1 Corinthians 10:32-33

So as not to give offense, Paul strove to please all the other members of the body of Christ and also, to a certain degree, other people. In the Swedish Bible it is written, “Be as I am; I yield to all others.” The only thing we cannot yield to is manifest sin, committing sin. In reality, this means that we can go along with things that are imperfect in order to avoid strife and disunity. Disunity is of course totally reprehensible and has far greater implications than any imperfect detail.

Love, humility, longsuffering, and the fact that you endure in the sufferings cause you to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace. You cannot force growth and progress in someone else’s life. This is also where this word applies: “We have defrauded no one . . . .” 2 Cor. 7:2. We need to conduct ourselves toward the others in such a way that they know they are free, loved, and appreciated, so they can thrive and experience a sound growth, or remain in our midst until they do.

The exceedingly great apostle humbled himself among the Corinthians, exhorting us to follow him precisely in this area. Peaceableness, perfection, and the fellowship of the Spirit are worth much more than everything else about which you can disagree in various situations.

When it is written that the younger people should submit themselves to their elders—but they have not received grace to do this—then the next sentence comes into effect for the express purpose of preserving peace and unity: All of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility—so that those who are older yield to the younger ones. These are Peter’s words. Paul says in another place: esteem one another more highly than yourself. Paul had really attained to something phenomenal! One should do whatever is required—with the exception of sinning—in order to preserve fellowship and the unity that Jesus prayed for in John 17! Make no demands on anyone; only love. Serve, give, and yield; be easily entreated, because this is God’s wisdom. Jas. 3:17. The opposite is folly! May God liberate us completely from all such things!