Stephen W. Hiemstra's Blog, page 2

Cautionary Tale

Our fathers were all under the cloud, 

and all passed through the sea, 

and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 

and all ate the same spiritual food, 

and all drank the same spiritual drink. 

(1 Cor 10:1-4)

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

In the context of discussing the eating of food offered to idols, his rights as a worker in the church, and personal discipline, the Apostle Paul tells a most curious tale about the people of Israel during their time in the wilderness. During this time, they followed the Shekineh cloud, they were collectively baptized in crossing the Red Sea, and they ate spiritual food (manna) and drank spiritual water (from the rock). Yet, still they sinned and came under God’s judgment (1 Cor 10:6-14).

The immediate lesson that Paul offered this passage was about food sacrificed to idols, but the implications extend further. In spite of the advantages of good genes and a spiritual life, the people of Israel sinned and came under judgment. The obvious parallel is with the church in baptism and communion and other blessings. In the case of food offered to idols, Paul concludes: “All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things build up.” (1 Cor 10:23)

Paul mentions law twice in his conclusion. Righteousness under law is a matter of not breaking the law—a measure of holiness—but Paul measures conduct in this statement with the words “helpful” and “build up.” These are measures not of holiness (being set apart by law), but of godliness (being set apart by grace). Sacrificing food to idols is meaningless for a Christian, but it is not helpful—others might see you and be led astray—and it does not build up the church—what are you doing in a pagan temple? Paul again concludes: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:31)

Communion

This discussion of food sacrificed to idols and the caveats implicit in the tale of the people of Israel functions as a lengthy prologue to Paul’s discuss of communion:

“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, this is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Cor 11:23-26)

The key phrase that introduces the Lord’s Super is: “Do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:31) Just like the Israelite people were not saved by their genealogy and spirituality, neither are Christians. In taking communion, we remember Christ Jesus and glorify God according to Paul. Salvation is through faith in Christ by grace. Again Paul offers this advice subtly through analogy to the experience of the people of Israel in the wilderness and a discussion of food offered to idols.

Baptism

Paul’s reference to baptism cited above is fascinating. He writes: “And all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” (1 Cor 10:2) The people of Israel were baptized both by the (Shekineh) cloud and the sea. This ties baptism to the Holy Spirit much like the Apostle Peter did on the day of Pentecost: 

“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

This same link between baptism and the Holy Spirit appears elsewhere in Paul’s writing: 

“There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Eph 4:4-6)

I used to think that the Holy Spirit came into our lives like a direct telephone connection to God—God’s omnipresence became more real—but I gave up that idea because the first instance of prayer in Genesis was with a gentile king, Abimelech (Gen 20), who obviously had no previous connection.

For the early church, baptism apparently posed some problems both because of interpretation and association. Paul writes:

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Rom 6:3-4)

Here Paul sees Jesus’ baptism as part of a template that we, as Christians, must follow (e.g. Phil 3:10). Elsewhere, Paul finds some thinking that baptism implied following the baptizer:

“Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius.” (1 Cor 1:13-14)

Unity of the church required careful instruction, as in the cite from Ephesians above.

Between the quote from Peter in Acts 2 and that of Paul in Romans 6, we see the two primary interpretations of baptism: Baptism as the symbolic washing away of sin and as participating in the death and resurrection of Christ. Both are widely held views today.

Cautionary Tale

Also see:

The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com


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Cuento con Moraleja

Porque no quiero que ignoren, hermanos, 

que todos nuestros padres estuvieron bajo la nube y todos pasaron por el mar.

En Moisés todos fueron bautizados en la nube y en el mar.

Todos comieron el mismo alimento espiritual,

 y todos bebieron la misma bebida espiritual, 

porque bebían de una roca espiritual que los seguía. 

La roca era Cristo el Mesías).

(1 Cor 10:1-4)

Por Stephen W. Hiemstra

En el contexto de la discusión sobre el consumo de alimentos ofrecidos a los ídolos, sus derechos como trabajador en la iglesia y la disciplina personal, el apóstol Pablo cuenta una historia muy curiosa sobre el pueblo de Israel durante su tiempo en el desierto. Durante este tiempo, fueron bautizados colectivamente en la nube Shekinah y en el cruce del Mar Rojo, y comieron alimento espiritual (maná) y bebieron agua espiritual (de la roca). Aun así, pecaron y cayeron bajo el juicio de Dios (1 Cor 10:6-14).

La lección inmediata que Pablo ofreció en este pasaje fue acerca de la comida sacrificada a los ídolos, pero las implicaciones se extienden más allá. A pesar de las ventajas de unos buenos genes y una vida espiritual, el pueblo de Israel pecó y cayó bajo juicio. El paralelo obvio es con la iglesia en baptismo, comunión, y otras bendiciones. En el caso de los alimentos ofrecidos a los ídolos, Pablo concluye: “Todo es lícito, pero no todo es de provecho. Todo es lícito, pero no todo edifica.” (1 Cor 10:23)

Pablo menciona la ley dos veces en esta conclusión. La justicia bajo la ley es una cuestión de no quebrantar la ley, una medida de santidad, pero Pablo mide la conducta en esta declaración con las palabras “provecho” y “edificar.” Éstas no son medidas de santidad (ser apartados por la ley), sino de piedad (ser apartados por la gracia). Sacrificar alimentos a los ídolos no tiene sentido para un cristiano porque los ídolos no son dioses reales, pero no tiene provecho. Otros podrían verte y ser extraviado. No edifica la iglesia—¿qué haces en un templo pagano? Pablo concluye nuevamente: ¨Entonces, ya sea que coman, que beban, o que hagan cualquier otra cosa, háganlo todo para la gloria de Dios.¨ (1 Cor 10:31)

Comunión

Este discurso sobre los alimentos sacrificados a los ídolos y las advertencias implícitas en el relato del pueblo de Israel funcionan como un extenso prólogo a la discusión de Pablo sobre la comunión:

“Porque yo recibí del Señor lo mismo que les he enseñado: que el Señor Jesús, la noche en que fue entregado, tomó pan, y después de dar gracias, lo partió y dijo:Esto es mi cuerpo que es para ustedes; hagan esto en memoria de mí. De la misma manera tomó también la copa después de haber cenado, diciendo: Esta copa es el nuevo pacto en mi sangre; hagan esto cuantas veces la beban en memoria de mí. Porque todas las veces que coman este pan y beban esta copa, proclaman la muerte del Señor hasta que El venga.” (1 Cor 11:23-26)

La frase clave que introduce la Cena del Señor es: ¨Háganlo todo para la gloria de Dios.¨ (1 Cor 10:31) Así como el pueblo israelita no fue salvo por su genealogía y espiritualidad, tampoco lo son los cristianos. Al tomar la comunión, recordamos a Jesucristo y glorificamos a Dios, según Pablo. La salvación es por medio de la fe en Cristo por gracia. Pablo ofrece este consejo una vez más a través de una analogía con la experiencia del pueblo de Israel en el desierto y una discusión sobre la comida ofrecida a los ídolos.

Baptismo

La referencia de Pablo al bautismo citada anteriormente es fascinante. Escribe: “En Moisés todos fueron bautizados en la nube y en el mar.” (1 Cor 10:2) El pueblo de Israel fue bautizado tanto por la nube (Shekineh) como por el mar. Esto vincula el bautismo con el Espíritu Santo, de forma muy similar a como lo hizo el apóstol Pedro en el día de Pentecostés: 

“Arrepiéntanse y sean bautizados cada uno de ustedes en el nombre de Jesucristo para perdón de sus pecados, y recibirán el don del Espíritu Santo.” (Hechos 2:38)

Este mismo vínculo entre el bautismo y el Espíritu Santo aparece en otras partes de los escritos de Pablo:

“Hay un solo cuerpo y un solo Espíritu, así como también ustedes fueron llamados en una misma esperanza de su vocación; un solo Señor, una sola fe, un solo bautismo, un solo Dios y Padre de todos, que está sobre todos, por todos y en todos.” (Eph 4:4-6)

Solía ​​pensar que el Espíritu Santo venía a nuestras vidas como una conexión telefónica directa con Dios—la omnipresencia de Dios se hacía más real—pero abandoné esa idea. El primer caso de oración en Génesis fue con un rey gentil, Abimelec (Gén 20), quien obviamente no tenía ninguna conexión previa con Dios. Ahora, en lugar de conexión, veo al Espíritu Santo desempeñando un papel abastecedor, sustentador y formativo en nuestras vidas.

Para la iglesia primitiva, el bautismo aparentemente planteaba algunos problemas tanto por su interpretación como por su asociación. Pablo escribe:

¨¿O no saben ustedes que todos los que hemos sido bautizados en Cristo Jesús, hemos sido bautizados en Su muerte? Por tanto, hemos sido sepultados con El por medio del bautismo para muerte, a fin de que como Cristo resucitó de entre los muertos por la gloria del Padre, así también nosotros andemos en novedad de vida.¨ (Rom 6:3-4)

Aquí Pablo ve el bautismo de Jesús como parte de un modelo que nosotros, como cristianos, debemos seguir (por ejemplo, Phil 3:10). En otra parte, Pablo encuentra algunos pensamientos que sostienen que el bautismo implicaba seguir al bautizador:

“¿Está dividido Cristo? ¿Acaso fue Pablo crucificado por ustedes? ¿O fueron bautizados en el nombre de Pablo? Doy gracias a Dios que no bauticé a ninguno de ustedes, excepto a Crispo y a Gayo.” (1 Cor 1:13-14)

La unidad de la iglesia requería una instrucción cuidadosa, como en la cita de Efesios mencionada anteriormente.

Entre la cita de Pedro en Hechos 2 y la de Pablo en Romanos 6, vemos las dos interpretaciones principales del bautismo: el bautismo como el lavamiento simbólico del pecado y como participación en la muerte y resurrección de Cristo. Ambas son opiniones extendidas hoy en día.

Cuento con Moraleja
Vea También:
Una Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Vida en Tensión
Otras Formas de Interactuar en Línea:



Sitio Web del Autor:  http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Sitio Web del Editor:  http://www.T2Pneuma.com




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Dreher Sees Flood, Offers Ark, Part 2

Rod Dreher. 2017. The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation. New York: Sentinel.

Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra

For those of us active in church leadership, the hollowing out of the Christian faith is nothing new. Biblical illiteracy has reached the point that seminaries routinely test their new students on their biblical competency and about 90 percent of incoming students are required to take remedial work in biblical studies. Because it is hard to apply biblical knowledge to solving life’s daily challenges if the Bible is largely unknown even by the clergy, it is small wonder that the church has not prevailed in influencing postmodern culture.

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism

In The Benedict Option Rod Dreher makes the point about biblical illiteracy citing sociologists Christian Smith and Melinda Denton who define the religion of American teenagers as Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD).  MTD has five basic tenets:

A God exists who created and orders the world and watches over human life on earth.God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when he is needed to solve a problem. Good people go to heaven when they die. (10).

  MTD is especially prevalent among Catholic and mainline Protestant young people, according to Dreher. The problem is that it has little to do with the God of the Bible and focuses on the worship of the self and material comforts (10-11).

If the church has lost the culture wars, the lost emanated from inside the church outwards. Therefore, the hollowing of the church is the problem, not barbarians at the gates. Still, Dreher sees barbarians anxiously taking advantage of the church’s lost vision (16-17).

How Did We Get To This Point?

Dreher sees five landmark events over seven centuries rocking Western civilization and stripping its ancestral faith:

In the fourteenth century, the loss of belief in the integral connection between God and Creation—or in philosophic terms, transcendent reality and material reality.The collapse of religious unity and religious authority in the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century.The eighteenth century Enlightenment, which displaces the Christian religion with the cult of Reason, privatized religious life, and inaugurated the age of democracy.The Industrial Revolution (ca 1760—1840) and the growth of capitalism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.The Sexual Revolution (1960—present) (22-23).

It is interesting that Dreher reverse-engineers the antecedents of the postmodern era. The enchanted world that he sees prior to William of Ockhams (1285-1347) development of nominalism or metaphysical realism. This world distinguishes God from his creation (not realism which keeps them united, according to Dreher) can actually be traced to the first verse of the Bible. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (23-27). In order to create the universe, God had to have been separated from it.

Commentary on Worldview

As a conservative Catholic, Dreher begins his march towards postmodernism with a Middle Ages world view, not a biblical world view, as might be more typical of a Protestant writer. Dreher’s starting point is important because it colors his view of the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. In my own thinking, for example, I have often referred to scientific discoveries as “God’s Easter Eggs” which he hides from us in such a way to assure that we would find them. If all of knowledge is God’s knowledge, our faithfulness is not necessarily undermined by what we know so much as our attitude about it.

The more corrosive problem that arose in the nineteenth century was not so much the Industrial Revolution or the Enlightenment, but emergence of the Romantic movement. Dreher writes:

The Romantics, as they were called, found many aspects of the new rationalist, mechanized society distasteful but had no interest in returning to the Christian world. They prized emotion, individuality, nature, and personal freedom. (38)

Here attitudes about God and his relationship with human beings and the created order clearly changed. If Christians came to believe that God primarily worked through our feelings, not our minds, then it was a small step to insert the self in place of God. This is because no one outside the self can mediate our feelings, which ultimately undermines the authority of the church and scripture.

The Sexual Revolution

Sexuality might easily remain the domain of family life within the community. However, if the self mediates feelings, sexuality takes on a completely new role. Dreher writes:

‘Eros must be raised to the level of a religious cult in modern society, not because we really are that obsessed with it, but because the myth of freedom demands it.” Says political philosopher Stephen L. Gardner. ‘It is in carnal desire that the modern individual believes he affirms his individuality.’ The body must be the true subject of desire because the individual must be the author of his own desire. (43)

If this comment appears oblique, think of it as a creation story for the individual. Much like Marx banned Bibles because his communism lacked a valid creation story, postmoderns deny God’s sovereignty through the worship of desire and must have their own creation story, which however unlikely places the individual at the center of the universe [of desire].

Summary

Rod Dreher’s The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation ties together numerous concerns about the church. He then offers the development of new schools and community as necessary components to maintaining a vibrant faith community in the face of the coming secular deluge.

In part one of this review, I outlined Dreher’s book. Part two looks at his definition of the problems facing the church. In part three, I will look at his solution to those problems.

References

Gardner, Stephen L. 1998. Myths of Freedom: Equality, Modern Thought, and Philosophical Radicalism. Greenwood.

Smith, Christian and Melinda Lundquist Denton. 2005. Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers. New York: Oxford University Press.

Footnotes

@RodDreher, TheAmericanConservative.com/Dreher

This is why gender advocates express no interest in hearing about the problems—disease, drug abuse, suicide, depression—created by the risky behavior that they advocate. To recognize these problems, they must admit that they have no credible creation story and that God is sovereign.

Dreher Sees Flood, Offers Ark, Part 2Also See:Books, Films, and MinistryOther ways to engage online:Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/busy_25,  Signup

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Leaders: Monday Monologues (podcast), September 22, 2025

 By Stephen W. Hiemstra

This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on Selecting Church Leaders. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).

To listen, click on this link.

Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!

Leaders: Monday Monologues (podcast), September 22, 2025
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com





Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/busy_25,  Signup

 

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Leaders Prayer

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Almighty Father,

All honor and praise, power and dominion, truth and justice are yours because you set aside your divine prerogatives to come down and dwell among us.

Forgive us when we get knotted up obsessing about our own rights and privileges, fighting among ourselves  rather than paying attention to the example of humility set in Christ and the Apostles, especially Paul.

Thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit and the holy scriptures given to us that we might draw closer to you in our daily lives.

In the power of your Holy Spirit, grant us ears that hear and eyes that see that we might form a church more fitting to your example.

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Leaders Prayer
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com



Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/busy_25,  Signup


 

 

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Oración de los Líderes

Por Stephen W. Hiemstra

Padre todopoderoso,

Toda la alabanza y el honor, el poder y el dominio, la verdad y la justicia son tuyos porque dejaste de lado tus prerrogativas divinas para descender y morar entre nosotros.

Perdónanos cuando nos obsesionamos con nuestros propios derechos y privilegios, peleando entre nosotros en lugar de prestar atención al ejemplo de humildad establecido en Cristo y los apóstoles, especialmente Pablo.

Gracias por el don de tu Espíritu Santo y las Sagradas Escrituras que nos has dado para que podamos acercarnos más a ti en nuestra vida diaria.

Con el poder de tu Espíritu Santo, concédenos oídos que oigan y ojos que vean para que podamos formar una iglesia más acorde con tu ejemplo.

En el precioso nombre de Jesús, Amén.

Oración de los Líderes
Vea También:
Una Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Vida en Tensión
Otras Formas de Interactuar en Línea:



Sitio Web del Autor:  http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Sitio Web del Editor:  http://www.T2Pneuma.com





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Selecting Church Leaders

There is one body and one Spirit—

just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—

one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, 

who is over all and through all and in all.

But grace was given to each one of us 

according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 

(Eph 4:4-7)

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

One distinctive of the Apostle Paul is to view the church through the lens of spiritual formation whose originator and sustainer is the Holy Spirit. The church itself is composed of all members of God’s household to whom the Holy Spirit grants gifts without discrimination.

Thus, we are not surprised to read: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3:28) Nor are we surprised to find Paul writing a treatise on leadership to Timothy, whom he describes “my true child in the faith” (1 Tim 1:2). In her commentary on Paul’s five ministry gifts—”apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers” (Eph 4:11)—Carolyn Tennant (2016, 5) sees Paul’s guidance to the Ephesians addressed to the entire church, not just elders and deacons.

The Christian Family

Paul’s advice to families starts with the admonishment: “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” (Eph 5:1) This admonishment silently calls to mind—“Be holy, for I am holy” (Lev 11:44)—which Paul echoes in saying: “Walk as children of light” (Eph 5:8). Note the allusion to children in both passages so as to suggest that parents and other adults should be mindful of their influence in the family and their own formation.

To Greeks, this children-centric language would be shocking because the ancient family household normally tuned into the authority of the patriarchal father, male, head of household, who controlled all resources and protected family honor at the expense of other virtues. The closest relationship with the patriarchal father would be blood relatives, especially siblings, not marriage partners. The hierarchical relationships in the family funneled all power up to the father (Hellerman 2001, 30-41).

The egalitarian structure of the family promoted by Paul radically departed from the ancient family norm (Hellerman 2001, 113). Relations between husband and wife (ephemeral 5) , children and parents, slaves and owners (Eph 6) were subject to reciprocity (respecting, loving and sharing not dominating) in Paul’s framework and this new framework then became a model for the church. Paul’s admonishment, however, began with a call to imitate God—father, son, and Holy Spirit—living in perpetual harmony.

Church Leadership

The parallel between Paul’s guidance on family and church leaders is obvious and cross-referenced with the family. For elders (overseers), Paul admonishes:

“An overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” (1 Tim 3:2-5)

Note that Paul begins his admonition for elders with general ethical guidance and then proceeds to cross-reference the family. His guidance for deacons follows the same template, starting with ethical criteria followed by household management fidelity (1 Tim 3:8-12).

Missing from these criteria are characteristics more representative of an honor culture. An elder (or deacon) need not, for example, be a family household head, tribal leader, or civil leader, such as the elders of Israel (Exod 24). No licenses or other credentials are mentioned. If Paul (or someone else) were appointing leaders, loyalty requirements would be prominent. The guidance might look more like a covenant with between a lord and his vassals or, in contemporary terms, like a franchising agreement with rules about consultation, training, royalties, and/or purchases from approved suppliers.

By contrast, Paul’s leadership criteria flow from what we know from Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus where he talks about Christian relationships within the household that flow from our relationship with God.

References

Hellerman, Joseph H. 2001. The Ancient Church as Family. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.

Tennant, Carolyn. 2016. Catch the Wind of the Spirit: How the 5 Ministry Gifts Can Transform Your Church. Springfield: Vital Resources.

Selecting Church Leaders

Also see:

The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com


Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/busy_25, Signup

 

 

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Selección de Líderes de la Iglesia

Hay un solo cuerpo y un solo Espíritu, 

así como también ustedes fueron llamados en una misma esperanza de su vocación;

 un solo Señor, una sola fe, un solo bautismo,

 un solo Dios y Padre de todos, que está sobre todos, por todos y en todos.

 Pero a cada uno de nosotros se nos ha concedido 

la gracia conforme a la medida del don de Cristo.

(Eph 4:4-7)

Por Stephen W. Hiemstra

Una cualidad distintiva del apóstol Pablo es ver a la iglesia a través del lente de la formación espiritual cuyo sustentador y proveedor es el Espíritu Santo. La iglesia misma está compuesta por todos los miembros de la familia de Dios a quienes el Espíritu Santo concede dones sin discriminación.

Así pues, no nos sorprende leer: “No hay Judío ni Griego; no hay esclavo ni libre; no hay hombre ni mujer, porque todos son uno en Cristo Jesús.” (Gal 3:28) Tampoco nos sorprende encontrar a Pablo escribiendo un tratado sobre liderazgo a Timoteo, a quien describe como “mi verdadero hijo en la fe” (1 Tim 1:2). En su comentario sobre los cinco dones ministeriales de Pablo: “los apóstoles, los profetas, los evangelistas, los pastores y los maestros” (Efesios 4:11), Carolyn Tennant (2016, 5) ve la guía de Pablo a los efesios dirigida a toda la iglesia, no solo a los ancianos y diáconos.

La Familia Cristiana

El consejo de Pablo a las familias comienza con la exhortación: ¨Sean, pues, imitadores de Dios como hijos amados.¨ (Eph 5:1) Esta exhortación nos recuerda:—’’Sean santos, porque Yo soy santo: (Lev 11:44)—a lo que Pablo hace eco al decir ¨anden como hijos de luz¨ (Eph 5:8). Nótese la alusión a los niños en ambos pasajes para sugerir que los padres y otros adultos deben ser conscientes de su influencia en la familia y en su propia formación.

Para los griegos, este lenguaje centrado en el niño sería chocante porque el antiguo hogar familiar normalmente estaba en sintonía con la autoridad del padre patriarcal, el jefe masculino del hogar, que controlaba todos los recursos y protegía el honor familiar a expensas de otras virtudes. La relación más cercana con el padre patriarcal serían los parientes consanguíneos, especialmente hermanos, no los cónyuges. Las relaciones jerárquicas en la familia canalizaban todo el poder hacia el padre (Hellerman 2001, 30-41).

La estructura igualitaria de la familia promovida por Pablo se apartaba radicalmente de la antigua norma familiar (Hellerman 2001, 113). Las relaciones entre marido y mujer (Ef 5), hijos y padres, esclavos y dueños (Ef 6) estaban sujetas a la reciprocidad (respetar, amar y compartir, no dominar) en el marco de Pablo, y este nuevo marco se convirtió entonces en un modelo para la iglesia. Sin embargo, la advertencia de Pablo comenzó con un llamado a imitar a Dios —Padre, Hijo y Espíritu Santo— viviendo en perpetua armonía.

Liderazgo de la Iglesia 

El paralelismo entre la guía de Pablo sobre la familia y los líderes de la iglesia es obvio y se relaciona con la familia. Para los ancianos (supervisores), Pablo amonesta:

¨Un obispo debe ser, pues, irreprochable, marido de una sola mujer, sobrio, prudente, de conducta decorosa, hospitalario, apto para enseñar, no dado a la bebida, no pendenciero, sino amable, no contencioso, no avaricioso. Que gobierne bien su casa, teniendo a sus hijos sujetos con toda dignidad; (pues si un hombre no sabe cómo gobernar su propia casa, ¿cómo podrá cuidar de la iglesia de Dios?) (1 Tim 3:2-5)

Nótese que Pablo comienza su advertencia a los ancianos con una guía ética general, y luego procede a hacer referencia cruzada a la familia. Su orientación para los diáconos sigue el mismo modelo, comenzando con los criterios éticos, seguidos por la fidelidad en la gestión del hogar (1 Tim 3:8-12).

En estos criterios faltan características representativas de la antigua cultura del honor. 

Un anciano (o diácono) no necesita, por ejemplo, ser un jefe de familia, un líder tribal o un líder civil, como los ancianos de Israel (Éxodo 24). No se mencionan licencias ni otras credenciales. Si Pablo (o alguna otra persona) estuviera nombrando líderes, los requisitos de lealtad serían prominentes. La guía podría parecer un pacto entre un señor y sus vasallos o, en términos contemporáneos, como un acuerdo de franquicia con reglas sobre marca, consulta, capacitación, regalías y/o compras a proveedores aprobados. Por el contrario, los criterios de liderazgo de Pablo surgen de lo que sabemos por su carta a la iglesia de Éfeso, donde habla de las relaciones cristianas dentro del hogar que surgen de nuestra relación con Dios.

Selección de Líderes de la Iglesia
Vea También:
Una Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Vida en Tensión
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Dreher Sees Flood, Offers Ark, Part 1

Rod Dreher. 2017. The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation. New York: Sentinel.

Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra

Benedict of Nursia, Italy (480 –547 AD) is a Christian saint established a rule for daily life and a new monastic order. The rule stipulated seven prayers each day (the hours) and ordered every aspect of life in the monastery. Benedict’s rule helped the Christian church survive the fall the Roman empire. It later served as a model for universities in the Middle Ages and the corporation in modern times.

Introduction

In his book, The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation, Rod Dreher sees the church today facing a challenge similar to the fall of the Roman empire and Saint Benedict’s response, establishing a monastic order, as providing a template for the church’s dilemma today. He writes:

“The idea is that serious Christian conservatives [can] no longer live business-as-usual lives in America, that we have to develop creative communal solutions to help us hold on to our faith and our values in a world growing ever more hostile to them.” (2)

Why the Apocalyptic Response?

Dreher sees the 2015 defeat of a conservative initiative in Indiana, The Religious Freedom Restoration Act, at the hands of Gay rights activists and major U.S. corporations as a watershed event. It was quickly followed by the U.S. Supreme Court declaration of a constitutional right to same-sex marriage (the Obergefell decision). In this new environment, he writes:

Dreher sees the 2015 defeat of a conservative initiative in Indiana, The Religious Freedom Restoration Act, at the hands of Gay rights activists and major U.S. corporations as a watershed event. It was quickly followed by the U.S. Supreme Court declaration of a constitutional right to same-sex marriage (the Obergefell decision). In this new environment, he writes:

“Christians who hold to the biblical teaching about sex and marriage have the same status in culture, and increasingly in law, as racists.” (3)

Dreher declares that the culture war is over and Christian conservatives lost. The election of Donald Trump as president has given the church more time to prepare, but little hope of a revival. Dreher paints a grim picture of a hollowed out church that needs to build an ark for the coming flood (238).

Background on Dreher

Who is Rod Dreher? He describes himself as a senior editor at The American Conservative and an author of several books including: Crunchy Cons, The Little Way of Ruthie Leming [his sister], and How Dante Can Save Your Life. He and his wife have three children and live in Southern Louisiana, which may account for his interest in floods.

Organization

Dreher writes his book in ten chapters preceded by an introduction and followed by a conclusion, acknowledgments, notes, and an index. The chapter titles are:

The Great Flood,The Roots of the Crisis,A Rule for Living,A New Kind of Christian Politics,A Church for All Seasons,The Idea of a Christian Village,Education as Christian Formation,Preparing for Hard Labor,Eros and the New Christian Counterculture, andMan and the Machine (vii).

Dreher writes like a conservative Catholic. Still, he balances his examples between Evangelical and Orthodox Christian sources. He even throws in examples from Jewish communities (130) and the Church of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons; 135). The theme, decline of the American Christian church, led me to expect Dreher would take shrill tone, but Dreher studiously avoided this temptation through use of research and helpful case studies.

Monastery in Norcia

One case study that stands out was his visit to the Monastery in Norcia, Italy, where Saint Benedict was born. The Norcia monastery dates from the tenth century, but was closed in 1810 by Napoleon Bonaparte who worked hard to devastate the Catholic church throughout Europe. Dreher writes:

“Legend has it that in an argument with a cardinal, Napoleon pointed out that had the power to destroy the church. ‘Your majesty,’ the cardinal replied, ‘we, the clergy have done our best to destroy the church for the last eighteen hundred year. We have not succeeded, and neither will you.’” (49)

American monks helped recently to re-establish this monastery (48-49). Dreher’s visit inspired lessons that he enumerates throughout his book.

Summary

Rod Dreher’s The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation ties together numerous concerns about the church and culture, and offers the development of new schools to maintain a vibrant faith community in the face of the coming secular deluge.

In part one of this review, I will outlined Dreher’s book. Part two looks at his definition of the problems facing the church. In part three, I will look at his solution to those problems.

Footnotes

, TheAmericanConservative.com/Dreher

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedic....

Dreher Sees Flood, Offers Ark, Part 1Also see:Kinnaman and Lyon Research Faithful Living, Part 1 Books, Films, and MinistryOther ways to engage online:Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/busy_25, Signup

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Walking: Monday Monologues (podcast), September 15, 2025

 By Stephen W. Hiemstra

This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on the Walking in the Spirit. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).

To listen, click on this link.

Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!

Walking: Monday Monologues (podcast), October 16, 2023
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
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Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
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