Paul's Accommodating Christianity

In Romans 14 Paul the Apostle appealed to an accommodating and tolerant Christianity in regard to non-essentials like the days we worship on or the foods we consume. He was not encouraging the approval of unhealthy heresies, but what most Christians believe was the acceptance of personal choice in worship days and dietary differences. A great success of Nicea was a compromise document, the Nicene Creed, which unified very diverse factions of the ancient Christian Church. A great failure of Nicea was the total reversal of Paul's tolerance for differences of opinion on lesser matters to a more authoritarian, heavy-handed approach. Sadly, rather than return to Paul's accommodating Christianity, many Protestant churches have adopted Nicene intolerance on this and other non-essential issues. Perhaps it is time that we consider a return to a Pauline model that was more gracious and accepting of diversity in non-essential areas of our common faith.

Force-Fed Faith

Wherever we go to church we may find God at work, but also a number of human beings coercing, nudging or downright forcing others to believe the Bible just like them. Sometimes churches attempt to pressurize others into tongues, avoiding alcohol, tithing, enthusiastically singing music they don't like, wearing a particular style of clothing, calling everyone brother this or sister that, or believing in denominationally "approved" teachings and dogmas of our faith. I dream of a church where Christians of different points of view fellowship in mutual respect and treat each other as equals. I believe that was what Paul was trying to accomplish among the diverse opinions regarding days in Romans 14:1-6. I also like the way Matthew Henry describes the philsophy behind the verse: "Compelled assent to any doctrine, or conformity to outward observances without being convinced, would be hypocritical and of no avail." (Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary)