Discrimination
in New
Testament churches (a)
From Meditation 76 onwards, we have looked into a third
characteristic of a church that loves our triune God wholeheartedly:“To love
God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ wholeheartedly as a church means to
pursue holiness in preparation for Jesus’ return in glory.”
Since Meditation 84 we have been looking at unholy actions
of the Corinthian church and other New Testament churches and what God might
want to say to our churches today through the way He responded to these New
Testament congregations.
Today we need to reflect on the problem of discrimination
between church members in local churches and how that inhibits God’s Spirit to
empower our churches to Christlike love for our triune God.
The New Testament mentions various reasons why
discrimination took place in local churches. Here are some examples:
·
Discrimination
against Jewish-Christian widows from abroad.
Already in the early days of
the first church in Jerusalem, problems arose regarding food distribution to
Jewish Christians from a Hellenistic background. The evangelist Luke reports: “As the believers rapidly multiplied, there were
rumblings of discontent. Those who spoke Greek complained against those who
spoke Hebrew, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the
daily distribution of food.”
(Acts 6:1*)
With the expression ‘those who spoke Hebrew’, Luke
meant the Jewish Christians who were born and lived in Palestine and especially
in Jerusalem. ‘Those who spoke Greek’ were the Jewish Christians who
lived in Jerusalem, but who came originally from outside Palestine, like
Barnabas who came from Cyprus (Acts 4:36). They were also called ‘Hellenistic
Christians’
The church in Jerusalem probably started caring on a daily
basis for the poor Jewish Christian widows. They might have been excluded from
the official temple funds because of their faith in Jesus Messiah.
Luke doesn’t tell us why the native Jewish Christians might
have acted against the interests of the Hellenistic (Jewish) Christian widows
who originally came from abroad. Perhaps the native Jewish Christian widows had
more help from family and friends and were less of a burden to the church than
the Hellenistic widows. Perhaps the native Jewish Christians looked down on the
Hellenistic (Jewish) Christians because of their birth in foreign lands.
Whatever
the reason, this discrimination was a hindrance for the Holy Spirit to produce
impartial Christlike love, compassion and unity in the early church. The
apostles solved the problem by gathering all the believers and making the
following proposal which accepted by all: “We apostles should spend our time preaching and
teaching the word of God, not administering a food program,” they said. “Now
look around among yourselves, brothers, and select seven men who are well
respected and are full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. We will put them in
charge of this business.” (Acts
6:2-3*)
·
Discrimination
against ‘weaker’ Christians.
The
apostle Paul had to address the problem of discriminating ‘weaker’ Christians
in letters to several churches:
o Discrimination
in the matter of keeping the Mosaic food laws.
To the church in Rome he wrote about food. Some so called
‘weak’ Christians ate only vegetables as they were concerned about breaking the
Mosaic laws on the observance of ritually clean and unclean meat. Paul himself
was fully convinced that no food is ritually unclean (1 Timothy 4:3-4). Yet, he
encouraged church members not to discriminate against others because of
differing convictions with regard to keeping the Mosaic food laws.
Paul
writes: “Accept
Christians who are weak in faith, and don't argue with them about what they
think is right or wrong. For instance, one person believes it is all right to
eat anything. But another believer who has a sensitive conscience will eat only
vegetables. Those who think it is all right to eat anything must not look down
on those who won't. And those who won't eat certain foods must not condemn
those who do, for God has accepted them. Who are you to condemn God's servants?
They are responsible to the Lord, so let him tell them whether they are right
or wrong. The Lord's power will help them do as they should.” (Romans 14:1-4*)
He explains to the Roman church: “Those who eat all kinds of food do so to honor
the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who won't eat
everything also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God.” (Romans 14:6*)
Therefore, he summons the church
members, saying: “Let us
stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any
stumbling-block or obstacle in your brother's way. As one who is in the Lord
Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone
regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
If your brother is
distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by
your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you
consider good to be spoken of as evil.
For the kingdom of
God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy
in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to
God and approved by men. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to
peace and to mutual edification.
Do not destroy the
work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man
to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat
meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to
fall.” (Romans 14:13-21**)
o Discrimination
in the matter of food dedicated to idols.
In
the Corinthian church rose a difference regarding the freedom to eat food that
had previously been dedicated to idols; food one could buy in the marketplace.
Some Christians who called themselves ‘strong’ bought this food at the market
or ate this food as guests in a non-Christian home or even in an idol’s temple.
The apostle Paul deals with this matter in his first letter to this church in
Corinth: “Now let's talk
about food that has been sacrificed to idols. You think that everyone should
agree with your perfect knowledge. While knowledge may make us feel important,
it is love that really builds up the church. Anyone who claims to know all the
answers doesn't really know very much. But the person who loves God is the one
God knows and cares for.
So now, what about
it? Should we eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols? Well, we all know
that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God and no other.
According to some people, there are many so-called gods and many lords, both in
heaven and on earth. But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who
created everything, and we exist for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus
Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given
life.
However, not all
Christians realize this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being
real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as
the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated.
It's true that we
can't win God's approval by what we eat. We don't miss out on anything if we
don't eat it, and we don't gain anything if we do.” (1 Corinthians 8:1-8*)
The apostle warns the
church members in Corinth, who called themselves ‘strong’, against
discrimination of the so called ‘weak’ church members: “You must be careful
with this freedom of yours. Do not cause a brother or sister with a weaker
conscience to stumble. You see, this is what can happen: Weak Christians who
think it is wrong to eat this food will see you eating in the temple of an
idol. You know there's nothing wrong with it, but they will be encouraged to
violate their conscience by eating food that has been dedicated to the idol.
So because of your
superior knowledge, a weak Christian, for whom Christ died, will be destroyed. And
you are sinning against Christ when you sin against other Christians by
encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong. If what I eat is going
to make another Christian sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live--
for I don't want to make another Christian stumble.” (1 Corinthians 8:9-13*)
Furthermore, in the
same letter Paul reminds the so called ‘strong’ church members of what is true
‘Christlike freedom’: “You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’ -- but not
everything is helpful. You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’ -- but not
everything is beneficial. Don't think only of your own good. Think of other
Christians and what is best for them.
Here's what you
should do. You may eat any meat that is sold in the marketplace. Don't ask
whether or not it was offered to idols, and then your conscience won't be
bothered. For ‘the earth is the Lord's, and everything in it.’ (See Psalm 24:1)
If someone who isn't
a Christian asks you home for dinner, go ahead; accept the invitation if you
want to. Eat whatever is offered to you and don't ask any questions about it.
Your conscience should not be bothered by this.
But suppose someone
warns you that this meat has been offered to an idol. Don't eat it, out of
consideration for the conscience of the one who told you. It might not be a
matter of conscience for you, but it is for the other person.
Now, why should my
freedom be limited by what someone else thinks? If I can thank God for the food
and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it? Whatever you eat or
drink or whatever you do, you must do all for the glory of God.
Don't give offense
to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. That is the plan I follow, too. I try
to please everyone in everything I do. I don't just do what I like or what is
best for me, but what is best for them so they may be saved. And you should
follow my example, just as I follow Christ's. (1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1*)
· Discrimination against poor Christians.
It seems that in the early church the Lord’s
Supper was combined with a fellowship meal, called the ‘Love Feast’ or ‘Agape’.
For this meal everyone brought food which was shared together. During or after
this meal, they shared the bread and wine in remembrance of Jesus’ death (the
Eucharist). For further details see http://www.earlychurch.com/LoveFeast.html.
These fellowship meals (‘Love Feasts’) are mentioned in Jude 1:12, 2 Peter 2:13
and probably in Acts 2:42-47;
20:7-12.
The fellowship meal of which Paul speaks in
1 Corinthians 11:17-22 was far from being a feast to express their mutual love.
In the Corinthian church, during their love feasts, the rich Christians ate
their own food without waiting until everyone was present, and to share it with
their poor brothers and sisters. Therefore, the apostle Paul thunders against
this church: “In the following
directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good.
In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are
divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there have to be
differences among you to show which of you have God's approval.
When you come together, it is not the Lord's
Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for
anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. Don't you have homes to
eat and drink in?
Or do you despise the church of God and
humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you
for this? Certainly not!” (1
Corinthians 11:17-22**)
Paul severely warns this church of God’s
judgment as they don’t acknowledge that they should live in Christlike love and
unity as a manifestation of the ‘Body of Christ’: “So if anyone eats this bread or drinks this cup
of the Lord unworthily, that person is guilty of sinning against the body and
the blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating
the bread and drinking from the cup.
For if you eat the
bread or drink the cup unworthily, not honoring the body of Christ, you are
eating and drinking God's judgment upon yourself. That is why
many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.
But if we examine
ourselves, we will not be examined by God and judged in this way. But when we
are judged and disciplined by the Lord, we will not be condemned with the
world.” (1 Corinthians
11:27-32*)
After explaining the true meaning of the
Lord’s Supper in 17-32, Paul takes up the theme of the fellowship meal again
and concludes with the following guideline: “So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each
other. If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet
together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further
directions.” (1 Corinthians
11:33-34**)
In the next meditation we will continue this
theme of discrimination in New Testament churches and ask ourselves what God
wants to say to our churches today.
(to be continued)
Translations: * New Living Translation; ** New
International Version
The next meditation will be published by Saturday 11 May 2013.
