Romans 14.20b-All Foods Are Clean But It Is Evil As Far The Strong Are Concerned Who At Any Time Eat While Causing The Weak To Sin
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday April 20, 2010
Romans: Romans 14:20b-All Foods Are Clean But It Is Evil As Far The Strong Is Concerned Who At Any Time Eats While Causing The Weak To Sin
Lesson # 489
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 14:20.
Sunday morning we began a study of Romans 14:20 by noting Paul prohibiting the strong from tearing down the work of God the Holy Spirit in the weak believer and the local assembly because of the exercise of their freedom with respect to the dietary regulations in the Law.
This evening we will complete the verse by noting the statement that follows this command in which Paul instructs the strong that all foods are indeed clean but it is evil as far as they are concerned if they at any time eat while causing their weak brother to sin.
Romans 14:20, “Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense.”
The statement “All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense” is a correlative clause, which is formed by the emphatic use of the particle of affirmation men (me\n) (men), “indeed” and the strong adversative conjunction alla (ἀλλά) (ah-lah), “but.”
This clause contrasts in emphatic terms the Lord’s teaching that all foods are clean with that of the strong exercising their freedom in the presence of the weak without regard for the weak’s convictions, which would be evil since this could cause the weak to go against their convictions and sin in their own mind.
“All things” is the nominative neuter plural form of the adjective pas (πᾶς) (pas), which refers to the individual members of the animal, insect, bird kingdom and marine life, which God ordained as food for the human race.
“Clean” is the nominative neuter plural form of the adjective katharos (καθαρός) (ka-tha-roce), which pertains to being ritually or ceremonially clean and is used to describe the individual members of the animal, insect, bird kingdom and marine life that God ordained as fit for consumption by His people.
Romans 14:20, “Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense.”
“They are” does not translate a word in the original text but is added by the translators since they interpret Paul as deliberately omitting the third person plural present active indicative form of the verb eimi (εἰμί) (ee-mee) due to his use of the figure of ellipsis.
Though this is true that Paul is using the figure of ellipsis and deliberately omitting the verb eimi, it is better to interpret that he is omitting the third person “singular” form of the word rather than the plural.
This is indicated by the context since Paul’s emphasis is upon the strong eating unclean food in the presence of the weak and causing them to stumble, which the singular would denote and not all land animals, birds, insects and marine life, which the plural would indicate.
“Evil” is the articular nominative neuter singular form of the adjective kakos (κακός) (kah-koce), which describes the conduct of the strong who abuses his freedom from the dietary regulations in the ceremonial aspect of the Mosaic Law by eating unclean food in the presence of the weak.
This conduct is evil since it is produced by the old sin nature and is motivated by indoctrination from the cosmic system of Satan and is contrary to the perfect character and integrity of God.
It is also evil since it is conduct that is in disobedience to the command to love one’s neighbor as oneself (Romans 13:10) and loving one’s fellow Christian like Christ (John 13:34).
The word is in the emphatic position to emphasize this to the strong Christian.
“For the man” is the articular dative masculine singular form of the noun anthropos (ἄνθρωπος) (ahn-throe-poce), which refers in context to a hypothetical strong believer who exercises his freedom with respect to the dietary restrictions in the Law in the presence of the weak without regard for their convictions.
The word functions as an “ethical dative” or “dative of opinion” indicating that it is evil to cause a weak brother in Christ to stumble by eating “as far as the strong is concerned” and says that this is true for the strong from their perspective.
“Who eats” is the articular dative masculine singular present active participle form of the verb esthio (ἐσθίω) (es-thee-o), which refers to a hypothetical strong Christian who eats all foods whether clean or unclean.
The present tense is a “gnomic present,” which is used to describe something that is true “any” time and “does” take place indicating that it is evil as far as that person is concerned who “at any time” eats while causing his weak brother to stumble.
Not translated is the preposition dia (διά) (thee-ah), which functions as a marker of extent of time within a unit indicating that it is evil as far as that person is concerned who at any time eats “while” causing his weak brother to stumble.
It defines for the strong that eating non-kosher food is not evil in itself.
Rather, it emphasizes with the strong that it is an evil act when they eat and cause their weak brother to eat non-kosher meats since it can cause the weak to sin in their own mind because they do not share the conviction of the strong with respect to the dietary regulations of the Law.
“Gives offence” is the genitive neuter singular form of the noun proskomma (πρόσκομμα) (prose-kah-mah), which means “that which provides an opportunity or occasion for causing someone to sin, that which causes someone to sin” or “that which provides an occasion for someone to sin.”
It is used to describe the actions of the strong Christian exercising his freedom from the dietary restrictions of the Law by eating non-kosher meats.
This word denotes that this action could cause their weak brother to partake of non-kosher food, which their conscience still convicts them is wrong to do and thus cause them to sin in their own mind.
It speaks of a word or action from the perspective that it is an obstacle that leads the weak to sin in their own minds.
Paul is warning the strong believers who have knowledge from the Word of God that they can eat all foods, unlike the weak who only eats kosher foods, to not use that knowledge in a way that causes the weak brother or sister in Christ to violate their own convictions (though not based on the Word) or conscience.
The believer who is strong in his convictions must always be governed by operating in the love of God when determining whether or not to put these convictions into practice.
This must be the case since he could cause his weak brother or sister to do something that will go against their convictions and conscience and cause them to sin in their own eyes.
The brother or sister in Christ who is weak regarding the strength of his convictions is more likely to cave in to peer pressure and to do what his faith does not endorse and his conscience condemns.
The so called “weak” brother or sister in Christ, then, is not the one who simply disagrees with what I do, or who gets upset by my freedom, but rather they are the one who is likely to imitate me in what I do, violating his own conscience and convictions as Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 8:1-13.
The weak brother or sister is the one more likely to sin because he gives in to another’s convictions rather than living by his own.