Romans 14:1 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.
Disputable matters over which believers should not judge one another contrast with other matters (sexual immorality, greed, idolatry, slander, drunkenness, and swindling) that Paul, inspired by God, told the Corinthians should be grounds for judgment within the community of believers (1 Corinthians 5:9-13). There are certainly things that should not be tolerated within the Lord’s church. However, a lot of times, people leave and congregations are fractured because of quarrels over matters that are disputable and not matters of salvation or morality.
I was blessed to grow up in the North “A” and Tennessee congregation in Midland, TX. Recently, North “A” merged with the Main Street Church of Christ to form the Downtown Church of Christ. These two congregations were located approximately 1 mile from each other on either side of downtown Midland. There were obviously some differences of opinions on some things but these two groups decided to get past those disputable matters and join together to be a powerful force for the Kingdom in a part of Midland that needed a strong and unified community of believers. What a great example of Christians coming together and focusing on what is truly important.
This Wednesday, I will be speaking at the downtown Church of Christ in Midland as part of their summer guest speaker series. It will be nice to see some old friends and see how these two congregations came together. It will also be nice to get back to the mountains and we look forward to seeing all of you next Sunday!
In Christ,
Gary T. and family