GOD-DAMNED HYPOCRITES - PART 6
DEMONSTRATING
LEADERSHIP
The responsibility of leadership is one of the greatest challenges of all. A leader must be a role-model of exemplary character that demonstrates what being a Christian is about. Jesus selected twelve disciples and sent them out to spread his teachings with specific instructions as to what their duties were (Matthew 10: 1-42), and Paul later went into detail about the kind of people who were to be placed in positions of leadership (1 Timothy 3: 1-15).
Yet
we often find that people given such privilege and responsibility fail in their
duties, a situation made worse by our own failures to support or rebuke them
when they need us most. Despite the importance of respecting our leaders,
something which Jesus Himself instructed us to do, Jesus proved that such
people are not above question. Indeed, He went out of his way on several
occasions to remind them that their duty was to serve God, not their own
interests (Matthew 21: 12-13 & Matthew 23: 1-39), and yet most of them did
not change their ways; instead, many of these leaders sunk even further into
sin as they rejected God to maintain their positions of corrupted power and
authority (Matthew 23: 1-7 & John 9: 13-41).
But
is this an isolated incident? Not really. Even before Christ arrived, the Old Testament
includes many events of this nature, from before the corruption of King David
through to the struggles of Nehemiah to help the people of Israel to return to
God. Today is no different. The Catholic church has a bloody history of
oppression and corruption where the behaviour of those entrusted by God to lead
His people has been abused on many occasions and was anything but what Jesus
instructed. Even Paul did not hesitate to rebuke Peter when his leadership was
clearly in the wrong (Galatians 2: 11-21).
It
is easy for Christians to say that Paul was blessed with the Holy Spirit and
that Jesus spoke directly to him, giving him strength to do what needed to be
done, and that it is not as easy for us, but this is idleness speaking. Paul
was zealous in the service of Jewish Law before he became a Christian. Paul was
persecuted throughout his ministry, even by those who claimed to be Christians.
And Paul was eventually murdered because he refused to submit to those who
wanted him to remain silent about the Gospel. But Paul loved us as Christ did
and, like a true leader, sacrificed himself for us.
So
why do we tolerate corrupted leaders? Why do we say nothing when we become
aware of contrary behaviours in our leadership structures? Why do we persecute
those who have the courage to speak out about these things by actually doing as
God instructed and prophesying from the Bible (Mark 6: 1-6)? Why do we fail to
do as God asks and instead allow ourselves to be led by false prophets? The
Bible is quite clear on how we can tell who these people are, and how we must
respond to them, and yet the church is divided into many different
denominations and factions that all claim to follow Jesus despite instructions
to the contrary (1 Corinthians 1: 10-17).
But
if this is true, why are they all in conflict with one another? How is it that
so many of them observe traditions that are contrary to what the Gospel teaches
us? How did this sort of corruption start and why? The Bible is filled with
warnings on how to become aware of these issues and what to do about them: Matthew 23: 1-37, Mark 9: 42-49, Luke 12:
49-53, Luke 20: 45-47, Luke 21: 12-19, Romans 1: 18-32, 1 Corinthians 5: 1-13,
2 Corinthians 6: 14-18, 2 Corinthians 11: 4-6 & 13-15, Galatians 4: 17-18,
2 Thessalonians 3: 6-15, 1 Timothy 1: 3-7, 2 Timothy 3: 1-9 James 2: 1-13, 2
Peter 2: 1-22, Jude 17-23.
And
yet, there are so many Christians who do not heed these warnings but instead
become those very people we are warned against, even those who lead us. Jesus
and Paul both demonstrated what our duty was when it came to corrupted
leadership, and it is this example we must observe. As a Christian we must
ensure that our leadership serves us as Christ did and provide the love and
support we do for any other fellow Christian who has done the wrong thing
(Matthew 18: 15-20). As Christians, our mission requires the same leadership
Jesus demonstrated: faith, obedience, servitude, and self-sacrifice for God.
WISDOM
AND TEACHING
The
topic of wisdom is a difficult one to convey because there are two different
forms. The meaning of wisdom is an ability to make good use of knowledge,
recognise right from wrong, and demonstrate good judgement. However, in modern
society knowledge, morality and sound judgement are often based on idiocy, the
desire to satisfy self-centred desires that oppose the Lord’s instructions. The
situation becomes far more disturbing when these attitudes are being taught in
churches and schools, enabled by our legal system and promoted by the
media.
The
Holy Bible contains many passages dealing with the topic of wisdom but refers
to the wisdom of God, such as those from Proverbs 23 & 29, Luke 2: 41-52, 1
Corinthians 1: 10-31, Colossians 2: 1-23, Colossians 3: 1-25 and pretty much
all of James, which provides a summary of all the previous teachings from the
New Testament. Some people insist on taking the Holy Bible literally, but many
sections are metaphorical. Proverbs 29:
3 is a good example because it can apply, literally and metaphorically, to
people who betray the wisdom of God for their own gratification. Arguing over
things none of us can prove is pointless – our faith in what we believe is no
more proof than the faith others have in a different belief.
The really sad thing about our society is that it is
not one based on meritocracy, where the most suitable candidates serve in their
most suited roles. Teachers are usually people that go straight out of high
school into university and then straight into teaching positions with no life
experience to base their teaching upon.
Politicians are the same, often from over-privileged backgrounds with no
idea what life is really like for those they claim to represent, especially the
most adversely affected. In effect, they are both insulated and disconnected
from the reality of life in the real world.
To
make matters worse, their ignorance and bigotry is often wilful stupidity
(idiocy) and only eclipsed by their monumental arrogance. If such a person is
questioned, or revealed as being wrong, they do not respond with humility at
all, but hostility, aggressively defending untenable arguments because they
feel slighted by someone they consider inferior. In far too many instances,
these people are motivated by personal gain, not a desire to serve as they
should. Such people have no right being in such a position, especially if they
are a leader in a church (1 Timothy 6: 3-10).
And
yet, again, my own experience has demonstrated that the leaders of some
churches are people who should never have been given their positions of
authority. In regards to corruption affecting the Presbyterian church I attended,
for many years, I was instructed to remain silent every time I dared raise the matter,
not because what I said was wrong, but because I was raised Catholic and
considered a lesser member of the church because those who knew nothing of the
topic on which they claimed wisdom projected their failings upon me (James 3:
13-18).
But
it is right to ask someone what wisdom they claim and decide whether it is
right for them to speak on a topic. It is foolish in the extreme to listen to
someone who is clearly an idiot but just as foolish to dismiss someone because
what they say offends you due to your own sense of guilt (Matthew 21: 23-27).
Christ Himself spoke on topics that revealed the failings of others, not
because he wanted to humiliate them, but because he sought to correct or rebuke
them so they would repent and do what was right, and for that he was falsely
accused, tortured and murdered. And in that tradition, far too many Church
leaders continue to persecute real Christians through slander, intimidation,
and character assassination.
Many
Christians claim they would never have persecuted Christ or the prophets if
they had lived during those times, but their behaviour toward the scriptures
and those who question their hypocrisy condemns them by their actions. In many
cases my comments have attracted contempt, hatred and persecution and people
have even accused me of not being a Christian because I refuse to support their
hypocrisy over the instructions of the Lord.
The
truth is that a person has every right to question the authority of another
(Matthew 21: 23-27) and should compare the wisdom and actions of those who
preach and rebuke to the teachings of Christ from the New International Version
of the Holy Bible (too many other versions have been modified to serve agendas
of false prophets, not the Lord). Another important consideration is the
experience of the person claiming wisdom because even if a their wisdom and
actions are in keeping with the scriptures, someone who speaks on a topic of
which they have no personal experience can often be preaching flawed attitudes.
Over the last few decades there have been far too many
false prophets claiming experiences so similar to those of the prophets in the
Holy Bible that they border on farce. They claim wisdom imparted by divine
winds, blinding lights, booming voices of God or angels, and other fabrications
designed to take advantage of those willing to be deceived. They are people
about whom we have been warned. Others claim wisdom because they attended
training colleges after being recommended by corrupt ministers and priests, and
yet their behaviour is no better than the Pharisees (Matthew 23: 1-39, Luke 11:
37-54).
My
background in the Christian faith is not so impressive and, by comparison,
rather mundane, but God decided to grant me wisdom through experience, most of
it incredibly unpleasant and something no sane person would wish on another, but
it was a means to provide clarity and understanding of the matters at the heart
of the Christian faith. Unfortunately, modern society is infected by an
entrenched culture of corruption that encourages people to dismiss and even
silence those who have suffered injustice, even inflict greater misery upon
them rather than offer compassion or help or even try to fix the problems, and
so my wisdom is disregarded in favour of that of false prophets (2 Timothy 4:
1-5).
The
argument with which I have been confronted is often one of qualifications: I
was raised Catholic and so had (apparently) no right to speak on the actions of
Presbyterians or any other denomination. Martin Luther was also raised
Catholic, and even served as a monk within the Catholic Church before his
calling, and he played an instrumental role in what would become known as the
Reformation. Paul was one of the Pharisees and even stood by and approved of
the stoning of Stephen before he became one of the most influential founding
members of the Christian movement.
The people I have, on occasion, felt compelled to
correct and (when they refuse to listen) rebuke have included many who claim to
be leaders, Elders and Ministers, but they use accreditation (their authority
and my lack thereof) to dismiss, defame, discredit, and even vilify me. The
events that shaped my faith are my testimony. They provide a means by which I
may share my beliefs and concerns for true Christianity where I find an absence
of faith, and an abundance of hypocrisy that creates a dominion founded on a culture of moral and ethical bankruptcy (Matthew 21: 12-17).
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