C&CW Ep. 27 - Terms: Weaker Brother

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Coffee & Christian Worldview
Episode 27

Show Notes:

We finally come to the characters, the profiles in Liberty of Conscience:

1. Weaker Brother
2. Stronger Brother
3. Pharisee

As with the other terms, we need the Bible's definition.
You need to know who you are talking to.

Who is the WEAKER BROTHER?
What are the essential marks of the weaker brother, according to Rom. 14 and 1 Cor. 8?

The weaker brother is the one who gets stumbled. He is weak in such a way as to act against his conscience, and do that which he believes to be sinful.

Garry Friesen assembled the characteristics of the weaker brother into a concise definition.
The 4 ways of weakness:

1. Weak in conviction/faith (Rom. 14:1, 23). He's not fully convinced in his own mind, but condemns himself.
2. Weak in biblical knowledge; doesn't know the biblical truth (1 Cor. 8:7). He doesn't know that all things are lawful, and nothing is unclean of itself (Rom. 14:14, 20). He doesn't know the Bible.
3. Weak in conscience (Rom. 14:14–15, 22). He's overly sensitive—not calibrated to the Word of God (1 Cor. 8:7). He feels guilty over actions that are not sinful.
4. Weak in will (1 Cor. 8:10, 13). Though he thinks the action is sinful, he will imitate a stronger brother and act against his conscience.

When accused of "stumbling" someone, was there the weakness of will, where the supposedly stumbled person was influenced to do what you did, and act against their conscience?
Because that's a weaker brother, biblically defined.

He is not just any new or immature believer. He is not any Christian who disagrees with me on some issue. Neither is he simply a brother who disagrees with me and gets upset because he thinks I am wrong. Such people may have weaknesses, but they do not fit Paul’s qualifications for “weaker brothers.”
A weaker brother (or sister) is a Christian who, because of the weakness of his faith, knowledge, conscience, and will, can be influenced to sin against his conscience by the example of a differing stronger brother.
—Friesen, Garry; Maxson, J. Robin. Decision Making and the Will of God (p. 398). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Have you ever encountered a genuine weaker Christian?
Perhaps not.

It's because of the weakness of will that Paul tells stronger brothers to restrain themselves in exercising freedom. The weaker brother will follow their example.
Someone who is just offended and stubborn is not a weaker brother—he cannot be influenced to act. There's no chance of destroying someone like that.
The influence is always in one direction: from stronger to weaker.

How many pastors are in fact weak, and need to be cared for by stronger brothers?
Or, are they Pharisees?

When you are accused of stumbling people, ask:
"Were you influenced to do what I did?"
"And did you feel guilty about it?"
"And do you not know that all things are lawful?"
Ask those diagnostic questions to identify a real weaker brother.

Pastors should be strong, not weak. They should not be weak in knowledge, because they are teachers of others.
More than likely, they are just being manipulative. They have weakness, but are not weaker brothers—because they cannot be influenced to act against their unbiblical ethic.

FURTHER STUDY:

WHO IS THE WEAKER BROTHER?
http://www.discipleshipphilippines.org/weaker-brother/

Garry Friesen, Decision Making and the Will of God Ch. 24, "Weaker Brothers, Pharisees, and Servants" (FREE) http://www.peacemakers.net/unity/gfriesen.htm

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