Christian Tolerance

TEACHER

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Lesson 9

BASIC BIBLICAL TEXT

Romans 14.1-8

GOLDEN TEXT

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Romans 15.7

AIMS

Understand that our different taste and opinions can’t come between;

Comprehend we need to learn how to deal with contradictions;

Conclude it is worth to sacrifice a personal taste in favor of a brother who is weaker.

INTRODUCTION

We live in an intolerant world. Somehow, intransigence is reasonable and healthy – we cannot comply with crime, for example. There was a case of intolerance in the church of rome. Paul stood against it, exorting the intolerants to change their behavior in the name of Christian love. �

1. ROME’S CHURCH

The church of Rome was founded probably by roman aliens who were in Jerusalem on Pentecost.

There were two ethnic groups in the church of rome: native romans and converted jews that lived there. Among those jews, there were the radical about habits (probably the essenes). They didn’t have a lot of understanding of faith or Christian habits.

1.1. Intolerance from the jews

Romans didn’t have any feeding lithurgy, but the radical jews were vegetarian for religious whim. Those demanded the whole church to adopt the same practice. Then there was a big discussion about diet that harmed the cohexistence among them. The problem got so big apostle Paul had to intervene.

1.2. Weakness in faith

Paul was a wise man in his instructions. As a jew he knew the legalist aspect of judaism really well and knew how to deal with the situation. His first perception goes to “the one whose faith is weak”.

Spiritual fragility needs to be respected. Not everyone has the same comprehension and maturity. The tolerance from the strong to the weak needs to go until the limit of his sacrifice, to preserve the weak so that he doesn’t get lost.

1.3. Despise for the divergent

In Romans 14, we read: “The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not”- To treat someone with contempt is not a Christian position.

Some people are inconvenient, and we’d like to get away from them. However, we must be tolerant and not despise them and, if possible, help them in love.

1.4. Judgement of the divergent

Not everyone is capable of living with contradiction. Jews and romans despised each other for their differences.

The evaluation is necessary: it is common for humans to judge others based off of their values.

However, our criteria can be wrong, brfinging a negative conclusion that can make us condemn or discriminate someone, and the Bible condemns it.

2. HARM THROUGH INTOLERANCE

2.1. Intolerance can destroy God’s deeds

Nowadays we deal with other questions in the sense of intolerance. Paul was worried that irrelevant things could affect the weakling, but also with the possibility for unimportant things to affect God’s action.

2.1.1. Lithurgic intolerance

In lithurgic intolerance, there’s divergence on the formate of service. In this case, we need to understand that not only our local church’s motivations while adopting a format, but also considerate the relevance of this preference. Are they different to the eyes of God?

2.1.2. Theological intolerance

It is common to exist divergence among denominations, but we must keep the belief of the plenary inspiration and salvation by grace, rejecting heresy.

Theological debates can never divide the people of God.

2.1.3. Ethic intolerance

The biggest discussion in the history of the evangelical church was about dressing, accessories, makeup and haircut.

Paul atributes to each individual the responsibility for what they adopt as right.

3. WHAT TOLERANCE IS

Tolerance is the act of effect to give to the other the right for their way of thinking- It is respecting divergent opinions. To find balance, Paulo advocates for the unity of faith.

3.1. A peaceful way

The way of tolerance has its price: it can cost our comfort, leading us to cut out something that would never harm us, but would do it to the weakling.

It means that in some situations we must think more about others than ourselves.

CONCLUSION

Intolerance is rising nowadays in all places and situations, including the church.

It is necessary to stop and put yourself in their shoes, taking care of who is weak in faith.

Tolerating is accepting the different. That’s how Paul ends the divergence matter: “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

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May God

bless your life!

EBD ADVEC

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