Bulletin Articles
RESPECTING ONE ANOTHER’S RIGHTS
RESPECTING ONE ANOTHER’S RIGHTS
God’s truth is eternal and unchangeable. Indeed, the Scripture says, “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven” (Ps.119:89); and “the word of the Lord endures forever” (1Pt.1:25). But, while God’s truth does not change, our understanding of it can change. In fact, if we are growing, it will change (Ac.18:24-26; 2Pt.3:18). From this, we must “necessarily infer” that a Christian might hold some mistaken views about some very important matters! That truth might make us a little uncomfortable; nevertheless, it is undeniable. This is one of the reasons passages like Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8 are in the Bible. Passages like these teach us how to deal with different levels of knowledge among brethren. With that said, let me paint a picture for you…
Two Christians are united in opposition to idolatry (the worship of false gods). One brother is determined that he will avoid any HINT of idolatry in his life. He will not worship at an idol’s temple; and he will not support or condone anyone who does. Indeed, he won’t even buy meat at the market that has been offered to idols. He stanchly holds to these convictions without compromise. I find that very commendable! But the other brother has a little different approach. Though he is opposed to idolatry, he KNOWS that an idol is nothing but a piece of wood, stone, or metal. To him, idolatry nothing but a bunch of superstition! So, while he would NEVER worship an idol, nor support anyone who does; he also knows that when he goes to the market, the meat that had been offered to idols was not “tainted.” Hence, he has no problem buying that meat and eating it. In fact, if that meat is on sale, he just might get a good deal! This is not an imaginary problem; it is precisely what we read about in 1 Corinthians 8 and 10:23-33.
Now let me ask you, if you had lived in those days, which brother would you have been? In all honesty, I don’t know which brother I would have been. I would like to think I would have been the more knowledgeable brother, who was able to eat this meat. But here’s the rub: according to Paul, neither brother was DOING anything wrong! No sin was committed, whether one ate this meat or not. Bottom line: we have two brothers, both united in Christ and against idolatry; yet reaching completely different conclusions regarding the application of their knowledge to this specific situation. What an amazing lesson for us today! Rather than trying to force everyone to conform to their level of knowledge, they showed respect for the personal convictions of another – without rancor. Can YOU do that? If you’re a Christian, you MUST! The Bible says each of us must live by our personal convictions: “Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin” (Rm.14:22-23).
As we think about the example above, keep in mind that there are matters of absolute right and wrong; and about such things, there can be no debate (cf. Ga.5:19-23). To be specific, in the situation above, there could be no debate about whether or not “idolatry” is wrong (v.20). But there might be differences of opinion about whether the meat offered to idols may be purchased and eaten. Idolatry is an absolute matter of sin; but eating the meat sacrificed to the idol depended on the circumstances, and the personal convictions of those involved (1Cor.10:25-29). In such matters there is a degree of “personal liberty” (1Cor.10:29). As citizens of the United States, we ought to understand liberty! But sadly, we sometimes think it is our job to “force” our viewpoint upon others, and “demand compliance” to our opinions and personal convictions. This is not permissible!
Here are a few modern applications of the above truths: Will you allow your children to go “Trick or Treating” this Halloween? If you do, are you honoring the Devil? Will you be putting up a tree with decorations, and exchanging gifts this Christmas? If you do, are you honoring a Catholic holiday? Will you buy your children an “Easter basket” next spring? If you do, are you a worshipper of the goddess Eostre? The Scripture urges us to keep such matters in the realm of liberty and personal conviction. Can you live with that? If you’re a Christian, you must!
--Lanny Smith
