C&CW Ep. 21 - Strength & Maturity

Odysee:
https://odysee.com/@CoffeeChristianWorldview:a/Ep.-21%2C-Strength---Maturity:9

Telegram:
https://t.me/CoffeeChristianWorldview/74

Coffee & Christian Worldview
Episode 21

Show Notes:

Being precise is always good. That's the difference between truth and falsehood.

So far in our series, we have been using various terms: stronger brother, weaker brother, mature and immature.

Are these terms synonymous with their counterparts?

In 1 Cor. 8, 10:23–11:1, Romans 14–15:6, Paul is talking about knowledge.
Strong could refer to knowledge. And you cannot be mature if you are not strong in knowledge.
But when you are strong in knowledge, you are not necessarily mature—you're not necessarily godly. Paul did command stronger brothers to be loving, after all. Implicit: stronger brothers can lack in love.
Love, as the fruit of the Spirit, is a necessary component of maturity.

Mature Christian: strong in knowledge in God's Word, in practice, have trained their senses, and they are godly believers.

"...a fully-developed Christian character, expressing itself in consistent Christian living..."
—Sinclair Ferguson, Maturity: Growing Up and Going On in the Christian Life pg. 3

Parallel passages:

• Colossians 1:28
• 1 Cor. 3:1–3

From where does the accusation of "infants in Christ" come from? Their behavior—acting like they are not Christians. Jealousy and strife, specifically.
Demonstrating a lack of Christian character.

Christian maturity is about completeness: Christian character and consistent Christian living; a comprehensive knowledge of the Scriptures and living that out.

You could be virtuous as a Christian, strong in love, but without covering the whole Bible. Apollos is a good example—his knowledge was incomplete.

• James 1:4, And let perseverance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

"'Lacking nothing'—stable, capable Christians whose gifts and graces have been developed; those who by God's grace have become masters of themselves, and are able to use all the gifts that God has given them in his service. The mature Christian has been finely shaped by the Holy Spirit and has been 'filled out' in a character which shows the fruit of the Spirit. Mature Christians possess the qualities which only Jesus Christ can produce, because he alone has exhibited them perfectly. This is maturity."
—Sinclair Ferguson, Maturity: Growing Up and Going On in the Christian Life pg. 7

Back to our initial question:
Is "stronger" synonymous with "mature"?
Is "weaker" synonymous with "immature"?

The categories overlap, but they are measuring different things.

Christian maturity is holistic, all-encompassing. The complete package.
Example: maturity is required for elders—the weight of qualification is on character.

What's included in maturity is not just knowledge in one area, but all doctrine, and the fruit of the Spirit. Knowledge and holiness (Heb. 5:11–6:3).

How does that relate to stronger and weaker brothers?
Could a stronger brother be immature? Yes, they could be unloving toward weaker brothers—selfish.

BUT, a mature Christian will normally be a stronger brother.
Because the mature believer must know the whole Bible, and that includes the teaching on liberty of conscience.
*Elders and pastors must know. They must have the knowledge and character.

Categories of stronger/weaker and mature/immature are measuring different dimensions of the Christian individual.
Maturity covers all doctrine and practice.
Stronger/weaker applies to what Paul is specifically addressing (1 Cor. 8, 10, Rom. 14).

Stronger/weaker are modifiers:
Stronger in what way?
Weaker in what way?
What knowledge is addressed? About things indifferent. All things are lawful. Nothing is unclean in itself.
Stronger/weaker in what other ways? "Faith" (conviction) and conscience. They will be strong or weak in what they approve of.

Stronger/weaker measures knowledge, conviction, conscience, and will.
And Paul is writing to the whole church.

Another absolute: Pharisees are always immature Christians.
*We are using "Pharisee" as a metaphor for the legalist.

The connections:
Weak in knowledge, and not being good Christians.
Pharisees don't have accurate knowledge that all things are clean.
Weak in conscience: not functioning according to the Word of God.
And Pharisees will not be taught. They will not even be persuaded to violate their weak conscience.
They are not stronger brothers, because they impose their convictions on others. That's not love, but overlording.

A legalistic Christian is always unqualified from being a pastor, because he is an immature Christian.
Furthermore, they should be disciplined if unrepentant of their legalism.

*If you want help with these issues, contact us.

Please FOLLOW this channel and LIKE / SHARE / REPOST
COMMENT / DISCUSS

Visit us:
Facebook.com/WorldviewDiscipleship
DiscipleshipPhilippines.org

Bumper Music:
🎧🥃🧥💋 Finally See The Light
Written by Bryan Teoh
https://freepd.com/music/Finally%20See%20The%20Light.mp3