Introduction!

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Bro. Mike:
 I have only one thought,  God appoints the Paster,  I have
never heard of the sheep firing the shepherd.  I cant find
any athority in the Bible that gives a church board such
power.  what do the rest of you think?

Me:
Let me say first that I cried over your last post.

Now to this one lest I be found wanting in my job.  Sheep
"pick" new leaders all the time.  

Romans 2:11
For there is no respect of persons with God. 

Ephesians 6:9
And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing
threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven;
neither is there respect of persons with him. 

Colossians 3:25
But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which
he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. 

James 2:1
My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 

James 2:9
But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are
convinced of the law as transgressors. 

1 Peter 1:17
And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of
persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the
time of your sojourning here in fear: 

God is the "only" authority in the Body of Christ.  

To whom did He delegate the authority to "amputate" any
member without respect of persons:

Matthew 18
15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go
and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he
shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 

16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or
two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every
word may be established. 

17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the
church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be
unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. 

18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven. 

19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on
earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall
be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 

20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them. 

21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my
brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven
times? 

22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven
times: but, Until seventy times seven. 

It is the Body that is to "discipline" the "unrepentant"
sinners, not the pastors.  The only discipline is
rejection.  These are the Words of Jesus Himself.  Nowhere
in the Bible is anyone other than the congregation as a
"unit" given any authority to "punish" anyone.  If the
pastor takes on this duty he has userped the ordained
authority of the Body given it by God in the flesh of Jesus
Christ Himself.

What does the Bible mean when it says someone is give
"rule" over you?  Take Peter and Annanias and Saphira. 
Peter was given the "keys to the kingdom."  Did he exercise
authority over these two?  Nope.  He said "Why have you
purposed in your heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?"
God then "put them out of the church."

Jesus says above that He has given this authority to the
Body or congregation.  Any other arrangement is unbiblical.
 The congregation can oust a Bishop if he is unrepentant
and his offenses are witnessed by two or three people.

I always hear that "chaos" will break out if you do things
this way but these people have forgotten the GLORY of the
early church before it split into the UPC and the PAW and
then further and further.

God makes "good" things from chaos.

Any person that exercises authority over you in the
conventional sense is out of order.  This doesn't mean they
are evil people or demon possesed but they are out of
order.  God will have order in His church before He comes
back in Jesus Christ for it.

Timothy Litteral
472 Grant St.
Marion Ohio 43302
brotim@gte.net
http://members.tripod.com/~trlitteral/
http://home1.gte.net/brotim/science.htm