Ask your church to be a messenger at this year's Southern Baptist Convention.

2. Show up and resist any demands for conformity by anyone, at any place, at any time.

3. Be prepared to vote for only those trustees or leaders who resist demands for conformity, which means replacing potential nominees with better ones, or potentially existing leaders who've let power, authority, and control go to their heads in a demand for absolute conformity. That would include paying close attention to those men running for President of the Southern Baptist Convention.

You'll be given a choice, I promise.

You have a voice.

We belong to a Cooperating Convention.

We won't survive if we acquiesce to demands for absolute conformity.