Criticizing Church Leaders.

Did you know there are no perfect churches? No matter how shinny, how quaint, or how perfect a church seems inside, there are discussions and emotions on how churches should be directed.

It is very human to get involved emotionally and at best, we are all just sinners saved by grace. Thus no perfect church exists. Knowing this we do not throw up our hands and give up seeking the best for a church; we strive to seek God's will and be holy.

The pursuit of holiness is our challenge and this becomes no small battle for we war with the world, the devil, and our own sinful natures. Thus good church leadership is a very intricate and delicate; a subject which we must approach as a doctor approaches a sick man.

Would it surprise you Paul was not liked by many in the churches He visited? From Jerusalem to Rome, Paul's authority was challenged and many sought to become leaders of the Christian church.

There were out spoken teachers who were openly challenging Paul in his absence. Others were very charismatic and measured their success by strategically trying to over throw the Roman occupation. There were even those who challenged Jesus Christ authority and declared themselves the Messiah.

Though we do not see this type of rhetoric in today's church, there is still many who seek to lead and resent the leadership of others. There are also large opposition groups which demonstrate openly to stop many ministries evangelistic outreaches.

In today's passage, Paul defends himself. Though it was in writing, it was strong, direct, and his words were written to stop the discontent with the hopes of unifying the church.

Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. My defense to those who examine me is this: Do we have no right to eat and drink? Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock? 1 Corinthians 9:1-7 (NKJV)

Paul was not just a man who decided he wanted to be a teacher and Paul was not a man who sought his own fame. Paul was sought out by Jesus Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit to preach and teach people how to survive until the coming of the Lord.

The largest portion of discontent amongst Christians who criticize leadership is they do not realize who they are criticizing. They may be pointing their accusations towards those leading; however, the leadership was called by the Lord, these are criticizing God. Paul was attempting to wake the critics up to who they were truly opposing.

How is the pastor of your church viewed by those in the congregation? Is he criticized by some?

Many churches have persons who are critical about the pastor. The truth is, pastors are fallible and have a sinful nature too. As all humans, there are times they say things that they should not say. Act certain ways which may be inappropriate.

Pastors get upset, they have emotional eruptions and these can be misconstrued especially when being compared to other leaders. But people must realize this is the person God chose to lead and any criticism of this person is criticism towards God.

Paul was accused of not working and feeding off church revenue. In our time, it is proper for several of the people who lead a church to be financially supported by their congregation. A church removes the added weight of responsibilities for these to minister and to spend quality time in the word, receiving from God direction to guide the church. Yet, this was not the way some thought an apostle should do.

When attending a church, it is very easy to pass by the work of the leaders. While everyone is away from the church, the leaders are planning, studying, praying, helping, and caring for the needs of others.

The average person sees their leadership very sporadically during the week. When persons in leadership are visible it is at church services, events, gatherings, and times of socializing. Some people confuse the times which the leadership interacts with the people and judge them solely on those moments.

Yet when leadership is on their knees or secluded in privacy with the Lord, those of the church do not see God revealing Himself to them. They do not hear the prayer and intersession for the church. They do not see the planning for the word of God to be ministered in the services. The congregation sees very little of what it takes to be a godly leader.

Then there are the times where leadership draws close to the grieving, the sick, the widowed, and the orphaned. The congregation cannot be in the room to see and hear the counseling which saves a marriage. The congregation is not privilege to many of the leaderships daily events. Therefore, who is a good judge of their work?

If you are wise, you would answer, "God is their judge" and our faith is in God's overseeing of the church.

Paul realized these accusations against him and directly involved himself in answering the church's fears. By shedding light on subjects as these, the church became healthier and grew in respect for its leaders.

Paul was criticized for soliciting the churches money. Yet we know by the book of acts, Paul worked making tents that he might not have to take money from the church.

Yet in answering these accusers in Corinth, Paul brings up the disciples and other apostles who were married and traveled with their children. These were supported by church funds, why should they criticize Paul?

Criticism of church leadership by church members brings a terrible division and heartache on the church leadership. It is this criticism we need to work to silence; and one way of silencing criticism is to confront it openly.

Yet as we confront it openly, the truth about God's ownership, leadership, and interaction with the church must be our defense. To the criticizer we say, "Where is your faith in God?" Then, "If you have faith in God, you will shut your mouth and pray for the leadership. Then all you have is God to blame." Criticism is a tool of the devil to break the bond of unity.

Liberty or not at liberty?

Corinth was a city of pleasures and some in the church took advantage of the excess which was common. The pagan rituals had much left over food and it did not cost much; yet in their Christian Church some criticized and made rules against eating this food.

Paul extended to the Corinthians the teaching that it is not what a person eats which is a sin. A sin is when you determine to do something you know is wrong in your heart. Yet Paul saw a balance in what he was telling the Corinthians and added the following text into his letter to them.

But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 1 Corinthians 8:9-10 (NKJV)

It would be a terrible thing to do something which would turn a person away from Christ; yet it happens everyday. People stay away from church believing Christians are hypocrites because of what they see them do. In Paul’s discourse he says, this can happen if a person should be perceived as participating like a heathen.

The left over temple sacrifice meat was sold in the market place and Paul said there is nothing wrong with buying it. But that does not mean that Christians should go inside the temple and be seen eating the meat during the rituals to the false gods. His concern was one might see them and in ignorance think a Christian was hypocritically sharing in the debauchery. Paul viewed another person's salvation as a great possibility to lose and it being a chance for great tragedy.

We know from the teachings of Jesus, it is not what goes into a person which defiles them. Christians can eat and drink without sinning; it is what comes out from a person's life which could be sinful.

Alcoholic beverage consumption is a great example. It is not wrong to drink alcoholic drinks, but it is wrong to be drunk. So we know the scriptures say that a Christian is not to be drunk with wine. Drinking alcohol would be considered a liberty and becoming drunk, as sin.

Now if you take that same liberty to consume with caution, however, it causes someone else to take offense, you just did a bad thing. Through we have liberty we have to be practical with liberty. Therefore, if you have your drink at a restaurant I doubt too many would draw objection. But if you have that drink in a neighborhood bar, because of the taboo that society sets on bars and people who go to bars, you may cause someone to discredit everything to do with the church, the Bible, God, and salvation.

Though it does not matter if you have a drink, it does if you cause others to stumble. The same applies to many things we do. A message at a spa can be very enjoyable, but the same massage at a spa known for prostitution may bring accusations and cause others to think differently about you, stumbling them.

And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 1 Corinthians 8:11 (NKJV)

We as Christians are representatives of holiness. We are to be the light of the world and any darkness which can shadow our testimonies should be avoided. It would be a terrible thing to turn a person away from the Lord, because we wanted to have our liberty and they misunderstood.

This person, who misunderstood, could die and end up in hell because they could not understand and rejected the gospel message. Sin blinds the vision, it stops the ears of the unsaved and we should not contribute to its poisonous effects.

But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. 1 Corinthians 8:12-13 (NKJV)

Sometimes it is best not to go to certain places or do certain things. If you do, it is best to not talk about it with others which you might stumble.

This is not living secretly; it is protecting others. For not everyone understands that we are saved by faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. So what we consider liberties should be carefully practiced. The understanding of the gospel of truth has an enemy which clouds issues and twists the truth. Don’t let it make victims of those you influence.

Food of the gods.

Corinth was a city which competed for affluence among the other Greek cities. They built shrines to mythical Gods and erected statues, prominently placing them around the city.

Corinth's greatest landmarks were the temple of Aphrodite and of Apollo. In these temples the Corinthians would hold elaborate ceremonies in worship of these gods.

Much like his home, Tarsus, Paul knew all about what went on in the temples. To attract people, temple ceremonies needed to be grand and glorious; for the fame of the feasts would draw travelers from a far to see the grandeur of the monuments and participate in the great feasts. To the people of Corinth this meant great commerce.

These gatherings to worship mythical gods, would have vast amounts of food, alcohol, drugs, and immorality. The temple of Aphrodite alone had 1,000 prostitutes which lived there and were dedicated to supporting travelers.

By day, the mystical stories of the war of the gods would tickle the imagination of people. By night fall, revelers would be caught up into a god like reality of their own.

The day after these grand feasts, the left over barbequed meat would be sold in the marketplace at a significantly low prices. It was cheep food and many in Corinth would go to purchase the meat; however, because this meat came from pagan rituals, many in the Christian church said it was wrong to buy. They labeled it as ungodly and this became a sore spot amongst the believers in Corinth.

Paul felt need to include this subject into his discord to the Corinthians, because in their attempt to be holy before God, they were breeding discontent and division inside their own church.

But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him. Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. 1 Corinthians 8:3-6 (NKJV)

Quickly, Paul cuts through the problem by stating that even though the pagans worship gods, they are mythical gods; there are no other gods but one true God. Thus telling the Corinthians they are making a fuss over regular meat.

Our God does not have competition; there is no other than our God. So if there is no other god, pagan worship was in vain. The ceremony they held had no significance and the leftover food is just that; it is left over food.

However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. 1 Corinthians 8:7-8 (NKJV)

If you eat the meat or do not eat the meat, God does not care. Eating the leftover meat is not going to defile you. Jesus spoke on matters as this saying, "There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man."  Mark 7:15 (NKJV)

In our church we must strengthen people's believe in God. Being superstitious is not good and we must teach our people to believe in the saving power of the blood of Christ.

Ritualistic wearing of a cross around ones neck does not saved then. Having pictures of Jesus and Mary in you’re home, or in ones car does not have any spiritual significance. Jesus, nor Mary, ever had their photo taken or painted. Having these things do nothing to change us, they are all superstition which makes people feel as if they will be accepted by God.

Dancing or not dancing, drinking alcoholic beverages or not, going to movies or not; the things you do and do not do, cannot establish your salvation.

Following a strict set of rules and making yourself live a certain way does not save from sin; for it is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to God's mercy He has saved us.

Knowing this, we can dance; but not to the point which causes us to fall into the trap and temptations of sin. Knowing Jesus came to save us from our sin and the same power that raised Him from the grave is there to help us resist sin, can allow us freedom to live and do as we please.

The problem with sin is that no matter where we are or what we are doing, we will be tempted to find ways to do things which displease God. John wrote, If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.1 John 1:6-7 (NKJV)

Paul was trying to help the Corinthian church understand their salvation. To help people to understand what salvation is, we should not be separatists from the world; but we should be examples to the world.

For the Corinthian Church any accusations raised against their partaking in food from the gods can and should be deflected with truth about Jesus Christ and His' saving grace.

As Christians we should be able to live life without life leading us into sin. This includes the activities we involve ourselves in. Therefore, let us understand our salvation and be in the world, without being trapped by the sin in the world.