Concerning Convictions

"It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak."

Romans 14:21

After Paul gave a detailed theological explanation of the Gospel, he showed how the Gospel guides us in the use of our liberty in Christ.  One point of contention in the early church concerning the foods people ate, for Jews followed the Law of Moses whilst Gentiles ate many foods the Jews viewed as unclean.  Some born-again Gentiles also had strong convictions over whether it was fitting to eat meat that was offered to idols:  one person's conscience was clear because their food was sanctified by the word of God and prayer, while another felt conviction it was a not-so-subtle return to their old life of idolatry.  Paul urged believers to be aware of the convictions of others, and out of love to avoid doing what made other brethren stumble, offended or weak.

Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 4:4-5 of the freedom believers are granted by God to eat any kind of meat: "For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; ⁵ for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer."  Not everyone had this knowledge, and those that had this understanding could feel convicted over eating certain foods or drink and choose to avoid them.  Since it is possible for good food to be a potential stumbling block to others, it is possible good things besides food can be offensive or a source of grief to the brethren.  I believe this can be true concerning the use of spiritual gifts--especially the gift of tongues and interpretation.  There are some who are offended by the proper, biblical expression of tongues even with interpretation as outlined in 1 Corinthians 14, and others hold to a strict view that tongue should never be audibly uttered in a group setting without an interpretation.  It is important we realise other people have convictions and things that stumble them that we never considered before.

The LORD brought this to my attention recently.  For those who have received the gift of tongues and/or interpretation, such can be increasingly comfortable with speaking in tongues in group prayer--even as people agree in their own native tongue during corporate prayer to affirm the prayers of others.  Let us be very careful in this area.  In our Christian fellowships there will be those who have come out of circles where numerous people spoke in tongues at once without interpretation, and based on their strong convictions from God's word have gone to a different church where this was not commonly practiced.  Rather than the whole church speaking in tongues at once, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:27-28:  "If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. ²⁸ But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God."  Based on the context, I do not read this as a prohibition of speaking in tongues quietly during corporate prayer, but I have encountered some who do see it this way.  In light of these dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the loving response is to restrict our speaking in tongues in a public setting if there is no opportunity for interpretation.

It is good for us to consider our convictions and if they have been formed by God's word, based on our experiences, or by simply what we are used to.  Someone coming from an openly charismatic church may find the silence of others during prayer odd, and people from a more liturgical or unchurched background may find murmurs of approval and the faint sound of tongues during corporate prayer strange--even offensive--because it is unfamiliar or viewed as unbiblical.  Our call, whether we speak or remain silent, is to love one another and glorify our Father in heaven by being led by the Holy Spirit.  People who are spiritually gifted to teach can be offensive by an arrogant and careless attitude, and may we use all spiritual gifts God gives us to edify one another and glorify our Saviour rather than to express our giftedness.  Even a good gift from God can be expressed in an offensive way that can stumble others, and so let us examine our own lives that we walk in love and grace towards all.