Leave no one behind
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 8:1b-3 (NIV)
In Paul’s mind, meat that had been cooked on the altar of an idol was barbeque – nothing more, nothing less. If you want some, eat it. Eating or not made you no more or less holy. The idol was nothing, so there was no symbolism in the meat as far as Paul was concerned. Unless....
Idols were a big deal in the Greco-Roman culture Paul was speaking into. Many Christians had turned from idols to follow Christ. For them, the pagan rituals were an all-too-fresh reminder of those old practices. To partake in the presence of someone feeling the weight of that was to draw them into a spiritual dilemma. For Christians to judge one another on diet, regardless of which side of the argument they were on, was missing the point: Our freedom must take a backseat to the welfare of my brother and my relationship to him – love trumps knowledge.
Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. -1 Corinthians 9:19 (NIV)
Paul chose to forego his own freedoms in order to confirm the gospel message. For him, it was a matter of priorities. He was no one’s doormat, but Paul, like the Lord he followed, would gladly suffer punishment, inconvenience, and indignity for the sake of the call. It raises a question about idols: Do I place my own comfort or my own ego ahead of my commitment to Christ? Do I have to be right, even if means I'm not being Christ-like?
“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. -1 Corinthians 10:23-24 (NIV)
Just because I can do or say something doesn’t mean I should do or say it. It’s a fine line. We are engaged in spiritual warfare involving things of eternal consequence. In the scope of eternity, the rest is not worth fighting about, and certainly not worth claiming as a “right” to the detriment of my mission. Regardless of my opinion (and I wouldn't hold that opinion if I didn't believe it was right, and it very well may be!), I do not need to draw lines where the Lord drew none, or muddy the gospel message by attaching baggage to it. Am I capable of expressing a strongly-held opinion while continuing to recognize the imago dei in a brother who disagrees with me? If the answer is no, then I need to shut up until I can.
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. -1 Corinthians 12:26-27 (NIV)
In the exercise of our freedoms and the exercise of our gifts, Paul wanted us to remember that we’re all in this together. We are one body (1 Cor 12:12) and one flock (Jn 10:16). Though we may be at different points on the journey, we’ve all got stuff; none of us would be here at all except by the grace of God. The Spirit has given us all gifts according to HIS purposes, and those purposes relate to the growth and overall health of the Body of Christ. Sometimes I may be the teacher, other times the student. In either case, I am wise to remain humble.