Respect One Another

Last time we spoke about our call to love and hope, today we will see that we need to respect other believers when they do not agree with our diet or schedule. Let us pick up in Romans 14:1-12

Romans 14:1–12 TLV

Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of disputes about opinions. One person has faith to eat anything, but the weak eats only vegetables. Don’t let the one who eats disparage the one who does not eat, and don’t let the one who does not eat judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge another’s servant? Before his own master he stands or falls. Yes, he shall stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day over another while another judges every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes that day does so to the Lord. The one who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and the one who abstains, abstains to the Lord, and he gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for himself, and none dies for himself. For if we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this reason Messiah died and lived again, so that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you too, why do you look down on your brother? For we all will stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, “As I live, says Adonai, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.” So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Disputable Matters

The following section speaks about matters of opinion, areas that are not related to salvation but are disputable. In fact, Verse 1 can be translated as follows in the NIV:

Accept him whose faith is weak, without quarreling [or passing judgement] over disputable matters.

And the 2 topics that Paul starts with, are:

The food we eat (or don’t eat),

The days that we celebrate (or don’t celebrate).

Now what is interesting is that these 2 issues are still just as relevant today as they were in Paul’s day. For instance, What makes our congregation different than another congregation such as Vision? Well, we meet on a Saturday, they meet on Sunday; we celebrate Shavuot, they celebrate Pentecost, we celebrate Pesach, they celebrate Easter, we celebrate Sukkot, they celebrate Christmas. We choose not to eat pork or shell fish, whereas they have no problem cooking a pig on a spit and inviting lots of people. So who is right and who is wrong?

Well let’s get into it.

The Food we Eat

Paul was not fully aware of what the congregation in Rome was like exactly, but he had 2 different issues regarding food that he had addressed in multiple other letters. The first issue with the congregation in Rome was that in 54 A.D. when Emperor Claudius died, and Nero ascended to the throne, the Jewish people were invited to move back into Rome. Previous to this, the congregation that had started out as fully Jewish, became fully Gentile and was now a mixed congregation again.

Remember the letter that the Apostles had written in Acts 15 that had to do with the minimum requirements of Gentile believers? Let’s read Acts. 15:23-29

Acts 15:23–29 TLV

and this letter along with them: “The emissaries and the elders, your brothers, To the Gentile brothers of Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings! Since we have heard that some from among us have troubled you with words disturbing to your souls, although we gave them no such authorization, it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul— men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. We therefore have sent to you Judah and Silas, who themselves will report to you the same things by word of mouth. It seemed good to the Ruach ha-Kodesh and to us not to place on you any greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. By keeping away from these things, you will do well. Shalom!”

When we read this, we see that there are three basic topics that the Apostles were covering:

Rejecting Idolatry

Abstaining from food (specifically food offered to idols, meat with the blood in it, meat that was strangled)

Abstaining from sexual immorality.

Now notice that three of the items covered have to do with the food that people ate? If Gentiles ate this sort of food then the Jewish believers would not be able to fellowship with them. If you have not figured out, fellowship has to do with eating meals together, which is why we love to eat together after the service. I see the fellowship with one another as important as the sermon.

So is Paul addressing this letter? I don’t think so. The letter would have been sent out years earlier than the letter to the Romans. So what is Paul addressing?

Well I think that there are 2 things. The first is the difference in diet between the Jewish and Gentile believers in Yeshua. The entire letter of Romans is addressing the differences and similarities between and the Jewish and Gentile followers of Yeshua. So maybe Paul is saying that the Jewish Believers who wish to hold to the dietary requirements of the Mosaic Covenant are the weaker in faith.

But another option might be, that when Gentiles purchased meat at the market, they might not have known if that animal had been sacrificed to an idol, so they might have simply chosen to be Vegetarians. In this case, the Vegetarians would be considered to have weaker faith, because they were doing so because the meat might have been offered to idols.

Either way, Paul’s direction is clear: Romans 14:3–4 “Don’t let the one who eats disparage the one who does not eat, and don’t let the one who does not eat judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge another’s servant? Before his own master he stands or falls. Yes, he shall stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”

The Days we Celebrate

The same is true for the days that we choose to celebrate. Do I think that the Feast listed in Lev. 23 have a greater importance than those that were memorialized after Yeshua rose from the dead? Well yes, and no. I have this sense that after Yeshua has returned, that all of the Feast days will have new significance. Not only will we celebrate the resurrection of Yeshua on Passover and the outpouring of the Ruach HaKodesh on Shavuot, but I believe that the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur and Sukkot will all have a new meaning once Yeshua has returned.

But in no way does this give me the right to mock or make fun of Believers who still celebrate Christmas and Easter! God Forbid! If we have family members who remember Jesus at Christmas and Easter, what gives us the right the look down on them for doing that? In fact Paul does not even indicate as to which one is better. There was actually an ancient debate between the House of Shammai and the House of Hillel.

It was taught: They related concerning Shammai the Elder [that] all his life he ate in honor of the Sabbath. [Thus] if he found a well favored animal he said. Let this be for the Sabbath. [If afterwards] he found one better favored he put aside the second [for the Sabbath] and ate the first. But Hillel the Elder had a different trait, for all his works were for the sake of heaven, for it is said: Blessed be the Lord, day by day (Ps. 68:19). It was likewise taught: Beth Shammai say: From the first day of the week [prepare] for the Sabbath, but Beth Hillel say: Blessed be the Lord, day by day. As early as the first day of the week, Shammai the Elder used to purchase wood for the Sabbath. Hillel the Elder had another and better idea of conduct, for he used to say: “Let each of your deeds be for Heaven’s sake.”

As you can see, the argument is well within Jewish tradition. Paul would have called Hillel’s approach a principle of “strong” faith and the approach of Shammai “weak”. But either approach is acceptable to Adonai.

Do I think that Sukkot and Yom Kippur are more valuable than Christmas, yes I do. But does that mean that I should choose to break fellowship with other Believers who hold to a different perspective? No, I should not. I should live a life of conviction, but also recognize that Yeshua’s teachings focused more on my heart attitude than on which days I celebrate his birth day.

Regardless of what traditions I choose to incorporate, I should live my whole life as unto the Lord.

It reminds me of the principle of churches of Christ that states:

In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in all things love.

Give Account to God

To close out this section, Paul appeals to Isa. 45:23, But I want to read the whole section from Isa. 45:20-25

Isaiah 45:20–25 TLV

“Assemble yourselves and come, draw near together, fugitives of the nations! Those who carry their wooden idols have no knowledge, praying to a god who cannot save. Declare and present your case, Indeed, let them consult together. Who foretold this from ancient time? Who has declared it of old? Is it not I, Adonai? There is no other God beside Me —a righteous God and a Savior— there is none besides Me! Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God—there is no other. By Myself I have sworn— the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness, and is irrevocable: that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear. They will say of Me, ‘Only in Adonai is righteousness and strength.’ All who have raged against Him will come to Him and be put to shame. In Adonai all the seed of Israel will be justified and give praise.”

Whether we are a “fugitive of the nations” of are the “seed of Israel”, this passage clearly states that all people will bow their knees willingly or unwillingly to Adonai. The day will come when everyone, everywhere will recognize that Adonai is the ruler of the Universe.

Paul quotes this passage in another place, and although we have covered this passage recently, I think that we need to see it in this context. The passage is from Paul’s letter to the believers in Philippi, Phil. 2:6-11. Paul says of Yeshua,

Philippians 2:6–11 TLV

Who, though existing in the form of God, did not consider being equal to God a thing to be grasped. But He emptied Himself— taking on the form of a slave, becoming the likeness of men and being found in appearance as a man. He humbled Himself— becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Yeshua every knee should bow, in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, and every tongue profess that Yeshua the Messiah is Lord— to the glory of God the Father.

Paul is pointing out that Yeshua will be the one before whom all people will bow. He preached the same thing before the men of Athens at the Aereopagus in Acts. 17:30-31

Acts 17:30–31 TLV

Although God overlooked the periods of ignorance, now He commands everyone everywhere to repent. For He has set a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness, through a Man whom He has appointed. He has brought forth evidence of this to all men, by raising Him from the dead.”

Yeshua is the Man whom Adonai has appointed to judge the entire world. How much more will we also give an account of our lives to Him? This is exactly what Yeshua taught in Matt. 25:14-30 when explaining the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 25:14–30 TLV

“For it is like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and handed over his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey. “Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them and gained five more. In the same way, the one with two gained two more. But the one who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. “Now after a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. The one who had received the five talents came up and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed me five talents. Look, I’ve gained five more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful with a little, so I’ll put you in charge of much. Enter into your master’s joy!’ “The one who had received the two talents also came up and said, ‘Master, you handed me two talents. Look, I’ve gained two more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful with a little, so I’ll put you in charge of much. Enter into your master’s joy!’ “Then the one who had received the one talent also came up and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you didn’t sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. So I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ “But his master responded, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you should have brought my money to the brokers, and when I came I would have received it back with interest. Therefore take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For to the one who has, more shall be given, and he shall have an abundance. But from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. Throw the worthless servant out, into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ”

Application

As a Messianic Congregation we obviously have different traditions than many other Congregations, but we should recognize that the foundations of our congregation, the essence of what we believe, is the same as all Yeshua following, Bible Believers.

We acknowledge that there are essential beliefs that relate to who Yeshua is and how we are saved. And at the same time, there are areas of discussion, areas of difference in tradition.

Paul was dealing with two specific areas that would cause a stumbling block between Jewish and Gentile believers, the food that is eaten and the days that are celebrated.

As a congregation we encourage fellowship and eating together. What we ask is that no one brings pork or shell-fish. We don’t have to remind people not to bring uncooked meat with the blood still in it, or any meat that was strangled, because we live in a country where those things are not practiced. We are wanting for all people to feel welcome, both Jews and Gentiles.

Another thing that we do is provide Gluten Free food. You might wonder how this applies, but the reality is that there are some people who are extremely allergic to Gluten, and we want to create a place where everyone can fellowship. This means that we all need to respect the limitations of others, whether those are health limitations or restrictions based upon conviction.

As for the days we celebrate, we are coming up to the Biblical Feast days and will be celebrating Rosh HaShannah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. And we do not celebrate Christmas or Easter, but this does not mean that you can not go with your family to celebrate these holidays.

Finally, we need to remember that we will all give an account of our lives to Yeshua. I am not your judge, so you do not need to worry about what I say. However to the extent that I am quoting from Yeshua, or reading God’s words, it might be a good idea to listen and find out what pleases Him.

I hope that each and every one of you reads God’s words on a daily basis. Yeshua said in John 15:12-15

John 15:12–15 TLV

“This is My commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: that he lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. “I am no longer calling you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing. Now I have called you friends, because everything I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

We are called to be the friends of Yeshua, so we should take the time to find out what He likes and what displeases Him.

Related Media

Related Sermons

Earn an accredited degree from Redemption Seminary with Logos.