Compromise? yay or nay

[Christ4Ever]

How long must they wait though. Are there many cases where the unbelieving spouse just refused God and willingly chose hell instead of heaven where they would get to spend eternity with their loving spouse?! And children...?

Actually for the unbeliever it probably has nothing to do with preferring "hell" over "heaven", because in most cases I'm sure that they probably don't give any credence to either one. This is probably the case even when the other believing partner tells them and exhibits a life in Christ.

Normally, at least for what I saw from the example of my Mother-in-Law's life and the life of my own Mother, because of the faithfulness of the one, the other is so convicted that they either are converted or leave. Should the unbeliever chose to leave then let it be so.

Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. 1 Corinthians 7:15

I mean what would you do. Im amazed that parents often just allow their children who are believers to marry unbelievers. Some even encourage it..! Do they not warn them. Dont the parents have some authority or say in the matter? I know one christian lady who wanted her son to move in with his girlfriend not even marry her because she wanted to downsize the house. I thought hold on...?

Are they still children when they choose to marry or maybe ostracize them should they choose to not follow a parents advice? Depending on the cultures/religions I'm sure this happens. Also, in some cultures the marriage is set up by the families. So there is little control that they don't have!!! Yet, I can't speak to this, but I know that to many "Modern" world changed cultures (I don't say this in an approving fashion.) marriage is actually on the downturn and cohabitation the greater norm.

Still I do agree that in some instances some professing Christians would rather show themselves their Children's friend rather than a God fearing parent who communicates the morals of Scripture against what the World deems as acceptable. To the detriment of their children and themselves. Then again I don't believe this will require parents to disassociate themselves from their children for the poor choices they make. Prodigal son, speaks plainly to this. We as parents, will wait for them for as long as it takes for them to be reconciled!

My own daughter, sought this type of acceptability in her living accommodations from my wife & me when she asked for acceptance concerning moving in a young man into her own apartment.

As a way to justify what she was doing. She even told me over the phone "He's a Christian"! I laugh now, but I guess at the time it probably looked more like a sharks smile. Glad she couldn't see it! I gave her a moment, then replied as the Spirit moved me to "Then he should know better". Silence......

Too often it seems that for many Christians, they feel that it's okay and that they have a license to sin with impunity and that nothing will happen to them! If they truly believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior & Lord, they will be chastised by our Loving Father in Heaven!! Rest assured this will happen and if it doesn't! I'd take a real look at my moment of conversion that for sure!

FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Hebrews 12:6-8

On compromise. Well, if we walk as He has walked, and continue to study scripture it will assuredly lead us on a path that will change us to a Holy and Righteous people that will know when to speak, when to be quiet and most especially to Love "all" "uncompromisingly".

With the Love of Christ Jesus.
YBIC
Nick
<><

 

[Lanolin]

What happened to your mother and mother-in-law christ4ever? Did their husbands convert or leave?

It seems the prodigal son didnt bring home his girlfriends or boyfriends though.

 

[Hekuran]

Of course we don't strike a compromise between good and evil, right and wrong.

But most of our choices are not as clear cut. More often we have to weigh up the difference between the good and the best - or between something poor and something worse.

Say I want to make something as simple and straightford as a good cheeseburger. Somewhere along the line i'll have to strike compromises between flavour, nutrition, expense, purity of the ingredients, ethical sourcing, and the time taken to prepare it.

As with cheeseburgers, so with the rest of life.

 

[Laura1557]

I add my voice to the previous posters who said ''nay'' to compromise in spiritual matters. Also, it is never right to do wrong for a chance to do right.

If I may chime in with some personal experience....in my case, we're both believers, but I try to live for the Lord and my husband tends towards carnality and living for his own enjoyment. We've been together since 1994, I was saved in 1997 (four months before we married); he was saved in 1998 (eight months after we were married).

As for compromise well, people say if you married thats what you do all time?! If you spouse is not a believer arent you commiting immorality anyway by sleeping with them, what if they want you to do this or that in bed. Just because you are married does that mean whatever you do together wont defile you. I dont know...?

What do married people say?

1 Corinthians 7:1-5 tell me that since I'm married, whether my partner is a believer or not, or living like a believer or not, God expects me to uphold my responsibilities in the marriage relationship. Whatever I do with my husband in bed won't defile me; in marriage, my body essentially becomes his and vice versa. Two are one flesh.

Or is it that if you married an unbeliever it is sanctified anyway, if one person is a christian and the other isnt. Im sure there could be many couples where one spouse pretended to believe for the others sake. Or the believer compromised their faith to stay with their spouse. I mean what else can they do, divorce or leave?

It can get awkward in such situations, but even though my husband isn't living for the Lord as I'd like, it's not about me. His relationship with the Lord, at the end of the day, is between him and the Lord. I can pray for him, but if he's not obeying the Lord in his role toward me as my husband, it ought not stop me from obeying the Lord in my role toward him as his wife. It makes it harder, but not impossible.

It must be hard for that person to stay with an unbeliever but I suppose its sort of like having family members who dont believe that you live with.

But i suppose if that person made a vow they must honor it, so they wouldnt be compromising in marriage if they became a christian after marriage and the other was not. The other person may leave but I suppose since the believer is on the winning side so to speak they just need to be long suffering until their other half is saved.

1 Cor 7:10-11 tell me that as a believer, I'm not to divorce my saved husband, and he's not to divorce me. Verses 12-14 tell me that as a believer, I'm not to divorce my unsaved husband. Verse 15 tells me that if I'm saved and my husband isn't, and he leaves, to let him go. It's partly from obeying these verses that I'm still married to the same guy after all these years. During some rough times, no matter how I tried to rationalize divorce, these scriptures are clear to me that scripturally, I was to stay with my husband, even when I didn't necessarily want to.

How long must they wait though. Are there many cases where the unbelieving spouse just refused God and willingly chose hell instead of heaven where they would get to spend eternity with their loving spouse?! And children...?

How long does God wait for us to come to Him? I need to be just as longsuffering with my (unbelieving or) carnal spouse. As long as he's not breaking the law, I'm still supposed to let him be the leader in the marriage, and hope and pray that my example as I try to live for the Lord, encourages him to resume living for the Lord. I'm doing my best to follow 1 Peter 3:1-2 with that.

One of my friends who became a christian after marriage and her spouse isnt, was asked to talk with a young lady who was dating an unbeliever and wanted to get married to him. Actually I think she was already engaged She didnt know what to say I mean obviously dont do it but this young lady was determined to make it work as she was already engaged?! . Or maybe she was asked and she just said yes but was having doubts.

I dont think my friend was going to tell her what she wanted to hear though. She was saying to me I will just show her scriptures.

Showing her the scriptures is the best thing she could do. Along with praying for her.

I mean what would you do. Im amazed that parents often just allow their children who are believers to marry unbelievers. Some even encourage it..! Do they not warn them. Dont the parents have some authority or say in the matter? I know one christian lady who wanted her son to move in with his girlfriend not even marry her because she wanted to downsize the house. I thought hold on...?

Too many Christians today are content to compromise so as to ''not rock the boat." Some parents try to warn them, but adult children are going to do what they want to do and make their own mistakes, even when the parents can see that the decisions they're making is heading them for a shipwreck.

Hmm Luke 18:29-30 suggests its ok to leave family for the sake of the Kingdom. I mean Peter followed Jesus yet he was married. I wonder what happened to his wife.

Or maybe because Peter was married he had the most difficulties. I dont know if the other disciples were married.

We have to look at the context though. In Luke 18:29-30, Jesus is speaking to Peter about discipleship. Jesus speaks of divorce in Mark 10:3-12, and also in Matthew 19. Divorce is not part of God's original plan which was one man, one woman, for life. It was later permitted under the Law, but I don't see anywhere in scripture where it's something that the Lord encourages. The Lord permitted polygamy too, but it's not His original plan.

Many other disciples followed Jesus besides just the twelve. I like to think that Peter's wife accompanied him when she could, but for the most part she may have stayed behind and looked after the household. We know from Matthew 8:14 that at one point Peter's mother-in-law lived with he and his wife.

Now having said all that, in day-to-day marriage on the temporal side of things, sure, my husband and I compromise. But again, it's a matter of context.

 

[B-A-C]

I like to think that Peter's wife accompanied him when she could

1 Cor 9:5; Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?

It seems Peter wasn't the only married one

 

[Lanolin]

What sorts of things do you compromise on?
I dont understand why you would compromise on a cheeseburger. .God didnt promise us cheeseburgers. If you are wealthy enough to afford one, well, great but if you are fasting you shouldnt even be having one,

 

[Christ4Ever]

What happened to your mother and mother-in-law christ4ever? Did their husbands convert or leave?

Glad you asked sister!

For my earthly father, he went out with his "friends" who said it was okay that the doctors said he shouldn't drink. They'd watch over him. So, they went out and they dropped him off at the end of the night on the sidewalk, drunk and passed out. Near death, for alcohol had become his death kneel. My mother having no one, but God! Dragged him into the house into bed and nursed him back to health. While he was lying in bed, my father asked her why she cared/loved him. Especially since he was a womanizer and drunkard. He asked this despite knowing that she was a believer, and always went to a church. How little the non-believer truly knows about us!

This was the opportunity that I believe God had set for her after all her prayers. To speak to him the words she was about to say to him, her drunkard, cheater of a husband. The time, lying in bed, where all he could do was listen, was the time she told him about her Jesus. After he got well. Which he did as a professing believer, he got baptized and never smoke or drank again the rest of his life. I never knew the drunkard of a man, only the believing, bible reading one! Alleluia!

For my father-in-law, who I never met. So, can only tell the story I pieced together second hand, from listening to the mother-in-law and her 6 children. One being my wife. The man was a smoker and drinker just like my father. As was my mother, my mother-in-law was a woman of faith. Church goer, Children Sunday School teacher.

Her husband was in the military and retired one day after they had gotten stationed at a new base. They had been there barely 6 months when he did this and after another 6 months. He left her and the 6 children. Not telling anyone where he went, and never coming back. She had no job, and no income when he did this.

She found out years later where he had gone since he sent paperwork so he could divorce her and get remarried. Which she signed and returned to him. They never spoke again, and she never remarried. Raising 2 boys and 4 girls all by herself, while working, and of cause taking enough time to continue teaching Sunday School! Finally going home, surrounded by most of the 14 grandchildren, and 1 great-great-grandchild. Alleluia!

Even when provided with the help of believing people. Ultimately, each person must make a decision on who they will follow. (Acts 4:12)

As we can see in these two similar but different ending cases. One case a man came to God, while in the other, a man choose the world. Each with a woman of faith, only seeking to do the will of God. I do believe that if you trust in God, you will have lived the life to the Glory of God, and be able to say "Alleluia" when it is all said and done. With the hope to hear the words we all desire to hear "Well done, good and faithful servant".

With the Love of Christ Jesus sister.
YBIC
Nick
<><

 

[Lanolin]

I think if the parents dont warn their children then its on them. Their blood is on their hands because God did set up watchmen and pastors to look after the sheep and not turn a blind eye. They may not listen but at least you warned them.

He sent prophets to Israel and even Jesus warned people about hell. He didnt just rock the boat. In the storm of all storms the boat was rocked..but Jesus made it stop! He was even sleeping through when the boat was rocking and told the disciples they shouldnt be panicking about the boat.

Why not shake things up a little. Why would you compromise your faith?

If a cheesburger was sacrificed to an idol, would you eat it. Or would you just think oh it doesnt matter.
Live in sin with your girlfriend, boyfriend it doesnt matter, go and marry an unbeliever, he or she will change.

Um,,no!

 

[Laura1557]

What sorts of things do you compromise on?
I dont understand why you would compromise on a cheeseburger. .God didnt promise us cheeseburgers. If you are wealthy enough to afford one, well, great but if you are fasting you shouldnt even be having one,

In the day to day temporal sense, we might compromise on little things like cotton or flannel sheets on the bed? Solution could be to use one of each: flannel on the bottom, cotton on the top. Or sometimes, I simply let him have the final say in the little things like do you want your cooked spinach mixed in with your hamburger stroganoff or on the side? I want to mix it in the pot, he wants it on the side; I don't bother mixing it together for either of us. Or he wants to go to the cottage for the weekend when I'd hoped to spend the weekend with him doing stuff around the house. I go to the cottage with him this weekend and next weekend we do the stuff around the house that needs to be done. Compromise that really doesn't matter in the big scheme of things, that you do to get along with each other. That aren't faith-based matters.

I think if the parents dont warn their children then its on them. Their blood is on their hands because God did set up watchmen and pastors to look after the sheep and not turn a blind eye. They may not listen but at least you warned them.

He sent prophets to Israel and even Jesus warned people about hell. He didnt just rock the boat. In the storm of all storms the boat was rocked..but Jesus made it stop! He was even sleeping through when the boat was rocking and told the disciples they shouldnt be panicking about the boat.

What if the parents had the kids in church since nine months before they were born, the kids grew up knowing what scripture says and were saved, and once grown one of the saved adult kids decides to marry an unbeliever anyway? Should they warn them yet again, refuse to accept the marriage when it happens, or show mercy to their child as God's shown the parent mercy?

Why not shake things up a little. Why would you compromise your faith?

I've been wondering the same thing for years, especially of the professing Christians closest to me in my family.

 

[Lanolin]

Hmm good question, I think if I were the parent of a saved child that is choosing to marry an unbeliever, I would warn them of the consequences. Also somehow get that couple to premarital counselling with their pastor/minister esp if they marrying in the church. The minister can then tell them whats what, and the gospel to the unbeliever if thats it takes...he could say 'I cant in good concience marry you unless you both get right with God'

This is what happened with a friend of mine the minister that married her and her husband had a good talking to her and she got saved. She started taking her faith seriously, and not play games with it . Then her husband who was a bit lukewarm..cos they were living together before marriage, did come round, think it wAs a few years later and was saved and baptized too.

I dont know that a truly saved christian would consider marrying an unbeliever. I think some children are raised in church then take it for granted but it doesnt mean they are saved.

I guess I might take that as a sign that my child wasnt serious about God. If they chose to marry an unbeliver or even did it behind your back well you just lovingly warn them but I suppose dont be surprised if things turn to custard. It would be disappointing but if the marriage breaks up or they are abandoned they will need to come back to you anyway. So maybe say that..its not right, but Im here for you if anything happens. Thats important cos people can get abused in marriage and bondage to unbelievers and think there is no way out. But we are not called to bondage.

 

[Laura1557]

Hmm good question, I think if I were the parent of a saved child that is choosing to marry an unbeliever, I would warn them of the consequences. Also somehow get that couple to premarital counselling with their pastor/minister esp if they marrying in the church. The minister can then tell them whats what, and the gospel to the unbeliever if thats it takes...he could say 'I cant in good concience marry you unless you both get right with God'

This is what happened with a friend of mine the minister that married her and her husband had a good talking to her and she got saved. She started taking her faith seriously, and not play games with it . Then her husband who was a bit lukewarm..cos they were living together before marriage, did come round, think it wAs a few years later and was saved and baptized too.

Great points! In such a situation, I think that's exactly what a minister should tell them. The unequally yoked couple might marry, but perhaps not in a church or in the church the saved adult child grew up in. Then the parent might feel a little better about not endorsing the marriage too, even if they are best off to accept it.

It's encouraging to hear testimonies like what happened to your friend there.

I dont know that a truly saved christian would consider marrying an unbeliever. I think some children are raised in church then take it for granted but it doesnt mean they are saved.

I guess I might take that as a sign that my child wasnt serious about God. If they chose to marry an unbeliver or even did it behind your back well you just lovingly warn them but I suppose dont be surprised if things turn to custard. It would be disappointing but if the marriage breaks up or they are abandoned they will need to come back to you anyway. So maybe say that..its not right, but Im here for you if anything happens. Thats important cos people can get abused in marriage and bondage to unbelievers and think there is no way out. But we are not called to bondage.

You've got more great points there, sister.

The mother of a friend of mine entered an unequally yoked marriage. She was saved (there was plenty of evidence of it), grew up in the church and in fact her father was a Southern Baptist pastor. I have no idea how her choice affected her parents or the impact on her sisters, etc, because I never felt right asking my friend about it, but things did indeed eventually turn to custard (that is a great phrase!). She became a teacher and raised her youngest son on her own, and thankfully she was serious enough about God to pray for him faithfully. He was saved at age 19 and he's walked with the Lord for 49 years now. I've wondered how things would've been different if she'd married a believer, but again, never felt right saying too much to my friend about his parents' divorce.

 

[B-A-C]

Great points! In such a situation, I think that's exactly what a minister should tell them. The unequally yoked couple might marry, but perhaps not in a church or in the church the saved adult child grew up in.

I think this happens frequently. They "know" it's not 100% the right thing to do. So the "easiest" thing to do, is just not ask the people who would give you Biblical advice.
Of course they usually regret this later.

The other thing is a "false Christian face". We are "good" Christians... for "a while".

True story... the names are changed.

Bob meets Sue. They start dating and liking each other quite a bit.
One day Bob asks Sue if she wants to go shopping for a new red dress. He takes her to a dozen stores, and helps her pick out many dresses to try on.
He patiently waits for her at every store, and even brings hats and purses for her to accessorize with her new dress. He ends up buying her two new
dresses and a hat that evening. She is in heaven. She thinks... wow... he must really like to go shopping.

A couple of weeks later Sue calls Bob. iNvites him over to watch football. She makes a meatloaf lunch, and then she makes popcorn when the game
comes on television. She sits next to Bob and asks many questions about his team and football in general. Bob is in heaven... He thinks... wow...
she must really like football.

These two scenes are similarly repeated a couple of more times over the next few months.
Then they get married.... guess what?

She asks Bob to go shopping with her ... Bob looks at her and says... "shopping"? Are you kidding, the game is on.
Bob asks Sue to come watch a football game with him... She looks at him and says "football?" Are you crazy? There's a sale at the store today.

Now I don't think they intentionally tried to deceive each other..... (perhaps it is intentional in some cases) but they changed who they really were for a while.
I've seen this happen several times. It's important that we get to know this person we are going to spend the rest of our lives with pretty well before
the decision is finalized. Now in the example above.. I used shopping and football as examples... it isn't always football and shopping. Sometimes the
"fake" person is us. Sometimes it's who we are pursuing but we can't see it yet. More often than football or shopping, it's how important Jesus is to us
in our lives and how we live. Some people change even this... long enough to get married.

Sometimes it is a purposeful deception... but I think many times we are just trying to be what we think the other person wants... even if that isn't who we really are.

 

[Lanolin]

Is compromise just another word for people pleasing. Cos that seeme like what the behaviour is.

I think this happens frequently. They "know" it's not 100% the right thing to do. So the "easiest" thing to do, is just not ask the people who would give you Biblical advice.
Of course they usually regret this later.

The other thing is a "false Christian face". We are "good" Christians... for "a while".

True story... the names are changed.

Bob meets Sue. They start dating and liking each other quite a bit.
One day Bob asks Sue if she wants to go shopping for a new red dress. He takes her to a dozen stores, and helps her pick out many dresses to try on.
He patiently waits for her at every store, and even brings hats and purses for her to accessorize with her new dress. He ends up buying her two new
dresses and a hat that evening. She is in heaven. She thinks... wow... he must really like to go shopping.

A couple of weeks later Sue calls Bob. iNvites him over to watch football. She makes a meatloaf lunch, and then she makes popcorn when the game
comes on television. She sits next to Bob and asks many questions about his team and football in general. Bob is in heaven... He thinks... wow...
she must really like football.

These two scenes are similarly repeated a couple of more times over the next few months.
Then they get married.... guess what?

She asks Bob to go shopping with her ... Bob looks at her and says... "shopping"? Are you kidding, the game is on.
Bob asks Sue to come watch a football game with him... She looks at him and says "football?" Are you crazy? There's a sale at the store today.

Now I don't think they intentionally tried to deceive each other..... (perhaps it is intentional in some cases) but they changed who they really were for a while.
I've seen this happen several times. It's important that we get to know this person we are going to spend the rest of our lives with pretty well before
the decision is finalized. Now in the example above.. I used shopping and football as examples... it isn't always football and shopping. Sometimes the
"fake" person is us. Sometimes it's who we are pursuing but we can't see it yet. More often than football or shopping, it's how important Jesus is to us
in our lives and how we live. Some people change even this... long enough to get married.

Sometimes it is a purposeful deception... but I think many times we are just trying to be what we think the other person wants... even if that isn't who we really are.

Bob and Sue sound like they dont have anything in common lol.

Spending the rest of your life...with Jesus. Find out as much as you can. Read His book!

 

[Laura1557]

Is compromise just another word for people pleasing. Cos that seeme like what the behaviour is.

It can be. And sometimes people compromise because they're trying to please more than one person regarding the same matter. When that's the case, in my observation, the person who compromises in an effort to please multiple people winds up pleasing none of them.

The solution to that is to keep your focus only on pleasing the Lord.

 

[Lanolin]

I finished reading 'no compromise'

Wow I didnt know what happened with Keith Green. It was so sad, he died tragically in a plane crash at age 28 with two of his young children and left his wife a widow, pregnant and another daughter.

His wife did say he was ready to meet the Lord, and she was willing to give her children up too.

I cant imagine. i dont know where his wife is nowadays hopefully still strong in the Lord, dont know if she remarried. The no compromise bit is from a song Keith wrote or perhaps it was an album he recorded. He did make a stand against settling for christian music stardom and was actually doing ministry.

You know how many christian musicians can compromise on the gospel and even water it down simply cos they are talented musicians and take the glory and accolades for themselves. keith actually told people at a christian music festival that God didnt like their festivals lol. They ended up repenting and revival broke out!

 

[amadeus2]

No compromise! Absolutely none when it comes to God and anything that pertains to Him!

In John chapter six Jesus had said some things which really separated some people from him as we see in the following verse:.

"From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him."John 6:66

Would he compromise to get them back? No, rather he put it to his closest followers:

"Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?" John 6:67

He did not want them to go away but he wanted it be clear to everyone that even it would cause all of them to leave, he would not change his words. He would change his stand. He would not compromise for anyone for any reason. In response Peter spoke the words that should be our words when someone asks us to deny our faith, to leave our Lord:

"Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life." John 6:68

Back in the 1970's when our two children were quite small, my wife and I regularly picked up a sister in the Lord and gave her a ride to church meetings. She was a funny little lady and became a very good friend of my wife's. What I did not know and probably never would have learned, had not my wife told me, was that the sister in question was married to a man who drank heavily, cursed and physically beat her routinely in his efforts to get her to stop attending church and serving God. This had been going on for a few years before we met her. She refused to leave him and she refused to call the law against him.

When we followed the Lord to another place we lost touch with that sister and her very sad situation. Some years later we had occasion to return to that community and my wife recontacted her. After more than 25 years of marriage in that very abusive situation, the sister's trust in God had been rewarded. Her husband had gone to church and repented turning his life over to God. He became the hardest worker and best witness for God in the assembly.

I would not recommend such a pathway for anyone, but we can see that God still does miracles for those who trust Him. We are never wrong to trust God.

 

[Laura1557]

@amadeus2 that is an awesome testimony of God's faithfulness to that dear sister and a testimony of His ability to turn lives around! Praise the Lord!

The abuse inflicted on your wife's friend in an effort to get her to deny God evidently drove her closer to Him. Can you imagine the rejoicing in Heaven and on earth when her husband was converted?

Amen, John 6:66-68 is one of my favourite passages.

 

[At Peace]

Acts 15 gives a great case study in compromise. Should Gentiles be required to keep the law of Moses. There's a sharp dispute, evidently a very difficult council meeting in Jerusalem until the decision. James says:
“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
So they decide that Gentiles are not bound by the Law and are free to eat whatever they choose - except for nearly everything.
The "compromise on nothing" position does not reflect the total biblical experience.

Who did the compromising?
Not the Jews, who still followed the laws and customs.
Not the Gentiles, who were never under the law, but under the law of liberty.

Some things applied to one group but not to the other.
Some things that apply to women don't apply to men, (shame facedness, no usurping authority over men, etc), and some things that apply to men are of no significance to women, (head the household, leadership positions, etc).
That isn't compromise...is it?

 

[Hekuran]

Who did the compromising?
Not the Jews, who still followed the laws and customs.
Not the Gentiles, who were never under the law, but under the law of liberty.

Some things applied to one group but not to the other.
Some things that apply to women don't apply to men, (shame facedness, no usurping authority over men, etc), and some things that apply to men are of no significance to women, (head the household, leadership positions, etc).
That isn't compromise...is it?

The compromise I was thinking of was the instruction to the Gentiles telling them to abstain from eating food sacrificed to idols, strangled animals and blood. It's a step back from the radical position of Jesus in Mark 7:19: "For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.’ (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)" The Gentiles were not required to follow all the food laws of the Torah, but in order for them to eat in fellowship with their Jewish brother and sisters they had to follow some of it in order not to cause offense.

At the same time the Jews had to compromise by eating in the presence of people who were not clean according to Jewish custom.

 

[B-A-C]

The compromise I was thinking of was the instruction to the Gentiles telling them to abstain from eating food sacrificed to idols, strangled animals and blood. It's a step back from the radical position of Jesus in Mark 7:19: "For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.’ (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)" The Gentiles were not required to follow all the food laws of the Torah, but in order for them to eat in fellowship with their Jewish brother and sisters they had to follow some of it in order not to cause offense.

I agree with the point you are making here... but was the compromise to please God, or to please men?