The Weaker Brother

Romans 14:13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

13 Μηκέτι οὖν ἀλλήλους κρίνωμεν· ἀλλὰ τοῦτο κρίνατε μᾶλλον, τὸ μὴ τιθέναι πρόσκομμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ ἢ σκάνδαλον.

Here in the South, many folks think that you're a Christian if you attend church, don't drink, and don't swear. There is a culture of abstinence here, particularly in the more Baptist circles. There are some pretty strange exegetical gymnastics used in some arguments. For example, I have talked with someone who says that the wine Jesus made was just grape juice and that the wine Paul told Timothy to drink was as well; however, he also says that when we are warned against becoming drunk from much wine that refers to wine with alcohol. That of course is patently ridiculous and a great example of just trying to defend one's doctrine no matter what the text reads.


This verse is probably part of the best argument for abstinence. More reasonable exegetes understand that the Bible does not prohibit the use of alcohol and in fact encourages it in moderation (it makes the heart glad). But there is always the "weaker brother" argument. We are encouraged not to partake in some of our freedoms lest we cause someone to stumble.


This argument certainly has merit if we have specific examples. If I am with someone who has struggled with alcohol I am not going to drink a pint of beer. That much is obvious. However, if we're going to be consistent then we need to think even more deeply about this. If I'm with someone who has struggled with covetousness and poor stewardship then I am not going to browse in Best Buy with him. If I'm with someone who has struggled with gluttony then it would be unwise to dine at the Golden Corral (for both of us and for various reasons). The key is to think outside of our American box of "respectable sins" as Jerry Bridges calls them and think of sin in general.


However, I think that it is unreasonable to expect a Christian to think of the hypothetical "weaker brother" everyone he goes. If that were true, then perhaps we should all be Franciscan monks. But even then someone who has a bent toward religion would struggle because it would be easy to find pride in asceticism. It is logically impossible to avoid hindering every possible person around you. Of course, we should be reasonable and prudent, but we don't need to avoid every potential stumbling block for every potential person. Romans 14 speaks to knowledge of a brother who is stumbling because of some freedom. Respect that if you know about it, but don't shut down your life for someone hypothetical.

Creation

1 Timothy 4:4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

4 ὅτι πᾶν κτίσμα θεοῦ καλὸν καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπόβλητον μετὰ εὐχαριστίας λαμβανόμενον· 5  ἁγιάζεται γὰρ διὰ λόγου θεοῦ καὶ ἐντεύξεως.

It's hard to pick single passages to blog about because this book is so full of wisdom.  Here Paul is instructing Timothy about food and marriage.  Even though we have the record of Peter's vision before he took the gospel to Cornelius, apparently there was still need for instruction on this matter.  It would be unthinkable for a Jew to eat pork, but Paul is again opening up the door for it.

Paul is also commenting upon marriage.  Apparently there was a Gnostic influence at the time as there is today.  Folks thought that it was more sanctified not to be married.  I'm here to tell you that they were wrong and Paul was right.  Marriage is just better.  The marriage bed is meant to be enjoyed and not just for procreation.  This is not something that everyone can easily accept, but it is biblical.

God created things for our enjoyment.  The problem is that we pervert good things and turn them into gods.  Our culture has made a god out of sex.  We also have made a god out of food and rather than dealing with it we just try to manage it with various diets.  Here Paul tells us to enjoy what god made.  Enjoy His good creation.  That means things like appreciating the beauty of a sunset, an ocean view, or the wildflowers on the side of the highway.  It means enjoying good food and drink in moderation.  It means enjoying the gift of sex in the context of the marriage bed (which biblically is one man and one woman).  God gave us our senses to enjoy His creation.

Of course, let's be sure to remember the source of all this enjoyment.  Everything is for His glory.  That includes our senses.  πᾶν κτίσμα θεοῦ καλὸν.  Let's enjoy that!

What do You Love?

Isaiah 33:15-16
(15) He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,
(16) he will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.

The study note in my ESV Study Bible got me thinking about how this verse applies directly to me today. Certainly I should not tolerate corruption in society. I should despise the gain of oppressions and I should not seek the hearing of bloodshed nor should I want to look on evil.

However, in our society I think that this perhaps has even more application. What kinds of movies am I watching? What do I look for in the news? Do I sanction movies that glorify violence and evil? This is why I've stopped watching James Bond movies. They're fun with the gadgets, the one-liners, and the exotic locales. However, they also glorify sex and violence. As a Christian should I be entertained by that? Probably not.

I've noticed that my pants are getting a little small. They're tighter than they've been in about 6 years. This concerns me because it tells me that I've been letting myself go a little too much. It's a reminder that I need to repent of letting little sins into my life. It seems like the fight against sexual sin is sort of my touchstone. It's when I became serious about the overall pursuit of holiness. This verse reminds me that I need to get serious in all aspects of my life. It's far too easy to slide!

When Rules Fail

Colossians 2:20-23
(20) If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations--
(21) "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch"
(22) (referring to things that all perish as they are used)--according to human precepts and teachings?
(23) These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

This is where the fine line is drawn between legalism and license. We don't want to impose rules on ourselves or others because those rules do not produce godliness. However, our behavior does indeed shape our witness to the world. This is why my seminary asks us not to drink, for example. The goal is so that we present the most holy front to the world possible.

However, while there is an initiative to get healthier, we are not as strict about what we eat or how we look. This is one of those Baptist distinctives that gets me sometimes.

I really want to live in such a way that everything I do is a positive witness for Christ so that He may be glorified in my life and hopefully in the lives of others as they develop a hunger for Him. This passage tells me that it starts with the heart and not with rules. However, I also know that my sinful heart needs boundaries.

The Righteousness of Christ

Psalms 125:1-2
(1) A Song of Ascents. Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
(2) As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore.

We're back from our cruise and it looks like I put on 3 pounds. I'm not happy about that because I really thought that we were pretty disciplined. We took the steps all over the place. I ran 4 times during the week and lifted twice. We walked 2 miles each way from the boat to downtown Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas. It seemed like things should have more or less balanced.

But alas, the scale shows where my heart was last week. It was in my stomach as it has been so many times before. I realize that 3 pounds is not bad for being on a boat for 7 days, but it's still more than the 0 I was hoping for. This psalm reassures me that Christ's righteousness keeps me secure. It reminds me that He is perfect though I am clearly so imperfect.

I greet this week with a repentant heart and a refocus to get back on track. I'd appreciate your prayers.

Super Size Me

I finally got around to seeing this movie. I've got to say that it had a fairly profound impact on me. I serve as the director of a ministry helping people overcome gluttony for God's glory. However, somehow seeing all this on film made things hit home even more deeply.

There were two particularly poignant parts in this movie for me. One was where he interviewed a very overweight 14 year-old girl named Victoria. They had just seen Jared of Subway fame give a motivational talk. The problem with Jared's talk is that he lost weight by making a decision not to be such a glutton anymore. This poor girl was choking back tears as she explained that it's not that easy. I think Ephesians 2 would bear this out.

Another was with the editor of Reason magazine who told a story about a dinner party. He said that someone was allowed to criticize a smoker for the damage he was doing to his own health and the smoker just had to take it because he knew the guy was right. However, there was also a very obese woman at the table and no one said anything to her. Very interesting.

My theory is that we don't address gluttony because it's a sin we can't hide. I was pretty good at hiding my sexual sin, but my belly was out there for all to see. Now that I go to a seminary filled with baptists I can see a double-standard in action. I see a lot of men who would not be seen dead drinking alcohol. However, many of them clearly have no problem taking thirds at the potluck. I don't want to condemn these guys because we all have sin, but I do think that it should make us all examine our legalism.