Paul and Felix. Tasting Death. Paying for Waste. Communion Wine. Meat to Idols.
by the Rev. Walter Snyder
Religion Columnist

Q: Who kept Paul imprisoned, hoping Paul would try to bribe him for release?

A: Felix kept Paul in prison. It was only in part because he thought Paul might buy his way out
(Acts 24:26). He was also doing it to placate the Jewish leaders (verse 27). Even more, Paul
remained in prison because God desired it, since this would lead him to Rome, where he would
proclaim the Gospel in the heart of the Roman Empire (Acts 23:11). The whole account begins in
Acts 21:15 and runs through the end of the book.

Q: Jesus said in Matthew 16:28, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not
taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." Jesus hasn't returned
yet; why would He tell his disciples He would return before some of them would die?

A: Of the Twelve, only one (Judas) died before they saw the coming of His kingdom, for He
entered it through His suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension. These words are spoken not
just before His ascension, but before His suffering and death. He isn't talking about His return in
judgment, but about going to the cross. A similar confusion arose out of Jesus' conversation with
Peter in John 21:20-23, where some thought that John was not going to die.

Q: If I make a bad cup of coffee at work and throw it out, should I pay for it?

A: Sometimes questions of right and wrong are actually questions of what is best, so I'll ask a
couple more: What do you think is the thing that most pleases God? Whose coffee is it? Who paid
for it? If your conscience is already bothered, why do you think this is? I'll not give you an answer
to your question because I think you already have the best one.

Q: I have a spiritual and physical concern of serving 18% alcohol as communion wine to
young boys and girls! Don't you feel that is too terribly strong? I feel that the adults can
handle that strength but that children and young adults can't! What is your opinion?

A: I have no problem with the wine you mention. First of all, people of a similar age drank
similarly strong wine through much of the time recorded in the Bible. God commanded the use of
wine in the Passover celebration and Israel normally used three full cups during the dinner for all
the participants. Then we consider that the amount consumed in communion is very small. What
bothers me more is that the taste of some of the cheaper wines I've sampled at some churches
risks chasing the young (and others) away from the altar. This last leads me to the heart of my
answer: It's not the alcohol content, nor our feelings about it, that matter; rather, it's what Christ
says He gives us as we receive the cup.

The wine is not a concern because in Holy Communion, it is the blood of Christ given for Christ's
people. It is only when they neglect it, despise it, or misuse it that they bring trouble on
themselves. No responsible pastor is going to give enough to children of twelve or thirteen years
to intoxicate them. If we are overly worried about the alcohol, then perhaps we are not concerned
enough with the real issue; that is, that the bread and wine are the body and blood of Christ. If the
young are properly instructed by their pastor, there should be no problem.

Q: While reading Scripture, I have read about food sacrificed to idols in the New
Testament. What exactly does this mean?

A: Paul was addressing standard practice in many Mediterranean markets: The meat was often left
over from pagan sacrifices. After the blood was poured out (and perhaps a certain part of the
animal cut off for burnt offering or a gift to the priests of the false god), either the priests or the
person offering the sacrifice put the carcass on sale. While some Christians could, in good
conscience, eat this meat, others considered it a participation in the pagan ritual that had gone
before. Thus, Paul said if you could do it in good conscience, then go ahead. If you thought it was
sinful, then it was, and you shouldn't. But even if you thought it was fine, you shouldn't if your
eating caused others to think that you'd sinned and were thus profaning the Lord's altar as you
came to church to hear the Word and to commune.

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Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of
the book "What Do Lutherans Believe."

Ask the Pastor is copyright (c) 2001 by Walter P. Snyder. It may be reproduced  in totality,
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