On Sunday we had a discussion in our small group about things we feel strongly about as we have matured.  I said that I want to see preaching that comes from the text, rather than preaching that starts with a topic and then searches for texts.  Another said that they think there should be a cross visible around our church because it the central symbol of the faith.  Another said that their church was inappropriate when someone dressed casually in a football shirt served communion.  Another said that hymns, and their rich experience of God, should be sung in our church.  What do you do when others disagree with your ‘mature’ position?  Many church splits have started this way.  Yes, there are non-negotiables but is a Brethren church splitting over whether women wear hats really reflecting the spirit of Christ?  In this passage Paul knew that he could eat the meat offered to idols.  What did he do to assert his position?

1 Corinthians 8:9-13

⁹Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. ¹⁰For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? ¹¹So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. ¹²When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. ¹³Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.

Questions

1. What should you be careful that your freedom does not lead to?
2. How will Paul following through on what he is entitled to do affect his brother?
3. What is Paul prepared to do?
4. What have you learned in the faith that some Christians do not know?
5. How must you behave with regard to other Christians who don’t agree with you?

Going Deeper

Think through your stance on each of these issues.  How would you maintain the peace in a church where people strongly disagreed with you?

1. Alcohol consumption
2. Dancing with the opposite sex
3. Listening to Rock and Roll
4. Watching ‘R’ rated movies
5. Speaking in Tongues
6. Women as elders
7. Inerrancy of Scripture
8. Baptism
9. Placing a cross in the church
10. Salvation through Christ alone
11. Standard of dress
12. Hymns vs. modern songs in worship
13. Exegetical v. topical preaching

The answer to how you should act might not always be the same.