Hi CSL

Be encouraged, in keeping silent you made the right decision whatever your motive. It's always difficult having a priest you disagree with BUT... scripture is very clear on supporting those in authority over you and I believe that includes leaders with wrong ideas. (Let's face it, you'll never get the 'perfect' minister anyway.)

If you have problems with your minister GO TO HIM PRIVATELY and voice them. I believe it a direct contravention of the scriptures regarding supporting your leadership to challenge him in public. The potential to divide your church and denegrate anything your minister says from the pulpit in the future is enormous if you do anything publicly. Keeping silent also stops you making a fool of yourself if you've misheard / misunderstood something or if (steps back in horror) YOU'RE wrong about something.

If you can't resolve differences having met with a minister you could:

A) Start praying for him to leave the church.
B) Pray for him to change.
C) Leave the church yourself, telling the elders your reasons as you do.
D) Prayfully consider whether the Lord wants to keep you there whilst grinning and bearing it.

(I had to cope with D for a while at one stage in my life - not nice.)

Further thoughts:

We are clearly commanded to pray for those in authority both civil and spiritual and that REALLY grates sometimes but it is a discipline for us to learn. After all, if you aren't praying for him what right do you have to criticise*?

In your favour*, we are commanded to test the spirits rather than blindly accepting all teaching / prophecy / preaching / spiritual manifestations etc. You might want to get a friend or two together and find out (discern) what's happening with your preacher. If you know you can then pray alongside or against it directly.

People will always interpret scripture the way they want to but personally, every time I hear someone stating that something in scripture is "metaphorical" I hear alarm bells...from the
"obviously the 'days' of Genesis 1 aren't really days" thru the
"well it's a nice story, but did Jonah really get swallowed by a fish?" to "well, the resurrection was obviously spiritual rather than physical" we'll always get people twisting what the Lord has said.

Finally, pray that the truth will be self-evident to all who listen to this guy and that people won't be lead into error. That's real intercession for your church bretheren.

God bless

EMPIRE

PS WOW. I could really get into sermons big time. Sorry if it's a bit much, all meant well.
{and after all, my opinions are worth so much more than other people's!}



* note the spellings - yes, I'm English