Accountability

I posted this comment on a forum in a discussion about Denver's initial interpretation of the Build a House parable.

The parable can be found here.

The initial interpretation can be found here.

My comment:

"Because we are the only people who are laboring to fulfill a new covenant with God, we will grow increasingly unified and also increasingly different from the world. Societies seem unified because they submit to governmental, educational, or religious control. We seem divided because we are led by God and accountable to one another.” (Denver's initial interpretation, p. 6)

My wife and I have been discussing the concept of accountability for a few months. Primarily in the context of discussions that were happening over in the women’s Slack group. Some think we are only accountable to God and have justification for that. Others think that communities can not properly function without some accountability to each other (ie, reviewing past women’s councils for appropriate procedure).

For instance, Denver said this:

Real covenants make each individual directly accountable to God, not to man. If we had everything we claim to possess, God would respond to every covenant violation made by any of us with an immediate judgment. Such will be the case when we have a Zion society. (PTR, p. 261)

And this: 

You are accountable to Him. ... You are accountable only to Him and not to me or any other man. (The Teachings of Denver C. Snuffer Jr., Volume 2 (Reader Edition), page 517)

Considering these comments, how can we square the comment in the interpretation that we are accountable to one another? Because it seems like we have to be accountable to one another at some level if we are going to live in community with one another.

My best attempt at understanding these two comments and the context of each of them is something like this:

- We are accountable to God alone for our relationship with Him and our obedience to Him.

- We are accountable to each other in the same way any community of people is accountable to each other. Do we deal justly with one another? Do we keep our word? Do we follow through with our commitment? If we don’t do these things, then is something lost, whether it’s trust, connection, or something punitive that we agree to abide by?

I know you want my thoughts, not just endlessly quoted scripture, and I’ll give my thoughts, but I’m going to quote a chunk of scripture just for reference, then give my thoughts.

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession and kept back part of the price — his wife also being privy to it — and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the holy ghost and to keep back part of the price of the land? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own power? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and gave up the ghost; and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up and carried him out, and buried him.

And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether you sold the land for so much. And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that you have agreed together to test the spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of them who have buried your husband are at the door and shall carry you out. Then she fell down immediately at his feet and yielded up the ghost, and the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her forth buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. And of the rulers dared no man join himself to them [T&C 31:15, anyone?], but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks and them who were vexed with unclean spirits; and they were healed, every one. (Acts 3:2-4)

See, this seems to describe how we are accountable to others in the community and God at the same time. While Peter says “you haven’t lied to men, but to God” I think this is a situation where abusing our fellows in Zion is an equal offense to God. Peter, being an equal among the group in Acts, discovered the abuse and proclaimed the judgment. He did so by the Spirit of God, making it God’s judgment and not Peter’s, but it seems like when we are all one with God and one with each other, then the offenses we offer each other are offenses toward God. It’s like when Christ says “Truly I say unto you, inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.” When we are all one with God and Christ, we seem to be accountable to each other. We see the same type of thing in Malachi,

Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, Wherein have we robbed you? In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me, even this whole nation. (Malachi 1:7)

We all understand that tithes are for the poor among us (meaning individual fellowships). Yet, God claims it is He who was robbed.

Are we accountable to each other? If so, how? To what extent? What is the nature of it, and the practical application? Or are we free to do whatever we want, free of consequence, because we’re just supposed to have mercy and forgiveness? Or is the consequence of offending others the internal torment of a tortured conscience? Or is it some portion of all of these, depending on context? If it depends, what context dictates each consequence? Is there structure and organization to any of this that citizens of Zion, or hopeful citizens of Zion, are privy to? Or do we just try to obey, and if we fail, then God kills us and the youth drag us away for an unceremonious burial?

What does Denver mean by that in his initial interpretation?