In my last post, I wrote about how opinions can be divisive and disrupt Christian love. Paul explains this in the context of the Lord's Supper (1 Cor. 11), but he also explains it in the context of their worship (chapter 14). They were dividing themselves by arguing about which spiritual gifts were superior and how those gifts were to be used. They were arguing about their opinions.
To teach them otherwise, Paul teaches them to “stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults” (1 Cor. 14:20). We are childish when we care so much about our opinions that we cause dissension and division among others. In fact, when we press our opinions on someone else who doesn't see it the same way, we are like a child who forcibly takes back a toy from another child, even though the taker has plenty of toys to play with. (“But I want that one!”) We do damage and harm when we inflict our own conscience on another's conscience.
Of course, it takes wisdom to discern what is an opinion and what is part of the gospel core. This is why Paul advocates for love (chapter 13). We act like adults in faith when we love others, because we have fully developed and matured. No opinion should be more important than the spiritual health and well-being of a brother or sister. Building up those in the faith through love should always be our primary goal; opinions must be secondary and must be seen as unnecessary in the life of someone seeking to be mature.
To teach them otherwise, Paul teaches them to “stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults” (1 Cor. 14:20). We are childish when we care so much about our opinions that we cause dissension and division among others. In fact, when we press our opinions on someone else who doesn't see it the same way, we are like a child who forcibly takes back a toy from another child, even though the taker has plenty of toys to play with. (“But I want that one!”) We do damage and harm when we inflict our own conscience on another's conscience.
Of course, it takes wisdom to discern what is an opinion and what is part of the gospel core. This is why Paul advocates for love (chapter 13). We act like adults in faith when we love others, because we have fully developed and matured. No opinion should be more important than the spiritual health and well-being of a brother or sister. Building up those in the faith through love should always be our primary goal; opinions must be secondary and must be seen as unnecessary in the life of someone seeking to be mature.
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