When I was locating the page numbers in the Nichol's piece for AD, I came across something I had forgotten about which was Nichols comparison of the Walk's view of submission and obedience to the Nazi hierarchy structure. Nichols goes on to opine that JRS created this Nazi like hierarchy to ensure JRS didn't lose another congregation (after JRS previously went through three congregations.) I wonder how many folk received so called words of great concern (that may still haunt them to this day) that they had an independent spirit (not obedient) and this coming from the king of the independent spirit. How twisted this all became as folk received words to divorce (God hates divorce), split up parents and children (God say honor your father and mother), and worship leaders (God hates idolatry.)
SUBMISSION: Is the accepting the control or authority of another, being obedient and compliant to those over you in the Lord. Ephesians 5:21 to 6:9 and Hebrews 13:17 teach the New Testament pattern for submission to divinely appointed authority in the home and in the church.
It is no accident that Stevens picked the words "control" and "compliance" to describe the role of both the person in authority and the person under authority. While the Scriptures, of course, call for a type of obedience to those over you in the Lord, it is certainly no manifesto for absolute obedience, the kind that Stevens is calling for. After all, every believer is ultimately responsible to God alone. A system of total obedience to those over you completely undermines this Biblical principle, leading ultimately to the Nazi ethic of innocence in the light of obeying orders. The Nazi ethic and the type of totalitarian obedience Stevens has in mind is an analogy that should not be lightly dismissed.
SUBMISSION: Is the accepting the control or authority of another, being obedient and compliant to those over you in the Lord. Ephesians 5:21 to 6:9 and Hebrews 13:17 teach the New Testament pattern for submission to divinely appointed authority in the home and in the church.
It is no accident that Stevens picked the words "control" and "compliance" to describe the role of both the person in authority and the person under authority. While the Scriptures, of course, call for a type of obedience to those over you in the Lord, it is certainly no manifesto for absolute obedience, the kind that Stevens is calling for. After all, every believer is ultimately responsible to God alone. A system of total obedience to those over you completely undermines this Biblical principle, leading ultimately to the Nazi ethic of innocence in the light of obeying orders. The Nazi ethic and the type of totalitarian obedience Stevens has in mind is an analogy that should not be lightly dismissed.