Principles are eternal: practices based on these vary from age to age according to the needs and culture in which believers in Christ attempt to put these principles into practice. Brother Islip Collyer in his book Principles and Proverbs said:

Principles are like stars, constant and comprehensive, but not local or particular.  The pilot with only local knowledge may guide the ship through the well-known channel and into the old port, but a knowledge of the stars is necessary when sailing in unknown seas.  If a pilot should mistake a foreign port for the one he knows and attempt to guide the vessel according to the old rules he will bring it to disaster.  Ships of various kinds have been wrecked through such mistaken confidence. Oftentimes men have ignored principles and have applied the lessons learned in former years to circumstances that are totally different.

In the New Testament we observe divine principles being put into practice in concrete situations in ecclesial life in the first century.  Our responsibility is to apply these same principles in our age.  We need to guard against two dangers.  One is the danger of ignoring the principles by becoming submerged in twentieth century materialism.  The other danger is that we try to apply in a literal or half-literal fashion first century practices regardless of whether the principles require such a literal application.

The issue of meat offered to idols is instructive on how we should uphold principles today.  In Acts 15 such meat is forbidden to followers of Christ, a compromise for the sake of the sensitivity of Jewish believers.  That this ban was temporary is indicated in Romans 14, where Paul considers the kind of food eaten is irrelevant provided the believer eats with a thankful attitude to God.  “Let everyone be fully convinced in his own mind” is Paul’s advice on both Sabbath keeping and on the eating of meat offered to idols.  Yet, if the exercise of one’s conscientiously held beliefs “offends” (drives away from Christ) anyone who cannot accept this, discretion is necessary.

Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.  Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God.  Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make others fall by what he eats;  it is right not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother stumble.                                                            (Romans 14:19-21)

Such discretion is for the benefit of those who are weak in the faith. In writing as he did Paul’s aim was to teach the proper Christian position.  Presumably he expected that those weak in the faith would in time come to a mature understanding.  When, however, this did not happen and instead of accepting the spiritual worship some began to reassert the ritual side, Paul did not hesitate to denounce this approach:

See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ.  ...  Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a sabbath.  These are only a shadow of what is to come;  but the substance belongs to Christ.                                (Colossians 2:8, 16-17)

In 1 Timothy 4 Paul expresses himself even more strongly in defence of the spiritual nature of Christian conduct:

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith .... [They] forbid marriage and enjoin abstinence from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.  For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving;  for then it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.                                               (1 Timothy 4:1-5)

In reviewing therefore how the New Testament deals with the question of meat offered to idols, we can observe the need to take account of those who are weak in faith and to compromise temporarily.  The argument that people are “offended” should not, however, be used to prevent the application of the basic principles of Christian teaching.  In the long term it is necessary to uphold the basic truth that Christianity is not a matter of observing ritual distinctions (special food, special days, special clothes, special ceremonies) but is a spiritual response to God acted out in daily life.  This is one of the features which particularly marks Christianity as different from most other religions. True Christianity is spiritual:

“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”                                                                                  (John 4:24)

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.                                          (Romans 12:1, NRSV)

Service to God can be in and through customary practices, but these practices themselves are part of the things that pass away;  we must not confuse the form through which God is served with that service itself.

A considerable number of brothers and sisters have helped us with this booklet by commenting on our original draft version.  We have done our best to incorporate their suggestions and thank them for their contributions.

We will be pleased to receive any further comments, corrections or criticisms of our material, will study them with interest, and will attempt to take account of them in any future versions.

First published 1991, expanded and updated 1994 & 2007. This material is available in Microsoft Word, or as PDF.

Ian & Averil McHaffie,

176 Granton Road,

Edinburgh. EH5 1AH

mchaffie@tesco.net

16th February 2009

Available by email or on the internet

1 Corinthians 11:2-16

An Examination of the section on headcovering, a review of the historical and cultural background, a critical analysis of various interpretations, and some suggestions as to how this section should be understood and applied today.

All One in Christ Jesus

What does the Bible say about the work of brothers and sisters in the ecclesia?

This book begins with Jewish and New Testament background, the teaching and actions of Jesus, and then the rest of the New Testament. The book proceeds to examine the Old Testament, historical understandings, Christadelphian attitudes to women, and the variety of current practice. After considering the various positions presented on the subject, it suggests what the position should be today. After a detailed examination of all the relevant Biblical passages, it is concluded that both brothers and sisters should participate in all aspects of ecclesial work if we are to be loyal to the spirit and teaching of the Bible. The criterion is reliability and faithfulness, not whether male or female.

Principles

and

Practice

Bible Practices

and their Application Today