Weaker (Mario) Brothers
There’s been quite a dust-up over my post on tight jeans & modesty. I have found that whenever a discussion about modesty occurs a few different things invariably seem to happen:
- People talk. Any time you bring up a Christian doctrine that has the potential to challenge or change how people may live their lives, the opinions are going to fly.
- Men restrain themselves from being frank about the issue and speak in decidedly polite tones. Seriously ladies, you may well be surprised at the opinion of the guys when ladies are out of the room. We all know something about one another that you may not, and we’re not quick to share it in public. More on that another time.
- Legalism is brought into the discussion (still waiting for someone to actually manufacture that Christian burqa everyone seems to think proponents of modesty are demanding).
- Weaker brothers are brought into the picture.
It’s the last two points I wanted to look at here because I think they’re often the ones most misunderstood. When we talk about “weaker brothers” we’re referring to a passage in Romans 14:1-3
1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
What’s often lost when we talk about weaker brothers is the fact that they’re acting weak “in the faith”. That is, what they’re doing is being done in faith with a real desire is to glorify God. There is a tendency to look on these people with eyes a’rolling, frustrated with their spiritual immaturity and temporarily forgetting that it is ALL of the grace of God.
“I’m not going to change my life for some schmo who can’t handle life in the real world.” <— This is a bad thing.
Paul recognized that this response would be a natural one for mature believers who would rather not have their style cramped, so he says “Don’t be like that” in verse 4.
OK, but what about legalism? Even if we can agree that weaker brothers have troubles with immodest clothing, aren’t they just being legalistic (this leads to the burqa argument, one some common that it would occupy the “free” space on the modesty discussion bingo card). We often misunderstand legalism to be “anything above or beyond what I feel like doing.” So if a brother or sister says “Maybe it’s not the best idea in the world to wear the kind of jeans that constantly reveal the color of your underwear” the response is often “Legalist!”
True legalism supposes that the actions taken (say modesty) would serve as a means of justification (Galatians 5:1-3). That’s a false gospel. It’s also a false attack when someone calling for modesty is labeled a legalist. Doing so reveals a lack of understanding for what a legalist truly is and we Reformed folk (especially we Reformed Presbyterian folk) are all about precision when it comes to doctrinal terms.
Remember: Biblically weaker brothers or sisters calling for modesty are doing so in faith to glorify God. Can the same be said for the man or woman who hears this, but chooses their personal desire for fashion, comfort, appeal or whatever else is of greater value? These discussions get turned sideways because we try straining gnats instead of looking to the issues at heart for both sides.
In other news, there’s still time to enter a drawing for a free Ligonier lecture series!
