I grew up in a conversative denomination. It was a denomination that was strong in the Word of God, but sometimes could be judgmental of others’ beliefs. I feel like it caused me to put limits on God and to be judgmental sometimes. Don’t get me wrong… I am VERY thankful for the training I received… training that gave me a strong foundation in my faith. But years ago, God prepared me for what I’m doing now by bringing several women from different denominations to work side-by-side with me in ministry. My eyes were opened, and I realized that God is a BIG God and He expanded my thinking a lot.
Occasionally, those old thought patterns creep up when I encounter others with different backgrounds and doctrine that differs from mine. I may not say anything to them, but I judge them with my mind. Or I often distance myself from them. I’m guessing that Paul saw lots of judgment going on in the church, so he addressed it to the church at Rome. This verse in Romans 14 speaks volumes.
There is a scenario in Acts 18 that should surely help each of us from judging. A man by the name of Apollos, a great communicator, had come to Ephesus and began to boldly proclaim the Good News. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard what he was saying, they realized he was missing some key things in his message. They could have publicly called him out or judged him and walked away. That’s not what they did, though. They took him aside and explained the whole Gospel to him, filling in the blanks. They discipled him.
Judging other Christians divides the body of Christ, causes dissention, and can pull people away from truth. Yet, I see arguing all the time… arguing over what I call non-essentials. Doctrine is important. Theology is vital. But arguing about it doesn’t accomplish anything. Paul gives us some wise advice in this verse… accept them without arguing. Perhaps Priscilla and Aquila’s example should drive us the next time we come face-to-face with someone whose training differs from ours. Maybe we should think about walking alongside weaker Christians to help them in their faith. Perhaps we should also ask God to expand our knowledge and help us in our limitations. Hope this encourages you today.