I received a number of requests after last week’s post on the ‘Yeah-But defence’ to say more about the little hobbyhorse I mentioned in the PS—regarding how we think and talk about church and worship. I’ve already written quite a bit about these issues over the years (see some references below in the PS), and am not super-keen to trawl through that material again here (much to the relief of some, I am sure).
Thank you for your thoughts. For me, however, the concept of apprenticeship is one where the individual trains for the purpose of eventually being independent. An apprentice position is never a lifelong position. It is a step toward another level where one eventually is on the same level as the one who trains them. That idea and understanding is not in the word disciple. A disciple is always under his master and never equal. Calling the disciples "apprentices", I believe, would be most misleading and would become a greater connotation problem.
Thanks Tony. The point you make about meaning shifting and slipping over time is a good one. When you introduced the term 'apprentice' my tainted mind was immediately and unfortunately drawn to the character of the current POTUS and that's not such a good mental association for the present topic. Perhaps there's a better expression to use nowadays?
As an overseas student back in the day, I sat through almost every single Campus Bible Study class, listening to Phillip teach and at the end of my 5 year university course, I thought I knew it all when I returned to my home country. Only in recent years, have I listened more than I talked, and lifted my eyes to see more, as well. I see better now, how well the gospel writers and Paul, got it all together. The all I thought I knew, has had to be reviewed, all the time, against what the gospel writers and Paul wrote (and indeed what the whole Bible says).
Thank you for your thoughts. For me, however, the concept of apprenticeship is one where the individual trains for the purpose of eventually being independent. An apprentice position is never a lifelong position. It is a step toward another level where one eventually is on the same level as the one who trains them. That idea and understanding is not in the word disciple. A disciple is always under his master and never equal. Calling the disciples "apprentices", I believe, would be most misleading and would become a greater connotation problem.
Thanks Tony. The point you make about meaning shifting and slipping over time is a good one. When you introduced the term 'apprentice' my tainted mind was immediately and unfortunately drawn to the character of the current POTUS and that's not such a good mental association for the present topic. Perhaps there's a better expression to use nowadays?
As an overseas student back in the day, I sat through almost every single Campus Bible Study class, listening to Phillip teach and at the end of my 5 year university course, I thought I knew it all when I returned to my home country. Only in recent years, have I listened more than I talked, and lifted my eyes to see more, as well. I see better now, how well the gospel writers and Paul, got it all together. The all I thought I knew, has had to be reviewed, all the time, against what the gospel writers and Paul wrote (and indeed what the whole Bible says).