Learning Theological Terms: Adiaphora

I had the idea recently to begin a series of short posts that would explore the definitions and applications of theological terminology. I am certainly not the first, last, or only one to do so, but I thought it would be a profitable exercise. Today, I want to discuss the meaning of the term adiaphora.

What in the world is adiaphora? I am so glad you asked! Originally, adiaphora was a Greek term. The Baker Compact Dictionary of Theological Terms written by Gregg R. Allison partly defines it as: "...activities that are neither moral nor immoral" 1. So these are matters that are not biblical commands, nor are they biblical prohibitions. For example, positively, the Bible commands all believers to forgive those who sin against them (Luke 17:3). Negatively, we are forbidden from worshiping idols (1 John 5:21). There is no gray area with these issues. They are not up for discussion or debate. But what about those things which the Bible neither commands nor forbids? Those issues are described by the term adiaphora.

In other words, adiaphora refers to those issues in Christian living that in the grand scheme of things, cannot be said to be either right nor wrong in and of themselves. It can refer to theological issues of third level theological importance, or to debatable activities and/or observances, like how the Sabbath should be understood in the New Covenant.

Paul takes up this issue in Romans 14. In that chapter, the Apostle to the Gentiles urges unity in the Church between Jewish and non-Jewish members:

Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,

‘every knee will bow before me;

    every tongue will acknowledge God.’”

So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.

So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

As the text above makes clear, there were issues within the Roman church that the believers had different opinions on. In the specific case Paul was addressing, the issues centered around food and Sabbath observance. Some in the church evidently observed a strict vegetarian diet and/or kept the seventh-day Jewish Sabbath. Others felt free to eat meat and/or had no scruples about keeping the Sabbath. As you can imagine, this probably led to friction and factions within the fellowship of the church. Paul pleads for toleration and love, while still urging the members of the church to be true to their consciences. 

So how does that apply today? What kinds of issues are adiaphora in our own context? There are many, but I will highlight two: alcohol consumption and observance of holidays.

When it comes to moderate alcohol consumption, some believers are called teetotalers. A teetotaler is one who, for reasons of conscience, abstains completely from consuming alcoholic beverages. There are many fine Christians who are teetotalers. Other believers (such as myself) do not believe that the Scriptures demand total abstinence from alcohol, even though the Bible does roundly condemn drunkenness (Romans 13:13; Galatians 5:21). Since then, this is an issue over which the Bible is silent and which does not concern a primary doctrine of the Faith, the issue of whether or not believers should drink alcoholic beverages in moderation is adiaphora.

Likewise is the issue of observance of certain holidays like Christmas and Easter. I would even place the Old Testament Hebrew festivals in this category (these were mandatory festivals for the people of Israel during the Old Covenant, but now under the New Covenant, their status is sometimes up for debate). The Bible is silent concerning observing the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ respectively. These holiday observances developed later in church history after the Bible had been completed. This means that it is an indifferent matter whether Christians should celebrate or should not celebrate Christmas and Easter, or the Jewish festivals of the Old Covenant. Some Christians will, and others will not. It is not something that believers should divide over. Christmas, Easter, and other holidays are thus adiaphora. 

I hope this has been a helpful discussion for you. Certainly there are many, many other issues that are indifferent and fall under the category of adiaphora, but this small sampling hopefully gives you a good idea. 

1. (Allison, G. R. (2016). The Baker Compact Dictionary of Theological Terms (p. 14). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.)