Who is the weaker brother?

1. Who is the weaker brother? Rom. 14:1-12 / 1 Cor. 8:7-13 Part 1

2. Two truth stacks “Brothers” and “weak”

3. “Brother” is often used of believers: • Brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers? (1 Cor. 6:6). • But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her (1 Cor. 7:12). • Jesus affirmed this metaphor: • 49And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! 50For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother” (Matt. 12:49-50).

4. Brothers don’t always agree! • But concerning Apollos our brother, I encouraged him greatly to come to you with the brethren; and it was not at all his desire to come now, but he will come when he has opportunity (1 Cor. 16:12). • When a brother sins, his brother springs into action: • “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private” (Matt. 18:15). • “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart” (Matt. 18:35).

5. When attempting to minister to a “brother in sin” our effectiveness falls off dramatically when we are not dealing with our own: • “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye (Luke 6:42).

6. Brother Sub Groups • Brother in sin • Brother in need • 15If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that (James 2:15-16)?

7. Brother Sub Groups • Brother in sin • Brother in need • So-Called Brother • But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one (1 Cor. 5:11).

8. Brother Sub Groups • Brother in sin • Brother in need • So-Called Brother • Unruly Brother • Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us (2 Thess. 3:6).

9. Brother Sub Groups • Brother in sin • Brother in need • So-Called Brother • Unruly Brother • Show him his fault & forgive him from the heart • Give him what is necessary (food / clothing) • Don’t associate & don’t eat with him • Keep away from him Group Tailored Response

10. Another Brother Sub Group • Brother in sin • Brother in need • So-Called Brother • Unruly Brother • Weaker Brother • For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died (1 Cor. 8:11). • Now accept the one who is weak in faith . . . Why do you judge your brother (Rom. 14:1, 10).

11. Weak (astheneo) • Most often used of someone physically sick or infirm • Paul uses it to describe an “unimpressive ministry” – “To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison” (2 Cor. 11:21). • Paul used it in a general way of limitation - “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10) • Paul uses it to describe human limitation, of Christ and of us (2 Cor. 13:4).

12. Weak (astheneo) • Used to describe the antithesis of strong or robust faith in Rom. 4:19: • 19Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform (Rom. 4:19-21).

13. Weak (astheneo) • Used to describe the antithesis of strong or robust faith in Rom. 4:19 – Abraham was not weak in faith. • An equivalent expression is used in Rom. 14:1 – “Now accept the one who is weak in faith . . .” This “weaker brother passage” is talking about a brother with a weak faith. • The “weaker brother” in 1 Cor. 8:12 has a weak conscience. • In both cases, these weaknesses are revealed in matters of personal conviction. • But they are different weaknesses!

14. Another Brother Sub Group • Brother in sin • Brother in need • So-Called Brother • Unruly Brother • Weaker Brother (2 types – 2 different responses!) • Brother with weak faith (Rom. 14) • Brother with weak conscience (1 Cor. 8)

15. 7However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. 8But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. 9But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.

16. 10For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? 11For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. 12And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble (1 Cor. 8:7-13).

17. 1 Cor. 8:1 • Idols are nothing (although demons can use a dead idol as a proxy by which to receive worship of men) • The conscience (moral discriminator) depends on knowledge – limited knowledge will make the conscience less reliable. • Those with greater knowledge could exercise liberty in an area where those with a lack of knowledge hold a contrary conviction.

18. 1 Cor. 8:1 • This knowledge yields some evangelistic advantages: • 25Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake; 26for the earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains. 27If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience’ sake (1 Cor. 10:25-27).

19. 1 Cor. 8:1 • But when associating with a brother with a weak conscience, this knowledge must not be used to damage a brother by encouraging him to violate his conscience. • The liberty enjoyed by a “saint in the know” is thereby used to sin against Christ by ruining someone for whom Christ died. • Our desire to serve Jesus’ interests (as it pertains to the weakc brother) trumps our enjoyment of benign freedoms when our actions might encourage another to violate his conscience.

20. Scenario Check • Is Tim fairly young in the Lord and does he come from a background where alcohol was associated with his “previous life?” • Does this association make it easy for Tim to view a resort to alcohol as a departure from his new faith? • Will participating in Sara’s fellowship or comments from “enlightened” believers push him toward violating his conscience?

21. Paul did not say that a knowledgeable Christian must abandon his freedom to the ignorant prejudice of a “spiritual” bigot. The “weak brother” (v. 11) was one who followed the example of another Christian, not one who carped and coerced that knowledgeable Christian into a particular behavioral pattern. Also it was unlikely that Paul saw this weak brother as permanently shackling the freedom of the knowledgeable Christian. The “weak brother” was no omnipresent phantom but an individual who was to be taught so that he too could enjoy his freedom (Gal. 5:1). – Walvoord / Zuck

22. Action Points • Even though you deny the validity of Tim’s scruples, respect them. • Don’t attempt to “crash enlighten” Tim, love him by protecting him from violating his conscience. • Jesus is your example – He gave up ALL his rights and privileges in the interests of promoting your good. Do likewise!

23. Action Points • Our culture strongly promotes personal rights • It would be easy to allow this mentality to shape our Christian walk • The spiritual development of others trumps our personal freedom in Christ • Our desire to please Christ calls us to evaluate how our actions, even in what is legitimate, could damage a brother who emulates us and violates his conscience.