Providence’s Position on Disputable Matters
Conversion to Christianity is a supernatural and wondrous event, but it happens in a moment, whereas, sanctification requires the rest of the believer’s life.
C.S. Lewis once stated, “One of the reasons why it needs no special education to be a Christian is that Christianity is an education itself.” The Christian is required to interpret every experience within the proper context of biblical ethics and morality. This requires knowledge, critical thinking, intrapersonal skills and the Holy Spirit to guide the child of God in becoming a mature and fully developed adult in the faith. The process of sanctification, encountered daily with the help of the Lord, is why Lewis says Christianity is an education. For what other subject requires at least some measure of knowledge in anthropology, pneumatology, Christology, history, literature, psychology, and sociology to name a few. The educational requirements for sanctification are vast but be encouraged because the Lord is faithful to finish His work in those that believe.
There exist subjects on which the Lord speaks directly to the individual Christian and not the leadership governing the church body. One of these subjects, the Christian position on consumption of alcohol, resides in an area that Paul calls "disputable matters." For the purposes of this paper and future reference, we shall define disputable matters as: Subjects or arguments concerning Christian conduct that are not explicitly addressed in the Bible or reasonably inferred by scripture. Other topics such as smoking, holy days, food consumption, etc. may be substituted for alcohol in this discussion, but we will limit this address to alcohol, since it is often the most discussed of disputable matters.
Consumption of alcohol is an emotionally charged issue, mainly due to the negative experiences that are tied to it (i.e. alcoholism, regrets, and debauchery). While reading, it is important to recognize that there exist social influences that subtly insert themselves into our reasoning, and affect our opinions, regarding the drinking of alcohol. That is to say, Americans may have treated this subject with more emotional fervor than other societies, as indicated by our culture and history. Additionally, even within the American church we are still divided for it still remains hotly debated. It is important to acknowledge that many times we come to our conclusions based upon life experience, rather than the writings of scripture. When we do this, we tend to elevate the opinions of man to a height that is equal with scripture. This is something that should never be done.
There are three viewpoints regarding the issue of alcohol: For, against, and "it depends." We could evaluate the pros and cons of each viewpoint, but I believe our time would be better spent in scripture, for we can lose proper perspective analyzing the numerous tangents. Scripture is the final authority in all matters at Providence Community Church, so we must look there before we can properly address alcoholic consumption. Romans 14-15 provide us with the context and direction on this subject. We would encourage the reader to have a Bible available as we continue.
After reading Romans, the elders have concluded that the official position of our church is to not have an official position. As Paul says, “So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.” When it comes to the issue of alcohol, we believe that the decision to drink, or not, is a personal conviction between the believer and the Lord. This personal conviction comes from the Holy Spirit and may change, as the Christian’s understanding and maturity changes, but it must be emphasized that the Christian should only do that which he possesses the faith to do. In other words, no Christian should consume alcohol unless his faith (given by God) allows him to do so, otherwise it is sin.
Here are some excerpts of our text with the subject of alcohol substituted in italics for the disputable matter:
Romans 14:5-6 “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards alcohol as acceptable, does so to the Lord. He who drinks alcohol, drinks to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.”
Romans 14:22-23 “So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But the man who has doubts is condemned if he drinks alcohol, because his drinking is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.”
Therefore, if the Christian's conviction is to abstain from alcohol, we say, “GREAT! Blessed be the name of the Lord.” If your conviction is that alcohol is acceptable, we say, ”GREAT! Blessed be the name of the Lord.” The important thing is not whether alcohol is consumed, but the attitude of the believer's heart. Paul is teaching us that sin cannot be found in food or drink; rather, sin is birthed in the heart of man, and the Christian is held accountable for the condition of his heart. God “sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance , but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
Knowing this, Paul reinforces God’s perspective on the matter by emphasizing His word that is written on our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3). This means that we are to rely on the Holy Spirit for direction and faith, before we are moved to action on our convictions. As we proceed to action that is motivated by love, Paul leaves us with behavioral instructions that are to be followed. Because no Christian lives in a vacuum, those “whose faith is weak,” and those who “are not condemned,” will have to interact harmoniously. So, how is this accomplished?
Fundamentally, Paul commands us not to judge each other’s opinion on the matter as right or wrong. He says, "Each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.” Love needs to be the calling card of our decision making, but this sentence referring to a “stumbling block” is sometimes abused and taken out of context. Sometimes, one Christian will tell another that he should not drink because it may become a stumbling block. However, the Christian who drinks is not accountable to the one who doesn’t; rather, the Lord will judge him for his motives.
It is worth mentioning that the context of “destroying your brother” (14:15) is referring to a Christian who, knowing his brother's contrary conviction, drinks despite this knowledge. There is an intentional disregard for the life of his brother and a selfish preference of his own liberties. What does this mean for the one who drinks? If he is aware that someone in his presence does not possess the faith to drink, he should not drink (14:21). It is as simple as that.
However, do not take this too far; Paul is not saying that a Christian is responsible for scenarios that he is unaware of. For example, if a believer goes into a liquor store to pick up some wine and another Christian, who chooses not to drink, sees this, it is not a sin. If someone is aware that his friend, who struggles with this issue, is there it is better to not enter the building. This is an inconvenience, but we are told to “make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (14:19). This may be the reason a mature Christian chooses to abstain from alcohol altogether in order to avoid any stumbling block situations. However, this does not make him holier or closer to Christ, nor does scripture state that this is a behavioral standard that we all must meet. Rather, he does this out of love for the benefit of the weaker Christian.
For those whose faith allows him to drink, alcohol should not be considered evil since Paul says, “I am fully convinced no drink is unclean in itself” (14:14). Furthermore, abstaining for the benefit of a fellow Christian, “Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil” (14:16). This means that we, who have a stronger faith, are expected by God to help the weaker Christian through our abstinence, but also through education. Paul is saying that we need to encourage those in the family of God to seek a greater faith in this area. Those more mature in the faith have an obligation to present truth objectively, yet filled with love, gentleness and respect. Never at any time, should the more mature believer teach with condescension. Be on guard, because in 1 Corinthians 8 we read “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.”
Now, for those who struggle with accepting another believer who drinks, please note that the word used in Romans 14 to describe a “weak” Christian is asqueno, which is translated "weak" 12 times, but is also translated "sick" 18 times. This shows that Paul expects the “weak” Christian’s opinion to improve on the matter, much in the same way that when a person gets sick, we expect that it be a temporary state from which he will eventually recover. This good state of health is how we are intended to view our spiritual sanctification. From the first day of our rebirth in the Lord, we are constantly being purified and refined into a holy people. Paul recognizes that we all have struggles that are carried from our unbelieving lives into our new ones, but as the Holy Spirit sanctifies us, we work out our salvation in these areas to realize ultimately that the “Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (14:17).
If the Christian, who is convinced that he should not drink, and is being led by the unconditional love of Christ, he will not judge another member in the family if that person chooses to drink. We are all under the same banner of love and remember what Paul says, “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” However, when one is convinced in his own mind to abstain, we say, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Each of us is accountable to God; therefore, we at Providence encourage all believers to continue according to their faith in the same way.
We can plainly see what Paul has done here in Romans 14-15. He has leveled the playing field and made us all equal and accountable to Lord in this area. The issue for the early church was food sacrificed to idols; whereas, today the controversy is the consumption of alcohol. Paul’s primary concern was the unity of the church. We should always vigorously defend the essentials of the gospel (i.e. deity of Christ, the atonement, man's need for salvation). However, the non-essentials, or disputable matters can be discussed; but we should never make them more important than they need to be. Too many churches split over non-essentials and the Holy Spirit is grieved tremendously when this occurs. Providence will always be a church that defends the essentials passionately, but we will not allow the non-essentials to interfere with the unity of the body.
In conclusion, the elders of Providence Community Church, regarding the disputable matter of the consumption of alcohol, maintain the biblical position of having no official position. However, we would encourage every believer to prayerfully consider their own convictions on this matter with the Lord, while respecting the convictions of others, even if they differ. May our words and actions at Providence be sweet with the incense of love and grace for one another. In all things, blessed be the name of the Lord.
Rusty Pang, Elder at Providence Community Church
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