Compromise

God forbids compromising associations

Israel was not to associate with paganism

Exodus 20:3 RSV

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

See also Ex 23:32–33; Ex 34:12–16; Dt 7:2–4; 1 Ki 18:21

Christians must not compromise their allegiance

James 4:4 RSV

4 Unfaithful creatures! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

See also Mt 6:24; Ro 13:14; 2 Co 6:14–16; Ga 1:6–9; Jas 4:8

Israel’s compromises with paganism

In worship

1 Ki 12:28–30 The Lord’s action in bringing Israel up out of Egypt is here attributed to the golden calves representing Baal.

See also Ex 32:2–6; Jdg 2:11–12; Jdg 8:27; 2 Ki 1:2–3; 2 Ki 16:10–16; 2 Ki 17:32–33; 2 Ki 17:41; 2 Ch 28:22; Re 2:20–23

In foreign alliances

Isaiah 30:1–2 RSV

1 “Woe to the rebellious children,” says the Lord, “who carry out a plan, but not mine; and who make a league, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin; 2 who set out to go down to Egypt, without asking for my counsel, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh, and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!

See also 2 Ch 19:2; 2 Ch 20:35–37; 2 Ch 28:16–21; Is 31:1; Ho 5:13; Ho 7:8–9; Ho 7:11

In marriage

1 Kings 11:1–11 RSV

1 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women: the daughter of Pharaoh, and Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods”; Solomon clung to these in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not wholly follow the Lord, as David his father had done. 7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. 8 And so he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. 9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the Lord commanded. 11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been your mind and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant.

See also 1 Ki 16:31; 2 Ch 18:1; Ezr 9:2; Ne 13:23; Ne 13:25–26

Motives for compromise

Fear

Genesis 26:7–9 RSV

7 When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister”; for he feared to say, “My wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me for the sake of Rebekah”; because she was fair to look upon. 8 When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac fondling Rebekah his wife. 9 So Abimelech called Isaac, and said, “Behold, she is your wife; how then could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought, ‘Lest I die because of her.’ ”

See also Ge 12:11–13; Ge 12:18–19; Ge 19:18–20; Ge 20:2; Ge 20:11; Ga 2:12–13

Lack of faith

Genesis 16:1–2 RSV

1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar; 2 and Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my maid; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

See also Ge 15:2–3; 1 Ki 12:26–33

Desire for material things

Joshua 7:21 RSV

21 when I saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, then I coveted them, and took them; and behold, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”

See also Hag 1:2–4; Mt 13:22; Ac 5:1–4; 2 Ti 4:10

Examples of those who refused to compromise

Esther 3:4 RSV

4 And when they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai’s words would avail; for he had told them that he was a Jew.

See also Ge 39:7–12; 1 Ki 22:13–14; Da 3:18; Da 6:7–10; 2 Co 4:2

Compromise as a mutually acceptable solution

For the sake of the gospel

1 Corinthians 9:19–23 RSV

19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews; to those under the law I became as one under the law—though not being myself under the law—that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law—not being without law toward God but under the law of Christ—that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

See also Ac 15:19–20; Ac 15:28–29; Ac 21:20–26; Ro 14:19–22; Ro 15:1–2

As an act of wisdom

1 Ki 3:24–25; 1 Ki 12:6–7; Je 40:9–10

As a means to peace

Ge 13:8–9; Ge 26:19–22; Ge 37:26–27; Pr 25:8; Mt 5:25