Published April 9, 2017 by in
Discussion Questions:
- How should the church act?
- What if they (the church or church leadership) never improve? How do we respond?
Related Scriptures (NIV):
- 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 (How the church should act: knowledge vs. love)
- “Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that ‘we all possess knowledge.’ But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God.”
- 1 Corinthians 8:7-13 (How the church should act: Don’t make stumbling blocks for the weak)
- “But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.”
- “But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
- 1 Corinthians 4:18-21 (We may not always like God’s way of addressing sin in the church, but He’s sovereign)
- “Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. What do you prefer? Shall I come at you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?”
- Book of Habakkuk (God is Just, trust him to handle His church)
- 1 Corinthians 5:11-13 (How we are to handle blatant hypocrisy in the church)
- “But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. ‘expel the wicked person from among you.'”
- “But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
Citations/sources: https://www.biblegateway.com/