Use It – Don’t Abuse It
Cultural Differences – Part 2

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:17-26

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 11:22

Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!

A second example of cultural differences is found in 1 Timothy 3:2 – “An overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife…”  As Paul is instructing young Timothy about leadership in the early church, he tells him that leaders were not to have more than one wife.  The reason for this instruction was literal because polygamy was not so uncommon in that culture.  Some modern day believers have taken this verse and made a rule that if a pastor’s wife dies, he should never remarry.

I am very careful to remember that the Bible is the unerring Word of God.  However, I want to do that by looking for the truth it is really teaching, not by foolishly taking words or sentences at face value with non intellectual understanding.  We should take a passage of scripture and know everything that can be known about the cultural settings before we solidify our personal convictions.  Ignorance of these cultural differences does not glorify God or promote truth for our lost world.

A final example of cultural difference is the slavery issue.  If you do some study of slavery in the New Testament times, you will find great differences from the slavery that this country unfortunately experienced.  Cultural differences are real and must be acknowledged.

Father, I want your eternal truth to rule over my life.  I know it will set me free from the chains of darkness in our world.  In Jesus’ name, amen.