Who is More Culpable?

The person who makes a non-biblical rule would be the guilty if in fact he is putting it up AS a biblical command.

One case in point I experienced first hand. A pastor claimed that I was not in the "will of God" if I did not attend the 'New Years Eve Watch Service'. Claimed I needed to "get right with God."

Using Hebrews 10:25 as a means to gain some sort of control over believers, accusing them if they missed a service.

 

Equal. The one who makes the rule for not having the sense to see it's not biblical

The one who keeps the extra-biblical rule for listening to the "rule-maker" instead of searching the Scriptures.

HankD

 

That's a clever answer - HankD!

Doc - grew up in a GARBC church. Was saved while attending a GARBC school.

Heard all the "thou shalt nots" when growing up. Many of them were correct! Some were not!

Now my personal list of "Thou Shalt Nots" are by conviction (and hopefully Scripturally based) instead of "just because they told me so!"

Matthew 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

PS - Hope this passage doesn't describe me!

PPS - never answered your question - I'd say the Pharisees are more guilty!

 

By far, it is the one who makes a non-biblical rule.

I think this also applies as well to the 'rule-makers'.

 

MT 18:5 "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. 6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

 

Whatsoever is not of faith is sin!

 

that would be the one that makes the rule and then breaks it also

 

I believe the great jedi master Obi-Wan said

"Who is more foolish, the fool, or the fool who follows him"

A question for the ages

 

Where's Yoda when you need him?

 

If a man goes against his conscience, he may in fact be sinning when he willfully goes against what he BELIEVS is right. Doesn't Paul speak somewhere about this, about observing our brother's conscience, and not to offend it?

As far as MAKING an unbiblical rule...well, that's when you start coming close to Rev 22:18
And coming close is TOO close for me!

 

It depends on the situation. A person who rebels against authority is wrong. So if the legitimate authority makes a rule, biblical or not, the person is to be in subjection to it, unless it violates a biblical command. As a believer, we don't get to pick and choose which rules we obey.

If you make an unbiblical rule, you might also be held accountable, but again, it depends on teh situation. If a school makes a rule that boys have to wear collared shirts to class, it is sin for a boy not to wear one. It is not sin for the school to make that rule. If the school says, "God said you should wear the collared shirt," then that is a problem.

So there is no one size fits all answer to this question.

 

Edited to start a new topic.

Andy

 

Bob, I think in all fairness you need to give an example of a none biblical rule. Today the church's have grown so liberal that rules seem like a good idea, at least in some areas.
I will say if the rule is dishonoring to the Lord then the person who makes it is wrong. Such as when the Pharisees made rules like that which are found in the Mishnah. One I remember is that a woman cannot look into a mirror on the Sabbath since she might see a grey hair and pluck it out and that would be working on the Sabbath which is sin.
However I will say that I do not see a problem with expecting those people who lead, teach to participate in things such as choir or any other thing related to leading in worship to be required to have certain dress codes and lifestyles. The general congregation is another matter, but loving and clear preaching and teaching can go a long way there.

I an a firm believer that the cry today that any rules is legalism is of satan and not of God. God was the first to give rules and He never gave them out of legalism. They were to always be followed in spirit. The legalism comes when someone does it in the flesh.

 

i see it like dr bob does, the problem with adding extra biblical rules given mans propensity to be religious and legalistic and it is tough enough. i always see people placing those in authority on a pedestal, which also leeds to special honor to a certain man. i am against those who elevate their position, dr. bob is one of the very few people that seems to discount any special honor for himself, i have seen many expect a certain extra respect for their degree.
legalism is a scourge and i too am on gaurd.