Do we need Codes of Best Practice?

The apostle Paul affirms that a soldier is loyal and obedient, an athlete is well-trained and follows the rules, and a farmer is hard-working and expects outcomes (2 Tm 2:3-6). For all three there are certain rules and codes that have to be accepted and respected. Some of these laws are imposed by nature, other have been developed by human societies over the centuries. The ideal soldier, athlete or farmer lives up to specific and sometimes selected characteristics, making it possible to identify his particular call and profession. Paul uses the analogy to emphasise virtues and qualities expected of Christian workers. His lists of the “workman approved by God” in the pastoral letters to Timothy and Titus include high standard profiles for ministers and a highly demanding code of best practice…

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