Disputable Matters

Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. (Rom 14:1)

With this statement Paul begins a long discourse on the importance of not letting disagreements interfere with our Christian unity. What are these disputable matters? Paul gives two examples. Some Christians in his day were evidently vegetarians because they thought it was morally wrong to eat meat. Others believed that Christians must keep the Jewish holy days. Contemporary examples might be drinking and going to R-rated movies. It is easy to see how such things can lead to disunity. If I see you doing something I think is wrong wouldn’t I be offended? Wouldn’t I try to convince you to stop? Before you know it we are consumed by the things that divide us and we have completely forgotten about the things that unite us. Paul warns us against that. If I have an opportunity to reason with you on these disputable matters I will. But it is far more important that I exhort you to lean in to God, to seek him with all your heart, to immerse yourself in his Word and in prayer. As we draw closer to God we automatically draw closer to each other. And, just maybe, God will one day nudge me toward the truth on a disputable matter where I have been mistaken. Lord, help us always to build each other up – to point each other to you. Remind me to keep the main thing the main thing and not let minor things sow discord among us. Amen.