Admonition Quote by Francis Schaeffer
“There needs to be an order of office, but in every single office that is presented in the Scriptures there is the personal emphasis within that legal concept. In the Church the elder is an office-bearer. But both the preaching elders and the ruling elders are "ministers," and the word "minister" is a personal relationship, it does not speak of dominance. There is to be order in the Church, but the preaching elder or the ruling elder is to be a minister, with a loving personal relationship with those who are before him, even when they are wrong and need admonition.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Church and the Church, 1975
Church leadership should blend authority with personal care, emphasizing service over dominance.
In simple terms: Leaders must be caring servants, not tyrants.
Key Takeaway
Serve with love, not control.
Themes
leadership
service
relationships
authority
humility
Mood
reflective
serious
Type
theological
pastoral
When to use this quote
- Pastoral counseling
- church governance
- conflict resolution
- mentoring
- disciplinary action
Key Concepts
Ecclesiology
pastoral care
ministerial identity
Questions to Reflect On
- How can leaders maintain authority while showing genuine care?
- What practices foster loving relationships in leadership?
A Different Perspective
Balancing authority and compassion can be difficult in hierarchical structures.
![“Reprehension is a kind of middle thing betwixt admonition and correction: it is sharpe admonition, but a milde correction. It is rather to be used because it may be a meanes to prevent strokes and blowes, especially in ingenuous and good natured children. [Blows are] the last remedy which a parent…” quote by William Gouge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8b8/william-gouge-47709_admonition_reprehension-is-a-kind-of-middle-thing-b_174332.jpg)
