Romans 14:1-23

Review and Introduction

12 and 13 Paul is teaching us how to live in the world in light of our salvation. We are to love our enemies and our neighbors (brothers and sisters as well as pagan neighbors)

Paul is now going to show us what that love looks like with brothers and sisters and adiaphora (in biblical terms, would be the “disputable matters”: doubtful disputations that are not central parts of the Gospel or necessary for us to receive justification)

“Some things are right, because the Bible says they are right; other things are wrong, because the Bible says they are wrong. But some things the Bible neither condemns nor approves. We often refer to these issues as “gray areas” or matters of conscience. We could also call them adiaphora. For example, the Bible clearly promotes truth-telling and condemns lying. But what about writing fiction? As long as everyone knows it’s fiction, that’s adiaphora.” -Got Questions

Accept the Weak Brother and Sister

Romans 14:1 KJV

1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

weak in the faith: those Christians whose faith is weak and therefore have consciences and convictions far more strict than others

counter to how most of us have seen those that have more freedom to do more things than we do

receive: means to accept fully into our hearts and our fellowship

Does this mean “unconditional” membership into our church with no questions asked?

“but not to doubtful disputations”: without passing judgement on disputable matters

We must welcome them not in spite of their opinions, but respecting them

God’s love is unconditional but God’s acceptance (justification) is conditional upon faith in Jesus

I.E. Women’s head coverings: Church practices this by conviction, we say they have the liberty to not wear them. It would be neither wise nor appropriate for us to join that congregation with the intent to tell all of them how wrong they were and needed to stop and us trying to set the congregation straight

Don’t Despise nor Condemn the Weak Brother and Sister (2-13a)

Romans 14:2–13 KJV

2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. 3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. 4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. 7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. 10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.

Romans 14:2–3 “2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. 3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.”

2: Think in terms of the Jewish dietary law. One can eat anything, another only vegetables to ensure everything he ate was kosher (acceptable). Not keeping the dietary law “to be saved’ but maybe just comfort of practice

3: The man who eats everything (the strong) is not to look down on the one who doesn’t (the weak) and the one who doesn’t eat everything (the weak) must not condemn the one who can (the strong)

“God has received him”: The best way for us to craft our attitudes about people is to ask what’s God’s attitude toward them? Golden rule < How God treats them!

Romans 14:4–9 “4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. 7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.”

4: It’s wrong for us to reject someone God has welcomed. Who do we think we are? We didn’t die to save them, Jesus did! Jesus gives those who put faith in Him whether we do or not.

5: “fully persuaded”: We aren’t to come to the things we can do lightly. We are to be fully convinced. That happens by hearing preaching, praying, then checking what we got out of both of those by carefully comparing them to scripture!

6: getting to that place, we count those things (liberties) as part of our discipleship and offering to the Lord

If we are able to get something from the Lord with thanksgiving, as his gift to us, then we can offer it back to the Lord, as our service to Him

7-8: This applies to every situation (life and death) and thing. Everything we have and are belongs to the Lord and therefore we are to be and use everything given to His honor and glory!

9: We do this because He is our Lord, we must live for him. because He is also the Lord of our brothers and sisters, we must respect their relationship to Him and mind our own business because He died and rose again to be Lord!

Romans 14:10–13 “10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more:

10: Here Paul is addressing the fact a division had developed in the church at Rome. We are not to judge fellow Christians because we are going to be judged!

What kind of ‘judging’? Not forbidding criticism and critical thought about issues, but rather condemning

11: Quotes Isaiah 45:23 “23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”

12: Every one of us not just all of us as a whole will give an account

13a: Therefore, because God is the Judge and we are to be judged, let us stop condemning each other

Neither Offend nor Destroy the Weak Brother and Sister (13b-23)

Romans 14:13–23 KJV

13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. 14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. 16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. 19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. 20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. 21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. 22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. 23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Don not offend or destroy the weak person

13b: Paul is look at the relationship of the strong to the weak Christian. The strong Christian is not to put a hindrance or a snare in our brother or sister’s way and cause them to trip and fall

Romans 14:14–16 “14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. 16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of:”

Welcome him because he is your brother for whom Christ died

There are 2 truths the strong Christian must be careful of:

All that Paul knew of the Lord convinced him that no food is unclean in and of itself but..

If anyone thinks of a food as unclean because of his conscience, for him that food is unclean

14: Refers to ceremonial or cultural. If the bible says it’s wrong then it’s wrong! There are plenty of moral issues that Paul is explicit about being evil in and of themselves. thoughts, words, and deeds!

15: Even if I can eat or do something, if I’m with you then i am NOT to do it because I can’t violate his conscience or lead him to violate his own conscience. Love limits its own liberty out of respect for them! Destroy isn’t final ruin but fall and failure

16: Don’t let what’s “good’ for you be “evil” for a weaker brother or sister

Romans 14:17–21 “17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. 19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. 20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. 21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.”

Welcome him because the kingdom of God is more important than food:

17: Kingdom of God here is the gracious rule of God through Christ and by the Spirit in the lives of his people, bringing a free salvation and demanding a radical obedience

righteousness, peace, and joy: justification through Christ, peace with God, and rejoicing in the hope of God’s glory (Romans 5:1–2“1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”) of which the Holy Spirit himself is the pledge and foretaste (Romans 8:23 “23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” )

18: Anyone that serves Christ by setting himself aside is pleasing to God and approved by men

19: peace is shalom in the Christian community; edification is the building up (strengthening) of the body of Christ, building each other, iron sharpening iron!

Romans 14:20 “20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.”

Food isn’t worth tearing down the church or each other

Romans 14:21 “21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.”

It’s best to not eat meat or drink wine or do anything else that might cause your brother to stumble, or be offended, or to struggle with

Romans 14:22–23 “22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. 23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

There is a difference between belief and action: between private conviction and public behavior.

Privately, whatever you believe whether strong and can eat or do whatever (withing the moral guidelines of the Bible) or weak and believe you cannot, keep between you and God as a secret.

No need to either parade your views or to impose them on other people

Publicly, there are 2 options:

22: The strong Christian is blessed because his conscience approves of eating everything, so he can follow his conscience without guilt

23: The weak Christian who has guilt about many things sins, and is condemned by his conscience because he’s not eating in faith and anything we do without faith in the work of Christ is sin!

Conclusion

We are to always be careful of our attitudes toward others in the body of Christ. It’s very easy for the strong Christian with fewer convictions to tempt the weaker to sin or offend them with actions. It’s just as easy for the weaker to condemn the stronger simply because they can do more than those with more or stronger convictions!