Quote:
Originally Posted by aron
Yes, this is exactly the kind of inquiry I had in mind when I originally raised the question of "the introduction of leaven" in the assemblies of the faithful.
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It was some time ago that it first occurred to me that there might have been a problem with the appointment of the 7 (as well as the selection of the one to take the place of Judas) but this time I saw it from a different angle. The Lord washed the feet and said they should wash the feet as well. But now they've just got more important things to do than feed the hungry widows.
Where did hierarchy begin?
Now I'm thinking it was when they decided replace the twelfth "apostle" as if there were a position on a panel or committee.
Paul, although having superior Jewish credentials to all of them combined, he becomes the "apostle to the Gentiles" and they're basically OK with that niche he carved out for himself, so long as he continues to publicly declare his allegiance to temple practice, which he does repeatedly.
The seeds were there all along from the very beginning.
Now, here's another question that suggests itself to me at this point: WHY did the Lord select a dozen in the first place? Some of those guys we barely even hear about in scripture. What's that about? What did they do besides stick it out with James when times were tough? What was the real point in having an inner circle? It seems likely that an inner circle would eventually ascend to some position just naturally...