“Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble” – Paul, 1 Corinthians 8:13.
The Christian principle seems simple enough: those with a strong conscience should be willing to sacrifice their liberty in Christ for the sake of the gospel’s advance and the unity of the brethren. A problem occasionally arises, however, when certain brethren use their “weaker” conscience in an effort to curtail others’ freedom in Christ (i.e. control the “stronger” brother’s or sister’s behavior to suit their preferences). How should the Christian respond in that situation? In Beware of “Professional Weaker Brethren” C. Michael Patton provides an excellent (and brief) article to help the reader think through this issue biblically.
If you have spent any time following the evangelical publishing world in the last four years, you have probably heard the name Brian McLaren. McLaren became (in)famous for his 2006 work A Generous Orthodoxy, which many evangelicals concluded was neither generous nor orthodox because it came close to abandoning many important tenets of the Christian faith. His newest release succeeds where Generous Orthodoxy failed. In A New Kind of Christianity: 10 Questions that Are Transforming the Faith, McLaren’s conclusions represent a clear abandonment of the Christian faith. For a concise and accurate review, please visit the blog of Tim Challies.
Special thanks to Denny Burk for pointing me to this outstanding review.
In-mid January, our church received a love offering (over $3,500) to assist with disaster relief in Haiti. Follow this link to view a documentary about the current conditions in Haiti produced by a sister church. The video will remind you of the need to give generously and pray frequently for our brothers and sisters in Christ who have been affected by the devastating earthquakes.
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