I find it interesting how many different churches there are in the city where I worship. Not only are there various denominations but separate churches that belong to the same organization. There seem to be valid reasons why this is so – at least they were valid each time a new church was formed.
I still find it interesting.
Even people who are part of the same congregation may point to differences of interpretations (or opinions) in Scriptures about styles of worship or how one’s faith should be lived out on a daily basis. We may believe we are facing some of these issues for the first time; yet it’s true, “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecc. 1:9, NKJV). Christians in the first century found themselves at opposite ends of debates within their local congregations.
In the early days of Christianity, some of those who believed in Christ as the promised Savior had backgrounds steeped in Judaism and found it difficult to release their loyalty to the Law. By the first century, the Law was accompanied by customs and traditions, created by Pharisees, which were seen as a type of fence around the Law to help people determine how to interpret and live according to the Law, even many centuries after it was originally given to Moses.
Others experienced miraculous conversions out of paganistic pasts, when being “religious” meant worshiping many gods rather than showing reverence to Yahweh, the one true God.
Both groups held fast to what they knew to be true – one trying to merge their religious practices of the past with their new-found faith in Christ; the other striving to put away the old and embrace the freedom they now experienced from sin.
And then there were the Diaspora Jews – those living outside Palestine, away from the temple. There were those who strove to practice their faith and obey the Law, yet were heavily influenced by the Greco-Roman culture.
One particular area in which first-century Christians did not always see eye-to-eye was in eating. The Jews observed strict food laws, noting certain restrictions regarding the types of food permissible and forbidden to eat (Deut. 14:1-21). Those Hellenistic Jews saw the statements about food to be more symbolic in nature (yet generally speaking they attempted to keep the laws wherever they lived and traveled; they could embrace vegetarianism when they could not find kosher food).
Then there was the topic of eating meat offered to idols that Paul discussed in his letters to the Romans (ch. 14) and the Corinthians (1 Cor. 8). To the Westerner, the argument may seem confusing, as the first-century practice of idolatry is far removed from us today. However, this was a serious matter. The Romans allowed pagan temples throughout the empire; here the people could (and did) worship various Greek and Roman gods. Sacrifices were made, including meat offered to the idols. Once the ritual was finished, the meat was made available in the marketplace. One could not be sure if the meat he or she was purchasing for the day or being served while a guest in someone’s home was used earlier for unholy purposes. (For this reason, Jewish people often had their own markets.)
For the Gentile converted to Christianity, he or she was taught the freedom of repenting and trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, yet Jewish Christians often stressed it was necessary the new believer also adhere to strict Jewish laws. (Add to that the dilemma Christians would face when a business deal or celebration with non-Christians included a meal where meat was served that could have been offered in a pagan ritual.) Some felt the freedom to eat whatever was available or set before them; others (because they continued to practice the Law or because of the recent memory of being delivered from slavery to idols) avoided anything that related to their former way of life.
Paul taught these early church congregations that consisted of both Jews and Gentiles who did not see eye-to-eye on the various food laws and customs, reminding them they were all part of the family of God, brothers and sisters in Christ (Rom. 14:10). Their concern should be to maintain unity in the body of Christ and do nothing to cause a weaker one to stumble. The Gentiles should not try to change the Jewish traditions of obeying food laws (that are not in contrast to Scripture); the Jewish people should not attempt to force Gentiles to abide by their specific laws and customs; and all should be careful not to offend a weaker brother or sister in Christ.
Paul’s words to the Romans encouraged them to “make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall” (Rom. 14:19-21, NIV).
Likewise, to the Corinthians Paul explained, “about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that ‘An idol is nothing at all in the world’ and that ‘There is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”
Paul went on to say, “But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do” (1 Cor. 8:4-8, NIV).
Now, the twenty-first century Christian living in the United States of America, far from the world of statues and monuments dedicated to some foreign deity, may ask, “What does this teaching have to do with me? I’ve never eaten – or been tempted by – anything offered in worship to an idol.”
Remember where we began this conversation – considering numerous churches within a city with various convictions regarding how to live out one’s faith. There are so many issues that are not directly addressed in Scripture but where people have different interpretations as to how they should be dealt with in one’s life as a Christian.
Issues such as, whether or not…
it’s permissible to drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes, pipes, or cigars…
women should wear make-up and jewelry, attend church with their heads covered (or uncovered) or hold positions of leadership in a church…
men should cut their hair or trim their beards, or even have mustaches and beards (some believe all Christian men should be clean shaven)…
a group of friends can gather for a friendly game of cards…
people can go to a theater to see a move or live stage production...
Christians should do anything on the Sabbath (I recently met someone who decided to stop attending church because it meant driving a car on the Sabbath, which was seen as forbidden) – and whether Sabbath should be observed on Sunday or Saturday…
And this list could (and does) go on and on and on…
It’s important to note this discussion is not about those activities and behaviors that are specifically described as sinful in Scripture. (See Rom. 13:13; 1 Cor. 5:9-11; 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7; Col. 3:5; Rev. 21:8.)
There are two thoughts to consider in light of these topics and questions.
First, some people think the Bible is not relevant, that it doesn’t speak to issues we face today. Some details of life in the first century and the twenty-first century may look different, but there are so many similarities involving human nature, people’s rights and freedoms, and how the decisions we make can affect others. Just as some dealt with the acceptability of eating meat offered to idols in the first century, we may find ourselves in equally challenging situations, disagreeing with members of our church family.
For example, a brother or sister may see nothing wrong with walking through a bar to be seated at a table for dinner in another part of a restaurant; yet for one who has been delivered from a life of alcoholism, he or she may choose not even to enter an establishment that sells liquor because of the unpleasant memories and the commitment to live a life free of such temptation.
Neither Christian should judge the other. And the “stronger” should want to help the “weaker” by giving up his or her “rights” and simply find another place to eat.
The second thought is how we should respond on either side of the question – whether we are doing something that is considered questionable to another believer, or whether another Christian practices something that is offensive to us.
The initial question to ask is – what does Scripture say about it? If it is not specifically addressed in God’s Word, it is likely there is other teaching applicable to the situation.
Again, we look to Paul, who told the Romans, “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them” and “why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat” (Rom. 14:1-3, 10, NIV).
Paul went on to say to the Corinthians, “Be careful…that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall” (1 Cor. 8:9-13, NIV).
(While adamant about following the Law to the letter, teachers of Judaism were also careful not to cause anyone – even a Gentile – to turn from God or live unfaithfully. They considered that could be equivalent to murder, as the weak believer might miss out on eternity prepared for the righteous.)
Another thought might be to look at our own lives, to “First remove the plank for your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matt. 7:5, NKJV).
I must ask myself: are there attitudes or daily practices in my life that are specifically addressed in God’s Word, such as “discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder” (2 Cor. 12:20, NIV), or is the fruit of the Spirit evident in my life producing “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23, NIV)? Am I trying to “encourage one another in love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24, NASB)?
A friend reminded me just today of another good guide for living, something the Lord Jesus Himself told His disciples: “Treat people the same way you want them to treat you” (Luke 6:31, NASB).
When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus said, “The most important one…is this…Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:29-30, NASB). He went on to say, “The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (vs. 31).
Do you ever wonder what would happen if the world lived that way? Do you ever wonder what would happen if the church truly embraced these commandments?
What kind of witness would we have in the world? If our goal was not for selfish ambition, but if we were found looking out for the interest of another, our brothers and sisters in Christ?
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