Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
People Are Gospel Issues
Most agree division is wrong and happens too regularly and easily. This is true especially when not dealing with primary or gospel issues: Examples of such are:
- The 7 Ones of Ephesians 4.
- The resurrection of Jesus and ourselves in 1 Corinthians 15.
- Blatant moral deficiencies that leads to not inheriting the kingdom in 1 Corinthians 5-6.
There is another primary or gospel issue that needs emphasizing to make sure we do not overlook – people.
Notice what Paul writes about eating meats in 1 Corinthians 8-10. Food is not a gospel or primary issue. Same thing goes for observing special days in Romans 14. These are secondary issues because they are not involved in defining the gospel. So, when someone makes them primary, that itself becomes a major issue as seen in Galatians.
- Division over secondary issues is wrong.
- Making secondary issues primary is wrong.
But go back to the eating and days. What is the primary issue when dealing with these – people. When making decisions, we must balance between what is essential, what is important, what is good for us, and what is beneficial for others. It is never just about us…because that self-centered attitude betrays the gospel. How so?
The gospel is about Jesus not thinking primarily about Himself over others. People are primary issues because people are gospel issues. And when division is done wrongly, it is dividing people when the gospel is about uniting us in Jesus.
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