Romans 14:1-4
Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
After talking about the way we need to live as believers in the Lord Jesus, Paul then goes on to talk about another important aspect of our relationship with one another. It’s regarding our preferences for foods. Since we all come from varying backgrounds, there will be differences in the way we look at certain things, including foods, and he begins to address this issue now.
The first thing he asks the believers to do is to accept one another. We are to accept those who might have certain reservations pertaining to food, and he calls such people weak in their faith, since they are not firm enough to believe that foods don’t make or break their relationship with Jesus. He goes on to add that we are not to argue with them about the differences they might have pertaining to these things.
He then says that one person might feel comfortable eating all foods, while the other, who’s weak in their faith, might only prefer eating vegetables. He says that those who eat all things should in no way despise or criticise those who don’t eat all things. Likewise, those who don’t eat all things, should not despise or criticise those who do eat all things, because God has accepted him, and if God has accepted him, no one can condemn him.
He then asks a question to make the believers think about their accusing of one another. Since Jesus is our Master, we are His servants, and if that is the case, who are we to judge Jesus’s servants? We need to remember that we are not superior to anyone else in the body of Christ – we are all members of the body of Christ, and equals in God’s sight, and therefore, we have no right to condemn one another. He then says that each person stands or falls before his Master.
He seems to be telling those who eat all things to not condemn those who eat only vegetables, and those who eat only vegetables to not condemn those who eat all things, firstly because God has accepted both people. The second reason he gives for us not condemning one another, is because each of us is accountable to our Master Jesus, who alone is the Judge – we can’t take judgment into our hands. He goes on to say that God is able to make that person stand, meaning that God is able to make all people (even those who are weak in their faith), to stand with confidence before Jesus on that day.
Romans 14:5-6
5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.
Paul goes on to talk about different people’s opinions pertaining to special days of the week. He says that one person might consider one day more important than other days, (perhaps influenced by the background they came from before they came to know Christ), while another person might consider every day alike, with no difference whatsoever. He goes on to say that each person must be fully convinced in his own mind, about what he believes.
Paul then reasons why it’s important that we don’t judge one another in regards to preference of days. He says that the person who observes one day special, does so to the Lord, while the person who observes all days alike, does so to the Lord. Likewise, the person who eats all foods, does so to the Lord, with thanksgiving, while the one who does not eat all foods, but only eats vegetables, does to to the Lord, with thanksgiving.
Romans 14:7-10
7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Paul goes on to give more reasons why we should not judge one another. He says that none of us lives or dies to fulfil our own desires, but rather we live to serve the Lord, and when we die, we go to be with the Lord forever. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
Paul then goes on to say that the reason Jesus died and rose, and lives again, was so that He might be the Lord of both, those who are living in the Lord, as well as the Lord of those who die, believing in the Lord.
He then leaves the believers with a couple of questions, and a reason to ponder as well. He asks why one should judge his brother, and why one should show contempt, or look down upon his brother, when all of us will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, on the day when He (and not any one of us), will judge the world. When we consider the reality of that truth, it should silence any sort of judgment that we feel entitled to pass on someone else.
Romans 14:11-13
11 For it is written: “As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” 12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.
Paul then quotes Isaiah 45:23 which says that every knee will bow to God, and every tongue shall take an oath to God. This further confirms that every person will have so stand before the judgment seat of God, and therefore give an account of himself to God. So if this is the case, we should stop judging and condemning one another, in matters pertaining to food and days, but instead, what we need to do is to not offend one another by the way we respond to each other’s preferences of food or days.
