Leaving the Church to Follow Jesus. Episode 14: Paul’s Letters to the Ekklesias Part II

As we continue to see what the New Testament has to say about the gathering together of those who are Called-Out of the world to follow Jesus, in this episode we are looking at Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. At least the first letter that was preserved and made a part of the Bible.  

We will see what Paul had to say about how to maintain the integrity of a local community of believers. While that may involve what we think of as “judging others” within the community of believers, we will then see how Paul teaches the followers of Jesus that our role in this world is not to judge those outside of the Ekklesia (the Church).  

Then, I tackle a sensitive topic head on: what does the New Testament really have to say about paying pastors and other members of the clergy? Why would I risk alienating every pastor who most Christians look at as having some sort of extra pull with God? Why would I want to take on an industry whose payroll is about three billion dollars annually? Especially in Oregon, where according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, we have over twice as many compensated clergy members per 1000 employed residents than any other state. And, they are the third highest paid clergy members on average in the nation. The truth is, I personally don’t want to take the issue on, so I won’t. I have friends who are pastors and have had pastors who are no longer with us that I have loved dearly that significantly impacted my life. So instead, we will look at what scripture has to say about the topic.  

I hope to “see you” on the podcast!