BIG IDEA:
THE EXERCISE OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY MUST BE GOVERNED BY LOVING SENSITIVITY AND APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO THE SPECIFIC SITUATION
INTRODUCTION:
According to Wikopedia:
Situational ethics, or situation ethics, is a Christian ethical theory that was principally developed in the 1960s by the Episcopal priest Joseph Fletcher. It basically states that sometimes other moral principles can be cast aside in certain situations if love is best served; as Paul Tillich once put it: ‘Love is the ultimate law’. The moral principles Fletcher is specifically referring to are the moral codes of Christianity and the type of love he is specifically referring to is Agape’ love. Agapē is a term which comes from Greek which means absolute, universal, unchanging and unconditional love for all people. Fletcher believed that in forming an ethical system based on love, he was best expressing the notion of ‘love thy neighbour’, which Jesus Christ taught in the Gospels of the New Testament of the Bible. Through situational ethics, Fletcher attempted to find a ‘middle road’ between legalistic and antinomian ethics. Fletcher developed situational ethics in his books: The Classic Treatment and Situation Ethics.
Fletcher believed that there are no absolute laws other than the law of Agapē love and all the other laws were laid down in order to achieve the greatest amount of this love. This means that all the other laws are only guidelines to how to achieve this love, and thus they may be broken if the other course of action would result in more love.
Christians have reacted against the tenets of Fletcher’s proposed ethical system because the law of Christ and the moral principles laid out in the Scriptures should not be set aside for subjective interpretation of what is the most loving and expedient thing to do. That is true for situations where there is a clear moral right and wrong position. But as the Apostle Paul explains in this passage which concludes his teaching on the issue of eating meat offered to idols, there are occasions where situational ethics must be employed in light of the reality of the Christian’s liberties.
I. (:23-24) THREE GOVERNING PRINCIPLES IN DETERMINING APPROPRIATE CONDUCT IN AREAS OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY
A. (:23a) The Principle of Expediency
“All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable.”
B. (:23b) The Principle of Edification
“All things are lawful, but not all things edify.”
C. (:24) The Principle of Unselfish Love
“Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.”
II. (:25-30) TWO CASE STUDIES APPLYING SITUATIONAL ETHICS TO THE ISSUE OF EATING MEAT POTENTIALLY OFFERED TO IDOLS
A. (:25-26) Case Study #1 – Buying Meat in the Open Market – Avoid the Issue and Exercise Your Freedom
1. (:25) Simple Guideline – If the question is not raised it is a moot point
“Eat anything that is sold in the meat market, without asking questions for conscience’ sake.”
2. (:26) Universal Principle – Source of the meat ultimately is a Gift from God
“For the earth is the Lord’s, and everything that is in it.”
B. (:27-30) Case Study #2 – Eating Meat Served by an Unbeliever at a Private Dinner Party
1. (:27) If the Issue is not Raised, Go ahead and Eat – Still a Moot Point
“If one of the unbelievers invites you, and you wish to go, eat anything that is set before you, without asking questions for conscience’ sake.”
2. (:28-30) If the Issue is Raised, Refrain from Eating
“But if anyone should say to you, ‘This is meat sacrificed to idols,’ do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake; I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?”
Deffinbaugh: Paul now asks two questions in the second half of verse 29 and in verse 30. First, Paul asks why his freedom should be scrutinized and restricted by the conscience of another. Second, he seems to asks why, even though he can partake of the meal with thankfulness, he should be spoken against as though he were doing wrong. I am inclined to understand these as the questions which prompt Paul not to partake of idol-meats, after their presence at the table has been pointed out. He does not wish to offend the conscience of another, and so any indication that another guest would have his conscience wounded by his eating is sufficient reason not to eat the idol-meat. Even though he could eat that meat with thanksgiving, he will not do so because he would be evil spoken of for having done so by another. In either case, Paul stands to lose much more by eating than he could possibly gain by eating.
III. (10:31 – 11:1) THREE GOVERNING PRINCIPLES IN DETERMINING APPROPRIATE CONDUCT IN AREAS OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY
A. (10:31) Glorify God in All You Do
“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
B. (10:32-33) Give No Unnecessary Offense that Would Hinder the Gospel
1. Principle Stated
“Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God”
2. Reason – Seeking the Benefit of Others – Especially Their Salvation
“just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.”
Not talking about being a “man-pleaser” in a selfish, ambitious sense
C. (:11:1) Imitate Godly Examples
“Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”
Goins: Paul is asking every one of us through this entire passage, “Do you want to know what it means to live a consistent Christian life? Do you want to properly balance freedom and restraint? Do you want to be in the world and not of the world? Do you want to have a positive spiritual influence in your community, but not allow that community to mold you so you compromise what’s true and what’s right? Do you want to live a balanced life, not being driven by the extremes of legalism or its opposite, selfish license? If you do, then watch me, follow me, live with me. I may not be perfect, but I try to imitate the selfless life that Christ lived. I want to glorify God in what I say and what I do and in the attitudes of my heart. To the extent that I succeed, then the good news is that you can, too.”