And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13).

There’re truths in the Word of God for us to discover and apply in our personal lives; otherwise, you’ll never walk in the blessings they bring. One of them is honouring those whom God has set above you, and are responsible for your spiritual growth.

Some people, however, because they lack understanding of the scriptures, get offended when we do certain things in the wisdom of God, to honour God’s ministers. For example, when a man of God walks into a place and people stand in honour and reverence, some people blurt, "Why should they all stand up; is he Jesus?" No, He’s not Jesus, but he represents Him.

Understand that the respect accorded the minster of God is the reason his words, his message and the blessings that he gives, stay with you. No wonder Jesus said in Matthew 10:40-41, "He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward." So, be smart to know that when you honour a man of God, you aren’t doing it for a man, but for the Lord.

If the people of the world would stand up in honour, when the president of their nation, whom they voted into office, walks in, why then should anyone complain when similar honour is done a man sent by God? That’s resenting the Lord unknowingly.

The man of God, unlike the president of any nation, has been given the mandate to strengthen, inspire and edify God’s people in the Word and therefore, deserves greater honour. 1 Timothy 5:17 says, "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine."

1 John 5:1 says, "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him." If you love Jesus, you’ll love those that He sends. Don’t join scoffers to malign or resent those that God has sent to bless and nurture you in the Word.

I beg to differ with you on the underlined paragraph.

Honouring men of God will not translate to standing up in ovation for them. They are according to the Scripture 'servants' whose master is our Lord and Saviour.

Reverence for them is more than that but may not exclude observing and practicing those words they say.

psucc:
I beg to differ with you on the underlined paragraph.

Ok

Honouring men of God will not translate to standing up in ovation for them.

Where you you see me write the above bold.. Even at that, what's wrong in standing in ovation for them? But it's OK to send in Ovation for WizKid or Beyonce?

They are according to the Scripture 'servants' whose master is our Lord and Saviour.

Ok.. No doubt they were or are servants... But out of several examples in the Bible of Ruth, Mary Magdalene, abigail, David etc that bowed face to the ground as reverence to Servants of God, I find this striking

1Sa 28:14
And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.

Was Saul wrong to have perceived? Was Samuel not a servant of God?

Reverence for them is more than that but may not exclude observing and practicing those words they say.

Any preacher that preaches that he should be honoured must be a vain, conceited and self serving idiot

1 Peter 5:2-4

2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

Good post Gombs.
Can you give examples of WRONGLY honoring God's ministers?

Or, could you tell me if any of these is right;
1. KNEELING before them while addressing them with your head bowed
2. Calling them my lord
3. Ministers DEMANDING on 'honor' such as being addressed as daddy,mum....and publicly rebuking those who don't
4. Literally kissing their feet/shoes
5. Removing shoes in their presence
6. Washing their feet
7. Defining honor as agreeing with their EVERY word, doctrine


Cc Winsomex,ayoku777,esere826,Image123,MarkMiwerds

vooks:
Good post Gombs.
Can you give examples of WRONGLY honoring God's ministers?

Or, could you tell me if any of these is right;
1. KNEELING before them while addressing them with your head bowed
2. Calling them my lord
3. Ministers DEMANDING on 'honor' such as being addressed as daddy,mum....and publicly rebuking those who don't
4. Literally kissing their feet/shoes
5. Removing shoes in their presence
6. Washing their feet
7. Defining honor as agreeing with their EVERY word, doctrine


Cc Winsomex,ayoku777,esere826,Image123,MarkMiwerds

if they (MenOG) demand for it, then it's wrong...otherwise, i see nothing wrong with any of it. It is not necessarily an act of worshiping the MOG if anybody does that... what if they were lead to, for example, weep at the foot of their pastor?

lol @ vooks reply.

@Gombs,read 1tim5 in context,you made your point out of it,but that is not what that scripture is talking about.

Anyways good post tho,
i think all the BRETHEN deserves honor not Pastors alone.

Gombs:


if they (MenOG) demand for it, then it's wrong...otherwise, i see nothing wrong with any of it. It is not necessarily an act of worshiping the MOG if anybody does that... what if they were lead to, for example, weep at the foot of their pastor?

So the limit to 'honoring' your MoG is basically your imagination

Gombs:
If the people of the world would stand up in honour, when the president of their nation, whom they voted into office, walks in, why then should anyone complain when similar honour is done a man sent by God? That’s resenting the Lord unknowingly.

I know for sure that Buhari is the Nigerian President, how do I knw that Oyedepo or T.B Joshua or Adeboye or Dr. Fireman are men of God when they all bring contradictory prophecy about Nigeria from same god?

@gombs
How exactly do you determine a man who is sent by God apart from the personal claims they make?

vooks:

So the limit to 'honoring' your MoG is basically your imagination

You are yet to produce any scripture that's against it, even in the faintest terms. Your imagination is not even helping.

wordcat:


I know for sure that Buhari is the Nigerian President, how do I knw that Oyedepo or T.B Joshua or Adeboye or Dr. Fireman are men of God when they all bring contradictory prophecy about Nigeria from same god?

There were righteous men in the Bible who made errors, did it mean they weren't called of God? In fact, there was an incidence in the Bible, where two prophets gave contradictory reports about what God said... Did it mean they weren't both called of God?

Jagoon:
@gombs
How exactly do you determine a man who is sent by God apart from the personal claims they make?

Like John the Beloved, you can determine a man who is sent by God...
John 1:6 KJV
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

Study the life of John the Baptist, and you'd understand why John the Beloved wrote what he did.

Gombs:


You are yet to produce any scripture that's against it, even in the faintest terms. Your imagination is not even helping.

Am learning at your feet Gombs. I never said anything is against whatever you said.

Could you be kind enough to give me examples of an unscriptural way of honoring your MOG?

vooks:

Am learning at your feet Gombs. I never said anything is against whatever you said.

Could you be kind enough to give me examples of an unscriptural way of honoring your MOG?

You can Honor your MoG however you wish, do it in reverence of the office he holds, because God asked us to in His word... Where it gets awry, is when the MoG demands such Honor... It becomes worship, and no longer reverence.

For example, I can remove my suit jack and place it on the floor for my MoG to step on, probably before getting into his car... Was I wrong? Would it be OK to say the MoG was wrong to have stepped on it? If someone saw what I did, and do no understand why I did what I did, would it be fair to conclude I was worshipping the MoG or that the MoG was unduly pompous?

Mention the names of the righteous people in the bible that made the errors and what led to that error

Gombs:


There were righteous men in the Bible who made errors, did it mean they weren't called of God? In fact, there was an incidence in the Bible, where two prophets gave contradictory reports about what God said... Did it mean they weren't both called of God?

Anything that made the two prophets to give a contradictory report about god then the prophecy is not from god.

wordcat:
Mention the names of the righteous people in the bible that made the errors and what led to that error

Lot was one...
Moses
David


Etc

What led to that error? They simply disobeyed God... What else brings error in Christianity?

Anything that made the two prophets to give a contradictory report about god then the prophecy is not from god.

Nice try buddy

vooks:
Good post Gombs.
Can you give examples of WRONGLY honoring God's ministers?

Or, could you tell me if any of these is right;
1. KNEELING before them while addressing them with your head bowed
2. Calling them my lord
3. Ministers DEMANDING on 'honor' such as being addressed as daddy,mum....and publicly rebuking those who don't
4. Literally kissing their feet/shoes
5. Removing shoes in their presence
6. Washing their feet
7. Defining honor as agreeing with their EVERY word, doctrine


Cc Winsomex,ayoku777,esere826,Image123,MarkMiwerds

My instinct would be to say that they are wrong, ....but wait a minute
my instincts may be honed by my culture

I guess all first 6 (and perhaps the 7th) have a lot to do with the Minister's and Congregation's cultural disposition

for example
I am not an expert in Italian culture, but I noticed that their movies depict that the dons stretch out their hands, and is kissed by those loyal to them
I see the Roman Catholic Church Pope does the same thing

I would assume that a minister and congregation from the Yoruba stock might not see anything wrong with laying prostrate before church authority.
At first, I would feel repulsed if I am expected to do that....I don't have that culture

....but now for the 7th one
uhmmmm

Defining honor as agreeing with their EVERY word, doctrine

I can't think of any modern culture that ascribes to this
except perhaps dictatorial ones like Taliban and North Korea

Gombs:


Lot was one...
Moses
David


Etc

What led to that error? They simply disobeyed God... What else brings error in Christianity?



Nice try buddy

Lot and David were not prophets and moses never gave any false prophecy even though he might have made his own mistakes.

Jagoon:


Lot and David were not prophets and moses never gave any false prophecy even though he might have made his own mistakes.

See what you asked

Mention the names of the righteous people in the bible that made the
errors and what led to that error

I didn't notice any word 'Prophet' in it... You said, 'righteous people '

I would have carefully furnished you with names of prophets who gave false proclamations, or who were erroneous... But I won't. I don't Have time for arguments... You clearly are here to argue.

PS, thanks for your time.

Gombs:


Lot was one...
Moses
David

Lot was simply presented as a man who found favour in god's eyes, not much was said about him, but from the little written about him; Lot is very FAR from anything righteous.

How can u see a man who could not think of other means to convince his own kinsmen other than to offer his two daughters to them for sexual abuse or a man who impregnated his own daughters in pretence of been drunk a righteous man?

Moses we all know is a racial bigot or what else can you call a man who should have separate a fight and make peace between his Jewish brother and an Egyptian but decided to join his brother in killing the Egyptian?

David could be anything but not righteous. David deliberately killed hundreds of philistines just to be the king's son-in-law

wordcat:

Lot was simply presented as a man who found favour in god's eyes, not much was said about him, but from the little written about him;[size=18pt] Lot is very FAR from anything righteous.[/size]

2 Peter 2:7 New Living Translation
But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him.

Study your Bible.. it doesn't kill

How can u see a man who could not think of other means to convince his own kinsmen other than to offer his two daughters to them for sexual abuse or a man who impregnated his own daughters in pretence of been drunk a righteous man?

that was after he missed it... Parting from Abraham. Go read about him and how he diligently followed Abraham...God never spoke to Lot, yet he was prosperous ..very very, because he followed Abraham's instructions.

Moses we all know is a racial bigot or what else can you call a man who should have separate a fight and make peace between his Jewish brother and an Egyptian but decided to join his brother in killing the Egyptian?

Racial Bigot? That dude married a black woman... an ethiopian. Go study your bible... forget the atheism bull crap your're fronting.

Numbers 12:1 King James Bible
And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.

David could be anything but not righteous. David deliberately killed hundreds of philistines just to be the king's son-in-law

from your above misconceptions, i believe you do not know scriptures. NO need beating a dead horse.

Cheers

vooks:
Good post Gombs.
Can you give examples of WRONGLY honoring God's ministers?

Or, could you tell me if any of these is right;
1. KNEELING before them while addressing them with your head bowed
2. Calling them my lord
3. Ministers DEMANDING on 'honor' such as being addressed as daddy,mum....and publicly rebuking those who don't
4. Literally kissing their feet/shoes
5. Removing shoes in their presence
6. Washing their feet
7. Defining honor as agreeing with their EVERY word, doctrine


Cc Winsomex,ayoku777,esere826,Image123,MarkMiwerds

Apart from 3 and 7, the others may be permitted or normal depending on context and culture/custom. As far as it does not directly contravene God's revealed will, we should be led by the Spirit of God.
Rom 13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

3 and 7 is wrong.No human is God Almighty or should be arrogated such. Respect and honour is not necessarily agreement. For instance, i respect every political leader Nigeria has had but i do not necessarily agree with them or their policies.

^^
Ah, Frosbel... Finally! Where are the anti tithe tracts you and your rag tag band tried doing for over a year ago?... June 13 to be precise? PastorKun, Drummaboy aka Winsomex, etc.. It's a shame though... You see how much a failure we all are if we stick to our own senses?

By the way.. Stop taking scriptures out of context.

Gombs:
^^
Ah, Frosbel... Finally! Where are the anti tithe tracts you and your rag tag band tried doing for over a year ago?... June 13 to be precise? PastorKun, Drummaboy aka Winsomex, etc.. It's a shame though... You see how much a failure we all are if we stick to our own senses?

By the way.. Stop taking scriptures out of context.

Hello Friend, don't worry about this rag tag bunch, a pending plan is not a dead one.

Besides, we have caused a serious dent on your churches and their tricks, such that tens of thousands are leaving to worship God in their own private way.

frosbel:


Hello Friend, don't worry about this rag tag bunch, a pending plan is not a dead one.

Besides, we have caused a serious dent on your churches and their tricks, such that tens of thousands are leaving to worship God in their own private way.

Hahhahahahahahhazhhzzhhzhz....

Eyaaaa... Visit this site and see http://www.loveworldnews.com

You guys did nothing, not even on NL. Tens of thousands? Hahaaahahahhahahaha
You lot cannot even put together a tract in 390 days and counting... Na tens of thousands una fit reach...


Thanks for the laughter bro.

esere826:

My instinct would be to say that they are wrong, ....but wait a minute
my instincts may be honed by my culture

I guess all first 6 (and perhaps the 7th) have a lot to do with the Minister's and Congregation's cultural disposition

for example
I am not an expert in Italian culture, but I noticed that their movies depict that the dons stretch out their hands, and is kissed by those loyal to them
I see the Roman Catholic Church Pope does the same thing

I would assume that a minister and congregation from the Yoruba stock might not see anything wrong with laying prostrate before church authority.
At first, I would feel repulsed if I am expected to do that....I don't have that culture

....but now for the 7th one
uhmmmm
I can't think of any modern culture that ascribes to this
except perhaps dictatorial ones like Taliban and North Korea

'Cultural disposition' is often abused.
Here is what I would look for; is any of these practiced anywhere outside Churchianity by the same community? And is the same an accepted norm?

Image123:


Apart from 3 and 7, the others may be permitted or normal depending on context and culture/custom. As far as it does not directly contravene God's revealed will, we should be led by the Spirit of God.
Rom 13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

3 and 7 is wrong.No human is God Almighty or should be arrogated such. Respect and honour is not necessarily agreement. For instance, i respect every political leader Nigeria has had but i do not necessarily agree with them or their policies.

Thank you Image123,
How would we judge 'context and culture/norm'? My take is by examining existence of the same outside Churchianity.

Take 4 and 5. Do you of any leader who is 'honored' thus? For removing shoes, I can only think of God with Moses and the burning bush. For washing feet, I can only think of Jesus our Lord washing his feet. I would not mind of my Bishop did it

vooks:

'Cultural disposition' is often abused.
Here is what I would look for; is any of these practiced anywhere outside Churchianity by the same community? And is the same an accepted norm?

I would dig deeper than what is obvious in the community
culture is often like an iceberg with a lot of its intricate underlining forces submerged in the subconscious -away from site

Yes, cultural disposition is often abused
and cases abound were such honor /loyalty to leadership has led to 'cultic' physical and material destruction when the leader turns from the right, and his sheep follow blindly

However, looking at the history of Christianity you might notice that major thrusts have been achieved by a dangerous few
who seem to bend the rules in an absurd but dogged way.
It seems to strike the chord needed to galvanise a zealous following who would otherwise not have moved their behinds for the things of God.
The gospel is warehoused by human vessels, so I guess Christianity has to live with the risk that what can be soooo gooood and powerful , can be abused and become sooooooo baaaaad and enslaving.
Where do we draw the line?

that's why I believe that sensible criticism must be tolerated

esere826:


I would dig deeper than what is obvious in the community
culture is often like an iceberg with a lot of its intricate underlining forces submerged in the subconscious -away from site

Yes, cultural disposition is often abused
and cases abound were such honor /loyalty to leadership has led to 'cultic' physical and material destruction when the leader turns from the right, and his sheep follow blindly

However, looking at the history of Christianity you might notice that major thrusts have been achieved by a dangerous few
who seem to bend the rules in an absurd but dogged way.
It seems to strike the chord needed to galvanise a zealous following who would otherwise not have moved their behinds for the things of God.
The gospel is warehoused by human vessels, so I guess Christianity has to live with the risk that what can be soooo gooood and powerful , can be abused and become sooooooo baaaaad and enslaving.
Where do we draw the line?

that's why I believe that sensible criticism must be tolerated

When I said cultural disposition is abused, I meant it is abused by those who readily ascribe the practices I described to culture.
You opined that some of these practices are borrowed from culture. I countered that by asking where else they are found outside Christianity. If they are found nowhere else outside Christianity, then it is wrong to 'blame' culture for these. They would be nothing but internal practices