A Sunday school teacher set a jar of beans at the front of the room and had all the students write their guess for the number of beans on a piece of paper. Then, he had them write the name of their favorite song on the back. After they’d all guessed, he told the correct answer for the number of beans. He asked the class which student gave the most accurate answer – the one who was closest to the right number. Then, he asked which student gave the most accurate answer on the best song – there is no ‘best’ song, though. Since there was no objective standard, there was no right or wrong answer.
Ever since God walked with the first man in Eden, He has made His instructions clear. You may eat freely from every tree of the garden except for the one which I commanded you not to eat. But, how should we deal with issues the Bible doesn’t cover?
Drunks, Players, and Argumentative Christians
God’s nature has not changed. His commands are as clear today as they were in the garden. We learn the right way to live from passages like Romans 13:8-13. In verse 13, the apostle Paul lists three pairs of activities which a Christian must not commit. But, by most human standards, one of these pairs is different from the others: orgies and drunkenness, sexual immorality and sensuality, quarreling and jealousy.
The danger of the first two pairs is easy to see. Intoxicated orgies quickly wreck the lives of everyone involved. But, the last pair – quarreling and jealousy – is different. Why was quarreling included in the same list with drunkenness and sex parties? To Paul, Christian infighting is just as destructive as those other sins.
Dealing with Different Opinions
The passage transitions into the beginning of Romans 14 by addressing some issues that had produced division within the church. There is no command from God to say whether a Christian should eat meat or celebrate religious holidays. So, those doctrines have been left to the conscience of the individual.
Romans 14:1-3 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.
Eighteen centuries later, Thomas Campbell (of The Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement) famously explained this principle: “Where the Bible speaks, we speak; where the Bible is silent, we are silent.” As he wrote The Declaration and Address of the Christian Association of Washington, he was inspired by words from a few centuries before: “In essentials unity; in non-essentials liberty; in all things charity.”
Judgment vs Opinion
These writers understood that either requiring or rejecting a practice not addressed by scripture is to act as judge in place of God. Romans 14 says that’s not our job.
Romans 14:4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
Man doesn’t have authority to make rules for others to follow. Our standards must come from God alone.
Only applying scripture as it was written sounds great. Command, example, and necessary inference are an excellent approach to the Bible. But, how should we deal with situations God didn’t address in scripture? Fortunately, we have an example of how to treat others when there is no command, example, or indisputable conclusion available.
When Scripture is Silent
In issues that are not addressed by scripture, we have an example of how Christians are to treat each other. Each person should reach his/her own conclusion, guided by Biblical wisdom, and glorify God by living uncompromisingly by their decision. But, they cannot enforce their conclusion – no matter how logical or satisfying – on others.
Romans 14:5-6 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
If a Christian wished to commemorate a holiday (with traditions that did not violate Biblical commands), they were to celebrate as a way of honoring God. If another Christian believed they should not to participate in the holiday, their decision to abstain was their way of honoring God. No matter their conviction, each was to welcome the other as brethren. Anything else would be a violation of the explicit command to not quarrel in Romans 13:13.
Love Outweighs Opinion
The Christian who approves an activity and the one who rejects are entitled to their conclusions. But, they must be applied in a way that does not violate the most important Biblical principle: love. For this reason, Christians should accept people with other opinions (not commands), even if they disagree.
A Christian who rejects a practice is not authorized to stop others from doing it. Likewise, the one who adopts the practice should not try to persuade those who are uncomfortable to participate. If their brother’s faith in God will be weakened by their practice, they should abstain. But, the decision is not a doctrinal obligation. The decision to lay down their rights is based on love for their fellow Christian.
In all doctrinal questions, we must elevate God’s commands above our own opinions. To do otherwise is to claim more authority than God has granted. We should be merciful to other believers. We should desire to welcome as many people as we can into God’s family. And, no matter what, we should show love to everyone we meet because God loved us first.
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Defining Commands, Examples, Necessary Inferences, and Opinions
Command: An explicit instruction (not directed only to specific individuals/groups) specifying an activity to implement or reject. Commands should be applied by doing what the Bible says.
Example: An account of an acceptable positive activity or a reprimanded negative action. A positive-example implicitly demonstrates that a practice is authorized but does not automatically make it a requirement. However, a properly contextualized negative-example does implicitly condemn the action.
Necessary Inference: Unquestionable conclusions, usually involving broader principles, made within the proper context of a passage. Undeniable inferences should be applied only when the context of a passage makes the obvious conclusion necessary.
Opinion: Areas where scripture does not give a clear teaching for or against a practice. Scriptural silence is not an invitation for man to enforce his views (in opposition or endorsement) on others. In disagreement, love outweighs opinion.