Accountability: another shot

At the home group, prior to which my previous 'accountability' blog was posted, I put my case.
 Pretty much in terms of that post.

I was told, with resignation on their part, that 'it was just semantics'. The retreat of the unhappy vanquished! But, let's not forget, words have meanings, meanings produce thoughts, and thoughts lead to behaviour. The point is meaning-thought-behaviour. And with 'accountability', it is unscriptural.

I was told of a church where there were voluntary 'accountability' groups to support each other. Oh...you mean encourage? I pointed out that we could not 'contract in' to a practice that was basically unbiblical.

Later, as we were talking about Mark's gospel, I flicked through it for a passage to read, and came across Mark 7:9. That was enough.

Accountability

I've only called this post 'accountability' because it might be a word searched for, and, who knows, this post might turn up.

We are into the final chapter of Frosts book on the magic 5, and the topic of 'accountabilty' is taken out for a run in this chapter.

My hope is that it runs away.

'Accountability' is an idea that belongs in business and formal organisation structures. Not in the church (aside from formal roles where one having taken a role is accountable to the church as a whole or the nominating committee on the basis of what one has promised to do, but that's another matter).

It is also an idea that finds a home in legalism and flourishes in cults.

But how do Christians relate to each other?

• Encourage one another: 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Hebrews 3:13
• Bear one another's burdens: Galatians 6: 1-2
• Show the fruit of the spirit: Galatians 5:22-23
• Not under compulsion: 1 Peter 5:2
• Don't judge within the church: 1 Corinthians 5:12
• Hope all things: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

I don't get a flavour of 'accountable' anywhere here!