Paul instructs the Corinthians to defer to weaker brothers, avoiding, for example, meat sacrificed to idols out of concern for a weaker brother’s conscience.
But what happens when we apply a universality principle: What if everybody did? Wouldn’t that mean that the weak end up running the church?
Paul, it appears, doesn’t seem to be bothered by the possibility. That’s partly because he has confidence in the Spirit. But it also appears to be part of his program: The inferior members are accorded greater honor, since the superior members don’t need it (1 Corinthians 12:22-25).
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