Two good articles worth a read!
I always enjoy Dr. John D. Garr and the opportunity to meet him in the spring of 2002 here in Toronto to celebrate a Passover meal with a group that was interested in the Hebraic roots of Christianity but still wanted to subscribe and incorporate Traditional Adventism (and Sacred Namism) in their theology. Because of their (stubborn and sometimes ultraconservative) controversial stances, I have not fellowshipped with them ever since (plus visiting this group was taxing on my travel from the west end to the east end of Toronto). In spite of this, Dr. Garr's company is always a delight, anywhere, anyplace (plus he's a good fan of the late John Belushi's Animal House :)). Like Richard Burkard he too is a cross between Rush Limbaugh (but with a social conscience like Richard, both from the U.S. state of Georgia!) and my former WCG pastor Neil Earle. For those who don't know Dr. Garr, he has a ministry called The Restoration Foundation (http://www.restorationfoundation.org/) which discusses the importance of Christianity discovering its Jewish roots and being proud of that fact. Like myself, Dr. Garr has no use for anti-Semitism, supercessionalism (that God rejected Israel and replaced it with the Church) and Judeophobia (a fanatical fear of all things Jewish). Here in this article, he furtherly proves that the Holy Days can serve as use for the Christian. He does not promote legalism and he definately is in no way an Armstrongite nor promotes that heretical theological system. The article is titled The High Holy Days and Christian Faith and you look at it here at http://www.restorationfoundation.org/volume%2014/53_6.htm .
Wasn't there an article you felt that Herbert W. Armstrong should have read??? Well, we know that he wasn't the one you didn't "tell" him something you "suggested" to him and you were mighty fine lucky if he took your suggestion seriously! If Herbert Armstrong was really interested in spirituality and the care of the flock instead of fleecing his opulent lifestyle and acting as a control freak and proud of it, he would have sense enough to read this article from Dr Garr's magazine Restore, Who Pastored The Early Church. I have to give you an excerprt from this article .
Because of the anti-Semitic stance taken by the Church in the second and third centuries, many of the Church’s Hebraic foundations and practices were discarded and heathen policies adapted. Consider the functions listed in Ephesians 4:11 which had been part of the synagogue prior to the advent of the Church. That the Holy Spirit had inspired the Church to keep these practices so that it might be unified and mature is evident in Paul’s letter. It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be shepherds and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13). Paul had no need to define these functions since they were so well known among the first century Jewish followers of the Messiah. The cooperation of these anointed functions that had been established in the synagogue would enable God’s people to serve Him, to mature in Him, and to attain the fullness of His Son.
• An apostle (Heb. shaliach / Gk. apostolos) was a person sent forth to an appointed place on a mission. This is not a position of dominance either through ecclesiastical position or anointing. An apostle is a person used by our Lord to complete a specific mission. The Twelve, then Paul, received special commissioning from Jesus. But note other believers referred to as apostles: Andronicus and Junias (Romans 16:7), Barnabas (Acts 14:14), Silvanus and Timothy (1 Thessalonians 2:7).
• An evangelist (Heb. magid / Gk. euaggelistes) was a synagogue planter and repairer. In the Church this person not only shares the Gospel, but gatherstogether a faith community which he will leave in the responsible care of the elders. Timothy and Titus were both evangelists and church planters: "But you,keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry" (2 Timothy 4:5); "The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you" (Titus 1:5).
• A prophet (Heb. esha’elohim, nabyi’ / Gk. prophetes) was one to whom and through whom God spoke for the benefit of His people. Prophets generally functioned beyond the confines of the Hebrew synagogue while Paul expanded that function to include prophetic messages shared within worship gatherings.
• A shepherd (Heb. zaken / Gk. poimen) was a gray-haired man of leadership who imparted wisdom and counsel to a specific group of people, caring for them as a shepherd would his flock.
• A teacher (Heb. rab / Gk. didaskalos) rightly divided the Word to bring clarity to others and to exhort them to action.
If only the historic WCG truly waaay back to the foundation as mentioned above??? It would be nice if many Christian denominations other than the WCG go way back on how to pastor a church? Read and enjoy the rest of this brief article at http://www.restorationfoundation.org/volume%2011/44_28.htm .
Labels: Dr.John D.Garr, Hebraic roots of Christianity, pastoring churches, Restoration Foundation, the early church
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