Romans 14.21-It Is Good That The Strong Never Eat Meat Or Drink Wine Or Practice Anything That Causes The Weak To Sin In Their Own Mind
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday April 21, 2010
Romans: Romans 14:21-It Is Good That The Strong Never Eat Meat Or Drink Wine Or Practice Anything That Causes The Weak To Sin In Their Own Mind
Lesson # 490
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 14:20.
This evening we will note Romans 14:21 and in this passage Paul instructs the strong that it is good never to eat the meat of unclean animals nor drink wine offered in pagan rituals or practice anything by means of which could cause their weak brother to sin in their own mind.
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.”
Romans 14:21, “It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.”
The apostle Paul employs the figure of “asyndeton” because he wants his readers to carefully meditate upon this instruction in Romans 14:21 so as to protect their fellowship with God, each other and their testimony before the unsaved.
“Good” is the nominative neuter singular form of the adjective kalos (καλός) (kah-loce), which stands in contrast with kakos, “evil” in Romans 14:20.
Kalos is used to describe the strong not exercising his freedom by abstaining from the meat of unclean animals or drinking wine offered in pagan sacrifices or practicing anything in the presence of the weak that could cause them to sin in their own mind.
It is good in the sense of being virtuous or in other words being morally excellent and conforming to the highest moral and ethical principles of the kingdom of God and is in accordance with the will of the Father.
“Not to eat meat” denotes the strong abstaining from eating non-kosher or unclean meats in the presence of the weak believer.
“Meat” is the accusative neuter plural form of the noun kreas (κρέας) (kray-ahs), which is used literally to refer to the “flesh” of animals, as distinct from fish or poultry.
It was used especially of pork which was among the Gentiles a staple article of diet in the first century.
In Romans 14:21 and 1 Corinthians 8:13 the word refers to the meat of animals that were designated as unclean in the Mosaic Law.
In both of these passages, the word is used of the Christian who is strong with respect to conviction abstaining from the meat of unclean animals while in the presence of his weak brother or sister in Christ.
“Or” is the negative disjunctive particle mede (μηδέ) (me-theh), which is connecting the idea of the strong never eating the meat of unclean animals while in the presence of the weak with the idea of the strong never drinking wine offered in pagan sacrifices while in the presence of the weak.
“Drink” is the aorist active infinitive form of the verb pino (πίνω) (pea-no), which means to consume a liquid, which in our context is wine and its meaning is negated by the negative disjunctive particle mede, “nor.”
Together, these two words denote the strong abstaining from drinking wine offered in pagan sacrifices in the presence of the weak believer.
Paul mentions wine here as related to the use of wine in pagan religious practices, which was considered contaminated according to the regulations of the ceremonial aspect of the Mosaic Law.
The weak believer would avoid drinking wine for the same reason he avoided non-kosher or unclean meat, namely out of fear that the wine was used in pagan sacrifices for wine was widely used in pagan religious libations.
Romans 14:21, “It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.”
“Do anything” does not translate a word but is correctly added by the translators since they correctly interpret Paul deliberately omitting the aorist active infinitive form of the verb poieo (ποιέω) (pea-eh-owe), which means “to practice.”
Its meaning is negated by the disjunctive negative particle mede, “nor.”
Together, these two words denote the strong abstaining from practicing anything in the presence of the weak believer that could cause them to sin in their own mind.
“Anything” does not translate a word in the original text but is correctly added by the translators since Paul deliberately omitted the accusative neuter singular form of the indefinite pronoun tis (τις) (teece) due to his use of the figure of ellipsis.
This word anticipates someone attempting to make an exception that there could be something that the strong Christian could be permitted to practice in the presence of the weak that could cause the weak to sin in their own mind.
Basically, it is “catch-all” embracing anything that one might think has been omitted from the previous two items in the list presented here in Romans 14:21.
“By which” is composed of the preposition en (ἐν), “by” and the dative neuter singular form of the relative pronoun hos (ὅς) (oce), “which.”
The relative pronoun hos refers to anything else that the strong could practice in the presence of the weak that could cause the weak to go against their convictions and thus sin in their own mind.
The preposition en is a marker of means and hos is a dative instrumental of means indicating that the strong practicing anything in the presence of the weak is the means by which they could cause the weak to sin in their own mind.
“Your brother” is composed of the articular nominative masculine singular form of the noun adelphos (ἀδελφός)) (ah-thel-foce), “brother” and the genitive second person singular form of the personal pronoun su (σύ) (see), “your.”
This word emphasizes with the strong Christian that his fellow believer who is weak with respect to conviction is in fact a son of God is like them (cf. Jn. 1:12-13; Gal. 3:26-28).
The personal pronoun su refers to a strong Christian and functions as a “genitive of possession” and “possessive” pronoun emphasizing with the strong Christian that the weak “belongs to” them as a brother in Christ.
“Stumbles” is the third person singular present active indicative form of the verb proskopto (προσκόπτω) (prose-kope-tow), which means “to cause someone to sin” since it echoes its cognate noun proskomma, which appears in Romans 14:20.
In Romans 14:20, proskomma 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.”
In Romans 14:21, the verb proskopto means “to cause someone to sin” and is used to describe the actions of the strong Christian exercising his freedom in the presence of the weak.
This word denotes that this action could cause their weak brother to go against their own conscience and thus cause them to sin in their own mind.
So the apostle Paul in this passage instructs the strong that it is good not to eat the meat of unclean animals or drink wine offered in pagan rituals or practice anything that could cause the weak to sin in their own mind.
The implication is that he wants them to conduct themselves according to the principles of God’s love while in the presence of the weak, which would involve self-denial and self-sacrifice.