Dr Paul Allen

Saint Timothy (ortodox icon) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "Of these things put them in rememberance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers." ( 2 Timothy  2:14 )   This command emphasizes the necessity to avoid "word fights." The apostle Paul has much to say about this in other passages. "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers" ( Ephesians  4:29 ). Our words should be "wholesome words" ( 1 Timothy 6:3 ), "that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment" ( 1 Corinthians  1:10 ).   We are not to "give heed to fables and endless genealogies" ( 1 Timothy 1:4 ), but are to "refuse profane and old wives' fables" ( 1 Timothy 4:7 ). We are not to listen to ...

Of all the elder qualifications Paul gives in Titus 1, none causes more hand-wringing and knee-bending than this: An elder must have “faithful children.” What exactly does that mean? Three most common view: Evangelical View, the Baptistic View, and the Reformed View. “[An elder must be] someone who is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of wildness or rebellion” ( Titus 1:6 ). Or…“if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination” ( Titus 1:6 ). The KJV , Holman and RSV go with “faithful children.” The ESV , NIV , NASB , and probably even The Message (no way I’m checking) all use “children are believers.” The Greek word is pista, which can mean trustworthy, faithful, or believing. Now for the three views: Evangelical View: Children who are under control The essence of this view is that children in the home are to be under control, but the requireme...