Assembly Characteristics - 08 Liberty and Separation
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- Parent Category: About the Church
- Category: Assembly Characteristics
- Published on Thursday, 22 October 2009 15:30
Liberties and Separation of the Saints
1 Corinthians 8-10
A local assembly in Scripture was marked by characteristics that distinguished it from any mere religious gathering of men. It can be compared to the gathering of Israel in Old Testament time, in that they were not to pattern their behavior or practices from the nations around them (Deuteronomy 7:1-6) nor after their own manners in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 12:8). They were “a peculiar people,” or a special people of the Lord's possession, and they were to acknowledge this in every way and display it by their submission to His commands and ordinances.
Today every assembly of believers seeking to carry out the will of heaven on earth is to display this character of submission and obedience (Matthew 18:18). Sadly, from the first, the opinions of men and human expediency have often taken precedence over the simple desire to follow precisely the pattern that God has given in His Word for such gatherings. It is clear that God's Word neither teaches nor anticipates anything apart from the local assembly that seeks to continue in faithfulness to the Lord even in days of departure.
One mark of a scriptural assembly is a willing submission on the part of the believers to assembly authority vested in the elders. Their authority is not exercised as dictators, “as being lords over God's heritage” (1 Peter 5:3), but by their applying and upholding the Word of God. Their weight and influence in the assembly will depend on their ability to use God’s Word properly as well as upon the reality of their godliness and testimony. As well, each one in the assembly should recognize that personal behavior and assumed liberties must be tempered by consideration for the convictions of others in the assembly. Each one in assembly fellowship should support the principles that the assembly seeks to uphold in its testimony, and all should realize the restricting effect that participation in privileges of assembly fellowship will place on him. Most folks we meet in the world, even those who claim to be saved, do not want any limitations on their “freedoms” to do what they want or think is right. The last chapters of Judges typically predict these conditions, when “every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” The lack of a visible, authoritative ruler made Israel forget that the Lord was their King (Isaiah 43:15), and the inevitable result was that self-will became supreme and disaster resulted. Those conditions are typical and instructive concerning what would characterize the last days of church testimony and must be a warning to us.
1 Corinthians 8:1-11:1 does not deal with behavior that is subject to plain commands of Scripture. It has to do with the willing limitation of personal “liberties” out of consideration for a fellow believer's conscience. Obedience to plain Scripture comes first, but ultimately one must also recognize that what may outwardly appear “harmless” has deeper implications that are contradictory to the enjoyment of the Lord's table. The assembly cannot scripturally or properly function if each believer is not willing to yield personal views or rights in areas where they conflict with the consciences of other sincere, godly believers or with what the assembly seeks to uphold in principle and testimony. We might note that Romans 14:1-15:7 is concerned with a similar problem, but while there are similarities, there are vital differences both in the problem and in the result.
There are situations dealt with in the Corinthian Epistle that we do not face today as far as the actual problem is concerned. For example, we do not have a problem of eating meats that have been offered to an idol or eating in the idol's temple. That condition is past, but there are principles established that apply to present day situations and can be very vital to the promotion of assembly fellowship. What we must do in order to benefit from this portion of Scripture is to discern the underlying principles, and seek to benefit from them.
A. Defense of Liberty - An Idol is Nothing
1 Corinthians 8:1-6
The apostle begins in a way that might appear strange, for he seems to defend the view of those who were saying that there was nothing wrong if one ate meat offered to an idol or ate in the idol's temple. These believers were claiming knowledge of what the idol really was, that it was nothing, and therefore this activity had no effect about which others should be concerned. However, along with that defense, he clearly lifts the question to a superior level that must be considered. Firstly, knowledge is not everything, but love supersedes knowledge in its profit (8:1). This thought is introduced here, but is developed further in chapter 13 regarding the misuse of spiritual gifts. One may know more than other believers in spiritual matters, but that knowledge will never edify the saints if it is not exercised in love. Love must motivate and control our actions that affect myself and other saints in the assembly.
Then the possibility is opened in 8:2 that the one with knowledge may not have the clarity of understanding he claims to have. A kind of knowledge that results in one disregarding the consciences of other saints and not edifying them is insufficient and misdirected, no matter how enlightened it may appear. In an assembly, there should be room for various views on certain issues where the Scriptures are not explicit, but over all, one must consider whether the exercise of those views is displaying love for other saints. Genuine love for the believers with whom we enjoy fellowship will motivate us to do those things that will spiritually benefit them and the assembly. It is often the case that those who claim they can be involved in certain activities do not have the knowledge of the truth they claim to possess. Many of us can look back to things in earlier days that we practiced, thinking they held no harm to us, but which we found to be spiritually harmful as we learned more of the truth and had more desires to please the Lord. This willing limitation on rights in an indication of spiritual development.
B. Willing Restriction on “Personal Liberties”
1 Corinthians 8:7-9
The consideration of my brother's conscience introduces a factor that limits the exercise of personal liberties. It may be that his conscience is “weak” as the “strong” might consider it, but it must still be considered, and if an action will wound that person's conscience (1 Corinthians 8:12), it is sin against Christ. This truth emphasizes the seriousness of a lack of consideration for others. One may justify his own actions in a matter, but if in so doing it has a harmful effect on another believer, it cannot be allowed because what is done against another believer is against the Lord. It is interesting that as Paul's argument develops, the conscience of the “weak” brother is proven to be right because the idol is shown to be linked with the demonic realm. Therefore, it is wrong for one presuming to be “strong” to disdain the “weak” conscience, but he should consider whether that “weak” brother is actually, through spiritual exercise, more correct. The “weak” conscience may be, in fact, a more sensitive, spiritually exercised conscience.
Any believer who faces a similar situation and does not want to stumble a weak brother should ask wisdom from God to determine whether the objection by the “weak” brother is a matter of conscience or of self-will on his part. It may be necessary to ask counsel from elders in deciding such a case. No believer should use this passage merely to enforce his own will upon others. Five serious effects are defined in this case. In 1 Corinthians 8:7, the conscience of the “weak” brother can be defiled. In 1 Corinthians 8:9,13, this liberty becomes a stumbling block, or hindrance to the “weak” one. In 8:10, the action has the effect of emboldening, or building up in the wrong way, his weak conscience, thus causing him to do what he feels is wrong. Then in 8:11, that weak brother may perish, or be ruined in life and testimony through such careless actions. Lastly, in 1 Corinthians 8:12, it has the effect of wounding the weak conscience and is sin against Christ.
As if that were not enough to prove the need for consideration of other believers and restriction of liberties for their benefit, in chapter 9, Paul illustrates and reinforces this truth. He shows that even he, with far greater knowledge than all the Corinthian believers combined and with every reason to rightfully exercise his fullest liberties, willingly limited them by determined self-discipline. He does this, though he has every right to do those things listed in 9:4-6, so that he might further the purposes of God in the lives of the saints. Since this is true in Paul's exercise before the Lord, the obvious conclusion is that we should follow his pattern. He does these things because of spiritual constraint (1 Corinthians 9:16), spiritual stewardship (1 Corinthians 9:17), spiritual determination to enhance the spread of the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:18-23) and spiritual anticipation of eternal reward (1 Corinthians 9:25-27). These incentives should also be a constraint and restraint to us in our assembly activities today.
C. The Danger of Presumption
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
To further emphasize the importance of this issue, he calls on the example of Israel. What happened to them becasue of their failure in the wilderness is an example to New Testament believers (1 Corinthians 10:6, 11). There were five areas of spiritual privilege in which they all participated, areas that typify things true of every believer in Christ (1 Corinthians 10:1-4). However, such common experiences did not preserve Israel, for God was not pleased (or “disappointed,” JND) with most of them, and they were overthrown in the wilderness. What they did prevented them from going on to enter the land of God's promise, and the inference is that similar activities of the Corinthians (or us) will prevent any believer from going on to enjoy all the spiritual blessings that God intends for believers in Christ.
Eating and drinking, with its accompanying activities, can indicate an attitude toward God and His Word (Isaiah 22:13, 1 Corinthians 15:32). Notice that most of the five areas of failure listed in 1 Corinthians 10:6-10 involved eating and drinking along with their rejecting restrictions on the flesh. Most of these areas of failure centered on activities that the Corinthians likewise were expressing in their attitude and actions. Since Israel experienced judgment as a result, the Corinthians needed to learn that similar conduct would bring God's judgment on them as well. Does not this suggest that every activity of the believer's life has its deeper, spiritual significance and cannot be seen as something harmless and without effect? Those who entertain the world in their homes by way of the television, or who pursue the world’s entertainment in other forms, inevitably manifest the effects of this in their lives in terms of their spiritual exercise.
The conclusion of this argument seems to center on 1 Corinthians 10:12. The Corinthians thought that they could freely exercise their “liberties” and stand firm in their testimony. They had confidence that they were right and could engage in this activity without harmful effects, but they were wrong and their conduct would ultimately lead to their downfall.
How often this proves to be the case when believers confidently assert that they can engage in this or that “harmless” pursuit or activity! The end result is that if it is continued, they ultimately will be found away from the Lord and the assembly's fellowship.
D. Exclusive Claims of the Lord's Table
(1 Corinthians 10:14 - 11.1)
It is impossible to fully consider this section within the scope of this article, but it presents the crowning condemnation of the very activity that some might have thought Paul defends at the beginning. He shows that there is the matter of fellowship, or participation expressed by involvement in certain activities. In taking the one cup and the one loaf (1 Corinthians 10:16), they were expressing their communion in the sacrificial work of the Lord Jesus, and their participation in that work was the ground of their fellowship. In addition, 10:17 teaches that in taking of that one cup and the one loaf, they were expressing the unity of the assembly. The expressions “the many” (JND) and “we” obviously are speaking of the local assembly, as they took of those memorials of the Lord together. So that, contrariwise, their eating meat offered to idols or eating in the idol's temple actually involved partaking of the table of demons (1 Corinthians 10:21). To enjoy the privileges of the Lord's Table (possibly more than, but including the Lord’s Supper) and all it involves makes it impossible to partake of the table of demons. The two areas are mutually exclusive. Behind the idol stands the demon (1 Corinthians 10:20), therefore what is connected with the idol has a far deeper significance than what they claimed. The idol was nothing (8:4), but the significance of the idol lay in that it represented a power that was totally opposed to the Lord.
In 1 Corinthians 10:25, they could eat food purchased in the market without concern about what had happened to it prior to its purchase, because the conscience of no believer was involved. What is used as food may be received as from the Lord (1 Corinthians 10:26) with a clear conscience. In 1 Corinthians 10:27, a person could freely attend a feast with no concern about whether or not the food had been previously offered to idols; but if there were one who made an issue of telling him that the meat was offered to idols, then he should not eat. This shows brotherly consideration for the conscience of the one who has told him, so as not to stumble the weaker brother.
In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul concludes by reminding them of his own behavior in chapter 9, so that they might be imitators of him even as he was of Christ. There can be no higher standard of living for the sake of others than the pattern given by the Lord Jesus Christ. One could not have greater rights than He, yet there is no greater display of willingness to limit what rightly was His, for the sake of others (2 Corinthians 8:9, Philippians 2:5-8). Surely, His example should be the incentive for the Corinthian believers and for us today that we might be willing to curtail our “rights” or “liberties” for the welfare and benefit of others.
This condition of mutual consideration for fellow believers should be a characteristic of local assembly fellowship. We are not “islands” unto ourselves so that our actions will not influence the lives of others. One might take such ground if not enjoying the privileges of assembly fellowship, but those privileges bring along with them certain responsibilities. In addition, the fact that the Lord's purpose is for believers to be in an assembly would indicate that part of our spiritual development comes from the mutual care and consideration found in that sphere of fellowship. There are general principles that can apply to many facets of our lives today. Each believer must consider if that act, practice, or pursuit of their life that they intend is truly the will of God for them. In addition, it must be considered in the light of its actions and impact on other believers (what will it cause them to do if they follow that example), how it will affect the testimony for Christ and how it will affect the testimony of the assembly. If one is in an assembly fellowship, the principles and practices that have characterized that assembly testimony down through the years must be considered. If not, it may be the cause of ruining that testimony or some of the believers who are in it. May consideration of these principles cause each one of us to consider actions that may be suspect because of their adverse effect either on one's own testimony and spiritual exercise or on the consciences of others who belong to the Lord!