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Discerning Biblical Counsel in Community Decision-Making

Discerning biblical counsel in community decision-making involves a process rooted in scriptural principles, historical practices, and the guidance of spiritual leaders. The concept of a "congregation" or "community" in a religious sense refers to a holy assembly bound by religious rather than merely political ties [4]. This collective body is called to seek God with a whole heart and soul, doing what is good and right as commanded by Moses and the prophets [1].

Biblical texts emphasize the importance of seeking divine guidance in decisions. For instance, Exodus 18 describes Jethro advising Moses to delegate judicial responsibilities, suggesting that Moses should represent the people before God and bring their causes to Him, while others would judge smaller matters [7, 8]. This structure implies a communal approach to discernment, where leadership facilitates access to divine statutes and laws for the community [8]. The prophet Isaiah further exhorts people to "learn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed. Judge the fatherless. Plead for the widow" [10], highlighting a communal responsibility for ethical and just decision-making.

The Dead Sea Scrolls, particularly the Community Rule (Serekh ha-Yahad), offer insights into how an ancient Jewish community structured its decision-making. This community aimed to "seek God with a whole heart and soul" and to "practise truth, righteousness, and justice upon earth" [1]. The Community Rule outlines a structured approach to governance, including a "Council of the Community" comprising twelve men and three priests "perfectly versed in all that is revealed of the Law" [3]. These individuals were expected to embody truth, righteousness, justice, loving-kindness, and humility, and to "preserve the faith in the Land" [3]. This council's role was to ensure adherence to the Law revealed through Moses and the prophets [6]. Members of this community were also expected to "examine their spirit and deeds yearly" and to "rebuke one another in truth" [5], indicating a system of accountability and mutual correction within the community. The Qumran community's emphasis on studying the Law and adhering to revealed truth underscores the foundational role of scripture in their communal decisions [6].

The New Testament also provides guidance on communal decision-making. The early Christian church adopted practices from the Jewish synagogue, such as the public reading of Scripture [12]. The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 10:15, appeals to the Corinthians' own judgment, suggesting that believers have a responsibility to "judge" for themselves, weighing arguments and discerning truth [11]. This does not negate the role of leadership but rather emphasizes the individual's participation in the discernment process within the community. The concept of "brotherly love" is presented as a strong ethical foundation for life within the community of faith, applicable to all members [15].

Decision-making in a community context is often contrasted with individualistic approaches. Torrey's Topical Textbook highlights that serving God requires clear decision, opposing "a divided service," "double-mindedness," or "halting between two opinions" [2]. This implies that communal decisions should be made with unity of purpose and conviction, rooted in a commitment to God's will [2]. The "whole assembly of the community" is seen as the locus where both the benefits and responsibilities of a relationship with God are realized [13].

The role of counsel is significant. In Exodus, Jethro offers counsel to Moses, which Moses accepts and implements [7]. In the New Testament, Christ is presented as a "Counsellor," offering guidance through His Spirit, word, and ministers [14]. This counsel directs believers to Him for grace, life, salvation, pardon, peace, righteousness, and spiritual understanding [14]. This suggests that communal discernment should be sought through prayer, study of scripture, and listening to wise counsel within the community.

Historically, the idea of a "council" has been central to both Jewish and Christian traditions for making important decisions. In Jewish tradition, the Sanhedrin served as the supreme council, with smaller tribunals in various cities [9]. In ecclesiastical history, councils denote assemblies of clergy and sometimes laity for deliberation and decision-making [9]. These councils often aimed to preserve faith and ensure adherence to established doctrine and practice [3].

The process of discerning biblical counsel in community decision-making thus involves several key elements:

  1. Scriptural Foundation: Decisions must be grounded in the study and application of God's revealed word, as exemplified by the Qumran community's commitment to the Law [6].
  2. Righteous Leadership: The presence of leaders who are "perfectly versed in all that is revealed of the Law" and who embody truth, righteousness, justice, loving-kindness, and humility is crucial [3].
  3. Communal Accountability: Members are expected to hold one another accountable and to engage in mutual correction "in truth" [5].
  4. Collective Discernment: While leaders guide, the community as a whole is called to participate in discerning God's will, exercising individual judgment within a framework of shared faith [11, 13].
  5. Unity of Purpose: Decisions should aim for a unified commitment to God's service, avoiding wavering or divided loyalties [2].
  6. Ethical Conduct: The pursuit of justice, relief for the oppressed, and brotherly love are integral to the ethical framework of communal decisions [10, 15].

Sources

  1. Dead Sea Scrolls “Community Rule (Serekh ha-Yahad) (c. 100-75 BCE), section 1: THE COMMUNITY RULE Translated by G. Vermes 1QS COL.I . . . Book of the Community Rule, that they may seek 2. God with a whole heart and soul. and do good and right before Him as 3. He commanded by the hand of Moses and all His servants the Prophets; that they may love 4. all that He has chosen and hate all that he has rejected; that they may abstain from all evil and 5. hold fast to all good; that they may practise truth, righteousness, and justice 6. upon earth and no longer stubbornly follow a sinful heart and lustful eyes committi”
  2. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Decision — Necessary to the service of God -- Lu 9:62. Exhortations to -- Jos 24:14,15. Exhibited in Seeking God with the heart. -- 2Ch 15:12. Keeping the commandments of God. -- Ne 10:29. Being on the Lord's side. -- Ex 32:26. Following God fully. -- Nu 14:24; 32:12; Jos 14:8. Serving God. -- Isa 56:6. Loving God perfectly. -- De 6:5. Blessedness of. -- Jos 1:7. Opposed to A divided service. -- Mt 6:24. Double-mindedness. -- Jas 1:8. Halting between two opinions. -- 1Ki 18:21. Turning to the right or left. -- De 5:32. Not setting the heart aright. -- Ps 78:8,37. Exe”
  3. Dead Sea Scrolls “Community Rule (Serekh ha-Yahad) (c. 100-75 BCE), section 13: the stubbornness of his heart, he shall return no more to the Council of the Community. Moreover, if any member 23. of the Community has shared with 24. him his food or property which . . . of the Congregation, his sentence shall be the same; he shall be ex[pelled]. COL.VIII 1. In the Council of the Community there shall be twelve men and three Priests, perfectly versed in all that is revealed of 2. the Law, whose works shall be truth, righteousness, justice, loving kindness and humility. They shall 3. preserve the faith in the Land”
  4. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Congregation — This describes the Hebrew people in its collective capacity under its peculiar aspect as a holy community, held together by religious rather than political bonds. Sometimes it is used in a broad sense as inclusive of foreign settlers, (Exodus 12:19) but more properly as exclusively appropriate to the Hebrew element of the population. (Numbers 15:15) The congregation was governed by the father or head of each family and tribe. The number of these representatives being inconveniently large for ordinary business, a further selection was made by Moses of 70”
  5. Dead Sea Scrolls “Community Rule (Serekh ha-Yahad) (c. 100-75 BCE), section 9: of Israel who have freely pledged themselves in the Community to return His Covenant. 23. They shall inscribe them in order, one after another according to their understanding and their deeds, that every one may obey his companion, the man of lesser rank obeying his superior. And they 24. shall examine their spirit and deeds yearly, so that each man may be advanced in accordance with his understanding and perfection of way, or moved down in accordance with the offences committed by him. They shall rebuke 25. one another in truth, hum”
  6. Dead Sea Scrolls “Community Rule (Serekh ha-Yahad) (c. 100-75 BCE), section 14: as it is written, prepare in the wilderness the way of . . . , make straight in the desert a path for our god (Isa. xl, 3). 15. This (path) is the study of the Law which He commanded by the hand of Moses, that they may do according to all that has been revealed from age to age, 16. and as Prophets have revealed by His Holy Spirit. And no man among the members of the Covenant 17. of the Community who deliberately, on any point whatever, turns aside from all that is commanded, shall touch the pure Meal of the men of holiness 18. or kn”
  7. Exodus “Listen now to my voice. I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You represent the people before God, and bring the causes to God. -- Exodus 18:19”
  8. Exodus “When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.” -- Exodus 18:16”
  9. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Council — Spoken of counsellors who sat in public trials with the governor of a province (Acts 25:12). The Jewish councils were the Sanhedrim, or supreme council of the nation, which had subordinate to it smaller tribunals (the "judgment," perhaps, in Matt. 5:21, 22) in the cities of Palestine (Matt. 10:17; Mark 13:9). In the time of Christ the functions of the Sanhedrim were limited (John 16:2; 2 Cor. 11:24). In Ps. 68:27 the word "council" means simply a company of persons. (R.V. marg., "company.") In ecclesiastical history the word is used to denote an assembly of”
  10. Isaiah “Learn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed. Judge the fatherless. Plead for the widow.” -- Isaiah 1:17”
  11. 1 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Corinthians 10:15: Appeal to their own powers of judgment to weigh the force of the argument that follows: namely, that as the partaking of the Lord's Supper involves a partaking of the Lord Himself, and the partaking of the Jewish sacrificial meats involved a partaking of the altar of God, and, as the heathens sacrifice to devils, to partake of an idol feast is to have fellowship with devils. We cannot divest ourselves of the responsibility of "judging" for ourselves. The weakness of private judgment is not an argument against its use, but its abuse. We should t”
  12. 1 Timothy (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Timothy 4:13: Till I come--when Timothy's commission would be superseded for the time by the presence of the apostle himself (Ti1 1:3; Ti1 3:14). reading--especially in the public congregation. The practice of reading Scripture was transferred from the Jewish synagogue to the Christian Church (Luk 4:16-20; Act 13:15; Act 15:21; Co2 3:14). The New Testament Gospel and Epistles being recognized as inspired by those who had the gift of discerning spirits, were from the first, according as they were written, read along with the Old Testament in the Church (Th1 5:21”
  13. Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 12:6: 12:6 the whole assembly of the community: Both the benefits and the responsibility of a relationship with God are realized in community.”
  14. Revelation (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Revelation 3:16: I counsel thee,.... Christ is a Counsellor, and is every way fit to be one, for he is the all wise God, the Ancient of days, and the Father of his people, and, as Mediator, the Wisdom of God; and he was concerned in the council of peace from everlasting; and when he was here on earth he gave counsel in person, and now he gives it by his Spirit, and by his word and ministers; and the substance of it is, to come to him for grace, life, and salvation; for pardon, peace, and righteousness; for spiritual light and knowledge, and every supply of grace; and his advice is”
  15. Hebrews (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Hebrews 13:1: 13:1-6 This series of practical guidelines is similar to other ethics lists in the New Testament. It describes how to love others in the community of faith, a strong ethical foundation for all of life. 13:1 Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters: Literally Continue in brotherly love. This instruction applies to everyone in the Christian community (see study notes on 2:11; 3:1).”
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