Mormon girls
Jessie introduced me to the Mormon girl missionaries just before the end of last semester and this semester they've been over probably half a dozen times for dinner or dessert. They are very sweet people and I find them quite interesting.
At dinner on Sunday they showed me the cup illustration which demonstrates how their church is set up, based on the 12 apostles with one prophet at the head (first Jesus, and then Peter). I found it, one, unnecessary to what makes a good church, and, two, wrong to think that the church has had it wrong since the apostles died out and that the true organization of the church was restored in the 1850s under Joseph Smith.
This also got me thinking about church government and how important it is to have such and such a structure. Obviously I think the Presbyterians have got it right, with a system to check each other and keep churches and presbyteries accountable, as well as providing a means of reform or augmentation of doctrine. My Mormons seem to think that without the apostle/prophet structure, the church can not fulfil her duties. But was Christ saying (by example) that we need modern apostles and prophet? This ends up sounding rather Catholic to me. The early church seems more to give the example (and direct teaching) that congregations need to be headed by godly men who are wise and ordained to guard souls.
So I went to Acts for history and enlightenment. Acts 1: Judas has committed suicide and the apostles (now 11) meet together and cast lots to decide a replacement apostle. Acts 12: James, brother of John (sons of Zebedee), is killed by Herod (the Twelve are again the Eleven). Acts 15: the Jerusalem Council (to talk about Gentiles needing to be circumcised); at the council, wherein meet the remaining apostles, other elders, and Paul, no new apostle is chosen, though everyone necessary for such a decision was assembled.
Seems to me that the apostles were specifically chosen and gifted for the nascent ministry to have a focal point and that their ministry was to be handed over to the elders of the church. Why don't we need apostles? We have men ordained to guard the individual churches and yearly councils to make sure they are continuing the Lord's work. Maybe I do think that the Presbyterian way is most biblical. Hmm.
At dinner on Sunday they showed me the cup illustration which demonstrates how their church is set up, based on the 12 apostles with one prophet at the head (first Jesus, and then Peter). I found it, one, unnecessary to what makes a good church, and, two, wrong to think that the church has had it wrong since the apostles died out and that the true organization of the church was restored in the 1850s under Joseph Smith.
This also got me thinking about church government and how important it is to have such and such a structure. Obviously I think the Presbyterians have got it right, with a system to check each other and keep churches and presbyteries accountable, as well as providing a means of reform or augmentation of doctrine. My Mormons seem to think that without the apostle/prophet structure, the church can not fulfil her duties. But was Christ saying (by example) that we need modern apostles and prophet? This ends up sounding rather Catholic to me. The early church seems more to give the example (and direct teaching) that congregations need to be headed by godly men who are wise and ordained to guard souls.
So I went to Acts for history and enlightenment. Acts 1: Judas has committed suicide and the apostles (now 11) meet together and cast lots to decide a replacement apostle. Acts 12: James, brother of John (sons of Zebedee), is killed by Herod (the Twelve are again the Eleven). Acts 15: the Jerusalem Council (to talk about Gentiles needing to be circumcised); at the council, wherein meet the remaining apostles, other elders, and Paul, no new apostle is chosen, though everyone necessary for such a decision was assembled.
Seems to me that the apostles were specifically chosen and gifted for the nascent ministry to have a focal point and that their ministry was to be handed over to the elders of the church. Why don't we need apostles? We have men ordained to guard the individual churches and yearly councils to make sure they are continuing the Lord's work. Maybe I do think that the Presbyterian way is most biblical. Hmm.
posted by Annie @ 12:37 PM
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