The Burden of Meat on Baby Christians: A Case Study
Sept 19, 2018 11:26:45 GMT -5
John, Abby-Joy, and 2 more like this
Post by PG4Him on Sept 19, 2018 11:26:45 GMT -5
Say hello to a hypothetical girl named Becky. Suppose Becky is a teenager who recently got born again in church. She's trying to learn how to walk in Spirit. Suppose her parents are divorced, and her father moved back in with his folks after a financially disastrous year.
Becky reads in the Bible where she's supposed to honor her parents. She asks an elder in church to teach her about parent/child dynamics. Yes the Bible says honor your parents, but why, and how, and what are the limits?
The good-intentioned elder gathers a few verses on parenting. He goes off on a tangent about this:
But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. (1 Timothy 5:8)
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. (Ephesians 5:31)
As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12)
So you see dear Becky, children honor their parents for the sacrifice they make to stay married, the way they provide for their children, and gracious discipline that raises children upright.
That's all well and good, but Becky has no idea what this elder is talking about. Her divorced father is living his mom's basement. How is she supposed to honor that when the Bible seems to be saying her father is a loser?
So now Becky has two options:
1) View her own father as a rebellious loser
2) Try to defend his honor in the face of Bible teaching
Neither of these is a winning proposition for a 15 year old girl who just got saved. It's too much weight to put on her shoulders.
The elder would have been better off to simply tell her that human fathers are a model of Father God and the way she treats her human dad is reflection of her respect for the Father. Yes, this answer might sound like baby food, but it will probably achieve a lot more in getting Becky to try to honor her dad. When she's older, then you can tell her what a righteous father is supposed to be doing.
Heavy doctrinal teaching shouldn't be used as a weapon to beat people.
Becky reads in the Bible where she's supposed to honor her parents. She asks an elder in church to teach her about parent/child dynamics. Yes the Bible says honor your parents, but why, and how, and what are the limits?
The good-intentioned elder gathers a few verses on parenting. He goes off on a tangent about this:
But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. (1 Timothy 5:8)
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. (Ephesians 5:31)
As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12)
So you see dear Becky, children honor their parents for the sacrifice they make to stay married, the way they provide for their children, and gracious discipline that raises children upright.
That's all well and good, but Becky has no idea what this elder is talking about. Her divorced father is living his mom's basement. How is she supposed to honor that when the Bible seems to be saying her father is a loser?
So now Becky has two options:
1) View her own father as a rebellious loser
2) Try to defend his honor in the face of Bible teaching
Neither of these is a winning proposition for a 15 year old girl who just got saved. It's too much weight to put on her shoulders.
The elder would have been better off to simply tell her that human fathers are a model of Father God and the way she treats her human dad is reflection of her respect for the Father. Yes, this answer might sound like baby food, but it will probably achieve a lot more in getting Becky to try to honor her dad. When she's older, then you can tell her what a righteous father is supposed to be doing.
Heavy doctrinal teaching shouldn't be used as a weapon to beat people.
Let's read our bibles daily my friends