Murmuring, Strife and Contention Against Church Office-Bearers
Rev. Angus Stewart examines biblical narratives from Israel's wilderness wanderings to teach Reformed Christians about proper submission to church office-bearers, grounding his exhortation in the Belgic Confession 31 and Old Testament examples of murmuring against divinely-appointed leaders. The article demonstrates how God responded to Israel's disrespect toward Moses and Aaron, offering practical lessons on maintaining peace and avoiding contention within the church's hierarchical structure.
Rev. Angus Stewart In what period of Bible history do we have the most narratives about the church’s foolish dishonouring of those whom God has placed in authority over her? During Israel’s wilderness wanderings, which are recorded especially in two Old Testament books: Exodus and Numbers, not the third and fifth books of the Bible. After all, Leviticus contains laws that God gave when His people were camped at Mount Sinai and Deuteronomy consists of sermons delivered by Moses on the plains of...