Unity in the Church & Mission

Introduction:

Romans 14 represents a crucial transition in Paul’s letter, where he applies the gospel principles developed in the earlier chapters to a specific church conflict. This passage shows how gospel understanding transforms community relationships.

From Gospel Theory to Practical Application

Romans 1-11: Paul establishes the theological foundation

Justification by grace through faith in Christ alone

Our dual nature: simultaneously sinful yet righteous in God’s sight

Chapters 1-5: Understanding the gospel

Chapters 6-8: Experiencing the gospel

Romans 12-13: Paul begins describing the transformed life of love that results from gospel understanding

Paul begins to describe this life of love, which transforms our relationships with ourselves, other Christians, and the world, both with friends and enemies.

I. Unity amid Diversity (Romans 14)

Paul essentially says: “Let me show you how all these principles apply to your current situation”

The Problem: Judgmentalism Over “Disputable Matters”

Christians failing to “stop passing judgment” on fellow believers (14:1)

Romans 14:1 NIV

Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.

Unfortunately, there is often a spirit of rejection instead of acceptance within the church

It is important that we have the ability to distinguish between matters of basic principle and individual preference

Understanding “Disputable Matters” (dialogismoi)

Definition: Issues where God has not specifically spoken in His word

Not clearly forbidden nor clearly commanded

Traditionally called “matters of conscience”

The Roman Example: Dietary practices

Romans 14:2 NIV

One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.

Some believed Christians should not eat meat

Romans 14:3–4 NIV

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.

Two Extremes to Avoid

Treating almost everything as disputable

Treating hardly anything as disputable

This passage demonstrates how the gospel’s transformative power should create unity despite differences, as believers learn to distinguish between essential doctrines and matters of personal conviction.

What are modern day “disputable matters”:

Worship style preferences - Contemporary vs. traditional

Church governance structures - Different models can be biblically defended

Secondary eschatological details - Timeline of end-time events

Consumption of alcohol - While drunkenness is clearly forbidden, moderate use is viewed differently

Methods of evangelism and outreach - Various approaches can be effective

Baptism - Mode and timing (infant vs. believer's baptism)

Spiritual gifts - Continuationist vs. cessationist views

Predestination and free will - Different theological systems

Political engagement and party - Christians can faithfully pursue different political approaches

Woman in leadership - Do we free women to live their full potential as daughters of God.

Weak Perspective:

Paul is not saying that “weak” Christians aren’t saved, or even that they don’t trust Christ. In fact, the “weak” are generally the most fervent and diligent in trying to please Christ. Where they are “weak” is in the remnants of a legalistic spirit that still clings to them. They have not worked out the implications of the gospel. If you are saved by grace alone, there is no need to feel you can or must somehow keep God’s favor through rules and regulations.

Strong Perspective: On the other hand, a strong Christian (Paul doesn’t call the non-weak Christians “strong” until 15:1, but the description is useful all the way through chapter 14) is someone who knows they are saved by the gospel, and therefore understands that there are areas in which they are free—for instance, in eating meat. So here, a weak Christian was saying: We must not eat meat—it is wrong, even though Christ had said that his people are free to eat any food (Mark 7:14–23; see Paul’s words in Romans 14:14a). A strong Christian was saying: We’re free to eat meat!

Solution / Thoughts: Setting 1 Corinthians 8 and Romans 14 alongside each other shows us that, with regard to a particular issue, one ethnic or social grouping could fall into being “weak” (like the Greeks in Corinth) while another group could be strong. But with regard to another issue, the roles could be reversed (as with the Jews here). This helps us see the broader principle beneath the cases. The “weak” are any Christians who tend to promote and regard non-essential cultural and ceremonial customs as being critical for Christian maturity and effectiveness. For example, the older generation in a particular church might feel very superior to the younger folk who like contemporary music in their worship. They do not deny that the younger people are Christians, but they could claim that their music displeases and offends the Lord simply because it displeases and offends them. Thus they have taken an issue of taste, custom, or culture and elevated it to an abiding, trans-cultural mark of spiritual maturity.

This cannot be so.

“When you consider all the divisions that have fractured the church into literally thousands of branches, it’s hard to believe that we all claim to follow the same Jesus who prayed before He died that we would all be one as He and the Father are one.” ― Francis Chan, Until Unity

Romans 14:20–23 NIV

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.

Solution to the “weak” and “strong” disputable matters:

Romans 8–16 for You How Weak and Strong Can Live Together

After a group of Christians agree to put an issue in the disputable area, then we need to follow Paul’s advice. The weaker must be willing to really review the biblical data, rethink their position, and refuse to condemn those who disagree. Instead, they must allow others to follow their own consciences in that area. At the same time, the stronger must also be willing to review the biblical data, rethink their position, and be willing to curb their freedom to avoid discouraging or harming fellow believers, especially if their convictions in the area are very strong. This will then be a Christian community that is able to exhibit the righteousness, peace and joy that the Holy Spirit gives to members of God’s kingdom, and for which the Lord Jesus died to bring all believers—“weak” and “strong”—into.

In Romans 14, Paul reveals a beautiful contradiction: our differences don't threaten unity—they can strengthen it. Christian freedom isn't license to divide but an opportunity to demonstrate love's power. When believers with opposing convictions choose acceptance over judgment, they display a unity more powerful than uniformity.

The meat-eater and vegetarian, the holy day observer and the one who treats all days alike—each honors Christ in their own way. True freedom isn't doing whatever we want; it's limiting our liberty out of love for others. When we refuse to make our preferences prerequisites for fellowship, we reflect the God who welcomed us despite our flaws.

Like instruments playing different parts in the same symphony, our differences showcase the gospel's transforming power when conducted by love.

II. Christlike Service (Romans 15)

Jesus didn't come to be served but to serve. In Romans 15, Paul reveals this servant-hearted approach as the blueprint for genuine Christian unity. When believers mirror Christ's selfless example—bearing with the weak, prioritizing others' needs, and crossing cultural barriers—they transform from a collection of individuals into a unified body with shared mission.

Just as Christ embraced both Jew and Gentile, strong Christians bear with those weaker in faith. Paul's own ministry demonstrated this principle as he built bridges between diverse communities.

Romans 15:1–7 NIV

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Paul begins by giving us a sweeping principle for Christian ethics: “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves” (Romans 15:1). The people with power (economic, cultural, social) must be stewards of their power to build up and please those who are “weak” in that area—they are not to use their power to build up themselves and make themselves feel comfortable.

Clearly, this statement builds on the discussion in chapter 14, where Paul was teaching about relationships within the church; but when he uses the word “neighbor” in 15:2, he is extending the teaching. Only Christians are my brothers and sisters, but any and every human being is my “neighbor” (see Luke 10:25–37). So the principle of Romans 15:1 is sweeping because it applies in every area of life, to everyone that we meet:

Finances: Christians with money are to look at their money as given to them by God to enrich and lift up those without it (see Paul’s discussion of his raising of a financial gift for the poor Christians in Jerusalem, v 25–28).

Church leadership: Christians in church leadership are not to arrange the ministry simply to make themselves happy and comfortable, but with the outsider and the skeptic in mind.

Relationships: We are not simply to relate to “our own kind” or to people who give to us and build us up emotionally. We must be willing to love and relate to people who are draining. A Christian does not walk into a room and immediately ask: Are these people I want to be seen with? Are these people I will enjoy? but rather: How can I help and build up these people? Who might I be able to serve in some way?

Choice of residence: Instead of asking: Where would I be most comfortable living? we should ask: Where could I be most useful to God and others? That is why many Christians stay in the city. “Community development” is a ministry in which Christians who have the economic strength to live elsewhere choose to move into an economically devastated neighborhood and give their lives to rebuild it. It is based on the principle in this text.

Relationships in the church: Paul applied this principle in chapter 14 to one particular case. In the church, we are not to seek to win arguments with Christians who differ, but respect them, reconsider our own positions and, if differences persist, seek to accommodate ourselves to the sensitivities of others.

If my heart is right with God, every human being is my neighbor.

Oswald Chambers (Lecturer and Missionary)

Romans 15 reminds us: True unity isn't achieved through uniformity of opinion but through Christlike service that puts others first.

III. The Community of Gospel Unity (Romans 16)

Romans 16 isn't just a list of names—it's a portrait of the gospel in action. Through personal greetings to diverse believers—from Phoebe's leadership to Priscilla's courage, from Jewish relatives to Gentile converts—Paul demonstrates that Christianity is fundamentally relational. These weren't just theological concepts but real people risking their lives, opening their homes, and building bridges across social divides. Paul's warning against division reminds us that the family forged by Christ must be protected. The letter concludes with a powerful truth: the same God who united this diverse Roman community can strengthen your church today.

Romans 16:1–2 NIV

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.

Phoebe was the likely courier of Paul's letter to Rome and a woman of significant standing in the early church. Described as both "sister" and "servant" (diakonos), she held an official ministry role while using her personal resources to support believers. The Greek term prostates identifies her as a benefactress or patron who provided practical help to many, including Paul himself. Her mention first among Paul's greetings highlights her importance in the Christian community, demonstrating how women played vital leadership roles in the early church despite cultural constraints of that era.

The Threat: A Coming Danger

Paul's tone shifts significantly in Romans 16:17 when he warns his "brothers" about those who would "cause divisions and create obstacles." Unlike the earlier discussion in chapters 14-15 about sincere believers with different convictions, here Paul addresses people who actively and intentionally disrupt church unity. These divisive individuals "are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites" (16:18).

The apostle appears to be speaking prophetically rather than addressing a current crisis—these false teachers weren't yet established in Rome, but Paul had encountered them elsewhere (particularly in Galatia, as seen in Galatians 4:17 and 5:7-10) and knew they would eventually target Rome. His preventative command is clear and direct: "keep away from them" (16:17).

Romans 16:17–18 NIV

I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.

How to Identify False Teachers

Paul offers two crucial tests to identify those who would undermine gospel unity:

First, examine their doctrine: These teachers promote ideas "contrary to the teaching you have learned" (16:17). Despite their eloquence and flattering words, their message contradicts apostolic teaching. Paul instructs believers to measure all teaching against the gospel standard they've received.

Second, discern their motives: False teachers ultimately "serve their own appetites" rather than Christ (16:18). They seek personal gain, whether material, social, or psychological. Paul challenges the Romans to look past charismatic personalities to determine whether teachers are truly self-giving servants of Christ or self-serving manipulators.

The Biblical Response

Paul offers a three-part strategy for confronting this threat:

Maintain boundaries: "Keep away from them" (16:17). False teaching requires quarantine to prevent its spread through the community.

Develop spiritual discernment: Romans 16:19

Romans 16:19 NIV

Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.

The Romans were known for their obedience, but obedience without discernment becomes dangerous naivety. They must continue deepening their understanding of the gospel while resolutely rejecting anything contrary to it. There can be "no complacency, and no compromise."

3. Remember God's promise: "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet" (16:20). This powerful encouragement points back to Genesis 3:15, where God promised a descendant of Eve would crush the serpent's head. Satan, "the great liar," uses divisive teaching as a weapon, but his defeat is certain.

The victory belongs not only to Christ but is shared with his people. Satan experiences defeat "each time someone puts their faith in Christ, receives his righteousness and escapes hell; each time a Christian obeys their Father joyfully; and each time God's people worship together in faith and unity."

Paul concludes this warning with a benediction:

Benediction

Romans 16:25–27 NIV

Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith—to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Final thoughts:

The community of faith is Christ to the world.

The church is called to continue Christ’s presence in the world:

Spreading the Good News

Doing the Good News

Being the Good News

Prayer