Sad about being fightin’ mad
the situation Jesus ran into fits, “Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” It seems pretty clear from Tyler’s testimony that a couple who are members were planning a wedding but at the last minute the venue dropped out on them. Rather than reschedule Tyler offered to just do the thing on Sunday morning. So what? I don’t get all the fuss myself.
And as for the flag, put it in the closet.
What Tyler did is secondary to what was revealed. Church divisions and departures happen too frequently and too easily. Note this: “Christians know they should be united, but they often are not. Because we are what we are, the quarrels are often about secondary issues―disagreements over how to express Christianity. The disagreements are rarely about the trinity, the Gospel, two-nature Christology, or original sin. It’s a sad disconnect, and it’ll never go away as long as we’re east of Eden.”
"Some things are of that nature as to make one's fancy chuckle, while his heart doth ache." John Bunyan
Rather than reschedule Tyler offered to just do the thing on Sunday morning. So what? I don’t get all the fuss myself.
See my comments on the RPW above for an explanation of the “so what.” That is the fuss. The wedding on Sunday is not the issue. The issue is doing something that God has not commanded in the public worship of the church. By what biblical standard can we coerce the church to do something God has not commanded? Again, the options are (1) violate the conscience by participating or (2) harm the unity by not participating.
What Tyler did is secondary to what was revealed. Church divisions and departures happen too frequently and too easily.
This is frequently true. But I am not convinced this is secondary. This is about the doctrine of ecclesiology—what is required of a church. When the church gathers for worship, that is what they are to do. When you bind the conscience to something that God has not commanded, you are creating division.
I wonder if we tend to call “secondary” things that don’t bother our conscience while not recognizing that other people’s consciences matter to. I would argue that the fact that my conscience is not bothered by something does not give me the right to bind someone else’s conscience. In fact, I think 1 Cor 8 (in addition to the RPW) forbids me from binding someone else’s conscience.
But I will leave it there.
Discussion