I need more than a ritual
I absolutely appreciate the Apostle Paul's candor in his letters to the New Testament churches. He was never ashamed of the gospel message, nor did he ever mince words as he declared whatever it is God prepared for him to declare. He was bold, to the point, and always spot on. Whenever there was controversy of some sort, he faced it head on - he didn't "make nice" with those who had the controversy in the hopes of "winning them over" to his viewpoint. In fact, he often stood in opposition to the wrong actions of those who chose their own way of doing things and let them know very clearly their choices were definitely not "on the mark". If we understand Paul's role in the New Testament church, we might just appreciate even more why it was he took such a firm stand on occasion. He was the founding father of these churches - it was upon his shoulders to make sure they laid the right foundation upon which to build. If they didn't start ...