I think this is an especially pertinent question in our post modern culture that is obsessed with figure head mentality and cultural tribalism. The cult of personality as it were continues to linger. It is commonplace for people to gravitate towards characters or personalities who exemplify certain characteristics and proclivity's that they either identify with or characteristics and proclivity's that they are devoid of. There is also the crux of providing an appealing atmosphere or sub-culture that becomes the locus of attraction.
Within this culture personalities are embraced for all the wrong reasons. They are promoted or embraced because they are different, because they are dynamic, because they are 'controversial', because they are seemingly anti-establishment in rhetoric or theatrics, so forth and so on. I fear that when this is appealed to, though, all that is being accomplished is that of 'caricatures'. In other words, personalities attract only those folk who identify with those characteristics. This is disingenuous though. It is not so much the message that attracts people or the 'truth' that attracts people but the methodology, the theatrics or the personality.
This creates a culture of superficiality and 'drones' who are committed to the new hype or the latest rhetorical fad instead of the message. (There are of course exceptions to this.)
Christ's own ministry underscores this point...Jesus attracted large crowds because of His dynamic personality and 'miraculous' ministry or activity that generated an electric atmosphere. However, we find that when He spoke difficult truths or when His rhetoric became perspectivally intrusive many abandoned Him.
I think it beneficial for ministers or ministries to counteract this generic 'attraction' or superficial 'gravitation' by balancing their respective 'cultural ghetto' or 'theatrical leitmotifs' with truths that are presented in a counter-cultural manner to that 'cultural market'. Is the church to be focused on such fleeting cultural dynamics?? I think not for it inevitably breeds cultural relativism and cloistered communities. Of course we should become all things to all in order to win some (I Cor.9:19-23)....so long as we aren't reinforcing 'fleeting trends' (Rom.12:2) to the extent that those cultural traditions become the element of interest and not the message of the gospel.
Not only do we need to counteract the modus vivendi of advancing culture over message we also need to contend with promoting ministers over Christ. People have the tendency to also gravitate towards 'servants' rather than He whom servants serve as I have alluded to above. (To be sure these two are more often than not inextricably bound.) Whenever and wherever ministers do not counteract the attraction of people to personalities or personal allure they risk creating a loyalty and/or dependency upon themselves amongst the rank and file of their congregations. This is known as the 'fanbase' in the variegated sphere of entertainment.
Paul addressed the church at Corinth regarding this mentality of polarizing to figure heads. Some were following Cephas(Peter), Apollos, Paul et cetera. (I Cor.1-4) Paul repudiated this credulity and went on to describe those who who were romanticising 'men' as babes and men of the flesh (I Cor.3:1-5). Paul eventually interjected that they were to be regarded as servants of Christ and stewards of the gospel (I Cor.4:1) Paul consciously and deliberately counteracted figure head mentality by saying elsewhere, "follow me, as I follow Christ" (I Cor. 11:1). We must vigorously reinforce Christ within the hearts and minds of the church. He alone is head of the church..Ministers are but servants of Christ, under-shepherds of The good Shepherd!! We must not be in the business of making personal disciples but in making Christian disciples.
Some will contend that Paul also listed Christ followers as an unhealthy faction in I Corinthians 1. This shows a superficial handling of scripture. For that would itself contradict Christ's own statement, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself pick up his cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34) Paul's remark in I Corinthians about those who tout following Christ exclusively was in the context of division. Paul's point there was not that following Christ was wrong but that using that attitude as an elitist claim that contributed to division.
We must make concerted effort to direct peoples attention to Christ and Christ alone. This means comporting ourselves in a humble manner that always defers to Jesus in all things. When aggrandized and honored we must respond by attributing whatever is being praised to the grace of our Lord. As Paul advanced, "I am what I am by the grace of God" (I Cor.15) and again,"Let him who boasts boast in the Lord" (I Cor.1:31)
I was conversant with two friends this morning in a local watering hole and during the course of the conversation I was reminded of a noxious mis-use of scripture. A malversation that is more common than we might like to concede. This mis-use or misrepresentation is found whenever scripture is used at the expense of violating other aspects of scripture. It goes without saying that we are all susceptible of unwittingly overlooking various verses when gravitating towards others. However, during this conversation it ostensibly appeared that the mis-use was egregiously perpetrated. One principle of biblical import was advanced while ignoring other biblical injunctions and precepts in order to "justify" or "give credibility" to a certain action.
This is a common tactic when an individual is intending to divert attention from a sin or sins. An isolated verse is mis-used to substantiate sinful actions or to blind others from our sinful intentions. We all know when we are culpable of doing this for we know our own thoughts and motives (I Cor.2:11). Even if we have convinced ourselves (or deceived ourselves into thinking) that our unjustifiable mis-use is in some way righteous the Holy Spirit "who searches everything" knows our thoughts and motives.
What are we to do when the law of God or the word of God is used in such away that lawlessness is promoted? That may seem like an oxymoron at prime facie, first glance. I mean using the law unlawfully!! However, it is a pitfall we must all be conscious of when we are making application of scripture as well as when we are giving and receiving counsel. The apostle Paul alludes to this danger in his first epistle to young Timothy. He writes, "Now we know the law is good, if one uses it lawfully" (I Tim.1:8). That being true the converse is equally true. The good law can be used unlawfully. The inerrant word of God and be used erroneously. Paul was aware of this and so we should be aware of this as well.
Christ castigated the Pharisees for employing a Mosaic allowance in a manner that violated an explicit article of the Decalogue (Ten commandments). They advanced "Corban" to avoid fulfilling the command to honor mother and father (Mark7:9-13) Corban was a tradition or stratagem concocted to circumvent honoring parents by way of supporting them financially. This rouse was based upon the word of God relating to vows. Vows in the law precluded retraction. Once a vow was made, particularly a vow unto the Lord, it could not be broken (Lev.27, Num.30:1-2). The Pharisee's declared their possessions "Corban" and in so doing dishonored their parents.The Pharisee's utilized the law to violate the law!!
Joseph was also in a similar quandary. He found himself in a position to be legally right and justifiable in his actions while being veritably wrong. He was within lawful allowance, biblically, to absolve his betrothal with Mary once she was found to be with child (Matt.1:18-19). He would have been wrong in so doing for Mary had not been with another man as he supposed or better, deduced. Auspiciously, an angel appeared to him in a dream and convinced him otherwise.
What are we to do as I posed above? We are well served to evaluate our motives in how we use scripture and depend on the Holy Spirit of truth who convicts to guard and sanctify our hearts and mind. Scripture is not ours to use according to our whim. We need to pertinaciously and doggedly guard against mis-using scripture by superimposing our purposes upon scripture for our use thereby mutilating the purposes and meanings in scripture that God has intended. We need to surround ourselves with a community of believers, the church of Christ, who reinforce a biblical ethos. We stand before an on looking world and an on looking church.
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