Your Views on Grey Areas

[TechyinAZ]

Just wondering, what is your view on grey areas in the bible as a whole? It's just interesting to me that we have the bible, but it seems there are so many interpretations of the minor and non salvational issues in the text, but most of these interpretations I can see being true.

But at the same time, there is no black and white answer in the end. I'm just wondering what God's purpose in grey areas actually are.

Examples of grey areas, "Head Coverings", "Women Teaching men/Working out of the Household", "End times Theology", "Evangelism (when to do it and when not to)", "Church's singing Psalms & Hynms only Movement" etc etc.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

I think they're similar to whether the colour of the carpet in the church should be green, mauve, or whether there should be no carpets at all.

 

[Sola1517]

Just wondering, what is your view on grey areas in the bible as a whole? It's just interesting to me that we have the bible, but it seems there are so many interpretations of the minor and non salvational issues in the text, but most of these interpretations I can see being true.

But at the same time, there is no black and white answer in the end. I'm just wondering what God's purpose in grey areas actually are.

Examples of grey areas, "Head Coverings", "Women Teaching men/Working out of the Household", "End times Theology", "Evangelism (when to do it and when not to)", "Church's singing Psalms & Hynms only Movement" etc etc.

Grey areas... Yeah... Those are fun to think about.

Y'know there are people that would debate with you whether or not those are grey areas. Cases of the Bible saying something only one time are fickle. You have to be careful to not build a theology around them.

Just thinking, I think masturbation is a grey area (the act itself is not even mentioned even though people act like it is), but fornication and adultery is obviously a definite no.

What do you think?

 

[Rubiks]

There isn't even agreement on whether what is even a grey area. The Bible wasn't written to me personally yesterday.

 

[NothingIsImpossible]

I consider things like smoking to be a obvious thing the bible talks about. Where as something like video games falls into a grey area. To much we know makes it an idol, but not to much.... I say is fine.

 

[Sola1517]

Just wondering, what is your view on grey areas in the bible as a whole? It's just interesting to me that we have the bible, but it seems there are so many interpretations of the minor and non salvational issues in the text, but most of these interpretations I can see being true.

But at the same time, there is no black and white answer in the end. I'm just wondering what God's purpose in grey areas actually are.

Examples of grey areas, "Head Coverings", "Women Teaching men/Working out of the Household", "End times Theology", "Evangelism (when to do it and when not to)", "Church's singing Psalms & Hynms only Movement" etc etc.

I consider things like smoking to be a obvious thing the bible talks about. Where as something like video games falls into a grey area. To much we know makes it an idol, but not to much.... I say is fine.

Well, you want to get 15 different answers from 15 different people.

 

[Dave-W]

I have heard many say there are no gray areas.... but we know that is not true.

The Bible is much more that a list of dos and don’ts. IT is pure legalism to try to reduce it to such. Gray areas are those things which may be fine in some places and situations and not good in others.

IOW probably not something the Lord is that concerned about one way or the other.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Lutherans have a word for some of this, we call it adiaphora, Greek for "things of indifference". Things which are neither commanded nor forbidden, things which can basically come down to opinion or personal conscience, or honestly just don't matter one way or the other.

Should we have pews in the church? Adiaphoron.
Should the bread of the Eucharist be leavened or unleavened? Adiaphoron.
Should we use instruments in the Liturgy? Adiaphoron.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[jacks]

Maybe God's purpose of grey areas is to teach us to get along despite our differences and that most of our differences don't matter.

How many angels can dance on the head of pin?

 

[bcbsr]

Just wondering, what is your view on grey areas in the bible as a whole? It's just interesting to me that we have the bible, but it seems there are so many interpretations of the minor and non salvational issues in the text, but most of these interpretations I can see being true.

But at the same time, there is no black and white answer in the end. I'm just wondering what God's purpose in grey areas actually are.

Examples of grey areas, "Head Coverings", "Women Teaching men/Working out of the Household", "End times Theology", "Evangelism (when to do it and when not to)", "Church's singing Psalms & Hynms only Movement" etc etc.

Sin is less about what you do and more about why you do it. Thus even "gray areas" may impinge on issues of sin. For example "if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ." 1Cor 10:8-12

 

[Servant of Yeshua]

You should inquire of the Lord on each of these matters whenever it comes up for you. Then be still and listen for God to reply. Joshua inquired of the Lord on every matter.

 

[TechyinAZ]

You should inquire of the Lord on each of these matters whenever it comes up for you. Then be still and listen for God to reply. Joshua inquired of the Lord on every matter.

Amen, yes I pray a lot regarding grey areas.

Thank you guys for the replies!! I've been kinda stuck in this mentality of only doing the word in a semi-legalistic fashion which has been causing lots of issues lately with grey areas of all shapes and sizes.

Fortunately I think God has been showing me that we have to understand why we do what we do to get around the grey areas and form an answer...

 

[frogoon234]

Just wondering, what is your view on grey areas in the bible as a whole? It's just interesting to me that we have the bible, but it seems there are so many interpretations of the minor and non salvational issues in the text, but most of these interpretations I can see being true.

But at the same time, there is no black and white answer in the end. I'm just wondering what God's purpose in grey areas actually are.

Examples of grey areas, "Head Coverings", "Women Teaching men/Working out of the Household", "End times Theology", "Evangelism (when to do it and when not to)", "Church's singing Psalms & Hynms only Movement" etc etc.

The first chapter of Proverbs attests to that there would be gray areas through out the whole Bible. David said in the psalms he beat his opponents to some extent by knowing the old testament well.

Proverbs chapter 1. Andrew Wommack does a great series on this.