Elders and Deacons and Leaders. BreadTalk at Resorts World Sentosa.

Yesterday, I realised yet again that the Bible is always right, and it is pointless and even downright stupid to try to make excuses for what is plainly expressed in Scripture.

For example, Paul writes to Timothy giving guidelines for the appointment of elders (“overseers”) and deacons:

[An overseer] must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) (1 Timothy 3:4-5)

A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. (1 Timothy 3:12)

The logic is that an overseer manages God’s household (Titus 1:7) and his ability to do so must first be shown by his ability to manage his own children and household well. This is a requirement even of a deacon (probably a more administrative role), and it seems a useful gauge also for leaders of any group of God’s church.

If the person in question is one’s friend, one sees how he and his wife are at wit’s end with their unruly children. Yeah so the congregation and others who meet the family comment how badly behaved the children are and wonder if they’ve never been disciplined, but because of friendship, one would be inclined to agree with the rationale that yes, it’s just that the children got a bad set of genes, or that the grandparents have spoiled them. This is silly in face of Scripture. And one soon finds that the highhanded inconsistent way of parenting, the sudden rages, the jumping into conclusions based not on facts but on some internal bias, the mean-spirited sarcasm etc also frustrates adult people.

Well, live and learn.

In other frivolous news, it was amusing to find some differentiation of products on the shelves at the branch of BreadTalk at Resorts World Sentosa, to cater to the superstitious crowd of gamblers no doubt:

Full House: buttery pastry sandwiching luscious cream cheese custard garnished with diced almonds
Sure Win: bun with coconut filling
Steamed cheese cake in the shape of a gold bar
Bread in the shape of dice.

Not sure how Curses of the Golden Flower (white chocolate covered roll stuffed with Selbourne cream and covered with golden almond slices) would help any punters though.