How to handle differences, including theological diffrences?
What I called, 4 A’s method:
1. Address the issues as it is (vv1-3)
2. Address the truth (understand) (vv4-6)
3. Address different perspective (seeing f/ different perspective) (vv7-9)
4. Address truth in love (vv10-13)
Introd
- 2 epistles to Corinthian church
- one of the most important city in Greece
during Paul’s time
- Greek poet Homer called it, "wealthy
Corinth: in 850 BC
- the connecting link bet/ Rome, the
capital of the world at the time, and the
East
- 700,000, about 2/3 whom were slaves
- very diverse groups
- into gambling, legalized temple prostitution,
business adventure, sea port city (1 Cor 6:9- 11)
- home of Temple of Aphrodite (or Venus),
pagan temple had 1,000 religious prostitutes
- both male and female prostitutes abundant
- "Korinthiazomai"
- people in Corithian church was much like us, our church, different nationality, social, economic and religious backgrounds. No wonder they had many different views in the church, causing Paul to write this letter
In today’s story, 1 Cor 8, the issue was, whether to eat or not to eat meat? What is right? To eat or not to eat meat that was offered to an idol?
How about you? Are you a vegetarian or meat eater?
Often our divorce, church break up, and broken relationships emanate from very trite things - like eating or not eating meat!
How many marriages are broken over differences in view, democracy and communist?
No, it begins w/ small and trite things ... like rolling a toilet paper inside out or outside in! (give Ann Lander’s stat)
Toothpaste: do you squeeze from the bottom? middle? or don’t know? May God help you if you are like my wife, doesn’t care where you squeeze ... you guessed it, I am f/ the bottom.
Silly, huh. Does it really matter where you squeeze your toothpaste from? We need to pick and choose our fights.
Chicago: Moody Church breaks over the position of a piano.
The issue in Corithian church in chapter 8 was about idol worshipped meat, how about for us?
Drinking, smoking, tatoo, baptism, kinds of music, style of worship? What is so comfortable to me? What I believe is to be right?
Through Paul, God teaches us how to handle differences, including theological differences.
4 A’s method:
1. Address the issues as it is (vv1-3)
Paul states the problem as it is. He does not sugar coat, take side, tro lessen nor hide the problem. He invites all to have an honest and open dialogue. v1, "let’s talk about food t/ has been sacrificed to idols" He doesn’t say, "you people who believe this way and t/ way ..." We must learn to separate issue f/ people.
What happened is that the people bring the meat for sacrifice to their idol, the priest then, burn some as a sacrifice, give some to the worshipper and keep the rest. Often the preist would sell the meat back to meat market (makellon), located south of the marketplace. "eidolothuton" The word translated as "meat" is really the broader word for "food" (brosis), but since it involves altar sacrifices and the meat market, rightfully translated as meat. (1 Cor 10:25)
Paul opens up with addressing the superficial issuse first (v1), then, he addresses the real issue, the real motives, what is inside our heart (v1/b,c). Then he provides real solution in v3. ...arrogant (RSV, NLT), puffs up (NASB), i.e, self-righteous and self-importance.
SI: God knows all, but we don’t know everything.
Backpacking: thousand feets high, layers of mountains, ... yet, God knows exactly where the animals and insects (billions) are and what they are up too!
30,000 known spider spieces, many more to be found yet ... we eat about 3 spiders per year. God knows where they are in this sanctuary. Do you?
Train in Korea: A boy sitting at the "elderly, pregnant and disabled" people giving him dirty looks, in Korea, even now, young people voluntarily give up their seats (normal seats) to elderly, so people’s response was understanding. The boy must have felt their resentful stares, felt uneasy, felt their dislike, even embarrased, slowly got up, suddenly they noticed that this boy had only one leg as he desperately try to find a balance in this fast moving train. How do you think those people must have felt?
We are not God. We don’t know everything. What he is going through now. What dire circumstances she is in now.
There should be a healthy balance between knowledge and love. Need both. Knowedge exist to love. Therefore, if knowledge does not edify other bro/sis, i.e., if they don’t feel loved, then such knowledge is nothing more than self-idol. Edify (NASB), build up (RSV, NLT) (Gk meaning edify ...)
After talking about knowledge, suddenly Paul shifts to v3, about loving God. Does that make sense to you?
What? What is the relationship between knowledge and loving God? (explain ... Prov 1:7, "fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge" One with God father) So the answer lies in loving God, v3.
2. Address the truth (understand, vv4-6)
Truth in idol doesn’t really exist, v4, "..."
There is only one God. (creator, note, v6, we exist for him)
There is one Lord, JC (v6)
SI:
Ancestor worship
I used to worship ancestor when I was young, before we became XX (XX=Christian). We prepare big feast, fit for a king, family gathered in front of deceised mom/dad or gradparent’s picture, bow, etc. and wait until dead parents would come and eat the feast. Then the dead ones would bless the living ones. So far, I have yet to see the dead ones come and eat the meal, but Isurely had my stomach filled.
We have many idol: rocks, trees, Sun, Moon.
no 13th floor, many hotels no room 13 and no row 13 in airline. "Triskaidekaphobia" (fear of #13)
3. Address different perspective (seeing f/ different perspective, vv7-9)
v7, Paul begins, "However," i.e., he understand t/ "not all XXs realize this" t/ there is no idol and only one God. Paul says, even those we feel so strongly wrong, even wonder their XX faith, we must acknowledge them as chidren of God. Instead of being critical, judgmental, Paul puts himself in the mind of those ho had opposing view to his. Consequently, Paul understood where they are coming f/. ... Note, both groups are doing what they do, why? because they both love God! Often Satan tempts us to see our differences, rather than what we have in common = we are brothers and sisters, one family. We ARE NOT enemies! Family exist to take care and love.
SI:
Youth Grou Pastor
- how it was me who didn’t know how to clap. It was not my junior high school students who were messing up while praising, but me. I tried to teach them, then I realized I couldn’t isten to the music and clap at the same time.
Freaked out at my first experience of seeing people praying in tongue, etc. I thought they were demon possessed. Grew up in Presbyterian church all my life, where raising hands were in question. But God has humbled me over the years, I layed hands on my students and some received gifts of tongue, although I don’t.
Exegetical preaching: coming out of Trinity, I thought those who preach none other than expository preaching (exegetical) was not being Biblical. God has humbled me over the years. Sometimes our knowledge is hiddrance. We have to unlearn what we have learned. Look at Pastor Rick Warren, how many lives he is touching! Look at Jesus Christ, the master of preaching, does not preach in expository. I had to repent and confess my sins.
If we place ourselves in the place of those who have different views, then, we can see that our words and actions are hurting. In fact, they are "destroying" our brothers and sisters. Therefore, Paul warns us, in v9 "you must ..."
When we have differences, the right questions to ask is: am I weaker or stronger XX? Stronger XX will always let go of his rights, innate freedom for the sake of building up weaker XXs.
SI: An old gentle man who stood at otherside
Describe very conservative church, full, all dressed in suits (both male and females), middle of the massage, walks in a hippy looking, right out of beach, sandals, ... walks to the front of isle, sits front of the pulpit ... nice dressed, old gentleman in cane walks up ... confrontation, stare ...the elderly man quietly sat next to the young man to worship God with him. To be his friend, next to him.
4. Address truth in love (practice truth in love, vv10-13)
Only those who have tasted the real love can know love, v3, therefore, can give true love. We often practice truth w/o love.
SI:
Relationship between parents and children
Everything parents say are good, but not right. Truth w/o love, least not understood will not be heard, sometimes even hurt. [consequence: separation, bitterness and run away] No dialogue as in v1.
Luke 15, story of prodigal son, what did the father do? He didn’t just say the right words. The son wanted to have his inheritance while the father was still alive! I would have kicked him out of my house and disown him, if he was my son. [told him what was right thing to do, how ungrateful, etc.] The father just loves him, how? Gives the stupid son the money, must have been a lot, millions, since the father was rich. The father anxiously waits for his son to return, the one who has rejected and betrayed him and left him. (us) [son- Bible describes insane, when came to sense] Finally, the sane son comes back, not as a son, because of his great sin, as father’s servant. Do you think the son would have realized his father’s love if the father told him: how stupid he was? doesn’t deserve? this and that and kicked him out of the house like I would have? ... the father never stopped loving him and runs to met his lost son. Love communicated, understood is powerful thing. Please parents, don’t say the right thing w/o love.
Paul says, truth not addressed in love "destroys." A fortiori, they are "sinning." = v12, nailing JC on the cross. Lk 17:1-2
3 maturity of faith:
1. my perspective
2. other perspective
3. Father’s perspective
Ask yourself, next time you are faced w/ people w/ different views than you:
am I stronger or weaker XX than him?
mature or immature than her?
how strong? ... Father’s heart?
Conclusion
We will always have differences and different views.
SI:
Elderly couple (pastor and his wife) who were married for last 50 years. Reporter asked, you must be very compatible to lived happily for so long.
The pastor smiled and say, on the contrary, we are very different, opposite. Even during the Winter I need to open the window, whereas my wife, she gets cold even the hottest Summer night. When the wife goes to bed, she would open the window, thinking, how it would bring cool air for her husband. Later on the husband would come in and close the window, thinking, his wife will be cold. How would the wife must feel when she gets up in the morning to see the window closed? Their life has been like this for last 50 years!
Only those who has experiences Father’s love can reach Father’s perspective.
You can only give what you have: $5 in my wallet, I could only give $5, I cannot give more than what I have.
SI:
Adopted boy’s last wish
A Korean boy was adopted by joyous American family. While he was growing up, they realized that he was loosing hearing. Soon, his ability to speak was dying away as well as his sights- becoming totally blind. Sad stricken parents asked, "is there anything that we coudld do for you?" The boy asked, "if I could see my biological mother before I loose my eye sights." The parents asked Korean TV station for help and through hard work, they were able to unite them. The boy with tears flowing down his face, cried out, "momma," he could barely see his mother w/ his poor eye sights, frowns to see his mother’s face more clearly, his hands slowly going through his mother’s face ... "mom I love you."
...at t/ moment, all his anger, bitterness, loneliness, longing ... all melted away, there was only peace, only love.
Paul met his adopted Father like the adopted boy and felt the perfect love of God. So with Father’s love in his heart, Paul says,
I will NEVER eat meat as long as I live if that is going to make otehr XXs to stumble and sin.
NEVER!
Forever!
... I don’t know about you... but I want to join Paul ...
Never, forever if my freedom, if my rights hurt and cause other XXs to sin, nailing my Lord, JC on the cross .. then, NEVER!
... but I need your help ...
