ing”Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
One of the things that begins to become clear throughout the Scriptures is that we become like the thing we worship. Whoever or whatever it is that we give our highest devotion gradually shapes us to more and more reflect its identity and character. Read the rest…
“And the Lord said: ‘Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, therefore, behold, I will again to wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.'” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Throughout the book of Isaiah (and really throughout all the prophets), there are three sins that are consistently held up as triggers for the judgment from the Lord the people were facing. The first is injustice. God is just. Justice and righteousness are fundamental parts of His character. He is passionately concerned about what is right. When we violate that by doing what’s wrong (taking advantage of the poor and weak, for example), judgment will ensue. Read the rest…
“Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. For ‘the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience–I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience?” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Here are Paul’s final thoughts on the issue of eating meat that came from a pagan sacrifice: Eating it doesn’t matter. If you want to eat it, go ahead. If you don’t, don’t worry about it. It’s meat. Making a mountain out of this molehill is a worthless effort. Read the rest…
“But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
When it came to the issue of eating or not eating meat that had been offered as a sacrifice to an idol, Paul’s position was that because idols were nothing, eating the meat was not in any way morally problematic in and of itself. In other words, the act was not sinful.
But…for some folks in the church, the idea of eating such meat was really problematic for them and for their conscience. Some Gentile background folks who had grown up as pagans and who were really into idolatry before following Jesus could not eat the meat without being tempted back into their old life. Similarly, many of the Jewish background believers couldn’t eat it without feeling like they were sinning against God by participating even indirectly in an act of idolatry. Read the rest…
“Now concerning food offered to idols; we know that ‘all of us possess knowledge.’ This ‘knowledge’ puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
You’ve perhaps heard the phrase, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” The idea is that when we get just a little knowledge, the temptation is to think we have more than we actually do. When we try to act on that knowledge, if we are not willing to listen to those who have even more, we can quickly find ourselves in a tight spot. Read the rest…
The Nexus 