We’ve just past one of the most contentious events of the year. I’m not referring to Reformation Sunday, but what that date is know by the majority of the population as: Halloween. This morning I’m not here to present an argument if Christians should be engaged in this event or not, but just to mention how discussion of it has become so contentious by many well meaning genuine believers on both sides. The discussion of it has caused division and quarrel.
The particular danger to unity that Paul addresses in Romans 14:1–15:13 is the conflict that easily arises between those to whom he refers as strong and weak believers, those who are mature in the faith and those who are immature, those who understand and enjoy freedom in Christ and those who still feel either shackled or threatened by certain religious and cultural taboos and practices that were deeply ingrained parts of their lives before coming to Christ. Those who were still strongly influenced, favorably or unfavorably, by their former religious beliefs and practices were weak in the faith because they did not understand their freedom in Christ. On the other hand, those who are strong are often faced with the temptation to push their freedom in Christ to the limits, to live on the outer edge of moral propriety, to see how far they can go without actually committing a sin. Those who are weak are tempted in the opposite way. They are so afraid of committing some religious offense that they surround themselves with self-imposed restrictions. The liberated believer is tempted to look upon his legalistic believer as being too rigid and restricted to be of any use to the Lord. The legalist, on the other hand, is tempted to think of his liberated believer as being too freewheeling and undisciplined to serve Christ effectively. This is the root of the disunity.
Although they are not sins in themselves, certain attitudes and behavior can destroy fellowship and fruitfulness and have crippled the work, the witness, and the unity of countless congregations throughout church history. These problems are caused by differences between Christians over matters that are neither commanded nor forbidden in Scripture. The church does not exist as a judiciary body to make pronouncements on issues that in the long run will prove to be of no real consequence. Those things are adiaphora (from the Greek word meaning “indifferent” or “inconsequential.”), things that do not really matter (Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 251). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
They are matters of personal preference and historic tradition, which, when imposed on others, inevitably cause confusion, strife, ill will, abused consciences, and disharmony. Every single one of us is required to examine ourselves, not only in considering our own positions on contentious issues, but in how we express them and regard other believers who hold differing positions. If we cannot live in biblical harmony by loving other genuine believers who hold to differing views on matters not directly addressed in Scripture, then we dishonor Christ, and spoil our witness before a watching world. In Romans 14-15, God, through the Apostle Paul instructs us how we are to live with others who love the Lord but who do not see what we are doing as the ideal way of living out the Christian faith. (Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 477). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.)
In Romans 14:1–12, the apostle speaks to both types of believers and both attitudes, but his first counsel is directed to strong believers, for the very reason that they are stronger in the faith. Of the two groups, they are the better equipped both to understand and to be understanding. He therefore says in verse 1 as for the one who is weak in faith, welcome/accept him Proslambano (welcome/accept) is a compound verb, the prefix pros being a preposition that intensifies the basic verb, making it a command. In other words, Paul was not simply suggesting, but commanding, that strong believers welcome/accept weak believers. In the New Testament, proslambano is always used in the Greek middle voice, which gives it the connotation of personal and willing acceptance of another person. The verb means “receive or accept into one’s society, home, circle of acquaintance” (BAGD), and implies that the Roman Christians were not only to “tolerate” the “weak” but that they were to treat them as brothers and sisters in the intimate fellowship typical of the people of God (Moo, D. J. (1996). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 835). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
That this one is described as “one who is is weak” translates a Greek present participle, suggesting a temporary condition. The Greek text also has the definite article (the) before faith, indicating that Paul was not speaking of spiritual trust or faithfulness but of understanding the full truth of the gospel message. Paul was not speaking of doctrinal or moral compromise. He was speaking of believers, Jew or Gentile, who are weak in their understanding of and living out their true faith in Jesus Christ. These are Christians who are not able42 to accept for themselves the truth that their faith in Christ implies liberation from certain OT/Jewish ritual requirements (Moo, D. J. (1996). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 836). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
Such believers are to be fully and lovingly accepted by those who are spiritually mature. It is not that the believer’s freedom in Christ should never be discussed with Christians who are still under bondage to some type of religious compulsion or restraint, but that such discussion should never quarrel over/pass judgment on undeveloped but sincere opinions. While Paul does not regard these controversies as insoluble, he regards the unity of the church’s fellowship as more important than resolving them (cf. 12:5, 10, 16). The issues in view here did not belong to the gospel, but to the relative strength or weakness of the individual’s faith in the gospel. Where essentials of the gospel were at stake, Paul’s response was very different (e.g., Gal. 1:6, 7; 3:1–5; Phil. 3:2, 18, 19). (Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (Ro 14:1). Nashville: T. Nelson.)
In Romans 14:2–12, Paul gives four reasons why all believers (both strong and weak) should receive all other believers. They should receive each other because 1) God receives them (Romans 14:2–3), because 2) The Lord sustains each believer (Romans 14:4), because 3) The Lord is sovereign to each believer (Romans 14:5–9), and because 4) The Lord alone will judge each believer (Romans 14:10–12).
All believers (both strong and weak) should receive all other believers because:
1) God Receives Each Believer (Romans 14:2–3)
Romans 14:2-3 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. (ESV)
Please turn to 1 Timothy 4 (p.992)
The one person who believes/has faith that he may eat anything/all things obviously refers to the stronger, more mature Christian who appreciates and exercises their freedom in Christ. The first example of freedom is that of the Christian’s right to eat anything/all things. The gospel of the New Covenant in Jesus Christ includes no ceremonial or dietary restrictions, Mosaic or otherwise.
In his first letter to Timothy, the apostle writes:
1 Timothy 4:1–5 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. (ESV). (cf. Acts 10:15-16, 28).
Some Gentile believers, like some Jews, were troubled by the eating of certain foods, but for different reasons. Because of the idolatry and immorality related to their former religions, they could not bring themselves to eat meat or any other food that had been used as an offering to a pagan deity. Like Peter in Acts 10, they were still spiritually weak in regard to such things. Consequently, some Christian Jews and Gentiles would eat vegetables only, taking no risk of eating meat they considered to be defiled by idols. Although Paul mentions only eating in verses 2–3 and 6, his comments in verses 17 and 21 suggest that some believers had similar concerns about drinking. If so, the reference probably applied primarily to Gentiles who had participated in or were familiar with pagan festivals such as the Roman bacchanalia, which were characterized by sexual orgies and drunkenness.
In verse 3 Paul gives a double injunction. The first is to the strong, to whom he says, Let not the one who eats despise/regard with contempt the one [the weak believer] abstains/who does not eat. Exoutheneo (Despise/regard with contempt) is a strong term that carries the idea of looking on someone as totally worthless, as being nothing or less than nothing. It does not connote simply dislike or disrespect, but utter disdain and abhorrence. Many Jews of that day despise/regard with contempt all Gentiles, and many Greeks and Romans had the similar regard for those they referred to as barbarians.
Paul’s next injunction is to the weak: and let not the one who abstains/who does not eat pass judgement on the one who eats. To pass judgement translates a strong Greek verb (krino), which has the basic meaning of separating and isolating. In a legal sense it referred to finding an accused person guilty of a crime. In this verse, despise/regard with contempt and pass judgement are essentially synonymous. In both cases, one type of person disdains the other, and both are wrong. The strong member contemptibly considers the weak member to be legalistic and self-righteous, and the weak member judges the strong member to be irresponsible at best and reckless at worst.
Although the phrase God has welcomed/accepted him directly follows him who eats (the strong), the context makes clear that divine acceptance applies both to the strong and to the weak, to the one who eats freely and to the one who does not. Paul’s point is that, if God Himself does not make an issue of such things, what right does one of His children have to do so? If the strong and the weak have equal acceptance by and fellowship with the Lord, it is sinful arrogance for those two kinds of believers not to accept each other. Christians have no right to reject from their fellowship those whom God himself has welcomed/accepted. They must “receive” those whom God has “received.” (Moo, D. J. (1996). The Epistle to the Romans (pp. 838–839). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
Illustration:
Unfortunately, those Christians often welcome tend to be much like themselves. It has been said: Believe as I believe, No more, no less; That I am right, And no one else, confess; Feel as I feel, Think only as I think; Eat what I eat, And drink but what I drink; Look as I look, Do always as I do; Then, and only then, Will I fellowship with you.
As Christians this should not be our attitude (Hughes, R. K. (1991). Romans: righteousness from heaven (pp. 259–260). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.).
All believers (both strong and weak) should receive all other believers because:
2) The Lord Sustains Each Believer. (Romans 14:4)
Romans 14:4 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. (ESV)
A believer who is “strong” about matters that are not doctrinal or moral, and that are neither commanded nor forbidden in Scripture, is just as much in need of God’s strength as the one who is “weak.” We are all weak in the sense that everything good and righteous we possess is a gift of God, never the product of our own wisdom or efforts. But the remaining influence of the flesh often tempts liberated believers to think legalists are so rigid and self-righteous that they sacrifice not only much personal joy but also limit their usefulness to the Lord. On the other hand, the same fleshly influence tempts legalists to believe that liberated believers are self-centered and loose-living and therefore cannot serve the Lord effectively.
Being well aware of those tendencies, Paul confronts both groups with the stinging rhetorical question, Who are you to pass judgement on the servant of another? What right do any of you, mature or immature, well taught or poorly taught, have to pass judgement on the servant of another, especially a fellow servant of Jesus Christ? A believer’s personal assessment of other believers does not in the least affect their standing before the Lord. Often Christians base their moral judgments on opinion, personal dislikes, or cultural bias, rather than on the Word of God. When they do this, they show that their own faith is weak (Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., & Wilson, N. S. (1992). Romans (p. 263). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.)
Please turn back to Romans 8 (p.944)
It is before/to his own master, namely, Jesus Christ, that each believer stands or falls. And as far as matters of religious tradition and preference are concerned, every believer, strong and weak, will pass divine judgment, because the Lord does not take such things into account. He will be upheld, Paul says of every believer, because the Lord is able, and obviously willing, to make him stand.
Earlier in the letter Paul said:
Romans 8:31-34 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (ESV)
• Because God has condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son (Rom. 8:3) to pay the penalty for sin through his death on the cross, Paul began chapter 8 showing how there is therefore, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). Not only is there nothing in the universe that can separate us from God (Jn. 10:27-28) but also the closing benediction of Jude’s brief epistle reflects that promise, reminding believers of “Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy” (Jude 24). As Satan and others would unjustifiably accuse the brethren, Christ is our defense attorney who always lives to make intercession for us (Heb. 7:25)
Illustration: Two of the most famous Christians in the Victorian Era in England were Charles Spurgeon and Joseph Parker, both of them mighty preachers of the Gospel. Early in their ministries they fellowshipped and even exchanged pulpits. Then they had a disagreement, and the reports even got into the newspapers. Spurgeon accused Parker of being unspiritual because he attended the theater. Interestingly enough, Spurgeon smoked cigars, a practice many believers would condemn. Who was right? Who was wrong? Perhaps both of them were wrong! When it comes to questionable matters in the Christian life, cannot dedicated believers disagree without being disagreeable? God blesses people we disagree with. Since Jesus Christ is Lord, we submit to Him to deal with His own servants as He wishes (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 560). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.).
All believers (both strong and weak) should receive all other believers because:
3) The Lord Is Sovereign to Each Believer (Romans 14:5–9)
Romans 14:5–9 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. (ESV)
Whether strong or weak, a sincere believer feels free or not free to do certain things out of the same motive: to please his Lord. Neither one is more or less spiritual or faithful because of their convictions about practices such as those discussed. Being “strong” in this sense is not synonymous with being spiritual, and being “weak” is not synonymous with being carnal. The problem in the church at Rome, as in many churches since that day, was that some believers of both persuasions thought themselves to be more spiritual and the others to be more carnal. Paul’s whole purpose in these verses, and in the larger context of (Romans 14:1–15:13), was to disabuse believers of those false, divisive, and destructive notions.
Please turn to Colossians 2 (p.984)
His first example has to do with the religious significance and observance of certain days. He continues to address both strong and weak believers, noting that one person (the weak) esteems/regards one day as better/above another, whereas another (the strong) esteems/regards all/every day alike. As with the eating of certain foods, the weak Jewish Christian remained strongly attached to the special days of Judaism and felt compelled to observe them. The weak Gentile, on the other hand, wanted to separate himself as far as possible from the special days of his former paganism because of their idolatrous and immoral character.
Paul admonished believers in Colossae:
Colossians 2:16-23 16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. 20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. (ESV)
• The old covenant observances pointed to a future reality that was fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Heb. 10:1). Hence, Christians are no longer under the Mosaic covenant (cf. Rom. 6:14–15; 7:1–6; 2 Cor. 3:4–18; Gal. 3:15–4:7). Christians are no longer obligated to observe OT dietary laws (“food and drink”) or festivals, holidays, and special days (“a festival … new moon … Sabbath,” Col. 2:16), for what these things foreshadowed has been fulfilled in Christ .(Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2297). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
As far as our present earthly life is concerned, Paul continues to insist in Romans 14:5 that each one should be fully convinced in his own mind about observing or not observing the Sabbath or any other day. In this context, mind obviously includes the heart and conscience, our deepest convictions and motives. Before God, it is not a matter of observance or nonobservance but of intent. There is a reverse truth implicit here also, which is: If the Lord convicts you that something is wrong in your life, you had better not do it, even if other Christians are doing it! (Hughes, R. K. (1991). Romans: righteousness from heaven (p. 263). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.)
According to verse 6, the sincere weaker believer who observes the day, observes it in honor/for the Lord. The sincere stronger believer who eats, does so in honor/for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains/who east not, again, the weaker believer abstains/eats not, in honor of the Lord since he gives thanks to God. In matters that are not specifically commanded or forbidden in Scripture, it is always wrong to go against conscience, because our conscience represents what we actually believe to be right. To go against our conscience, therefore, is to do that which we believe is wrong. And although an act or practice in itself may not be sinful, it is treated as sinful for those who are convinced in their own minds that it is wrong, and produces guilt. It is also sinful, to encourage others to go against their own consciences. Paul is therefore giving a twofold command: Do not compromise your own conscience in order to conform to the conscience of another believer and do not attempt to lead another believer to compromise their conscience to conform to yours. If the strong should not try to force the weak into a frightening liberty where guidelines are far less clearly drawn, neither should the weak seek to restrict the strong within the limits of their own more tightly defined liberty (Dunn, J. D. G. (1998). Romans 9–16 (Vol. 38B, p. 814). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.).
Paul now explains his reasons for this in verse 7: “For none of us lives to/for himself, and none of us dies to/for himself; and in verse 8, for if we live, we live to/for the Lord, or if we die, we die to/for the Lord. So then/therefore whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. In all of Scripture, there is no greater call for holy living and for submission to the sovereign and unconditional lordship of Jesus Christ. Neither the godly strong or weak believer lives to/for himself or dies to/for himself, and for the same reason—both of them live to/for the Lord and both of them die to/for the Lord. What we do for other believers, we do not only for their sakes but for our Lord’s sake, because, whether we live or whether die, we are the Lord’s. Christ is our mutual Lord, our mutual sovereign; and therefore everything we do, even in our dying, should be to please and to glorify our sovereign Savior and Lord.We belong wholly to Christ because we “have been bought with a price” (1 Cor. 6:20; c 7:23) that He Himself paid with His own blood for our redemption (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14). For anyone else to lay claim to the authority to determine conviction and conduct of another would be to usurp the exclusive rights of Christ and to fall again into the primeval sin of trying to do God’s work for him (Dunn, J. D. G. (1998). Romans 9–16 (Vol. 38B, p. 814). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.).
We are the Lord’s in the fullest possible sense, Paul explains in verse 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. To deny the lordship of Jesus Christ is to subvert the full work, power, and purpose of His crucifixion and resurrection (Rom. 6:17–18, 22, Phil. 2:11; Rev. 17:14; 19:16; 1 Tim. 6:15),
Illustration: John Donne, best known for his “Songs and Sonnets” became a preacher and also wrote great sermons as well as other prose literature. Among his prose writings are some “Meditations” he composed while confined to bed recovering from a serious illness. At one point he heard a church bell ringing the death toll of some other person, and he reasoned that it is never merely for other people the bell rings. Since each of us is mortal, it rings for us. Donne wrote, “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the maine; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends, or of thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” Those last words are well known. They are the source of the title of one of Ernest Hemingway’s best known novels, for example. But they come to mind now not because of Hemingway, but because of Paul’s teaching here in Romans 14 “For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” (Boice, J. M. (1991–). Romans: The New Humanity (Vol. 4, pp. 1746–1748). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.)
Finally, all believers (both strong and weak) should receive all other believers because:
4) The Lord Alone Will Judge Each Believer (Romans 14:10–12)
Romans 14:10–12 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 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 will give an account of himself to God. (ESV)
Since each believer belongs to the Lord alone, and since “Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living” (vv. 8–9), Paul asks, why do you (the weak, see (v. 3b) pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you (the strong, see v. 3a) despise/regard your brother with contempt? The work of Christians is to serve the Lord, not to usurp His lordship by self-righteously judging fellow believers on discretionary matters (cf. 1 Cor. 4:1–5). It is harsh and censorious criticism that Jesus opposed, not insight conditioned and made possible by biblical truth (Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 254). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
Please turn to 1 Corinthians 3 (p.953)
Our concern, rather, should be for being judged ourselves by the Lord, for we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. We, along with all other believer, stand before the Lord on His judgment seat. When this occurs:
1 Corinthians 3:13–15 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (ESV).
• Although those who have repented of sin and believed in Jesus have already been justified by faith (Rom. 5:1) and will not face condemnation on the final day (John 5:24; Rom. 8:1, 33), God will still judge their works (Rom. 14:10–12; 2 Cor. 5:10) and reward them accordingly (Matt. 6:1–6, 16, 18; 10:41–42) (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2195). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
Reinforcing his argument for believer’s judgment with a quotation from Isaiah 45:23, Paul reminds his readers in verse 11 For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue confess/shall give praise to God” (c Phil. 2:10–11). One day everyone will submit to God’s authority. He will judge all people before His great throne (see Rev. 20:11–15). (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version (Ro 14:11). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
Our responsibility is not to unjustly judge, to despise, to criticize, or in any way to belittle our brothers and sisters in Christ. We will not be called on by our Lord to give an account of the sins and shortcomings of others, but rather as Paul concludes in verse 12 each one of us will give account of himself to God. Judging is a divine prerogative. For believers to take up that role is to usurp the place of God himself.( Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 255). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
(Format note: Outline & some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1991). Romans (Ro 14:1–10). Chicago: Moody Press.)
