As I read critical reviews of Rob Bell and his new book coming out and then hear and read by many other brothers in the Lord proclaiming that the critique is unwarranted and just giving their piece of mind about it. I am reminded of Romans 14-15. Paul is speaking to the Strong Christian in this conversation and he says,
"As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand" - Romans 14:1-4.
In Verse 1 Paul says that the strong should welcome the weak in faith. Who are the weak in faith? They are not those who are actually weak in faith necessarily; meaning that they are men filled with pride of their own. The strong are to not quarrel over opinions as the weak may do to the strong.
In verse 2 - those who believes he may eat anything are the strong. The strong Christians understand that the Kingdom of heaven is not about drink, or food, "but of one of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" - Verse 17. In this verse Paul describes the weak who passes judgements on those who are strong who believe they may eat anything. But Paul says to welcome the weaker brother.
In verse 3 Paul gives the command for the strong not to dispise his weaker brother, who because of his weaker faith does not believe he may eat anything, for,Paul says, God has welcomed him. How amazing it is that God still welcomes those who are weak in the faith? For as Paul will say later that both live to honor the Lord. How humiliating is this? A Calvinist is having to welcome the Arminian and make sure to uphold the Arminian for his faith. As we are shown in verse 17 that righteousness and peace and joy come from the Spirit of God alone.
In verse 4, again this is a clear sign that Paul is speaking only to the stronger Christian in this verse. Paul starts by asking a question - "Who are you to pass judgement on the servant of another?" If Paul was here speaking to the weak, then why would he say first 'who are you?' It is the weak who do not think they are anything. It is the weak who assumes to live by the law. It is usually the strong who think they are of anything. We are not to judge the weaker man's habits for he is a servant of another. 4b gives us not only a reason, but also a clearer reason how we know he is speaking to the strong. For he says that it is before the weaker brother's master that he himself is able to stand. And the Lord is able to make him stand till the end.
As strong Christians we must bare the failings of the weak so to help grow them in the faith.
I am not talking about rob bell in this note. Rob Bell is not the weaker christian, he is lost if he truly believes what he believes.
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