Show No Partiality
In the early church it faced many of the same social issues that we face today. The Jews, the first Christians, were raised to believe that because they were God’s chosen people that they were more important than any other nation. Samaritans and Gentiles alike were frowned upon for merely being born a Samaritan or a Gentile.
Yet, as the church grew, it was inevitable that these two groups would hear the words by which they must be saved. In Acts 8 the Samaritans received the word and in Acts 10 the Gentiles received the word.
Peter perceived through these events that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). Since we are to imitate God we too must be no respecter of persons. In what ways must we be careful to not show partiality?
In Nationality
This is the most obvious lesson learned from the examples given above. When Christ sent his disciples out into the world, He told them to take the Gospel into every nation (Matt. 28:19). Now, many believe that the Apostles assumed that it still belonged only to the Jews, which explains why so much time transpired from the day of Pentecost and the conversion of the Samaritans and especially Cornelius. Further evidence is supplied by the council that convened in Acts 11 to determine whether or not Peter overstepped his boundaries by baptizing Gentiles, which of course he did not.
Partiality however, did not only exist in whom received the gospel, but it also affected the Jewish-Gentile relationship after one was baptized. Paul reports in the Galatian letter that Peter, among other Jewish Christians, had ceased to take meals with non-Jewish Christians. Albeit, they did this as a result of binding circumcision upon Gentile Christians, but they still segregated themselves.
Paul explains that we are baptized into one body (I Cor. 12:13) and that there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, and freeman (Col. 3:11). We could add into this list northerner, southerner, etc.
Since we are not to judge based on Nationality let us remember to share the gospel with all. Let us remember to be a brother to all Christians.
In Religion
In today’s day and age it is not hard to discriminate based upon a person’s religious upbringing. Since 9-11 the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian faiths have been more at odds with one another in our own country. (In the Middle East the battle has seemingly always been there). I know that great fear of all Muslims swept through this country when the towers fell. This fear has led to false accusations and poor treatment.
Now, I am not at all saying we are to be tolerant of religious error. Nor am I saying that we should accept all forms of religion as genuine and from God.
What I am saying is that when it comes to spreading the Gospel, it should not matter what the person’s religious background is. Whether the person is “Christian“, Jew, Muslim, or Wicken, if they do not have the truth, then they need someone to teach it to them.
Perhaps we forget the religious makeup of the New Testament period. They were NO Christians, but there were spiritually minded people. They had Jews (who worshipped God according to the OT), Samaritans (who worshipped God according to their oral traditions), and Gentiles (who worshipped all sorts of gods). The plain and simple truth turned the world upside down because Christians did not look at someone and say, they won’t believe because they Zeus worshippers, or Jews, or Samaritans, or Dinah worshippers, etc.
In Finance
This issue is one that also plagued the early church. We have to first remember that they lived in a culture where social status was something that they were born into. One could not merely work hard and get rich, like here in the States. As a result of this, many were taught as children to consider the wealthy as “bigger and better” than everyone else. Such a belief system was to change upon being a Christian.
Many scholars believe that the issue driving the problem in I Cor. 11, when some were filled and others went hungry, was partiality. The rich were not considering the poor as equals, thus the rich were filled in this meal and the poor went home hungry.
James further addresses the issue in James 1. He makes it clear that partiality is sin while addressing the “money issue.”
Be warned, this door swings both ways. The poor are not to look down on the wealthy simply because they are wealthy. Remember we are called into one body and should treat each member of this body as equally important.
In Age
Paul once told Timothy, “Let no man despise thy youth (I Tim. 4:12).” I understand just as much as the next person that generation gaps exist. I have spent time with groups of brethren when the next youngest person was still old enough to be my grandfather. But, that does not mean that I should only prefer to be around younger Christians. Us younger Christians learn how to mature by the teaching (by word and deed) of the older generations (Titus 2).
Let us not leave anyone out of our personal evangelism. Neither let us leave a brother or sister out of our social circle.
-WTK