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NO. 10 - STATED DOCTRINAL, CULTURAL AND PERSONAL DIFFERENCES OF BELIEF BUT NOT REASONS FOR SEPARATION OF FELLOWSHIP
A CIRCUMCISING VS. NOT CIRCUMCISING. 1. Certain men of the sect of the Pharisees, who believed, had a doctrinal belief that all Christians must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses in order to be saved (Ac. 15:1,5,24). The New Testament truth is that circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what is important (1 Cor. 7:17-20; Gal. 5:6; 6:15; Col. 3:10). 2. The solution was to not trouble the Gentiles with this matter, but write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sex- ual immorality, from things strangled and from blood (Ac. 15:19-29). Circumcising or not circumcising varied according to the circumstances (Ac. 16:1-5; Gal. 2:1-5). Circumcision was not to become a matter of division among the churches. B. EVANGELISTS CONTENDING OVER WORKERS IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 1. Paul and Barnabas had such sharp contention over Mark working with them that they parted from one another (Ac. 15:36-41). 2. They solved their difference by going on separate preaching missions, but continued their fellowship in Christ. Later on Mark worked with Paul (Phile. 23,24). Mark was also the author of the Gospel of Mark. At one time Paul and Barnabas had such strong differences that they could not work together, but they still had fellowship in Christ…and did not create divisions. C. TRAVELING EVANGELISTS VS. LOCALIZED EVANGELISTS. 1. Paul was a traveling evangelist, going from city to city and establishing churches wherever he went (Ac. 15:36-41). 2. Philip was a localized evangelist, living in Caesarea, with his wife and daughters (Ac. 21:8-10). Paul stayed with Philip and we have no record that they had arguments about whether an evangelist was to travel or to stay in one place and evangelize. They didn't create denominations or make divisions of fellowship because one was a traveling evangelist and one was located. D. SELF-SUPPORTING WHILE PREACHING VS. RECEIVING WAGES FROM CHURCHES. 1. Paul supported himself and others while preaching and teaching the gospel message (Ac. 20:20,21,34). 2. Paul also received wages from other churches while ministering free of charge to the church in Corinth (2 Cor. 11:7-9). There was not division over how ministers were being paid; this was not a reason to withdraw and create divisions of fellowship. E. DIFFERENCES ABOUT PARTICIPATING IN SECTARIAN RELIGIOUS RITUALS, CUSTOMS. 1. Myriads (many thousands) of Jews in Jerusalem were informed that Paul was telling all the Jews among the Gentiles to forsake Moses and to not circumcise their children, nor to walk according to the customs (Ac. 21:20-21). James and the elders of the church in Jerusalem asked Paul to participate in a Jewish ritual to show that he himself kept the law (Ac. 21:18,23-25). 2. Paul knew that he was not obligated to keep the laws and customs of Moses and was not to be judged if he did not observe those laws and customs (Col. 2:13-17). Yet, he went ahead and participated in this sectarian ritual to appease the Jews (Ac. 21:26). There would be those who agree with Paul's strategy and those who disagree with what he did. We cannot compromise with the essential doctrines, but we should not divide because people use different strategies to work out contentious problems. F. EATING MEAT VS. EATING VEGETABLES. 1. Some Christians in the church at Rome believed they could eat all things; others would eat only vegetables (Rom. 14:2). The solution to this problem was to not despise or judge one another in this difference, but receive one another regardless of the difference in eating preferences (Rom. 14:3,4). There should be no division of fellowship in this or similar differences. G. ESTEEM (SACRED REGARD) FOR ONE PARTICULAR DAY VS. ESTEEM FOR EVERY DAY ALIKE. 1. Some Christians in the church at Rome esteemed one day above another; others esteemed every day alike (Rom. 14:5). 2. Each was to be fully persuaded in his own mind (Rom. 14:5,6,12,13). Differences over the esteem (sacred regard) we have for a special day or days should not be a reason to separate from one another and create denominations or different fellowships. H. LONG HAIR VS. SHORT HAIR. 1. When the Corinthian letter was written it was considered a dishonor (shame, KJ) for a male to wear long hair (1 Cor. 11:14). If anyone was contentious (eager to argue) about how a person wore their hair, the churches of God had no such custom (1 Cor. 11: 16). Differences in how people wear their hair should not be reasons for separation and creating of denominations and divisions of fellowship. Christians are to guard against being offensive to others in this matter as well as with other differences. I. MARRIAGE VS. CELIBACY. 1. From the beginning of the creation, God's will has been for a man to leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife (Mark 10:6-8). In his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul wrote that he wished that all men were even as he was (unmarried) (1 Cor. 7:7). He also recognized that each calling (married or unmarried) was a gift from God and that each person is to walk in their calling (1 Cor. 7:7,17). Having married or single ministers should not be a reason to create divisions among believers. These are some of the differences that the Christians had to work through in the first Century of the church. Differences that are not equated with salvation nor stated as commands, charges, orders, mandates or exclusionary should not be reasons for creating divisions among believers in Christ. We are to receive one another, just as Christ received us, to the glory of God (Rom. 15:7). But we can not compromise doctrine that is equated with salvation or stated as a command, charge, order, mandate or exclusionary.
Arranged by Eugene Lockling |
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