Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

 ¹⁹  “Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles,

 ²⁰but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.

 ²¹  “For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

… (The following is the conclusion of the letter.) 

“²⁸  “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:

 ²⁹  that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication;  if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well.  Farewell.”  Acts 15:13-21 and 28-29.

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The council in Jerusalem had spiritual wisdom to preserve the unity of the church.  On the one hand, they  did not want to trouble the Gentiles.  But, on the other hand, they did not want to trouble the Jews who would be deeply offended if there were no requirements.

We are reminded of 1 Corinthians Chapter 8.  I will quote the concluding verses of this chapter. 

“But food will not commend us to God;  we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat.  But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.  For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols?

For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died.  And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.”  1 Corinthians 8:8-13.

Although we are not confronted today with the specific issue of whether or not to eat food sacrificed to idols, there are more general lessons confronting us.  On the one hand, like the Gentiles, we too need to take care of our liberty, so that we do not use our liberty to cause our brother to stumble.  On the other hand, like the Jews, we too need to take care that we do not place on new converts a greater burden of requirements than essential.  We may be quite comfortable in our spiritual routines to the extent that we may be tempted to make them into requirements to new people joining our church.     

As Reformed believers, we have a lot of knowledge.  We know the freedom that we have in Christ;  we also know the position that we have as the elect.  We need to heed the warning in 1 Corinthians 8:1:  “… Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.”