Tolerance or Compromise

Originally Posted by stmatthew

He plainly said if eating meat offends my brother, then I will not eat meat.

OK, seriously... HAve you thought out the lack of logic in your statement here???

If Paul was actually telling them that they were stronger for not following the law, but they should follow the entirety of the law to appease the brothers who did follow the law... While preaching that following the law was wrong and telling the Galatian church they are stupid and getting angry with the Corinth church for following the law...

How can he possibly be telling them to shut up and follow the law???

IF Paul was saying that he was completely contradicting himself and we should just throw out every word Paul wrote as nonsense... Because that is what it would be if he was telling those who were doing what Paul told them to do by not following the law to follow the law because of those who weren't doing what Paul was telling them to do...

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by stmatthew

He plainly said if eating meat offends my brother, then I will not eat meat.

You do agree that it's implied that the "eat no meat" statement means "while I am with that particular brother..."

Paul wasn't advising vegetarianism because the meat available from the shambles came from the pagan temples. He was just saying, "Don't wave it around under your weaker brother's nose..."

[ChTatum]

Originally Posted by pelathais

You do agree that it's implied that the "eat no meat" statement means "while I am with that particular brother..."

Paul wasn't advising vegetarianism because the meat available from the shambles came from the pagan temples. He was just saying, "Don't wave it around under your weaker brother's nose..."

Excellent post.

When I was a teenager, we had a brother (elderly) who believed that we should not so much as stand out in the yard and throw a softball back and forth.
Our pastor asked us to not even play pitch in his presence. But, we could play when he was not around.

It was not hard to avoid him, enjoy ourselves, and be in subjection to our pastor.

[stmatthew]

Read the verse in context and apply it to what you are proposing.

1Cr 8:7 Howbeit [there is] not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat [it] as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
1Cr 8:8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.
1Cr 8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
1Cr 8:10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
1Cr 8:11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
1Cr 8:12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
1Cr 8:13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

The implication and principle is that one that continues to live in liberty at the expense of their "weaker" brother would actually be SINNING against their brother, and against Christ. Read the last verse to answer whether this is just a seasonal thing.

[stmatthew]

Originally Posted by ChTatum

Excellent post.

When I was a teenager, we had a brother (elderly) who believed that we should not so much as stand out in the yard and throw a softball back and forth.
Our pastor asked us to not even play pitch in his presence. But, we could play when he was not around.

It was not hard to avoid him, enjoy ourselves, and be in subjection to our pastor.

I would probably be in agreement with you. But if the weaker brothers are conservatives, then so much for being a good Christian while flaunting a "Law Free" lifestyle like some do.

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by stmatthew

Read the verse in context and apply it to what you are proposing.



The implication and principle is that one that continues to live in liberty at the expense of their "weaker" brother would actually be SINNING against their brother, and against Christ. Read the last verse to answer whether this is just a seasonal thing.

So Paul practiced vegetarianism? And we too are to be vegetarians, as long as the world stands?

[ChTatum]

Brother,
I am in somewhat of a conundrum, as I do not know of any that believe in an absolute "Law Free" lifestyle.

But my experience is not yours.

Originally Posted by stmatthew

Read the verse in context and apply it to what you are proposing.



The implication and principle is that one that continues to live in liberty at the expense of their "weaker" brother would actually be SINNING against their brother, and against Christ. Read the last verse to answer whether this is just a seasonal thing.

oh yeah? how does that not contradict this if you apply it how you propose:

Galatians 3:1-3

1O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

2This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

3Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Paul is yelling at them for FOLLOWING THE LAW!!

Why? Because he told them not to!!

Acts 15:5-21

5But some of (N)the sect of the (O)Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, "It is necessary to (P)circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses."

6(Q)The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.

7After there had been much (R)debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brethren, you know that in the early days (S)God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of (T)the gospel and believe.

8"And God, (U)who knows the heart, testified to them (V)giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;

9and (W)He made no distinction between us and them, (X)cleansing their hearts by faith.

10"Now therefore why do you (Y)put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which (Z)neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

11"But we believe that we are saved through (AA)the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are."

12All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were (AB)relating what (AC)signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

James's Judgment
13After they had stopped speaking, (AD)James answered, saying, "Brethren, listen to me.
14"(AE)Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name.

15"With this the words of (AF)the Prophets agree, just as it is written,
16'(AG)AFTER THESE THINGS (AH)I will return,
AND I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN,
AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS,
AND I WILL RESTORE IT,
17(AI)SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD,
AND ALL THE GENTILES (AJ)WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,'
18(AK)SAYS THE LORD, WHO (AL)MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO.

19"Therefore it is (AM)my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles,

20but that we write to them that they abstain from (AN)things contaminated by idols and from (AO)fornication and from (AP)what is strangled and from blood.

21"For (AQ)Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath."

The council of Jerusalem says that Gentiles DO NOT have to follow the law... This happened before Paul went to Corinth and Galatia... So any writing to them has to be read with the understanding of the Council of Jerusalem's decision...

Paul CANNOT possibly have been telling them to never eat meat offered to idols, because if he did he would be contradicting what he fought for in Jerusalem and what he preached in pretty much the rest of his epistles...

Originally Posted by ChTatum

Brother,
I am in somewhat of a conundrum, as I do not know of any that believe in an absolute "Law Free" lifestyle.

But my experience is not yours.

I think you can have your own personal convictions against things and still be "law-free"... its when you hand down things to others that everyone needs to follow...

[stmatthew]

Originally Posted by redeemedcynic84

oh yeah? how does that not contradict this if you apply it how you propose:

Galatians 3:1-3


Paul is yelling at them for FOLLOWING THE LAW!!

Why? Because he told them not to!!

Acts 15:5-21


The council of Jerusalem says that Gentiles DO NOT have to follow the law... This happened before Paul went to Corinth and Galatia... So any writing to them has to be read with the understanding of the Council of Jerusalem's decision...

Paul CANNOT possibly have been telling them to never eat meat offered to idols, because if he did he would be contradicting what he fought for in Jerusalem and what he preached in pretty much the rest of his epistles...

I did not say he said forever. My point was that some of you folks want to come here and tell us how much sinners we are, when according to your interpretation of Paul, when you get around us, you should be speaking as to not offend us poor "weak" Christians.

You can't have it both way. Quit using your liberty as a cloak of maliciousness.