Would Jesus go paintballing?
I've been thinking about this. I had some anonymous poster railing on me on my views on different things. (See previous post) The only thing that really concerns me is the possible damage to my testimony by playing paintball. It's not really about the paintball itself, it's about the perception that by engaging in this semi-violent sport, that I am appearing to be a hypocrite. I know in my heart that paintball is not a sin because of two things. 1. It doesn't violate scripture in any obvious way. 2. It doesn't violate my conscience. However, I go to Romans Ch. 14. I notice a couple of principles here that I think I need to look at and ask you guys/girls to comment on.
Verse 14 states: "As one who is in the Lord jesus, I (Paul) am fully convinced that no food(sport?) is unclean in itself. BUT if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him(/her) it is unclean." I'm still off the hook here, but it continues...
V. 15 "If your brother(/sister) is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting out of love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother(/sister) for whom Christ died." I noticed the verse is talking about fellow believers.
Verse 16 is very interesting. It states,"Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil." Now what do you suppose Paul is meaning here? From my study, I concluded that Paul does not want the onlooking world to see fellow Christians bickering & fighting about trivial matters.
Vs. 19-21. Let us make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. all food is clean, but it is wrong for a man(/woman) to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother(/sister) to fall.
The way I understand this, I need to be willing to NOT do things that I think are perfectly OK, if I'm directly causing another Christian to fall into "what this Christian even thinks is" sin. Because if I do, I'm being selfish and not acting out of love.
Has anyone seen this verse? vs22 "So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
Paul seems to be saying that God is pleased (and we are blessed) when we establish behavioral standards that will not cause others to think badly about us.
I don't know if this anonymous poster is a believer, so I'm wondering what you Christians think of paintball?
Am I causing Christians to stumble when I take them out paintballing? I can't know unless those people admit that I led them to do something that they considered to be a sin. I want to be obedient to the teachings of scripture, and my character and testimony are very important to me, so I'm ready to give up paintball, if it's doing more harm than good. I need feedback here.
Verse 14 states: "As one who is in the Lord jesus, I (Paul) am fully convinced that no food(sport?) is unclean in itself. BUT if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him(/her) it is unclean." I'm still off the hook here, but it continues...
V. 15 "If your brother(/sister) is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting out of love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother(/sister) for whom Christ died." I noticed the verse is talking about fellow believers.
Verse 16 is very interesting. It states,"Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil." Now what do you suppose Paul is meaning here? From my study, I concluded that Paul does not want the onlooking world to see fellow Christians bickering & fighting about trivial matters.
Vs. 19-21. Let us make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. all food is clean, but it is wrong for a man(/woman) to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother(/sister) to fall.
The way I understand this, I need to be willing to NOT do things that I think are perfectly OK, if I'm directly causing another Christian to fall into "what this Christian even thinks is" sin. Because if I do, I'm being selfish and not acting out of love.
Has anyone seen this verse? vs22 "So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
Paul seems to be saying that God is pleased (and we are blessed) when we establish behavioral standards that will not cause others to think badly about us.
I don't know if this anonymous poster is a believer, so I'm wondering what you Christians think of paintball?
Am I causing Christians to stumble when I take them out paintballing? I can't know unless those people admit that I led them to do something that they considered to be a sin. I want to be obedient to the teachings of scripture, and my character and testimony are very important to me, so I'm ready to give up paintball, if it's doing more harm than good. I need feedback here.