Two patterns I'd offer for you to test, not as verdicts but as cases you can run through the Selah questions yourself.
First: the corporate Sunday-service model that has absorbed marketing logic, brand management, attendance metrics, and capital-campaign growth thinking. Any single element could be neutral. The Bil'am test is whether the assembly has begun trusting the surrounding business order to do what only covenant relationship was meant to do. When the kahal measures itself by metrics the surrounding culture invented, the marriage has been opened to other lovers.
Second: political party loyalty as a marker of Christian identity. Cuts across the spectrum. The moment an assembly's preaching, voting, and discernment start running on partisan vocabulary, the Bil'am pattern is operating. Teachers who counsel this usually frame it as faithfulness. What they are actually counseling is that the kahal sleep with the surrounding political religion to keep influence.
Run them through the four Selah questions I have at the bottom and see what surfaces in your own assembly first. The text addressed one kahal at a time before it addressed the wider qahal. :)
Come now. You are certainly not saying that the 72-gender sexual perversion movement is a real problem—right? >snort< At least the evil nature of the world system has become obvious. So, there will be no excuses accepted...
Whenever I mention that, it's always referring to a transliteration issue. Whether it was in Greek or English, there's always a Hebrew spine. Hope that clarifies?
I’m thinking this through…what are two examples you’ve seen so I can logically look at them through these questions?
Cathy, great question!
Two patterns I'd offer for you to test, not as verdicts but as cases you can run through the Selah questions yourself.
First: the corporate Sunday-service model that has absorbed marketing logic, brand management, attendance metrics, and capital-campaign growth thinking. Any single element could be neutral. The Bil'am test is whether the assembly has begun trusting the surrounding business order to do what only covenant relationship was meant to do. When the kahal measures itself by metrics the surrounding culture invented, the marriage has been opened to other lovers.
Second: political party loyalty as a marker of Christian identity. Cuts across the spectrum. The moment an assembly's preaching, voting, and discernment start running on partisan vocabulary, the Bil'am pattern is operating. Teachers who counsel this usually frame it as faithfulness. What they are actually counseling is that the kahal sleep with the surrounding political religion to keep influence.
Run them through the four Selah questions I have at the bottom and see what surfaces in your own assembly first. The text addressed one kahal at a time before it addressed the wider qahal. :)
Come now. You are certainly not saying that the 72-gender sexual perversion movement is a real problem—right? >snort< At least the evil nature of the world system has become obvious. So, there will be no excuses accepted...
Sergio, what do you mean when you say the Hebrew word underneath?
Whenever I mention that, it's always referring to a transliteration issue. Whether it was in Greek or English, there's always a Hebrew spine. Hope that clarifies?
Yes, that helps some. Maybe you have an article about how the Greek has a Hebrew spine?
That is a great idea! I will do that!