Zwagmeister

Cheryl
great job on setting the context – how critical this is to Ch 11!

i am constantly struck in Paul’s writings about how much emphasis he places on not offending ubelievers ‘unnecessarily’. Of course there are the clear ‘non-negotiables’ that are central to the gospel … eg: the cross is offensive and foolishness to those that are perishing (1 Cor 1:18)… but time and time again on things he implores believers to live lives of peace (1 Tim 2:2-4) and not cause unbelievers to disdain the gospel because believers live out their ‘freedoms’ without considering the consequences. (1 Peter 1: 13 – 17; 3:1 echoes this too – asking believers to have a similar attitude of putting their ‘rights’ below their desire to reach the unreached.) Perhaps the most amazing example for me is Paul pushing for circumcision to not be demanded of Gentiles at the Council in Acts 15, then he turns round and asks poor Greek Timothy to get the ‘chop’ in the very next chapter – because it would help them ‘not offend’ the Jews in the area they were going to… incredible, hey!? (I have always felt particularly sorry for Timothy!!!)

What would Paul’s advice be to us in western culture today in regards to how we apply the gospel to our culture? Of course sin is sin and must not be considered as a ‘cultural’ issue…but how much of what we ‘do’ in church is actually tradition based, rather than ‘sin’ or ‘not sin’?
As paul says… we need to ask ourselves what is BENEFICIAL (but not contrary) to the gospel?

Looking forwards to getting into vv 3-16!
(-:
k