- 9:23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.
Because of the personal revelation above, we can understand the mind of Paul as he preaches to those of a very different religious background (in Athens). Does he attack their religion? On the contrary, he uses their faith and their poets to establish the truth of God to which he was called. We have in Acts 17 these words:
- 17:28
- for in R1065 Him we live and move and exist, F409 as even some of your own poets have said, `For we also are His children.'
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- 17:29
- "Being then the children of God, we ought R1066 not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.
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It should be noted that he does not quote his own scripture to these men of Athens but uses what is agreeable to all to present the true and living God.
In Acts 21, Paul is called to offer sacrifice - proving his allegiance to the Law. Does Paul believe that the blood of bulls and goats accomplishes anything that is of consequence? Of course not. He can compromise in this, preserving the peace, became he is not required to verbally correct his own teaching (IMO). Paul allows for cultural considerations and in so doing, leaves the door open for his continued ministry to the Gentiles. In time, it is these very people who have him killed (Alexander the coppersmith was probably a Judaizing legalist) -- but the "damage" had been done. Paul had the opportunity to preach the gospel of freedom and grace as he served the Great God Almighty and lived a life of appreciation for the vicarious Incarnation of the Man he had chosen to worship..
- 21:20
- And when they heard it they began glorifying R1305 God; and they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands F479 there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous R1306 for the Law;
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- 21:21
- and they have been told about you, that you are teaching R1307 all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not R1308 to circumcise their children nor to walk F480 according to the R1309 customs.
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- 21:22
- "What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.
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- 21:23
- "Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are R1310 F481 under a vow;
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- 21:24
- take them and purify R1311 yourself along with them, and pay F482 their expenses so that they may shave R1312 their heads; F483 and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law.
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- 21:25
- "But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having R1313 decided that they should abstain from meat F484 sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication."
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Regarding those who opposed Paul (the Judaizers) -- was their understanding of Paul correct? Certainly. But they failed to realize that Paul believes the law of Moses has no bearing on a person ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. He is , then, free to condescend.
In I Co 7, Paul repeatedly uses opinion versus commandment of God to make his points:
On the subject of temporary separations (husband and wife) we have this:
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- 7:5
- Stop R242 depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come F67 together again so that Satan R243
will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. |
- 7:6
- But this I say by way of concession, not R244 of command.
On the subject of "mixed" marriages (believer and unbeliever) he presents this personal opinion:
- 7:12
- But to the rest I R251 say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce F71 her.
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- 7:13
- And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send F72 her husband away.
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- 7:14
- For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her F73 believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. R252
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- 7:15
- Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us F74 to R253 F75 peace.
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- 7:16
- For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save R254 your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?
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And on the subject of singles remaining unmarried, he writes this opinion in view of the "present distress" :
- 7:25
- Now concerning virgins I have no R266 command of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one who by R267 F79 the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy.
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- 7:26
- I think then that this is good in view of the present F80 distress, R268 that it R269 is good for a man to F81 remain as he is.
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In Co 15:29 , Paul uses the thinking of some regarding baptism for the dead to make the argument for the resurrection of the dead when he writes:
- 15:29
- Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?
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And in Romans 14, He allows for the the error of the 7th day observer and the vegetarian as he considers the passion of their faith -- urging these brothers to follow their passion (read:faith) , knowing that God will sustain them as they attach themselves to the living Christ.
God is our strength:
- 14:4
- Who R653 are you to judge the servant F220 of another? To his own master F221 he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
We have liberty:
- 14:14
- I know and am convinced in F225 the Lord Jesus that nothing R668 is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks R669 anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
But liberty and doctrinal correctness are not be to be the deciding factors {in non-moral matters} as we look to the opportunity of fellowship with others who claim the name of Jesus:
- 14:19
- So then we F227 pursue R677 the things which make for peace and the building R678 up of one another.
Even though the brother is mistaken, his faith is fully functional"
- 14:22
- The faith which you have, have as F229 your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does R683 not condemn himself in what he approves.
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- 14:23
- But he R684 who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.
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Conclusion????? When I argue for three sources of information within the biblical message (God, man and Satan), we have an excellent confirmation of this opinion as we read and study the writings of this earliest of Church Fathers. More than this, we need to use this consideration as we "rightly divide" the biblical message. Foot washings, covered heads, the silence of women in the church gatherings, and the exclusiveness of male leadership are some of the issues effected in a negative way if we simply pick up the book and start ordering people around. A plainly considered hermeneutic is critical to an understanding of the Message as it necessarily applies to us in this day and time.
And what of "fellowship" with those who preach and teach different concepts than those to which we are accustomed? They are clearly brothers and sisters in the Lord. Not for the purpose of establishing their error - but for the purpose of encouraging them to love and good works !!!
Peace Out
Pastor Smithson
Fairbanks Avenue Fellowship
Sanger, California
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