This was a difficult lesson to write. It is an application lesson based on the scriptural insights of lesson 5. You are asked to think, apply, and share.
Spiritual growth is a difficult concept. Spiritual grow requires a person to advance in his (or her) understanding of God's purposes. Spiritual growth does not mean that "you" reach the same conclusions "I" reach in a study of scripture. Spiritual growth is more than an indoctrination in concepts that "I" accept or understand.
Spiritual growth involves searching God's mind and ways. Have you read 1 Corinthians 3:11-16 or Hebrews 5:11-6:3 lately? Have you considered Romans 11:33-36? "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen."
Pursuing God's thinking and ways is a huge challenge! It is bigger than correct doctrines, or correct procedures, or correct facts! Such always has been true. Carefully consider Isaiah 55:6-9 and Jeremiah 18:5-10.
Observation #1: In concerns about spiritual growth, note this concern involves growth versus deception. In question form, "Is this spiritual growth or spiritual deception?" That dilemma is not new. When Jesus died, even his closest disciples thought God's work ended because of the horror of Jesus' death. Yet, in Jesus' death God was at work producing a universal Savior. Even Jesus' closest disciples struggled with the meaning and usefulness of Jesus' resurrection because his resurrection did not fit their expectations. Yet, human expectations were vastly inferior to God's purposes. God's purposes and ways exceeded the disciples' understanding.
The same was true of the apostle Peter in Acts 10:10-23. Though an apostle, he was quite Jewish in the way he expressed faith in Christ. He never violated the Jewish dietary code (Leviticus 11). He never socially associated with gentiles, and could not imagine God wanting him to do so. He held his Jewish ways so firmly that he did not understand why God sent him when he arrived at Cornelius' house (Acts 10:28, 29).
Most who study this lesson are gentiles. We owe Peter a huge debt of gratitude for finally understanding (Acts 10:34, 35) and paying the price for understanding (Acts 11:1-3 and Acts 15:1). Peter's understanding was extremely unpopular with the majority of Jewish Christians. Despite its unpopularity among Jewish disciples, it was God's intent and purpose.
Do not conclude that God's will always is obvious to those who are genuinely disciples!
Observation # 2: Spiritual growth or development means some Christian understands more than "I" do. With each disciple, there are limits to understanding. As examples, every English translation of scripture is a translation. Thus, a disciple who can read and understand Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek has an understanding advantage over one who does not. Or, the disciple who correctly understands context has an understanding that exceeds the disciple who disregards context. Or, the twenty-first century disciple who sees scripture as combined documents written to first-century disciples has understanding advantages over twenty-first century disciples who view scripture as written to (rather than applied to) twenty-first century disciples. (Understanding first-century problems reflecting the writer's concern greatly influences twenty-first century applications.)
Does that mean if "your" understanding as one in Christ is not "my" understanding as one in Christ, one of us is not Jesus' disciple? No. Read Romans 14 and especially note verses 10-12. Agreement among disciples was not mandatory. Respect was mandatory. Each disciple in Christ will explain to God what we did and with what motives we did it. Our mission as God's community does not involve showing contempt or judging (passing eternal condemnation) on each other. It involves knowing why we do what we do, and not causing those for whom Christ died to stumble.
Observation # 3: Knowledge is not the key; faith in the Creator God who sent us Jesus is the key. To prepare your thinking, consider 1 Corinthians 8. One of the huge "issues" among first-century disciples concerned disciples converted from an idolatrous background versus disciples converted from a Jewish (including proselytes) background. One of the realties of worship (both Jewish and idolatrous) in the first century and before was (a) giving a sacrifice and (b) eating part of the sacrifice (consider 1 Samuel 1:1-8 noticing verses 4, 5.) Knowledgeably eating a part of the sacrifice honored the God or god to whom the sacrifice was given (consider 1 Corinthians 10:23-33).
Notice in 1 Corinthians 8 that accurate, correct knowledge can be the taproot of arrogance. The contrast is between the disciple who is correct in what is known about idols and God, and the disciple who is incorrect in what is known about idols. It is about the spiritual destruction of the disciple, not about allowing weak consciences to control the ekklasie. The disciple with a weak conscience will not suspend growth and understanding. The action: the disciple with correct knowledge will not spiritually destroy the disciple with a weak conscience.
This is not presented as a "congregational control" device exerted by the weak disciples who do not wish to learn, mature, or change views. Remember the concept of a disciple involves learning and changing. Remember the emphasis is on disciple-disciple respect in the Christian community. In a healthy congregation bringing people to Christ, there always will be disciples with weak consciences. Nurture their learning, do not ignore their existence. It is not a combative situation, but a respect situation.
In our restoration movement efforts, some myths continue to hurt our efforts. They include these. Myth 1: First-century congregations were ideal. Myth 2: Our goal is to restore first-century congregations. Myth 3: Knowledge is the key to restoration. Myth 4: Scripture is addressed to the current century. Myth 5: There are no literary devices in scripture. Myth 6: Correct forms make motives meaningless.
For Thought and Discussion
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 6