Friendly fire in the body of Christ: "Ready……Shoot……Aim!"
The author of this article makes a critical error in equating “nice” with “edifying”. They are not one in the same.
It was not my goal to make “nice” and “edifying” the same thing. I was attempting to add a spiritual application to a non-spiritual statement. Sorry for the confusion.
My Twitter: www.twitter.com/jeremy_wallace My Blog: www.jeremywallace.net
Bearing with one another in love is not a bad thing (Eph. 4:2).
Jeremy
Thank you for the clarification but it does give opportunity to consider this kind of misunderstanding others may hold to with regard to the nature of edifying words. Thanks again and the general focus of the article is indeed thoughtful.
Thank you for the clarification but it does give opportunity to consider this kind of misunderstanding others may hold to with regard to the nature of edifying words. Thanks again and the general focus of the article is indeed thoughtful.
I have heard this old saw for as long as I can remember, along with the oft-repeated alleged observation by Madeline Murray O’hare about Christians being the only army that shoots its own wounded.
Before I jump on this bandwagon I would like to see a little more empirical data than some bloggers blanket statement “Unfortunately this happens within the Body of Christ each and every week. Doctrinally sound pastors and Christian leaders are shot, so-to-speak, by those in their own army — by other pastors and other Christian leaders.”
Frankly, my experience, which is equally as empirical as his, has been quite the opposite. But, on the other hand, perhaps I am too tolerant of collateral damage. Doctrinal and methodological purity is a very tough thing to maintain, but absolutely crucial. Maybe the cause of Christ can absorb an unintentional or misplaced wound on occasion in the over-arching goal of preaching a pure Gospel.
Before I jump on this bandwagon I would like to see a little more empirical data than some bloggers blanket statement “Unfortunately this happens within the Body of Christ each and every week. Doctrinally sound pastors and Christian leaders are shot, so-to-speak, by those in their own army — by other pastors and other Christian leaders.”
Frankly, my experience, which is equally as empirical as his, has been quite the opposite. But, on the other hand, perhaps I am too tolerant of collateral damage. Doctrinal and methodological purity is a very tough thing to maintain, but absolutely crucial. Maybe the cause of Christ can absorb an unintentional or misplaced wound on occasion in the over-arching goal of preaching a pure Gospel.
Lee
Discussion