God's
Symphony

In Axexander Pope’s 1733 An Essay on Man, the phrase ‘Whatever is is right’ appears but in the context of the poem (a justification of the ways of God to Man) this does not literally mean that all is right but rather that ‘whatever is’ likely has meaning not inherently apparent to Man. Hence begins the conversation of the ‘rightness’ of all that is. In the context of God, do you have difficulty drawing the line between Law and Grace or between Permissive versus Beneficial? The church at Corinth did. The Greek culture had practices which were at odds with the Jewish roots of Christianity; some of those Jewish practices conflicted at Antioch over what was fitting in the church of Jesus. In Acts 15 we find leaders are sent from Antioch to Jerusalem to gain the decision of the leaders still in Jerusalem. When the witness of Paul and Barnabas had been given as to what God was doing among the non-Jew was weighted against the beliefs of the traditionalists, the apostles and elders considered the Scriptures including the teachings of Jesus and issued the following resolve:

“… For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.” ¹

Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch with the decision and then eventually went their ways on later journeys into Asia Minor and the Aegean countries. Paul later addressed this same issue back to the church of Corinth where both of the questioned practices were problems in that region. Greek worship involved feasting and sexual worship at the Greek temples. Some of the meat offered to the Greek pantheon of gods made it into the local meat markets and could come into the possession of Corinthian believers through those markets. This meat was not necessarily labeled as offered to idols but it was a common practice so was more likely than not. When Paul writes to the church at Corinth, it is in this context of local practices and what had been resolved earlier by the Jerusalem leadership. Paul addresses two aspects of the question before the Corinthians:

1. All things are but not all are profitable; all things are but not to have power over me

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. (1 Cor. 6:12)

2. All things are and I have the right but not everything is building up

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. (1 Cor. 10:23)

‘Lawful’ in these quotes is the word you would recognize as ‘exist’ or simply to be; it is lawful in the sense that it is but has not inherent moral value beyond what we give it. Context determines value. In the first quote ‘profitable’ or ‘helpful’ is a word we would transliterate ‘symphero’ which you would recognize more readily as symphony—a bringing together, collection, that in agreement toward a purpose, harmonious. Much that exists (is lawful) does not work toward the appropriate goal. The second part of the first phrase, ‘not have power over,’ speaks of that which comes to dominate us, masters our course, forces us into its way. Again, lawful yes but not freeing us up for God’s purposes.

The second verse is looking toward rights but only in light of what will be beneficial to the purposes of God. The first phrase again plays the imbalance between lawful and agreeing with God’s purposes (symphero) with the second phrase striking rights with edification. ‘Constructive’ is often translated as edify and comes from a Greek word for one who builds up or erects a building. Again, lawful is without context but once the purpose of erecting, building up, is added, simply existing in a neutral state becomes in opposition to the purpose.

The God-life is never meant to have a neutral purpose or result; God intends for us to be fruitful, in harmony with Him, bearing His fruit and not simply getting by, living lawful without His profit. One possible measure of what is worthwhile is found in Philippians 4:8-9

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. ⁴

God does not give law or precepts without context of purpose—taking liberty or freedom given by God without the context of God’s ultimate purposes reduces them to meaninglessness.