Avoid Useless Wranglings, 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1

For a long time I have struggled with the number of church fights revolving around “God’s Sovereignty vs. Man’s Responsibility.”  You know, the Calvinism/Arminianism debate.  My problem stems from the fact that in churches I have served we have had people on both sides, and perhaps even five or six sides of the issue.  Yet we have been able to be together in leadership, Bible Study, service, worship and fellowship.  Everyone agreed that God was Sovereign, men were responsible, and the gospel must be preached with a call to believe.  In other words, we did ministry after the manner of the Apostles.  

Now I am sure that the previous paragraph creates consternation for some.  I am sorry if that is the case, but we never have felt that we had to have total agreement on the fine points of the ordo salutis (the order of events involved in salvation); but we did believe we had to agree as to the content of the gospel and the call to faith.  When we came to difficult passages we also agreed that we should strive to understand the Scriptures; we did not feel we were called to maintain our systematic theology.  We knew that we were called to love these brothers, these people who were not heretics but who saw things differently.

Consider today’s passage.  The issue is whether believers are permitted to eat meat sacrificed to idols.  It is a conscience issue AND it is a theological issue.  The theology of the weaker brother forbids him; the theology of the more mature brother permits him.  In the end the weaker might become stronger and all would come to see it the same.  And sometimes that happens in our other theological discussions: time and spiritual growth may bring us closer.

What is interesting is that both sides claimed the same proof-text.  In 10:26 Psalm 24:1 supports eating whatever is set before us.  In 10:28 the same verse supports not eating the meat offered to idols.  The need is to do what edifies (10:23) and what glorifies God (10:31).  If you want to be like Paul that is how you will think and act (10:32-33).  In these situations the need is not to win an argument; it is to build up a brother.  And Paul is imitating Christ (11:1).  

This is not warmed over ecumenism.  It is not ecumenism at all.  There are times to take a stand for the veracity of Scripture and the nature of the gospel.  But there are times when a church needs to exercise discipline not to settle an argument but to avoid an argument (Titus 3:9-11).