Romans 14 Study

Romans Sunday Study  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
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Verses 1-4

Welcome anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about disputed matters. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while one who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not judge one who does, because God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge another’s household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand.

After chapter 13 where Paul admonishes the Roman church to be honorable and obedient to the government, he concludes by saying to walk with decency, as in the daytime: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.
This is a strong encouragement from Paul to clothe yourself in Christ and His actions and character. Thus leads right into chapter 14 where Paul begins to speak about things that are disputed and how we should handle them as a church.
Paul says to welcome anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about disputed matters.
What does he mean by “weak in faith” and “disputed matters”? He elaborates in the next verse by giving an example.
Clean and Unclean Foods
With all of the Old Testament laws, there were still some Jews who sought to practice the laws regarding the cleanliness of food. Jews would primarily eat vegetables due to their Old Laws.
Yet, Paul says this person in weak. Why? What makes them weak? Because this one is fearful to abandon the customs he knows and so does not. This makes him weak in faith, as he does not trust the Lord Jesus to guide him and grow him as he learns new things.
Now how should we who have differing views on such a topic respond to one another? One who eats must not look down on one who does no eat, and one who does not eat must not judge one who does, because God has accepted him.
We cannot look down on one another over these types of disputes. Does this Jewish Christian need to eat only vegetables? By no means, but this man truly believes he is honoring Christ as he does it. Therefore, God has accepted Him.
Clearly this was an issue within the Roman church as Paul speaks directly towards the one who judges in verse 4:
Who are you to judge another’s household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand because the Lord is able to make him stand.
As Christians, we are called to judge one another in a certain sense, but not this sense. If I see my brother in sin, it is my job to approach him and call him out in his sin. But if I see a church baptizing babies, I have no need to approach them with pride and attack them. They are God’s servants. Who am I to attack them?

Verses 5-12

Now he approaches another topic: Sabbath days and festivals. He says 5 One person judges one day to be more important than another day. Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. Some were claiming the Sabbath should be celebrated on Sunday, while others were claiming the sabbath should be celebrated on Saturday. Others say to not observe it at all! Paul says to each of them be fully convinced in [your] mind.
As long as you are fully convinced in your stance, do not seek to convert others to your view or vice versa. Just seek to be faithful however you can.
Paul mixes both of these topics so that the church can see they are both second to third tier issues.
Different Tiers of Issues
There are many issues that the christian will come across with other Christians, namely those of different denominations. It is important that we do not misunderstand the tiers and their importance on these issues.
First Tier Issues
These are nonnegotiable for the Christian and for one to disagree with them is to lose fellowship amongst other Christians. These are core tenets and doctrines of the Christian faith. For example:
Divinity of Jesus Christ
Monotheistic nature of Christianity
Trinitarian God
Perfection of Christ
Physical Death of Christ
Physical Resurrection of Christ
Authority of the Bible
Etc.
If you come across another Christian who disagrees with a first tier issue, you as a Christian have an obligation to speak the truth to them. To not believe in the resurrection of Jesus is to not be a Christian.
Second Tier Issues
These are not issues to break fellowship over. Here is where you will find differences in denominations.
Sprinkling Babies
Full immersion baptism
Cessationist vs Continualist
Calvinist vs Arminian
KJV only vs Any Translation
See, these are all heavy topics that can certainly lead to debates and discussions on, but they are not salvific. When I say, “salvific” I simply mean disagreeing with any of these does not mean you are not a Christian. It just means you have a different view from others.
Do not hold so tightly to these. Some do and let it lead them to break fellowship with genuine, faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. Have healthy discussions about these and laugh about it later. Do not let it rule your life.
Third Tier Issues
These are very minor issues that shouldn’t cause any sort of splitting, even denominationally.
Worship Preference
Color of the Carpet
Apple vs Android
Masks in church or not
Liturgy vs Go with the Flow
In the end, none of this matters. We should not get hung up on any of this. Rather, we must die to ourselves for the sake of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Whether or not they should practice the Sabbath and refrain from eating pork are both second tier issues. These can be discussed, but you do not need to make such a fuss about it. Especially when people holding to these extra laws are doing so because they truly believe they are honoring Jesus as they do it. So who cares? Let him be fully convinced.
Paul states it plainly:

7 For none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 Christ died and returned to life for this: that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living.

We, as Christians, do not live for ourselves anymore. Rather we live and we die for Jesus Christ and His glory. So suck up your pride and stop freaking out over minor issues.
Paul continues But you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God., 11 For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.”, 12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God
He is frustrated because of the Pharisaical Christians who were freaking out over minor issues. He says that in doing this, you despise your brother or sister. And so he gives you a reason as to why you should not judge these weaker brothers and sisters, and it is a heavy reason:
You will stand before God and give an account of yourself. In the end, we all submit to Jesus. So why should we attack one another?

Verses 13-18

Now Paul moves from judging one another for these minor things and on to being sure not to cause a brother or sister to stumble in their weaker convictions. He says

13 Therefore, let us no longer judge one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in the way of your brother or sister

And then he gives us a personal example for what this looks like.

I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean.

Paul says that he himself does not find any food unclean. He does not just think this, he knows and is persuaded this! And yet, he is willing to set aside his beliefs for his brother who believes the opposite.
Why does it matter if we cause our brother to stumble in a sin that isn’t a sin but he thinks it is? Paul answers that:

For if your brother or sister is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy, by what you eat, someone for whom Christ died.

One who is willing to disregard his brother’s beliefs for the sake of pride is not walking according to love by any means. Rather he seeks to destroy. And look what Paul calls the weaker brother: someone for whom Christ died.
The church member or kid in youth that you do not like, this is how you must view him: someone for whom Christ died. How dare we disregard him?
Paul then encourages Christians who hold to beliefs that others disagree with to not let their good be slandered.
The one who does not eat certain meats in honor of the Lord is doing a good to the Lord. His good to the Lord shall not be spoken evil of by others. Rather, we as brothers and sisters should support him and not cause him to stumble.
He points us to, not our current kingdom, but the Kingdom of God, then, to get our minds on heavenly things.

17 For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For the one who serves Christ in this way is well-pleasing to God and approved by people.

Do not be the Christian who attacks others over these minor issues. Rather love your brothers and sisters through this and do not let them stumble. The Kingdom of God is not going to be about checking which denomination was right; rather, it is about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Verses 19-23

Paul’s final word on this is here:

19 So then, let us pursue ⌊what promotes peace⌋ and ⌊what edifies one another⌋. 20 Do not destroy the work of God on account of food. All things are clean, but it is wrong for the person ⌊who eats and stumbles in the process⌋. 21 It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine or to do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is weakened.

What should we pursue? Disunity? Perfect doctrine according to me? Paul says to pursue what promotes peace and edification. Not the tearing down of God’s work in your brother for the sake of eating or not eating.
With much wisdom, Paul says

22 Whatever you believe about these things, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith, and everything that is not from faith is sin.

There is no need to force your second tier beliefs on other people. Just keep it between you and the Lord.
However, if you are not eating and not sure why; if you are holding to rules you made up and unsure of them, then you are sinning. Because then you are practicing something you know isn’t necessary for the sake of your image. It is better for you to drop it altogether if your heart is not in it.
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